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AEM 1101: Design Your Dyson prepares first-year undergraduates to take full advantage of all the possibilities offered by The Dyson School. Students develop problem-solving and teamwork skills through design thinking workshops and forge lasting connections with Dyson peers, faculty, staff, and alumni.

The newly expanded course also introduces the “Grand Challenges” of our time as seen through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This early exposure to the SDGs heightens student awareness of important societal issues and provides a unifying framework for their future coursework and senior capstone projects.

Guest lectures by prominent business executives, entrepreneurs, social activists, authors, policymakers, and professors highlight the characteristics of successful business acumen and demonstrate the Dyson ethos in action: our business is a better world. If you would like to learn more about opportunities to guest lecture in AEM 1101 or other Dyson courses, please contact our Program Team.

The Grand Challenges Program culminates in a semester-long, client-facing experiential learning project, in which teams of 4-5 seniors work under the close supervision of a faculty member on a real-world problem at the local, regional, national, or global level.

Grand Challenges team project topics may include (but are not limited to): corporate finance; market research; consumer behavior; decision-making; strategy; market entry; data analytics; innovation or new product development; and operations. Students may also support organizations in concept development, social media or website development, incorporation or tax status determinations, business plan development, competitive analysis, event planning or fundraising, and any work that is community-engaged and addresses one of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals such as equity, hunger, poverty, and climate action.

To learn more about Grand Challenges projects or to propose a project, please review information on our project webpage.

The Grand Challenges Pitch Competition occurs each Spring as part of Dyson Better Business Week in partnership with the Dyson Undergraduate Council. The Pitch Competition offers student project teams a chance to present their project plan and request funding to support the goals of their client or community partner. Rather than award the prize money to winning teams, a panel of distinguished judges allocates funding to do the greatest good, and donations are awarded directly to project sponsors or non-profit organizations engaged in work aligned with their client.

Students learn to sell their ideas, hone their pitch, and develop a deeper understanding of how even small amounts of funding can have a positive impact on organizations and the communities they serve.

If you would like to attend the Grand Challenges Pitch Competition, evaluate first-round pitch submissions, or judge at the live event during Better Business Week, please contact our Program Team. Throughout the year, the Grand Challenges Program hosts additional events with students that are open to our larger community, and our Program Team can tell you more.

Sustainable business career fairs allow employers to showcase their programs and give students an opportunity to interact directly with organizations seeking employees in ESG, climate finance, sustainable business, non-profit management, and fields outside of traditional finance and banking. With a primary focus on first- and second-year students, fairs are open to students from all majors and colleges to attend and learn more about careers in sustainable business.

New York City based companies can host students in January during an Impact Career Trek for a behind-the-scenes tour that introduces students to people and pathways within your organization. Career Treks provide both an important educational function (introducing students to key industry trends and issues) as well as excellent networking opportunities.

In AEM 1101: Design Your Dyson, organizations can join a virtual career panel to highlight opportunities at their company. The virtual career panel is an excellent way to interact with a large group of first-year Dyson students who are in the early stages of their career exploration.

Please contact our Career Team or the Grand Challenges Program Team to learn more about any of these opportunities.

The Grand Challenges Alliance is a network of thought-leaders, forward-thinking industry practitioners, and civil society partners in the areas of responsible business and sustainable development that support the Grand Challenges Program at Cornell Dyson. By affiliating with the Grand Challenges Alliance, your company provides valuable input on the training and development of the Dyson School’s outstanding undergraduates. You will have the opportunity to work with leading researchers, practitioners, and other partners from around the world to exchange ideas and interact with our community of faculty, staff, and students.

Alliance members receive benefits including:

• Regular participation in meetings of the Grand Challenges Alliance and exclusive networking events.
• The ability to suggest experiential learning projects as well as invitations to observe various student presentations.
• The opportunity to meet with the Grand Challenges Director and other Cornell faculty for one-on-one discussions regarding the intersection of business and sustainability.
• Invitations to student career panels and job fairs focused on sustainable business, and the ability to share your company’s internship and employment opportunities with undergraduate students.
• Recognition as a supporter of the Grand Challenges Alliance on our website, including your corporate logo and a link to your company’s website, and in our annual newsletter.
• The opportunity to participate as a guest lecturer in classes.
• The opportunity to be part of a featured story on our website or social media channels.

The Grand Challenges Alliance connects business leaders’ expertise with the excellence of Cornell students and faculty to develop, discuss, and disseminate best practices that enhance sustainability goals. For more information about joining the Grand Challenges Alliance, please contact our Program Team.

If you would like to donate to the Grand Challenges Program to partially cover our operating costs including compensation of MBA Coaches, software and professional development training, team travel (including international travel to project partners who are abroad), and events such as the Grand Challenges Pitch Competition, you can make a donation here. We greatly appreciate your support, and donors are recognized in our annual e-newsletter.

Please follow us on LinkedIn @dysongrandchallenges and on Instagram @cornelldysonschool. Your likes, shares, and comments bring more attention to the fantastic work of our students and partners.