Five Miami companies faced real-world business challenges. FIU Business graduate students delivered solutions.
As part of the capstone course in the AI cohort of the Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) program, student teams presented their recommendations to company executives on issues ranging from pricing and inventory forecasting to identifying government contracting opportunities in fall 2025. The focus of the projects was for the MSIS students to develop an actionable product strategy for AI-driven solutions to real-world business challenges.
The Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU Business coordinated with FIU Business faculty to bring five SBDC clients to students for the intensive eight-week consulting project. “It’s a great way to get students hands-on experience, and the businesses get game changing ideas and applications,” said Brian Van Hook, regional director of Florida SBDC at FIU Business.
One of those businesses was UltraChem/Ultra1Plus, an automotive lubricant manufacturer and distributor. CEO Carmine Colarusso tasked his student team with creating a dashboard to track key financial indicators. “I came to the first session and was impressed,” he said. “They didn’t only go for what was asked. They went that extra mile.”
He plans to use the dashboard every month. “Having a dashboard right in front of you, pulling numbers straight from the accounting system without having to call anybody, is a big, big help.,” he said. “You can adjust your strategy and make decisions that are more focused on what you want to achieve, faster.”
The tool also will help him spot issues earlier. “Sometimes we fall into the trap of wanting more revenue, more sales, but if you don’t have the margin, your cash flow is hurt and you’re actually putting the company at risk,” he said.
Partnering with students versed in AI was particularly exciting for him as a small business owner. “I don’t have a big C-level team, but AI supplies that to me without the burden of hiring people at that level,” he said.
Executives at Grainman, a manufacturer of laboratory testing equipment for the agricultural industry, have been looking for ways to implement AI. The students created a dashboard to help identify actionable government contracting opportunities, a solution the company had been talking about for a while but never had time to implement. “It’s one of the things that’s been holding us back so it’s going to streamline things for us quite a bit,” said Grainman CEO Eduardo Castellanos.
Grainman COO Eric Schaub agreed. “The team knocked it out of the park!” he said. “They clearly understood our pain points and gave us a clear product we can use going forward. We’re excited to see the efficiency it brings and to keep partnering with FIU and the FSBDC at FIU Business to build both students’ futures and our connection to industry.”
For the students, the capstone experience led by MSIS program director and associate professor Hemang Subramanian ties the program together. MSIS AI cohort student Maria Alamilla and her team spent 454 hours building a pricing engine they named PricingIQ for their client, janitorial and facility maintenance supply company Continental & Global Services.
“I think this class just wraps everything up really nicely,” she said. “It brings that real-life aspect. You see what a company’s business problem is and how the things you’ve learned in class are actually applicable in the real world. With all the different pieces from all the semesters, you can build a product you can scale and sell.”
Businesses interested in participating in future MSIS Capstone projects can review more details and register on the capstone projects page.