Technology and digital solutions company Avanade partners with the College of Business Administration to help Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ students harness the power of AI to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges
Earlier this semester, Avanade partnered with the College of Business Administration, the Collins College of Hospitality Management, and the College of Environmental Design at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ on the Artificial Intelligence for a Better Future 48-hour Hackathon.
The event kicked-off with a fireside chat between Avanade’s Chief Technical Officer Aaron Reich and the College of Business dean, Dr. Sandeep Krishnamurthy, where they discussed the role of AI in not only future technological innovations, but practical applications as well. Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ alum and current Avanade Manager of Intelligent Data Platform, Barbae Marquez (BBA, CIS ’18) moderated the discussion.
“Partnering with Avanade for five years has been an incredible journey, enriching the student experience at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and propelling their career development to new heights. This hackathon showcased what our phenomenal students are known for: learning by doing,” explains primary event organizer Laura Pohopien, Adjunct Professor, College of Business Administration, Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½.
The Teams and Scoring
The AI for a Better Future Hackathon saw 70 students participating across 17 teams, representing students from Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s College of Business Administration, College of Science, College of Engineering, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, and the College of Environmental Design.
Teams were presented with challenge questions revealed via video to mark the start of 48 hours in which they had to come up with their concepts.
Topics included solutions needed for the hospitality industry, small business marketing, healthcare, the future of education, real estate, and an environmental design, or open category. The first-round judges assessed the competition of the virtual presentation, and the second-round judges were treated to a live pitch from the student teams who were named finalists from the video submissions.
The scoring rubric was based on a possible 20 points across each of these five principles: innovation, business viability, ethics design, customer desirability, presentation, and teamwork, with a bonus of up to 10 points for diversity in terms of members’ backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. The inclusion of bonus points for teams with diverse membership encourages cross-disciplinary thinking, which is essential for not only tackling complex problems effectively, but also to enrich the solutions presented and promote diversity within STEM fields.
The Results and Takeaways
“We dedicated a significant amount of time to this project, with some team members even taking time off work to fully commit,” explains Roxane Rasolomanana (MSBA ’24). “The timeframe we had was tight, pushing us into a rigorous schedule of multiple Discord meetings and quite a few sleepless nights as we polished our presentation on Canva and prepared our prototype.”
The hard work would pay off for Rasolomanana and her teammates, Adib Golestan (MSBA ’24), Kanwardeep Singh (MSBA ’24), Huei-Syuan Gan (MSDSCM ‘24, MBA ’21), and Michael Wu (CIS ’27), as their “Prenatal Co-pilot” concept took home first place honors for the inaugural hackathon.
“The genesis of our concept, ‘Pre-natal Co-pilot,’ emerged from a collective recognition of the underserved needs within maternal mental health,” says Singh (MSBA ’24). “Drawing from personal experiences and professional backgrounds, we identified a gap in support for expectant mothers, particularly regarding prenatal depression. Our goal was to develop an AI-powered companion app that would provide continuous, empathetic support to mothers during this transformative period, ultimately enhancing their mental well-being.”
The students used their diverse backgrounds and interests to their advantage, forming a collective and cohesive concept for their presentation. “We did an excellent job in delegating the tasks based on each team member’s expertise. For example, we had people on the team with therapy experience who understood the health side while another person had a long history of start-up involvement and knew how to ask key questions to set us on the right path,” adds team member Golestan (MSBA ’24).
2024 AI for a Better World Hackathon Finalists
The Grand Prize winners:
Prenatal Co-Pilot, representing colleges of Business and Science
Topic: ()
- Huei-Syuan Gan
- Kanwardeep Singh
- Roxane Rasolomanana
- Michael Wu
- Adib Golestan
The Runners up:
Team Eepy, representing colleges of Business, Science, and College of Letters Arts and Social Science
Topic:
- Caitlyn Alba
- Caitlyn Hue
- Sam Ly
- Jacob Lembach
- UyenNghi Nguyen
Team GDSC, representing colleges of Science & Engineering & Environmental Design
Topic:
- Brad Kim
- Garrett Lo
- Bryan Bergo
- Carson Quesada
Check out for a quick overview of the hackathon!
Closing Reflections from the Students
“Beyond the thrill of victory, this event provided invaluable learning opportunities for all of us as CPP students. It immersed us in real-world challenges, forcing us to think critically, innovate rapidly, and collaborate seamlessly under pressure. Working alongside mentors and industry leaders further enriched our experience, exposing us to cutting-edge technologies and disruptive ideas that will undoubtedly shape our future endeavors.” – Kanwardeep Singh, (MSBA ’24)
“My advice to future participants is to cultivate a deep passion for your subject. In the tech industry, there’s a common tendency to zero in on the nuts and bolts—the 'how' and 'what' of technology—sometimes at the expense of the 'why.' It’s essential to remember that even as AI continues to evolve and automate tasks—like what Microsoft Co-pilot can achieve—the art of storytelling remains uniquely human. The ability to weave a compelling narrative around your project or concept is what breathes life into the technical details and connects your work to your audience. That’s the irreplaceable value you bring to the table.” – Roxane Rasolomanana, (MSBA ’24)
“Our dean of the College of Business Administration is very forward thinking about how AI is going to impact universities. I think it sets us apart from the other schools.” – Nate Poremba, (MKT ’27)