Daniels Four-Student Team Aces Quiz Questions and Wows Judges
Winners of Media Madness (l to r): Alisa Sautter, Emily Winn, Nicole Stefani, and Katrina Horowitz
MAMARONECK, NY — A team of four University of Denver – Daniels College of Business
students won the first Media Madness! The Ultimate Media & Tech College Quiz Tournament. The team took home a first-place prize of $5,000 by successfully answering quiz questions about media & tech and winning a Challenge Round led by a Judges Panel of three top executives.
Media Madness, produced and hosted by industry educator Craig Leddy, president of Interactive TV Works, Inc., began March 1 with 37 graduate and undergraduate students. The students were educated online about media & tech by Leddy and subject matter experts on streaming, broadband, wireless and the Metaverse. Following an elimination round, 22 finalists moved on to a live online quiz show on April 12, held before an industry audience including corporate recruiters.
“Participating in the Media Madness challenge was an exciting and fast-paced way to engage with and learn about the telecommunications and media industries,” said Emily Winn (Daniels Class of 2023), who fielded judges’ questions posed in the Challenge Round. “I enjoyed working with a great team to learn about technologies that we encounter in our daily lives. I also love thinking critically about issues facing the business world, and this was an amazing way to do just that.”
The DU Daniels teammates included Alisa Sautter (2024), Nicole Stefani (2023) and Katrina
Horowitz (2023). In addition to DU, student competitors represented New York University,
The Judges included Michael Powell, president & CEO, NCTA – The Internet & Television
Association; Nomi Bergman, senior executive, Advance; and Adam Ray, executive VP & chief
commercial officer, Charter Communications (Spectrum). During the Judges’ Challenge Round, they asked the top 3 score getters about balancing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) with privacy concerns; making broadband marketing offers clearer; and reinventing TV, Internet, and phone bundles to best meet the needs of today’s consumers. Each finalist was limited to one minute to answer each question.
“I was so impressed and inspired by all these students,” said Bergman, a media industry leader who has served as a judge for numerous Interactive Case Competitions. “I especially enjoy hearing their fresh perspective about issues affecting our industry today.”
With Daniels’ win, the Interactive Case Competition program has come full circle. The first
competition was held 12 years ago among Daniels students nearby at The Cable Center. The
program is designed to educate students about media & tech and make them attractive
candidates for internships and employment.
The 2023 Interactive Case Competition program is underwritten by sponsors including Charter Communications (Spectrum), Breezeline, Mediacom Communications, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association, Power & Tel, and The Cable Center. Supporting Organizations include: C2HR, Future Now Media Foundation, and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).
Next, the program will hold the Fall 2023 Interactive Case Competition: Broadband Equity
Challenge, starting in September. Student teams will tackle projects to help close the Digital
Divide. To participate or learn more, contact Craig Leddy.
The winning moment at Media Madness - University of Denver