Innovation Sprints
Every Fall and Spring Semester
The Zahn Innovation Center invites CCNY students across all majors to join our Innovation Sprint. This dynamic, hands-on experience will challenge students to develop creative solutions for companies and organizations in NYC.
Teams have one week to research, design, and pitch their solutions for a chance to win cash prizes.
Why Join?
- Gain hands-on experience in innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork.
- Get mentorship from experienced professionals.
- Work with NYC companies and organizations.
- Expand your network and enhance your resume with a unique, high-impact experience.
Fall 2025
We are excited to kick off another iteration of our Innovation Sprint, open to all CCNY students from EVERY major. No prior experience required.
How it Works
To stay eligible to compete for cash prizes, and more importantly to get the most out of this experience, you are required to attend at least one mini session and mentor office hour, and spend at least one hour in the Zahn Center to cowork with your team members. Of course, you have to attend the kickoff session and Finale, and are welcome to attend both mini sessions and spend more coworking time in our space. Please consult below for a detailed schedule.
[REQUIRED] Kickoff – form teams and start customer research and ideation
Friday 10/10, 12-5 pm - including lunch - at CCNY
[AT LEAST ONE SESSION REQUIRED] Mini Session and Mentor Office Hours
Tuesday, 10/14 - 12:30 - 1:45 pm - at CCNY (note this is a Monday class schedule day)
Wednesday, 10/15 - 12:30 - 1:45 pm - at CCNY
[AT LEAST ONE HOUR REQUIRED] Coworking - work together to develop and test solutions & create a pitch
Tuesday, 10/14, 10am - 6pm (excluding 12:30pm - 1:45pm)
Wednesday 10/15, 10am - 6pm (excluding 12:30pm - 1:45pm)
Thursday 10/16, 2pm - 8pm
[REQUIRED] Finale – pitch to win prize money
Friday, 10/17 - 12-4 pm - including lunch - location TBC
The application is short and only contains two one-paragraph essay questions; please refrain from using AI-generated responses so we can get to know how you are.
Past Innovation Sprints
Spring 2025 Social Impact Innovation Sprint Featuring Startups from Blue Ridge Labs
From April 4 to 11, the Zahn Innovation Center and Blackstone LaunchPad hosted the Spring 2025 Social Impact Innovation Sprint. This event brought together CCNY students from all majors for a memorable week of creativity, collaboration, and impact.
This semester, we partnered with the Robin Hood Foundation, where six startup founders from their Blue Ridge Labs’ Catalyst Accelerator presented challenges related to their new ventures for our student teams to tackle. Participants formed diverse interdisciplinary teams and started developing innovative solutions to tackle poverty-related challenges in New York City. In one week, students did customer research, rapid ideation, and solution testing. Their work was informed by the startup founders and supported by expert mentorship from the Deloitte and Zahn Center teams.
The sprint culminated in an in-person pitch held at the Robin Hood Foundation headquarters in Manhattan, where teams presented their solutions to a panel of judges for a chance to win cash prizes worth $5,000.
Congratulations to the winning teams
First place ($2500): Supporting Vesta - Muhammad Irfan, Li Kuan Phang. helps immigrants navigate the financial system. The team explored several ways to help Vesta scale its impact by building trust within the communities it serves.
Second place ($1500): Supporting WeSuap - Ibrahima Ndiaye, Sadman Rahin, Kamille Hernandez, Zobia Jamal, and Mahdi Islam. is a skills-trading platform for entrepreneurs with limited access to capital. The team investigated how to adapt this platform for college students looking to build work experience.
Third place ($1000): Supporting Axcces - Da Yuan Zhao, Jayna Kelly, Deborah Auguste, and Sara Kassem. streamlines affordable housing applications, automates eligibility, and optimizes lease-ups with AI-driven workflows. The team created multiple strategies to help Axcces reach its customers on both sides of the market.
Fall 2024 Blackstone LaunchPad Innovation Sprint
In Fall 2024, about 40 CCNY students participated in a week-long sprint working with Deloitte on increasing engagement with GenZ for the LA2028 Olympic Games.
Spring 2024 CUNY-wide Blackstone LaunchPad Innovation Sprint
In Spring 2024, more than 70 CUNY students participated in a 4-day Innovation Sprint solving challenges presented by Deloitte, L'Oreal, and Blackstone's Technology and Innovation Group.
Last Updated: 08/26/2025 11:24