Program Overview

The AI Innovation Business Challenge is a comprehensive professional enrichment program hosted by the Cotsakos College of Business at William Paterson University. The program includes a series of workshops, an industry field trip, a hackathon competition, and a project showcase. It provides business majors and other students at William Paterson University with access to artificial intelligence tools and technology, along with an educational foundation, to help them develop generative AI literacy and practical application skills that will prepare them for their future careers.

The AI Innovation Business Challenge enhances the integration of artificial intelligence in business education, addressing employer needs for AI literacy, skill development, and practical application.

Who should participate in this program?

The AI Innovation Business Challenge is designed for business majors and other students of William Paterson University seeking to develop practical generative AI skills for career readiness.

Upon completing this program, you will be able to:

  • Have confidence and competence in utilizing generative AI tools
  • Leverage generative AI to address practical business challenges
  • Deliver a compelling business pitch to communicate and sell your ideas
  • Efficiently identify career opportunities that combine AI with your interests
  • Showcase your AI project and newly acquired skills to potential employers
  • Present a certificate of completion recognizing your achievements


COMPONENTS

The AI Innovation Business Challenge is a multi-event business education program that consists of six components – AI Speaker Session, AI Lab Workshops, AI Summit Field Trip, AI Hackathon Competition, AI Project Showcase & Awards, and Team Mentors.

  1. AI Speaker Session: Students will attend a speaker session that focuses on key concepts in artificial intelligence, including product-market fit, responsible AI, and emerging technology trends. The session will cover ethical considerations, implementation challenges, and best practices, providing valuable knowledge and skills to help prepare them for future contributions in the AI field.

  2. AI Labs Workshops: Students will participate in comprehensive workshops that emphasize prompt engineering, no-code/low-code AI solutions, and effective pitching of their project ideas. Scheduled before and after the hackathon competition, these sessions will enhance AI literacy and foster skills development, ensuring that participants are well-prepared for the challenges of the event.

  3. AI Summit Field Trip: Students will participate in a field trip to the AI Summit Expo in New York City to broaden their perspectives and gain valuable experiences beyond ChatGPT. They will have the opportunity to network and engage with AI companies, listen to presentations from keynote speakers, watch live pitch competitions, learn about new AI innovations, observe a hackathon in action, and see demonstrations of the latest AI and robotic technologies.

  4. AI Hackathon Competition: Students will engage in a hands-on, team-based AI Hackathon Competition, creating a functional prototype application using AI tools and technology to address a business problem or explore new business opportunities. The activities include project ideation, no-code/low-code AI solutions, app deployment, and mentorship. The competition concludes with teams submitting their solutions to be later judged at the project showcase.

  5. AI Project Showcase and Awards: Students will present their innovative solutions to a panel of industry professionals. These experts will provide valuable feedback, judge, and score each project based on creativity, feasibility, and impact. The top-performing teams will have the opportunity to receive prestigious recognition and awards for their outstanding work.

  6. Team Mentors: The Team Mentors offer student participants guidance and support as they navigate the hackathon competition. Student participants will engage with their team mentors to prepare for the hackathon competition.

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This program is made possible in part by the Lenahan Family Award - FY25. Program supporters include faculty and staff of the Cotsakos College of Business, the Center for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Global Business and Finance Institute, Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales, and William Paterson University Institutional Advancement.