Online submissions are now open for the Greater Good Challenge. Students and alumni are encouraged to send in their business pitches before September 18.
With the generous support from the Beba Foundation, the Greater Good Challenge welcomes all Columbia University School of Professional Studies students and alumni to join this business pitch competition. This inaugural competition aims to provide a platform to showcase business ideas to improve the social, economic, political, technological, and environmental conditions of mankind, societies, and the planet in the time of COVID-19 and beyond.
Submitted business pitches should address one or more of the guiding categories: sustainability issues, health technology, and supply chain, logistics and coordination planning.
Ten teams will move to the next round of the contest after an announcement of the finalists on September 25. These teams will receive professional business coaching on refining their business plans, creating pitch decks, and polishing their presentation and communication skills. On October 9, the teams will present their business pitches during the online Greater Good Challenge: Virtual Competition.
A total of $18,500 in seed money will be granted:
- 1st Prize: $10,000
- 2nd Prize: $5,000
- 3rd Prize: $2,500
- 4th Price (Audience’s Pick): $1,000
A celebratory event will happen in November to recognize the winners, allow participants to network with one another and meet their sponsors from the Beba Foundation.
Register and submit your business plan here. The application will ask for a statement of interest and how the submitted business plan will address the competition's guiding categories. Applicants can also refer to the Career Design Lab's business plan template webinar for additional guidance under "Student Resources" on the competition's landing page.
The Beba Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation was founded in 2018 by Professor Ali Beba and Umran Beba (who is a member of the SPS Board of Overseers) with a mission to create passion, ignite enthusiasm and to prepare mindsets of innovative youth and female entrepreneurs.
For more details on how to enter, submission and judging criteria, visit the Greater Good Challenge landing page.
