AI Startup Challenge - Final Competition
Join us on Friday, April 25 for the final competition day of the AI Startup Challenge: Future of Finance.
Final Competition Day
The AI Startup Challenge: Future of Finance invites current graduate degree students at Columbia University, Cornell Tech, and Wharton to harness the transformative power of AI to create innovative solutions within the finance industry. Come hear the finalists pitch for prizes with live QA from an expert judging panel, including industry talks by Columbia Business School faculty. The evening will conclude with a networking reception with light refreshments.
AI Startup Challenge - Final Competition Time & Location
- Friday, April 25, 2025, 2pm - 6:30pm
- CIBC at 300 Madison Ave in NYC
- General Admission $40; Students $20
2pm-2:20pm
Opening Keynote
- Sheena Iyengar, S. T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School
2:25pm - 3:15pm
Breakout Sessions
- Breakout Session 1: Where is AI heading Next? - Moran Cerf, Adjunct Professor of Business at Columbia Business School
- As AI becomes an instrumental part of our lives, many ask what the trajectory of development is and what are the likely critical developments of the coming decade. In this talk, he will highlight 3-4 innovations (namely, in neuroscience) that are likely to shape the coming decade of activity and offer a lens into a future where humans and machine are integrated.
- As AI becomes an instrumental part of our lives, many ask what the trajectory of development is and what are the likely critical developments of the coming decade. In this talk, he will highlight 3-4 innovations (namely, in neuroscience) that are likely to shape the coming decade of activity and offer a lens into a future where humans and machine are integrated.
- Breakout Session 2: Entrepreneurship + AI and the Rise of the One Person Unicorn - Mattan Griffel, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Business at Columbia Business School
- AI is changing the game for entrepreneurs; from rapid prototyping to automating business processes, we might soon see the rise of the first 1 person $1B+ startup. In this talk, you'll learn the latest in AI tech for startups, best practices, and maybe even a new business idea or two.
3:20 - 5pm
AI Startup Challenge Final Pitches
Students will compete for three prizes:
- 1st Place $20k
- 2nd Place $10k
- 3rd Place $5k
Judges:
- Jenny Fielding, Founding Partner, Everywhere VC
- Bob Hammer ’67, Founder, Hammer Ventures
- Olivia O’Sullivan, Partner and COO, Forum Ventures
- Bob Peck ’97, Investor, New York Angels
- Ben Shephard, Executive Director & Market Lead, Innovation Banking, CIBC
- Jeff Witten ’15, Founder, Sheer Health & CoinOut
Winners to be announced the following week.
5pm - 6:30pm
Networking Reception
Join us to celebrate the final event of the competition and mingle with the local entrepreneurship community! Invitees include VCs and angels, startup coaches, educators, and of course - rising student founders and innovators in various disciplines from local universities.
Held at: CIBC at 300 Madison Ave in NYC
Moran Cerf
Full Bio
Moran Cerf is a neuroscientist and professor of business (Columbia University), and the Alfred P. Sloan professor of screenwriting (American Film Institute).
In his work, he helps individuals and companies harness current knowledge of the brain to improve business decisions, understand the underlying mechanisms of our psychology, predict behavior, and parse dreams.
Much of his research is accessible via his talks at TED, TEDx, DLD, WEF, and more, gathering millions of followers. Cerf is ranked "40 leading professors below 40".
Mattan Griffel
Full Bio
Mattan Griffel is a recipient of the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence, a two-time Y Combinator-backed startup founder, and a startup advisor, investor, writer, speaker, and author of Python for MBAs.
He co-founded Ophelia, an online treatment platform for opioid addiction, and One Month, an online accelerated learning platform. He has advised and worked with companies like Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, NYSE, and JPMorgan and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. He has been named as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Education.
Sheena Iyengar
Full Bio
Sheena S. Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at Columbia Business School, and a world expert on choice and decision-making. Her book The Art of Choosing received the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 award, and was ranked #3 on the Amazon.com Best Business and Investing Books of 2010.
Her research is regularly cited in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Economist as well as in popular books, such as Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance. Dr. Iyengar has also appeared on television, including the Today Show, the Daily Show, and Fareed Zakaria’s GPS on CNN. Her TED Talks have collectively received almost four million views and her research continues to inform markets, businesses, and individuals around the world.
