Students from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM) have achieved an international milestone. The team, Dynamo Consulting, won first place at the International Social Business Case Competition Creative Shock 2025 in Lithuania. The team consists of Nathaniel Christianto Kuniardi (Accounting), Gildas Sebastian Satriatama Sitompul (Accounting), Rr. Hadijah Puteri Jasmine (Management) and Ericha Mellyana (Management), under the supervision of lecturer Azellia Alma Shafira.
Ericha Mellyana explained that the competition was organized by the Students’ Association of ISM University at the ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius, Lithuania. Held from November 20 to 23, 2025, the competition brought together top finalists from various countries, including Lithuania, Serbia, India, Indonesia, and the United States.
Each team had to complete both preliminary and final rounds. During the preliminary stage, participants were presented with two cases in sequence. The first case involved a financial challenge from ŠUNYS ASISTENTAI, an organization that provides assistance dog training to support the mobility of persons with disabilities.
In this stage, participants were tasked with designing a sustainable funding scheme to ensure the organization’s continued operations and expanded impact. The second case came from Pilnos Širdys, a social enterprise that empowers people with disabilities through paper and notebook production.
“Participants were asked to develop a marketing strategy capable of increasing awareness and product conversion effectively. Nine top teams advanced to the finals and were presented with a new marketing case from SPEAK, an organization facilitating language-learning interactions between Lithuanians and foreigners,” she explained at UGM Campus on Thursday (Dec. 4).
After advancing through the preliminary round, Mellyana said participants were then challenged to design strategies to attract more local volunteers to join as teachers. Five top teams were selected to enter the grand final, where they worked on a financial case from Innovator Valley, a creative space with various strengths that required a sustainable and long-term financial model.
According to Mellyana, the main challenge throughout the competition was understanding Lithuania’s cultural and geographical context. She noted that strategies could not be generalized from an Indonesian perspective and that additional analysis was required to ensure solutions were truly relevant and implementable in the local setting.
Additionally, language use during the presentation played a crucial role, as all ideas needed to be delivered clearly, simply, and engagingly to a panel of judges from diverse backgrounds.
Mellyana stated that this achievement was made possible thanks to the support of their supervising lecturer and the GMB Case Club, which provided intensive mentoring throughout their preparation for the final. The team also received significant support and facilitation from FEB UGM, enabling them to compete effectively.
“We are grateful for this accomplishment. It was our first time traveling abroad, we made it to the final round, and we succeeded in winning an international competition. This is a truly memorable and proud moment for FEB, UGM, and Indonesia,” she said.
Reporter: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya