An idea dreamed up at 2 a.m. A team assembled through Discord. Two winning technology projects.
For FIU Business students competing in the AIS Tech X Challenge and ShellHacks 2026, success came from combining business knowledge, technical skills and a willingness to tackle unfamiliar challenges.
At the AIS Tech X Challenge, students developed AI-powered solutions addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, putting their creativity and problem-solving abilities to the test.
First-place winner Team Squiggle developed an app that encourages students to study collaboratively, participate in mental health and physical activity groups, and engage in friendly competitions.
The idea emerged during a late-night brainstorming session led by junior mechanical engineering major Jose Rodriguez. What began as a general self-improvement app evolved into a platform specifically designed for students.
His teammates brought complementary skills. Junior accounting major Raphael Lawrent handled research, while freshman business analytics student Jose Mieles helped organize the presentation. Fellow teammate Juan Rodriguez focused on marketing and business planning.
For Lawrent, the greatest reward was applying classroom knowledge alongside students from different disciplines.
"It was really just fun to kind of apply what I've learned in my own classroom," he said, emphasizing the experience of working toward a shared goal.
The team earned $1,000 and the opportunity to advance to the national online competition.
Jesus Arias, assistant teaching professor of information systems and business analytics, said the competition demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.
"We're seeing business students coming in, creating that business framework, and then we have students from either computer science or mechanical engineering coming in and supplying some of the technical know-how," he said.
Industry professionals also evaluated the projects, providing feedback on their practical applications.
Among the judges was FIU Business alumnus Mario Diez (BBA '00), director of information technology for the City of Sweetwater, who praised students' command of emerging technologies.
The most important takeaway, he said, was "the fact of working as a team."
For Gladys Simpson, teaching professor of information systems and business analytics, competitions like AIS Tech X represent an evolution in how students learn.
"Students learn by doing: they innovate and collaborate with their peers, are mentored, and receive real feedback from industry judges," Simpson said. "This experience brings learning to life and makes it meaningful."
Business meets technology at ShellHacks
That same combination of business and technical expertise helped FIU Business graduate student Luis Paredes Franco win the Blackstone Challenge at ShellHacks 2026, a three-day hackathon that drew approximately 1,400 participants.
Paredes, a student in the Master of Science in Information Systems program's AI specialization, joined three teammates he met through the event's Discord channel.
Their winning project, PortfolioFit, uses artificial intelligence to help investors understand portfolio performance through conversational interactions, visualizations and personalized investment recommendations.
Drawing on his professional experience in finance and consulting, Paredes helped the team understand what investors would want from the platform.
The victory was especially meaningful because it was his first hackathon.
"I just broke into tech this year with this master's degree program," Paredes said.
He credits the program with helping him connect business needs with technical development.
"You know how the user thinks and what the user expects for a tool," he said, explaining how that knowledge helps him communicate effectively with developers.
Karlene Cousins, chair of the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, said the competitions underscore the importance of experiential learning as artificial intelligence transforms the workplace.
"As AI reshapes work, experiences like these are essential for building the critical thinking, strategic thinking, and communication skills students need to thrive and lead in the AI era," Cousins said.