Participant Resources
Everything you need to prepare, collaborate, and pitch with confidence.
Saturday, December 5, 2026
St. Augustine Hall FL 2
Check in: 8:30 a.m.
Start Here
Use these key resources to get ready for an exciting and impactful day.
Prepare Your Team
Teams of 3-4 participants must be formed prior to the event. Prepare by clarify roles, and aligning on your goals for the challenge.
Build Your Idea
Review the SDGs, guides, and tips to help you build your idea.
Plan Your Day
Review the schedule and what to expect during the event.
Before the Challenge
Make sure you're prepared with the essentials and set your team up for success.
What to Bring
✔️ Laptop—for research, collaboration, and building your pitch.
✔️ Charger—don't forget your power adapter and any cables.
✔️ Team Materials—notes, resources, and anything
Team Readiness
· Team formation—You can participate with a team you've already formed or meet participants at our workshops.
· Choosing an SDG—Explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals and select a focus for your idea.
· Testing your idea—Do some initial research, consult with mentors, and attend workshops on challenge day.
Challenge Day
Here's what to expect on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
- (8:30 – 9:15 a.m.)
Check-In and Breakfast
Participants check in, receive team information and resources, and mingle over breakfast.
- (9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.)
Opening Remarks
Welcome Remarks: Luca Iandoli, Ph.D., Distinguished Chair and Dean, CCPS
Keynote on Entrepreneurship: Steve Farella '77SVC, Entrepreneur, Board Member, My Telescope
About JIC: Radhika Jha, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Academic Engagement, CCPS
About DIANA: Nadya Shaznay Patel, Ed.D, Assistant Professor, Singapore Institute of Technology
- (9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.)
I. Speculate: Team Idea Development (optional)
Teams brainstorm sustainability ideas and use DIANA, an AI bot, to speculate their idea
JIC Teams can work in the following spaces: Labs and the CCPS Café. Check your team folder for login instructions. Use the same email you registered with.
- (11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
II. Validate: Workstations
Participants can visit workstations located in the labs on the 2nd floor of St. Augustine Hall to receive guidance from industry experts and faculty on a variety of topics supporting innovation. Students must visit at least two stations for a 10-minute consultation each.
For information on JIC Workstations, scroll up this webpage.
- (12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
(Working) Lunch Break
Participants enjoy lunch, network with peers and professionals, or meet with their teams.
Visit from Johnny Thunderbird.
- (1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
III. Synthesize: Pitch Refinement and Pre-Screening Prep
Teams refine their pitches and improve their presentations based on judges’ feedback. Be ready for pre-screening rounds in your assigned lab by 2:00 PM, during which judges will deliberate on the finalists.
(2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Pre-Screening:
3 mins to informally pitch; 3 mins Q & ALAB 1: Teams:
LAB 2: Teams:
Lab 3: Teams:
Lab 4: Teams:*Team locations are determined on the day of the challenge.
- (3:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.)
Students refine their presentations based on judges’ feedback while judges deliberate and select the finalists
- (4:00 p.m.) DEADLINE: Upload Your Pitch Deck If You Are Using One
- (4:00 p.m.)
Teams Move to the CCC
- (4:00 p.m.)
Announcement of the Top 7 teams advancing to the final round.
- (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
Finalist Pitches
Each team will have 4 minutes to pitch their idea. Followed by 4 minutes of Q&A by the judges.
Teams will present in numerical order.
- (5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.)
Judge's Deliberations
- (6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)
Winners are announced, and closing remarks conclude the event.
Closing Remarks: Radhika Jha, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Academic Engagement, CCPS
Recipients of non-monetary unlocked opportunities will be notified via email.
Monetary prizes will be distributed post-competition. Recipients will be contacted via email regarding this process.
Prizes
Monetary Prizes and Named Awards
$1,000 – Sponsored by: Collins College of Professional Studies*
$1,000 – Sponsored by: Venture and Innovation Center (VIC)**
$1,000 – Farella Vincentian Innovation Award Sponsored by: Steve Farella '77SVC***
VIC’s Startup BootCamp, Internships and Summer Accelerator Programs
Finalists can secure a spot in the Venture & Innovation Center's(VIC)Startup BootCamp to advance your idea with a summer stipend, Internships and Funding to attend a summer accelerator in Portugal through European Innovation Academy
Competition Spots
Finalists can secure a spot in the Hult Prize's National Competition in Boston to advance to the final round in London, for a chance at the grand prize of $1,000,000!*
Award Criteria:
*CCPS Award: Awarded to the team demonstrating exceptional global entrepreneurship, showcasing innovative solutions with a broad, international impact. The winning team for this award secures a spot to compete in the Hult Prize* National Competition in Boston.
