About HuntsmanHacks

HuntsmanHacks is a signature experience exclusively designed for Wharton underclassmen. On Saturday, February 8, 2020, hundreds of freshmen and sophomores will apply concepts from their core business courses to real company challenges in an immersive day-long challenge. In teams of 4-5 they will compete for over $2500 worth of prizes.

In our first year, we successfully partnered with Alibaba and hosted top executives who made lasting connections with students. In our second year, teams worked closely with Vox Media representatives to propose solutions to curated prompts. For more information, watch our video recap of the event below.

In the third annual HuntsmanHacks competition, teams will solve challenges currently facing Allbirds today. They will work closely throughout the day with representatives from the company to provide their own recommendations and solutions. We like to call it a business hackathon—instead of coding, we expect you to solve challenges using your business knowledge.

How Does the Event Work?

Team

Students work in teams of 4-5 freshmen or sophomores.

Pitch

In the Final Round, teams will submit a pitch deck to the judges. When the round ends, judges from the partnering company will select five teams to give a final presentation. These 5 teams will compete for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place.

Rounds

In each of the three rounds, teams will receive a question that pertains to a current challenge the company is facing. Students will have access to representatives from the company to help them iterate and improve their ideas.

No Coding Required

Note: There is no coding required (or expected) for this "business hackathon"

Why Participate?

HuntsmanHacks is a great opportunity to apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world business challenges currently faced by a global company. Beyond the amazing learning experience, HuntsmanHacks is completely free. Students also compete for a chance to win huge prizes, including over $2500 in cash prizes.

How to Sign Up?

We're excited to have you! You can register for HuntsmanHacks individually or in teams of 4-5 here. Registration is completely free and closes on February 3rd at 11:59 PM EST. The event schedule is below.

Register

2020 Corporate Partner

Think creative (sustainable fashion), think broad (expanding brand), and think global (stores in 15 cities).

The partner for HuntsmanHacks 2020 is Allbirds!

Through three rounds of questions, you will think through current challenges Allbirds faces, apply what you have learned in your courses at Wharton, and present your recommendations directly to Allbirds representatives. They're excited to work with you over the course of the event!

For more information about Allbirds, please watch this short clip or visit their website.

Schedule of Events

8:30 AM Check-In Opens + Breakfast

9:00 AM Opening Remarks

10:00 AM Round 1 question is distributed to teams

10:30 AM Round 2

11:30 AM Lunch Break

12:30 PM Round 3

1:30 PM Break/Presentation Practice

2:00 PM Mini presentations to judges

2:45 PM Workshop in auditorium

3:30 PM Final Presentations

4:30 PM Break and Survey Completion

4:45 PM Closing Remarks and Awards Ceremony

5:15 PM Distribute Swag

6:30 PM Winner's Dinner

2019 HuntsmanHack Event

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a business hackathon?

In a business hackathon students will work in teams to apply concepts from their core business courses to real company challenges in an immersive day-long challenge. While it is similar to a case competition, there are a few main differences: (1) you will only find out the questions at the beginning of each round, (2) the questions in each round may or may not relate to one another, and (3) you will have the opportunity to work closely with representatives from the partnering company throughout the day so that you can receive feedback and iterate on your ideas as you go. Additionally, unlike an engineering hackathon, coding will not be required—the "hackathon" component describes the rapid rate of ideas and work you will be producing.

Which company is partnering with HuntsmanHacks 2020?

Please see the Company section of our website for more information on the partnering company.

How are teams formed and how many people can they be?

You may either register for the event individually or in teams. Teams must be comprised of 4-5 Wharton freshmen or sophomores. Although not required, it is beneficial to work with students from a well-rounded background in both interests and courses taken (e.g. if two members have taken FNCE100 + ACCT101 and the other two have taken MKTG101 + STAT101). If you register for the event individually, you will automatically be paired with teammates when registration closes on February 3rd at 11:59 PM EST.

How are submissions from each round judged?

Submissions from each round are judged based on their creativity, feasibility, innovativeness, and overall merit. Teams will not be eliminated after each of the rounds, however, only five teams will be selected to present their ideas and solutions to the partnering company in the Final Round.

How should we prepare for the competition?

Your fundamental business classes should reasonably prepare you for this event. We also recommend you research the background of the partnering company before the event. It would be beneficial to understand, from recent news, current challenges the company is facing and to think through ways you could address these challenges.

Is this event only open for freshmen and sophomores?

Yes, as of now HuntsmanHacks is only open to Wharton students in the Class of 2022 or 2023.

What is the dress code for the event?

The attire for HuntsmanHacks is business casual. You are not required to wear a suit, but we recommend you appear professional for our corporate guests that will be in attendance.

What questions will be asked in each round?

The questions will not be released ahead of the event. You will receive the questions at the start of each of the three rounds. The questions will draw on a variety of subjects/concepts you have learned throughout your core business courses, such as marketing, statistics, financial analysis, globalization, ethical dilemmas, communication, and data interpretation. To prepare for the event, we recommend you research the background of the partnering company.

What prizes will be awarded to the winners of the competition?

Grand Prize: $1,000 cash

Second Place: $500 cash

Third Place: $250 cash

Specialized Tracks: $250 cash

Participation: HuntsmanHacks t-shirt and food

When is HuntsmanHacks?

HuntsmanHacks will take place on Saturday, February 8th, 2019 from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM.

Who is organizing the event?

This event is organized by the Wharton Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board (WAB) with support and funding from the Undergraduate Division of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Contact Us

You may contact our team any time at deansboard@wharton.upenn.edu. We will get back to you within 24 hours!