President's Innovation Challenge

The President's Innovation Challenge is a multidisciplinary team competition encouraging social and business entrepreneurship to help solve major contemporary problems in Southern Nevada and beyond.

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The challenge provides the opportunity to define how you can apply your knowledge, expertise, and innovative Rebel spirit to help solve an education challenge. Your team will have the opportunity to chart the course to a more sustainable future.

The challenge is what we offer. The idea is up to our students – one that could win them a significant cash prize and even a life-changing path for their future.

Students collaborate in teams to determine innovative solutions. These teams choose to address significant social issues, launch impactful businesses or nonprofits, develop apps that promote sustainable socioeconomic progress in our city, or promote art expansions for residents and visitors.

4th Annual President's Innovation Challenge

The Challenge

Welcome to the Fourth Annual President’s Innovation Challenge! This exciting event invites multidisciplinary teams of students from various departments within UNLV to develop and showcase innovative solutions to increase community engagement and address social issues, including economic diversity, through professional sports in Las Vegas. Over an academic year, teams will create impactful, sustainable, and scalable solutions that leverage the power of sports to improve lives, strengthen communities, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Problem Statement

How can professional sports in Las Vegas be leveraged to address social issues, foster economic diversity, and increase community engagement, creating a more inclusive, supportive, and vibrant local society?

Challenge Structure

All participating teams will tackle this overarching problem statement. Teams will address the problem statement by selecting one of the three sub-competition areas below. Submissions will be evaluated in three sub-competitions, each with specific criteria. The top two teams within each sub-competition will then compete for the grand prize on Wednesday, April 9, 2025!

Sub-Competitions

1. Technological Innovation: Recognizing the most innovative use of technology to enhance community engagement through sports. This could include apps, platforms, or devices that bring people together, promote healthy living, or solve specific social problems using sports as a medium.

2. Social Impact: Awarding the project demonstrating the most significant positive impact on society. This category focuses on initiatives addressing pressing social issues such as education, health, inclusion, and economic diversity through sports, showing measurable benefits and sustainability.

3. Community Partnership: Celebrating the project that excels in building bridges between professional sports teams and local businesses and communities. This category rewards initiatives that foster collaboration, create synergies and drive mutual growth and support between sports organizations and the local community, leading to enhanced community development and stronger local economies.

Awards

Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each sub-competition, with an overall grand prize for the team that excels across all categories in the final competition.

Upcoming Events

The 2024 President's Innovation Challenge is in the works! Please check back soon for details.

Competitor Information

Winning teams will receive cash prizes from a prize pool of $50,000, including a grand prize of $25,000. To support winning teams in transforming their proposals into reality, prize packages for winners will include a place in the UNLV Incubator cohort and support from mentors in their field.

Students who advance to the final round will receive tuition for a 3-credit spring semester class and a UNLV parking pass in the form of a scholarship.*

*Students must have a current form or 2024-25 Alternate Need Form on file. If they owe money for current or prior terms, the funds will be applied toward that balance. Disbursement of the scholarship can take between four to six weeks.

All participating teams will receive a sustain and inspire package with gift cards, in-kind products and services, access to the UNLV Incubator, and resources to help launch their innovation and prepare their submission.

Week of November 18th: President's Innovation Challenge Virtual Information Session, also recorded for on-demand.
Nov. 22: Submit a . Note that teams must consist of a minimum of three to five people in at least three different disciplines/majors and at least one undergraduate and one graduate student on each team. Individuals can also register and will be assigned to open teams. Be prepared to provide the following information when registering your team
- Basic team member information
  - First and last names
  - Rebelmail address
  - Majors and status as undergraduate or graduate student
- Team name
  - Be creative and make it memorable.
- Team mantra
  - A team mantra is a succinct statement or phrase that encapsulates the essence, values, purpose, or guiding principle of a team.
- Team faculty advisor or mentor
  - If you don't have one, just let us know, and we'll help you find one.
Week of December 6th: Teams will be notified and enrolled in the President's Innovation Challenge course in WebCampus (no charge)
Week of January 27th: Addressing Social Issues, Fostering Economic Diversity, and Increasing Community Engagement Workshop
Week of February 3rd: Addressing Social Issues, Fostering Economic Diversity, and Increasing Community Engagement Workshop 2
Week of February 10th: Launching Innovation Workshop
Week of February 17th: Pitching and Public Speaking Workshop
March 7th: Submissions Due
March 14th: Finalists are notified
Week of March 24: One-to-One viability themed workshop with finalists teams
Week of March 31: Revised Presentation deadline (optional for teams)
April 8th: Rehearsals for Final Presentation
April 9 The Grand Event - The President's Innovation Challenge Demonstration Day