The awards for winning strategies developed by teams of MBA students from area programs will be presented at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, November 10th at One Nationwide Plaza in downtown Columbus. Representatives from Nationwide and Mayor Michael B. Coleman's office will present awards to the student teams with the best solution to green Nationwide’s investment portfolio. The first place team will win $3,000, second place receives $1,500, and a third prize of $500 will be given to the team with the most innovative solution. In addition to the presentation of awards, the ceremony will feature a summary of the winning team’s recommendations.

The Green Business Committee of Mayor Coleman’s Green Team organized the case competition to promote green business practices in and around Columbus. The competition was opened to all the master level business programs in central Ohio. Invited institutions include The Fisher College of Business (The Ohio State University), Keller School of Management (DeVry), Ashland University, Franklin University, Capital University, and University of Phoenix.

The contest spans five days, starting at noon Thursday, November 5th when the teams receive the case study explaining the environmental-business challenges face by Nationwide’s Investments. It ends on Tuesday, November 10th after the teams have presented their recommendations to a panel of judges, winners are selected, and awards distributed. Judging the event will be Dan Magestro and Tom Powers of Nationwide, and Matt Carbonara, Managing Director at TeleSoft Partners and General Partner at Reservoir Venture Partners.

As with the past competitions, sponsored by Boeringer-Ingelheim, Limited Brands and NetJets, this year’s case competition is being put on by Mayor Coleman’s Green Team. Coordination is provided by local not-for-profit, Green Columbus. The purpose of the event is multifaceted. The primary goals are to raise awareness about solutions to environmental challenges faced by businesses in central Ohio and to provide an educational opportunity for the student participants. The company involved also learns a great deal, including how many solutions are available today which benefit not just the environment, but also the bottom-line.

About Green Columbus:
Green Columbus exists to promote sustainable living in Central Ohio and globally by:

1. Providing forums for environmental groups, citizens and others to interact.
2. Raising awareness about environmental issues and what can be done to address them
3. Encouraging participation in action oriented green events.

About Nationwide:
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.