Marketing Team Wins for 'Cookie Time' Product

Cal Poly Pomona's "Gluten Freedom" team won at the Business Education Statewide Advisory Committee (BESAC) Conference for its presentation on a gluten-free cookie. 

Held in Costa Mesa April 29 to May 1, the conference includes a statewide competition for teams to present ideas to improve business, academics and curriculum. Each contestant is graded by their peers.

Gluten Freedom received a score of 4.879 out of 5 and competed against 22 teams composed of  faculty, industry professionals and students. Each team member from Cal Poly Pomona received a $500 scholarship award from the BESAC Committee and won an additional $500 from the conference. 

Gluten Freedom is part of the Food Marketing Club, and its gluten-free product was named "Cookie Time." 

Rick Mathias, the team's advisor, says: "There has been so much interest in it that we are now in the process of "branding" the product and will offer it for sale in the near future. We also have been asked to present the product to retailers for their consideration."

The team members are Steve Hofferber, Jena Kruhmin, Sara Shepherd and Jackie Smith.