Dear Colleagues,

With the spring semester in full swing, I am excited to share some important updates and opportunities related to the College’s annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grow the Good in Business™ Case Competition. This event offers Notre Dame undergraduate and graduate students a unique opportunity to tackle "wicked" business problems — complex, multi-faceted challenges often lacking easy solutions. Previous competitions have focused on issues such as health equity, financial inclusion, and the wealth gap.

Mendoza’s annual case competition is more than just an academic exercise. It offers students a chance to network with businesses actively working to build more equitable and inclusive workplaces. The competition challenges students to utilize their business acumen thoughtfully and innovatively, demonstrating their leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and presentation skills while generating community-based research. Previous participants have found the competition a tangible way to promote the mutual advancement central to "Growing the Good in Business."  

This year's competition, focusing on child-care accessibility and affordability to provide employee flexibility and foster greater workplace equity, promises to be an engaging and impactful experience. Students will work in teams of two to four to develop and present innovative solutions to a distinguished panel of judges. Undergraduate students will compete against undergraduate students, and graduate students will compete against graduate students, for a total of $35,000 in prize money.  

In the preliminary round, students submit written business proposals reviewed by a committee of Notre Dame faculty, staff, and alumni. The committee evaluates submissions based on business rigor, creative problem-solving, strong ethical foundations, and overall professionalism. The top three undergraduate and top three graduate teams will then deliver live presentations to a panel of judges composed of corporate sponsors and University of Notre Dame leadership. After the final round, Mendoza will host a networking event connecting corporate sponsors and students.  

The success of this year’s case competition depends on the generous support of our faculty and staff. First and foremost, I encourage all faculty and staff to empower undergraduate and graduate students to participate in this powerful learning experience. Registration for the competition is open through March 8, and final round presentations are on April 11. Please consider sharing this slide about the case competition with your students or directing them to the competition's webpage. 

We also need volunteers to serve as judges and mentors to the participating teams. This is a rewarding opportunity to witness our students' talent and passion firsthand, contribute to their development as future leaders outside the classroom, and connect with the Mendoza community and our corporate partners. If you are interested in volunteering as a judge or mentor, or know of a business that may be interested in partnering with the DEI Grow the Good in Business™ Case Competition through sponsorship and participation in the networking event, please let us know using this Google form. Your time and expertise are greatly appreciated!

Finally, I want to offer my sincere gratitude to the talented case competition planning team committed to making this year’s event a success: Quin Gallagher, Carol Elliott, Paige Risser, Minhee Myung, Lara Brian, and Meghan Huff. It’s an honor to work on this important initiative with you all!

In Notre Dame,

Kristen 

Teaching Professor, Finance

Associate Dean for the Undergraduate & Specialized Master’s Programs