Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship

Innovation Sprints

Hands-On Opportunities to Solve Real-World Problems

The Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship offers interactive programs designed to immerse students in innovation, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship.

Innovation Sprints allow students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world applications. In the process, we inspire students to view problems as opportunities and tackle challenges creatively and confidently. Students also discover that they have the power to create a future they’d like to live in — a powerful concept that empowers students to become active lifelong learners.

From sustainability challenges to data science hackathons, these events foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Whether students are crafting innovative products, pitching cutting-edge ideas, or exploring the triple bottom line to amplify social impact, they gain valuable skills that prepare them to lead in a world of accelerating change.

See examples below.

List of 6 items.

Green Market Challenge
Turning Ideas into Sustainable Solutions
The Green Market Challenge engages sixth-grade students in a hands-on entrepreneurship experience with a focus on sustainability.

Over 2.5 hours, students:
- Develop new products or services that incorporate native species and promote environmental benefits.
- Secure “loans” from the fictional Big Bucks Bank to purchase materials from a simulated Wholesale Warehouse.
- Craft innovative, upcycled creations such as lotions, planters, and natural air fresheners.
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HACKtheWAVE
A Data Science Hackathon for Community Impact
In partnership with Punahou Computer Science and Booz Allen Hamilton, CASE previously hosted HACKtheWAVE, a data science hackathon designed to inspire innovative thinking and tech-based problem-solving.
- Theme: Supporting families affected by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
- Format: Participants brainstormed and pitched original app ideas to address real-world challenges, using a rapid prototyping approach.
- Outcome: Teams presented their concepts “Shark Tank”-style to a panel of judges, learning the importance of ideation, iteration, and compelling storytelling.
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MIT Launch Clubs Blastoff! Event

This event, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was webcast was broadcast worldwide and attracted more than 125 local high school students from a dozen schools for a five-hour “inventathon.”
Bubble Tea Barista Battle

Students love snacks! To introduce them to entrepreneurship in a collaborative and exciting way, we have challenged students to create and market their own boba teas. From the colors to the flavors to the branding, students decide on design and marketing choices to make their products stand out. Along the way, they learn entrepreneurship fundamentals such as product differentiation, customer appeal, and pitching while practicing creativity and collaboration.
Mission Feature Feature

With “Mission Feature Feature,” a card game designed by CASE and computer science faculty, students have brainstormed and pitched each other original apps to solve the “mission” dealt to them along with the given features. For example, how do you meet someone new (Mission) using your phone’s global positioning (Feature A) and voice-activated control (Feature B)? Join in the next pitch fest to find out!
Other Innovation Sprints

Over the years, we’ve also gone into K – 12 classrooms to facilitate engaging innovation sprints and introductions to the creative design process. These innovation sprints have covered topics that we’ve chosen (such as sustainable packaging) and topics that students have chosen (such as how to solve the problem of rainy recess days).

We’ve also partnered with companies to run innovation sprints that allow students to work on real world challenges.

These fast-paced, hands-on experiences emphasize rapid iteration, teamwork, and the value of generating a wide range of ideas.