The Goizueta School of Business at Emory University is developing a virtual business case competition where companies can tackle racial inequality from within.
The idea for the competition comes from Emory MBA student Willie Sullivan following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor this summer. After observing statements regarding racial injustice from corporations, Sullivan wanted to know what actions companies took to address the issue.
Teams from across the country will create strategies for corporations to address racial injustice, according to information released about the program this week. The teams will examine disparities in wealth, health and education.
The competition, named for late Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, will take place on Jan. 21, 2021, with 24 teams of four to six students. Corporate partners for the competition include HP, Johnson & Johnson and Walmart, with four teams assigned to each corporate partner. Each team will also receive a research budget of $1,000.
After the initial application period, the 24 teams have six weeks to conduct research and put together 30-minute PowerPoint presentations. Five teams will be named semifinalists and win $5,000 of prize money. These teams will advance to the final round, with the overall winning team receiving $20,000. All prize money will be divided between the winning teams and a racial justice cause.
Undergraduate or graduate students can participate in the competition, and students do not have to be business majors. The deadline to apply for the competition is Nov. 30.
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