LSCC Student Team FAQs

Forming Your TeamÌý

Can we add/remove members from our team after we register?Ìý

Yes! Team members can be dropped or added as long as your team has 3-5 people in total. Please alert us to the change as soon as possible so that your new team members are included in future competition-related communications.ÌýÌý

Can our team be accompanied by a university staff member or coach?Ìý

Yes! University staff or coaches that accompany a team are welcome but are required to register in advance and agree to certain competition guidelines, including not being in the presentation rooms during the qualifying rounds.Ìý

I’m not able to assemble a team of 3-5 people. Can you connect me with teams looking to add another member?Ìý

No. We cannot recommend people to teams. However, if your school cannot form a team you are welcome to utilize your networks, such as ClimateCAP, to join a team.ÌýÌý

How will you use our team name? Can we change our team name after we register?Ìý

You will be publicly identified by your team name throughout the competition. We do not reference university names during the competition to mitigate bias. Team names can be changed up until one week before the competition. Clever and creative team names that are related to sustainability or the case theme are encouraged. ‘Net Zero Heroes’ ‘Shelf Aware’ and ‘Never Gonna Give Green Up’ are some of our favorites from past years.Ìý

Do you offer scholarships or stipends to participate?Ìý

We encourage visiting teams to take advantage of our early registration discount throughout October for 25% off your team registration ($50 discount). If you use the early registration discount, you can still add/remove team members or accompanying university staff after you register. We do not offer financial support for travel costs. Registration fees for CU teams are funded by the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility. CU students should contact cesr@colorado.edu for more information.Ìý

Competition DayÌýÌý

How long is the competition day and where can we wait for our pitch time?Ìý

The competition day runs on Saturday 8am-5pm. The Qualifying Round typically runs from 8am until 1pm and then the Championship Round runs from 1 – 5pm. Every team is assigned a huddle room in the competition building where you can practice and relax throughout the day. Team huddle rooms are equipped with a desktop monitor or large screen. Teams are also welcome to mingle in the Olson Atrium throughout the day to meet other teams.ÌýÌý

PitchesÌýÌý

How familiar will judges be with the case and our pitch?ÌýÌý

Judges will review the case in detail in advance of the competition. Judges will not review teams’ pitch decks in advance. Teams should present as if you are delivering a high-level presentation to the company’s board of directors. Do not spend time summarizing the case or the company in your presentation. ÌýMinimize the number of words on your slides, use large font, and focus on delivering a polished corporate board-level presentation.Ìý

Can we distribute handouts to the judges as part of our pitch?ÌýÌý

No. Addenda/handouts are not permitted because they can be distracting to a judge who is focused on your presentation.ÌýÌý

Can we use AI to help strengthen our pitch?Ìý

Yes, but LSCC will release the competition’s AI policy annually when the full case document is released to all teams. The specific AI policy may change annually depending on the directive from the title sponsor or the nature of the case.ÌýÌý

As an example, the AI policy for the 2026 competition was as follows:ÌýÌý

We believe in the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive innovation. We also want an equal playing field for all teams.Ìý
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In response, we have developed the below policy in consultation with Iron Mountain and our school's technology services. All teams must adhere to the LSCC AI policy in developing your pitch.ÌýÌý

Within the below guidelines, LSCC teams are permitted to use ChatGPT.com free-tier access to strengthen their pitches. Use of paid-access ChatGPT accounts and/or other AI platforms is NOT permitted. Ìý

  • Teams must be transparent in identifying for the judges how AI was used.Ìý
  • Using AI as a research tool or writing aid is permitted, but the analytics, conclusions and recommendations must reflect the team’s original work.Ìý
  • AI should not be used to produce final deliverables without material modifications from the team.Ìý
  • To prevent unfair advantage, only ChatGPT free-tier access is permitted. Ìý

Can we observe other teams’ pitches?Ìý

All teams, accompanying staff and judges are encouraged to watch the top five teams compete in the Championship Round on Saturday afternoon. The morning qualifying rounds are closed to all observers and accompanying staff. Only the team presenting, the judges and LSCC staff/volunteers can be in the room during qualifying round presentations.ÌýÌý

