Dyson Grand Challenges bridges the classroom and the real world, giving students a chance to roll up their sleeves and tackle complex societal problems alongside Cornell faculty, staff, and MBA Coaches.
Working in teams on engaged-learning projects, students join forces with partners in Ithaca and beyond to apply their business skills. Grand Challenges builds on Dyson’s culture of collaboration and fosters knowledge in service to society, with projects that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Each Year in Grand Challenges
900 students enrolled in a Grand Challenges course
230+ students in project teams
40-50 community-engaged projects
15,000+ hours of project work
Student Spotlights
At Dyson, our core focus has always been ‘Business for a Better World.’ The Grand Challenges project is a testament to Dyson's efforts to involve students in local community initiatives, giving an unparalleled opportunity to work with clients and create a lasting impact. Learning through experience is something I truly felt from this project and makes me certain I can take these skills into the workplace upon graduation.
Praveen Gunedran, Dyson ’24 (Treleaven Wines)
This was an amazing learning experience in which I got the opportunity to make a tangible impact in an effort to improve the trajectory of a high-growth startup while cultivating essential teamwork skills. I also learned from reflecting on my own strengths and weaknesses through self-reflection, team reflection, MBA Coach meetings, and class meetings. I am grateful I got to experience this before working full time!
Arie Serrant, Dyson ’24 (Maia Yogurt)
Team Projects
Students work in teams on a range of subjects and final deliverables vary based on the needs of the client or community partner.
All projects meet the following criteria: working with a real client or partner on an issue with direct human impact in the community where the work takes place; well-defined scope and clear deliverables; integration with relevant topical course content; team-based work with a critical reflection component; and connection to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Projects are also guided by a Challenge Question, which is the starting point for teams to begin their research and inquiry. Challenge Questions are broad enough to spark discovery, but specific enough for a focused semester-long project.
Mission: To empower our members through advocacy, networking, resources, and professional development; and by supporting diversity, innovation, and collaboration to strengthen their ability to serve their communities and promote environmentally sustainable practices.
Challenge Question: Right now, the library profession is around 20% BIPOC (some studies show it is higher, some lower). How can SCRLC do its part to increase the number of BIPOC librarians and library workers? How can information resources about our communities reflect their rich and diverse heritage?
Why is the project important?: Libraries and other cultural organizations must reflect the communities that they serve, including staff and regional descriptions. We see stakeholders as the libraries, cultural organizations, and residents in/of the communities that we serve. This project has the potential to benefit all community members through a more diverse library workforce and inclusive resources. Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are core SCRLC values–and we believe that a better world is only possible if there is diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and also sustainable practices.
Project type: Community engagement planning/strategy
SDG Goals: 3. Good health and well-being, 4. Quality education, 5. Gender equality, 8. Decent work and economic growth, 10. Reduced inequalities, 16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions, 17. Partnerships for the goals
“The Grand Challenges Program is why I chose Cornell. This class and this project brought that thought full circle.”
Amy Escalante, Dyson ’24 (South Central Regional Library Council)
Mission: Provide a supportive residence for men who are working to transition out of homelessness and establish self-sufficiency.
Challenge Question: How can we work closely with our community partner to identify the key needs of his organization and work in an efficient manner to ensure the long-term viability and expansion of Court Street Place?
Why is the project important?: Court Street Place was founded by Barry Segal in 2012 with one vision – providing local men with the opportunity to transition out of homelessness and rebuild their lives in a safe, affordable, and supportive environment. Our partner is looking to form a 501c3 to receive much-needed funding and grants. This will allow the house to continue operations, and ideally expand its supportive offerings to the tenants. Should this be successful, he would also like to expand this non-profit model and create additional homes around Tompkins County for both men and women.
Project type: Operations and productivity, Community engagement planning/strategy, Fundraising or identifying grant opportunities
SDG Goals: 1. No poverty, 2. Zero hunger, 3. Good health and well-being, 8. Decent work and economic growth, 10. Reduced inequalities
Mission: The mission of Hub Controller is to allow ordinary people to fight climate change by providing clean energy solutions that will save them money. The company delivers carbon and energy reduction as a service with their product, the Hub Controller. This is a smart thermostat with a focus on Automatic Energy Reduction (AER) technology.
Challenge Question: What U.S. cities in the New York and greater Northeast area will be early adopters of the Hub Controller and how can the company successfully enter these markets?
Why is the project important?: This project is important because Hub Controller, an Irish company, is looking to establish their presence in U.S. markets.
Project type: Marketing/consumer behavior and decision making, Marketing/market research including target segments and go-to-market strategy
SDG Goals: 7. Affordable and clean energy, 13. Climate action
Mission: Chabad, also known as Chabad-Lubavitch, is a major force in Jewish outreach, with the mission to promote Judaism to Jews everywhere, regardless of their current level of observance or knowledge. The organization is dedicated to fostering love and understanding of Judaism, inspiring Jewish life and learning, and providing a warm and welcoming environment for every Jew. There are local branches in thousands of cities in the United States, at over 250 colleges, and across the globe.
Challenge Question: How does engaging in customary religious traditions, which have largely been forgotten during American secularization, impact well-being, and how can we increase connection and well-being on Cornell’s campus?