**VIC Award: Awarded to the team with the best early-stage idea demonstrating strong potential to become a successful startup.
**The Farella Vincentian Innovation Award: Awarded to the team with the most impactful, socially-conscious innovation focused on social justice and community betterment. This award doubles as the Farella Vincentian Innovation Award, underlining the recipient’s commitment to the Vincentian mission and the importance of ethical, community-focused entrepreneurship. This award is open to external international participants.
All monetary prizes are subject to applicable tax reporting.
Mentoring Skillstations
Start-up Essentials: Students must visit at least two stations for a 10-minute consultancy each.
Idea Validation & Customer Discovery
Tools for market research
Market & industry insights
Value Proposition Canvas
Lean Canvas
Roy Weissman
Assistant Professor - Tobin
LAB 1
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Sustainability & Social Impact
Understanding sustainability in innovation
Social impact mapping & impact ventures
Ethical innovation & responsible tech
Sustainability checklist for product/service design
James Kinsley | Director of Venture and Innovation Center
LAB 1
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Design thinking & Prototyping
User needs & problem framing
Idea refinement & concept development
Digital prototyping
Tools & templates
Luca Iandoli, Ph.D. Dean, CCPS
Kevin James, Ed.D. ‘11C '13MBA Dir. of Finance & Business Operations
LAB 2
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
AI & Tech Tools in Business
No code / low-code platforms
Automating workflows
Market research AI tools
Predictive analytics
Prototyping AI tools
Shahed Islam '00CPS | Co-Founder And CEO SJ Innovation
LAB 2
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Idea Showcase & Pitch Practice
Crafting a compelling narrative
Pitch deck essentials
Elevator pitch practice
Showcasing your prototype
QEDC | Queens Economic Development Corporation
LOBBY
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Additional Resources
FAQs
You can work in any of the labs and workstations at CCPS St. Augustine Hall 2nd Floor and the CCPS Café. Students will be assigned spaces for the Pre-Screening round at 2:00 PM. Please check back on the day of the competition, as your team will be assigned a number upon check-in.
Yes, you may use a pitch deck. Pitch decks must be submitted in the Dropbox by 3:15 PM.
Innovation & Originality:
Does the idea present a novel or unique approach to solving the problem? Is it distinct from existing solutions? Does the solution demonstrate fresh thinking?
Feasibility & Viability:
Can the idea be realistically developed and implemented? Are the technical and financial aspects practical?
Problem–Solution Fit:
Does the solution effectively address a real-world challenge?
Team Composition & Capability:
Does the team have the necessary skills and background to execute the idea?
Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Does the innovation directly address one or more of the 17 SDGs? How effectively does it contribute to sustainable development?
Following the pre-screening round, judges will review and score each team’s pitch using the published evaluation criteria. The highest-scoring teams will advance to the final round and present their ideas before the full panel of judges.
Final round teams have 4 minutes to pitch to the judges, following 4 minutes of Q&A from the judges.
After all teams have finished presenting, judges’ scores will be tallied and award decisions will be made.
Each finalist will present for no longer than 4 minutes.
Judges will have 4 minutes for the question-and-answer portion of your presentation immediately following your pitch.
Only judges will be asking questions, and only team members will answer
Please plan to stay until 6:00 PM to be respectful of other participants and receive a token of participation.
Monetary prizes will be announced after judge's deliberation. Winners will be contacted regarding distribution process within one week post-competition.
Recipients of non-monetary opportunities will be notified a week post-competition.
ust like any other public pitch or ideation event, attendees will not be bound by any confidentiality agreement.
Resources:
JIC Archive
Spring 2025 Recap: Students Put Entrepreneurial Skills to the Test at Johnny’s Innovation Challenge
Students from St. John’s University and elsewhere gathered in St. Augustine Hall on the Queens, NY, campus to showcase their entrepreneurial instincts on Saturday, February 22, during the first-ever Johnny’s Innovation Challenge.
JIC Winner Attends Hult Summer Bootcamp!
St. John’s University graduate student Uday Kumar, M.S. Enterprise Risk Management, who co-founded one of the winning teams, KnotHashtags, through Johnny’s Innovation Challenge, was selected for the prestigious Hult Summer Bootcamp in Cambridge, MA, where he joined global peers to enhance his entrepreneurial and consulting skills through intensive, real-world business training.
Fall 2025 Recap: Innovation, Creativity, and Competition at Johnny’s Innovation Challenge
More than 40 student innovators transformed bold ideas into sustainable, real-world solutions at St. John’s University’s second annual Johnny’s Innovation Challenge—demonstrating how entrepreneurial thinking, industry mentorship, and Vincentian values converge to drive meaningful impact.
Watch the First Johnny's Innovation Challenge in Action: