Business Design Sprint
AI Superpowers
Gaining an edge in the job market
October 9, 2026
@ FSU Innovation Hub
Students designing their own future!
EVENT INFORMATION
Friday, Oct 9, 8AM - 6PM
Calling FSU Business Students!
Apply your unique talents to solving real-world challenges!
EIGHT teams of five compete for a chance to win prizes and have an impact!
A great opportunity to make new connections, gain skills and experience, and make a difference in the world!!
Up to $2000 in prizes!
Three meals included!
Free event t-shirts & giveaways for all participants!
The Challenge
The specific challenge will be revealed at the beginning of the event in order to build anticipation.
TBA
TENTATIVE AGENDA
FRIDAY, OCT 9
8:00 Check-in Continental Breakfast
8:30 Welcome, Introductions, Design Thinking Overview, Challenge Reveal
8:45 Expert Presentation - laying the groundwork
9:15 Expert Panel Discussion + Q&A
10:15 Strategy Workshop 1: Team Branding / Teams Announced - 8 interdisciplinary teams of 5-6 students
10:30 Teaming
10:45 Strategy Workshop 2: Empathy Research and Problem Reframing
11:00 Team Work: Empathy Research and Framing, Discover pain points and opportunities to innovate, Experts available for consultation
12:00 Strategy Workshop 3: Ideation & PR/FAQ
12:15 Working Lunch: Ideation
2:00 Press Release and FAQ due
Strategy Workshop 4: Prototyping and Pitching
2:15 Team Work: Develop Prototyping and Pitch
4:15 Pitches Due / Team Photos
4:30 Pitch Presentations Begin, Format: 4 minutes, 6 slides maximum, Q&A: 3 minutes
5:30 Awards Ceremony & Wrap up
6:00 Conclude
YOUR MISSION
Harness Your Creativity!
Working in an interdisciplinary team of five or six, you will implement the Design Thinking approach to innovation to develop a creative solution to the challenge!
Test your solution with experts and stakeholders at the event. Feel free to test it on others remotely. Gather valuable feedback to improve your solution!
PR/FAQ
Submit a Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions (PRFAQ) the provides the vision for your solution by midnight Friday - ken@innovation.fsu.edu
Develop a Prototype and Pitch
Visually illustrate your solution by creating a prototype as a visual aid to your presentation. Prototypes vary depending on the type of solution your developed. They include:
A storyboard
App drawings or screenshots (see www.proto.io) that illustrate a users experience
Diagrams, illustrations, spreadsheets
A product flyer or website (see www.wix.com)
Acting out the solution
A combination of any of the above
Pitch Your Solution
Develop a 4-minute presentation and slide deck (no more than 6 slides) to pitch your idea to the judges. Include your prototype to show how your solution is utilized. The 4-minute pitch will be followed by 3 minutes of Q&A.
Over $2000 in Prize Money
1st Place Team - $200 per team member
2nd Place Team - $125 per team member
3rd Place Team - $75 per team member
Individual Acknowledgment* - $100
*Have an idea that wasn’t embraced by your team? Submit a PR/FAQ for your individual idea for a chance to win $100! - ken@innovation.fsu.edu
RESEARCH RESOURCES
Utilize these online resources prior to and during the event to learn more about the challenge!
Coming soon!
JUDGING CRITERIA
Innovative Creativity - 25 points
How creative is this idea? Is it something anyone could have thought of? A low score indicates someone probably already did this. A high score is earned by a NEW highly imaginative and creative solution.
Impact - 25 points
How useful will the solution be at addressing the challenge? A low score indicates that, even though the idea may be innovative, it probably won't have much effect on the problem. A high score is earned by a solution that fully addresses a problem.
Feasibility - 25 points
Will your solution be easy to implement? Or will it be costly and require a lot of effort? A low score indicates that, no matter how innovative and impactful the solution, it will be impossible to implement. A high score is earned by a solution that can be implemented with little to no effort.
Prototype and Pitch - 25 points
How effective was the prototype and presentation in selling the solution? Did it illustrate the use of Design Thinking? A low score indicates that the prototype was not compelling, and/or there were significant problems with the presentation. A high score is earned by a very persuasive presentation that engages the audience, tells a compelling story, and effectively demonstrates the effectiveness of the solution.
PEOPLE YOU WILL MEET
Primary Client and Expert
Bill Hicks / Chief Strategy Officer @ Axsys AI
Host and MC
Ken Baldauf / Founding Director @ FSU Innovation Hub
Planning Committee:
Ken Baldauf, FSU Innovation Hub
Darren Brooks, Herbert Wertheim College of Business
Steve Haynes, Herbert Wertheim College of Business
Wes Dorce, FSU Innovation Hub
Content Area Experts
TBA
Boots on the Ground:
Innovation Hub Faculty and Staff
TBA