The inaugural Tippie Sustainability Case Competition will challenge teams of UI undergraduate students to integrate knowledge from business and sustainability disciplines to solve a real sustainability challenge facing organizations today. Students from all disciplines will have the opportunity to develop leadership and decision-making skills that will help them maximize economic, social, and environmental sustainability in their future jobs.
Problem solve relevant business challenges
The Tippie Sustainability Case Competition is an opportunity for students to utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve real sustainability problems. In a time when sustainability is such a pressing issue, this is the perfect opportunity for students to develop the knowledge base and skill set that so many employers are looking for.
2025 Competition
Date: April 11-12
Location: Pappajohn Business Building
Who can participate?
- University of Iowa undergraduate student
- Students from all University of Iowa majors and colleges welcome
- Teams of 3-4 members
- Numbers are capped after 15 teams
- Maximum of 2 seniors per team
What happens at the competition?
- Teams are emailed the sustainability focused case at the beginning of their start time the morning of April 12.
- Each team receives 5 hours to solve and submit their case presentation.
- After submissions, teams participate in the preliminary round consisting of 15-minute presentations and 10 minutes of Q&A.
- Judges will decide on each room's top teams, who will advance to the final round.
- Final round presentations will consist of an added challenge for teams to overcome.
Registration
Register as a team with 3-4 members or as an individual.
Team Prizes
$5000 in cash prizes awarded to the top three teams:
1st Place — $500 per team member ($1500-2000 total)
2nd Place — $400 per team member ($1200-1600 total)
3rd Place — $350 per team member ($1050-1400 total)
Sponsors
Tippie Senate, TIppie Social Impact Committee, and Tippie Undergraduate Program Office (UPO).
Timeline of events
| Friday, April 11 | 5:00-6:30 p.m. — Welcome to the Tippie Sustainability Case Competition |
| Saturday, April 12 | 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. — 5-hour case solving
1:00-2:30 p.m. — Preliminary team presentations 4:00-5:00 p.m. — Working hour for advancing teams 5:00-7:00 p.m. — Finals 7:30-9:00 p.m. — Dinner and awards ceremony |
Contact
Tevin Robbins
Undergraduate Program
tevin-robbins@uiowa.edu