UT Textiles & Apparel Students Finalists in National Retail Federation Foundation 2026 University Challenge

A team of students in The University of Texas at Austin's textiles and apparel program took home second place in the National Retail Federation Foundation's 2026 University Challenge, an annual business case competition in which university teams from across the U.S. compete to solve business challenges for top retailers. As part of the yearlong competition, which included three phases of judging, students developed a pitch deck, completed Q&A interviews, and presented their pitches live to a panel of executive retail judges.

Last week, undergraduates Ella Baird, Eva Sharma, Aahil Tharani and Vaneeza Walimohammad traveled to New York to present their final strategic campaign. As finalists, the team members received scholarships totaling $20,000.

"One of the biggest strengths of our group was how interdisciplinary it was," said Sharma. "We had two finance majors, a textiles and apparel design major, and me, a business honors and textiles and apparel merchandising major. Because we all came from different academic backgrounds, we each brought a unique way of thinking to the case, whether that was financial feasibility, product design, consumer behavior or brand strategy."

This year's case brief asked students to come up with solutions to "boost customer engagement, increase market share during key gifting periods, and enhance the overall gifting experience for Macy's shoppers." In response, the team developed "Macy's Motherboard," a concept aimed at establishing a lifecycle relationship with customers by building lifelong loyalty from the beginning stages when a parent purchases for their new baby.

Motherboard would exist as an artificial intelligence-powered omnichannel platform that supports both gifters and parents through personalized registries, in-store Gifter Mode kiosks, build-your-own gift boxes, and subscription bundles that extend beyond pregnancy into postpartum and early childhood milestones. They also introduced ideas for sustainability initiatives such as a Reloved program with in-store Sip and Swap events for gently used baby clothing.

"My coursework in merchandising, retail strategy and consumer insights helped me feel comfortable thinking holistically about the brand rather than focusing on just one function," said Sharma. "The challenge felt very similar to what retail looks like in the real world: collaborative, fast-paced and cross-functional, which made the experience both challenging and exciting."

A division of the College of Natural Sciences, the textiles and apparel program offers science-based and experiential education. Students in the major learn about everything from creating their own fiber-based materials to the social psychology of dress to product development and merchandising.

"This is huge that our student team were named national finalists in the NRFF Student Challenge. It is the premier business case competition where students develop innovative solutions for real-world problems that fashion retailers face every day," said Jennifer Wilson, the director of the Division of Textiles and Apparel. "This achievement highlights the hands-on, collaborative, and industry-connected learning at the heart of what we do in textiles and apparel."