University of Connecticut CABA News

Spotlight: POTOO Solutions

POTOO Solutions, recognized by the Marcum Tech Top 40 as the fastest-growing technology company in Connecticut, collaborated with CABA this fall semester. The Norwalk-based company presented a Data Challenge to 39 teams of UCONN’s Masters in Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) students. 

They tasked the students to analyze the relationship between third-party sellers and a company’s intrinsic value. “During the challenge, students were presented with a historic set of POTOO’s marketplace data and a relatively wide scope,” explained James Knight, VP of IT. “We were impressed with the participation for this optional challenge and the insights we received from the students were compelling. Students used both predictive models and real-life/news events to add color to their hypothesis.”

Three talented teams were selected as finalists to present their findings to Knight and POTOO’s CEO, Fred Dimyan. “The quality of the results was such that selecting the top three teams was the biggest challenge for POTOO,” Knight added.

The winning team was composed of MSBAPM students Yongxin Cui and Qianyu Zhang, both sharing in the honor as well as the $1,000 prize. After reflecting upon his experience, Cui remarked, “This Data Challenge broadened my horizons, allowing me the opportunity to work with datasets from a real business environment. Cleaning, interpreting, and researching the data gave me a new perspective on the various ways I can transfer my knowledge to a career in analytics.”

Accurate data is imperative when it comes to forming business decisions around an ever-changing eCommerce landscape. POTOO combines publicly sourced data with a proprietary analytics process to provide clients with actionable insights in a convenient online interface.

Where is CABA Now?

This fall semester, CABA started its third year of operation. We are continuing to grow relationships with our existing partners and are developing new ties with additional organizations. We completed four Capstone projects and one Data Challenge, led by a team of professors including Jennifer Eigo, Anna Radziwillowicz, and John Wilson. Our sponsor companies, Stanley Black & Decker, LIMRA, POTOO Solutions, Grove Property Fund, and Zorus, found our students highly skilled and focused on solving the challenges presented to them. Each was a success and we are looking forward to future opportunities for collaboration. 

CABA will continue to seek out new and exciting projects and sponsors to further enhance the experiences of the BAPM students, OPIM faculty, and CABA sponsoring organizations.

“Our partnership with UCONN’s CABA was a tremendously successful venture. Working with the students was refreshing and fun. This type of project and level of participation encourages a greater spread of insights across all teams involved.”

-Fred Dimyan, POTOO Solutions

POTOO Solutions

Protecting the world’s most valued brands in the online marketplace.