Greater Good Challenge Information Session 2

Ready to take your creativity beyond the classroom?

The Greater Good Challenge empowers Columbia students, alumni, and changemakers around the world to turn bold ideas into action through a dynamic, social impact–focused competition. Whether you're a student or a professional, this is your chance to make a difference through purpose-driven innovation.

Here is what to expect:

What is the Greater Good Challenge? Learn how this social impact-focused competition empowers students to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

Why Join? Explore how participating can sharpen your skills, expand your network, and give you a platform to pitch your idea for meaningful change with a chance to win funding and visibility.

Meet Special Guests Hear directly from past winners, judges, and coaches. Discover what makes a winning team and what they wish they knew when they started.

Breakout: Build Your Team Don’t have a team yet? No problem. We will host interactive breakout sessions by interest and skill area to help you connect with potential teammates and collaborators.

Who Can Join?Open to all current Columbia students across schools and disciplines. Whether you are an idea person, strategist, designer, or builder, here is a place for you.

Join one or all of our virtual Information Sessions to connect with inspiring guests, learn how the Challenge works, and start forming your team. Each session will feature a different special guest, so you are welcome to attend multiple sessions for fresh insights and new connections.

Session 2: Greater Good Challenge Mentors’ Musings

Looking to get a second opinion on your idea? In this session, we invite past GGC winner, AJ Trelease (2024 Winner - CareHome), who will share his team’s journey from early ideas to the final pitch, along with the lessons they learned along the way. AJ will share not only practical tips, but also how to shape a compelling project, and navigate the GGC timeline with effectiveness and confidence. You will hear tips on how to best leverage your mentor’s guidance and expertise, and how to refine or strengthen your idea. You will also learn about common challenges that teams run into, and how to best navigate through.

After the session, we invite you to stay on to connect with fellow participants, exchange ideas, and start building a team that shares your vision for change.

📅 Other Virtual Info Session (11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET):

• Session 3: Tuesday, September 30, 2025