Why is the project important?: The Tefillin Project, undertaken through Chabad at Cornell, is an initiative designed to rekindle the millennia-old Jewish practice of donning Tefillin – black leather boxes containing handwritten parchments of Torah verses. This ritual, which has been upheld by Jews across the globe for thousands of years, serves not only as a physical act but also as a spiritual connection linking the individual to their surroundings, their community, their heritage, and the Divine. Especially in high-stress, competitive environments, such as universities like Cornell, it is crucial for students to have mechanisms that promote mindfulness and self-care.
Project type: Community engagement planning/strategy, DIEB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), Marketing
SDG Goals: 3. Good health and well-being, 16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions
“The Grand Challenges program is vital as a capstone to Dyson students’ education. In our case, we worked with Chabad to create a Tefillin Challenge aimed at reconnecting students with their Jewish heritage and improving their mental health. The Grand Challenges Program allowed us to actualize our passion to help reconnect our community.”
Mission: Agrology is on a mission to give farmers the technology and insights they need to thrive during an era of rapid climate change.
Challenge Question: How can producers connect with food Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) to partner in the use of technology that verifies the carbon captured when producers employ sustainable farming methods?
Why is the project important?: CPG companies who wish to make claims as to the sustainability of their products and encourage their suppliers to adopt sustainable methods need a way to verify the amounts of carbon being sequestered. Providing such a method would give CPG an added incentive to require their production partner to increase their sustainability effort, which in turn can help reduce the carbon footprint of the Ag Sector.
Project type: Business development/formation, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), Marketing or market entry, Operations and productivity, Technology management
SDG Goals: 2. Zero hunger, 12. Responsible consumption and production, 13. Climate action
“The AEM 4000 Grand Challenges program provided our team with an opportunity to work directly with a client in the agri-tech space. Not only was it a great way to learn how to interact with clients, but it was also very interesting to learn more about how technology is revolutionizing a traditional space such as farming.”
Mission: Treleaven is a family owned and operated winery based in upstate New York. Founders Pete and Tacie Saltonstall started a winery inspired by the Burgundian ideal of a small family domain that handles all the growing and producing of its own wines. Treleaven has recently begun to explore the idea of opening a wine bottle wash and reuse center.
Challenge Question: How can we best incorporate sustainable wine bottle reuse into Treleaven Wines’ business while ensuring financial and operational feasibility for both Treleaven and the industry at large?
Why is the project important?: The project supports a long-standing family business in upstate New York working towards sustainability goals while adapting to current legislative outcomes that would affect their bottom line.
Project type: ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), Operations and productivity, Strategy
SDG Goals: 9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 12. Responsible consumption and production, 17. Partnerships for the goals
In partnership with the Johnson Leadership Program, Johnson MBA students apply to join a cohort of Coaches and support Dyson Grand Challenges undergraduate project teams. Coaches meet regularly with their teams to provide guidance on interpersonal dynamics, problem-solving approaches, and effective client interactions. The Coaches also participate in trainings to deepen their own coaching and leadership skills.
Incorporating Johnson MBA Coaches into the Dyson Grand Challenge Program curriculum bridges the excellence and breadth of our schools, enables authentic mentoring relationships, and ultimately enhances the project results for the client or community partner.
Spring 2024 Coaching Cohort: Teresa Craugh, Michael Weaver, Cynthia Wang, Srinica Hampi, Sophie Kim, Chloe Matthea Ocampo, Francis Mulcahy, Julie Chhour, Marianthi Nika, Surbhi Inani
Fall 2023 Coaching Cohort: Sophie Kim, Chukwujindu Juwah, Ana Clara Fernandes Vieira, Ana Harris, Julian Galarza, Ce Wang, Cynthia Wang, Michael Horbowy, Monica Mercado, Ryan Neice
Johnson MBA students are invited to attend an information session and apply in October (for the Spring semester) and April (for the Fall semester).
Community-Engaged Learning and Critical Reflection
In Community-Engaged Learning courses like those embedded in the Grand Challenges Curriculum, students go beyond the classroom, seeing firsthand how theory and practice connect in the real world. Critical reflection is a reasoning process to make meaning of an experience. Using guiding questions, journaling, group discussion or other methods, students critically reflect on their experiences and what they’ve learned while considering next steps and possibilities for future action.
“Working on a project in the Grand Challenges Program was a transformative journey. It allowed me to discover the power of narratives in driving community engagement and social change. This project expanded my understanding of immigrant experiences and underscored the vital role effective communication plays in building bridges between diverse communities. It was more than a project; it was a lesson in empathy, communication, and the profound impact of collaborative initiatives.” – Jalil Sediqi
Dyson Grand Challenges projects are fast-paced and multi-faceted and often require students to adapt quickly to new kinds of knowledge and new styles of collaboration. These experiences can also be transformative, sparking new ideas, uncovering alternative perspectives, and causing students to rethink previous assumptions. Because this kind of learning can be both disorienting and enlightening, all students incorporate reflective practices into their Grand Challenges experience.
More information about how Dyson students and teams apply principles of Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) and critical reflection to their work is available from the the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement and the Johnson Engaged College Initiative.
