A team of four MBA students from UNLV’s Lee Business School — Erika Charles, Kevin Davis, Chiebuka Okoro, and Ajay Nune — recently represented the university at the Faith and Belief at Work case competition, hosted by Brigham Young University in early February. The event brought together teams from top business schools across the country to explore how companies can thoughtfully support religious inclusion amid market challenges and organizational complexity.

Participants were presented with a real-world case study based on issues faced by senior leadership at a major corporation. Teams had just 24 hours to analyze the problem and develop actionable, strategic recommendations—testing their ability to think critically, collaborate effectively, and perform under pressure.
UNLV’s team joined MBA cohorts from universities including Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Baylor, Alabama, Duke, and the University of Virginia. In addition to competing, students had the opportunity to hear from executive leaders at companies such as Oracle, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Ford Motor Company, and to network with peers from across the country.

“This was an exceptional opportunity to dig into a problem that is often overlooked—how a culture of faith measurably impacts an employee’s sense of belonging,” said Kevin Davis, one of the UNLV participants. “Connecting with students from such diverse backgrounds and faiths was eye-opening, and I am grateful that we were able to participate.”

Hans Rawhouser, Ph.D., professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the Lee Business School and faculty advisor to the team, said he was deeply impressed by the students’ commitment. “Competitions like these bring out the drive to be one’s best,” Rawhouser said. “Our team had never worked together before and came from distinct backgrounds, but they stayed in their prep room until the janitors kicked them out at night—and even then, kept working at the hotel into the early morning hours to meet their deadline. That kind of effort was truly inspiring.”

Rawhouser also emphasized the importance of experiential learning in the MBA experience. “Case competitions push students to apply classroom concepts in high-pressure, real-world environments. It challenges their assumptions, builds resilience, and helps them grow into thoughtful, adaptive leaders.”
The experience delivered lasting value—both professionally and personally. The students walked away with a deeper understanding of inclusive leadership and a renewed appreciation for the power of thoughtful, values-based dialogue in the workplace.