JudgingÌý

Who are the competition judges?Ìý

The LSCC Leadership Team recruits current professionals to judge team pitches in the qualifying rounds. Judges are recruited from a variety of large companies, such as CBRE, Iron Mountain, eBay, Janus Henderson Investors, HelloFresh, Western Resource Advocates, Deloitte, Nuveen, and Schneider Electric--- and from a variety of disciplines including supply chain, facilities management, responsible investment, marketing and communications, governance, and corporate sustainability initiatives.ÌýÌý

Teams that advance to the championship round will be judged by representatives from the title sponsor company, which has proposed the case.Ìý

How do you address judge bias?Ìý

All judges attend a pre-competition orientation to review the rubric and judging criteria for that year’s case. Our team also takes great care to mitigate personal or professional bias wherever possible. Recent CU alumni are never assigned to judge a room in which CU teams are competing. At least 4 judges are assigned to each qualifying round room to mitigate the impact of any one judge’s ratings on the overall average. Each judge in a qualifying round room brings a different professional expertise, so as not to overly favor one approach over another.ÌýÌý

How will our pitch be assessed?Ìý

Each year, LSCC will release a high-level summary of the judging rubric for the competition when the full case document is released to all teams. The judging rubric may change annually depending on the directive from the title sponsor or the nature of the case.ÌýÌý

As an example, the judging rubric summary provided to all teams for the 2026 competition was as follows:ÌýÌý

  • Solution and Strategy - 40%Ìý
  • Strategic alignmentÌý
  • Financial feasibility and viabilityÌý
  • Innovation and creativityÌý
  • Sustainability Integration - 40%Ìý
  • Environmental impactÌý
  • Social and ethical considerationsÌý
  • Regulation, risk and governanceÌý
  • Strategic Agility (the twist) - 15%Ìý
  • Presentation and Communication - 5%Ìý

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Will we get to see the judges’ ratings and feedback on our pitch?Ìý

Yes! The five teams advancing to the championship round will receive their judge feedback right away, in case they want to make any last-minute adjustments. All other teams will receive their feedback by email no later than 5pm the day after the competition. We encourage all judges to provide written notes along with their scores, but we do not require it.ÌýÌý

How do you identify the top five teams to go to the championship round?Ìý

To advance to the championship round your team must first be the highest scoring team in your qualifying round room (referred to as a Qualifying Round Winner). Second, your team must have one of the top five highest scores among all Qualifying Round Winners. The number of Qualifying Round Winners (usually 7-9) will depend on the number of qualifying round rooms, which depends on the number of teams competing. This ‘room plus score’ selection process is meant to limit the impact of any one qualifying room being judged more leniently or more harshly and affecting teams’ chances in a direct score-to-score comparison across rooms.ÌýÌý

Will we know how our team placed in the competition overall?Ìý

LSCC will announce the Qualifying Round Winners (usually 7-9 depending on the number of rooms in the qualifying round). However, any teams placing below that threshold will not be publicly announced. After the competition, teams are welcome to ask by email about how they placed if they are interested.Ìý

Travel Arrangements and Fun!Ìý

When should we plan to arrive?Ìý

If you are flying into Denver, we recommend arriving 1-2 days early in case of weather-related delays.ÌýÌý

Do you arrange hotels for teams?Ìý

LSCC secures a discounted rate at two hotels near campus where teams are invited to stay at your own cost. Hotel information is shared with all teams starting November 1.Ìý

Are there opportunities to meet other competing teams?Ìý

Yes! LSCC MBA leadership organizes two optional meetups for visiting teams to get to know each other. Those meetups happen off-campus in Boulder on the Friday night before the competition and the Saturday night after the competition ends.ÌýÌý

Can you recommend local activities or ski areas where our visiting team can enjoy the Colorado outdoors?ÌýÌý

Yes! We send all registered teams a list of our recommended local restaurants, trailheads and ski areas to visit in Boulder and the immediate surrounding area.ÌýÌý

Our team can no longer attend. Can we receive a refund for the registration fee?Ìý

Registration fees are non-refundable, except in the case of teams from universities outside the U.S. who are unable to secure visas to travel to the competition.