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The Pioneer Employer Challenge

Curriculum change and case competition fun.

Open to: Graduates

According to the Hitachi Foundation, “Pioneer Employers” are firms that create their own sustainable competitive advantage by investing in the wages, careers, and education of their own lower-wage employees. Their win-win practices create pathways out of poverty for workers while improving the company’s overall performance. Over the past three years the Foundation and its partners have identified and profiled over 60 such companies, and are now looking to current MBA students to take these vital business lessons into the classroom.

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In this year’s Pioneer Employer Challenge, there are two action-packed rounds. First round teams performed a case analysis on a case profiling a game changing Pioneer Employer. They also submited an assessment on how to incorporate similar cases and related materials into their MBA curricula.

A select group of teams advanced into the second round and were accepted as finalists into the Hitachi Foundation Curriculum Change Corps (see them highlighted to the right). This cohort developed and implemented a curriculum change plan for their schools in collaboration with each other, The Hitachi Foundation and Net Impact.

A total of $10,000 is up for grabs with finalist teams invited to present at the 2012 Net Impact Conference in Baltimore, MD.

Congrats, Finalists!

Congratulations to University of San Diego, Rutgers School of Business, and Schulich School of Business for advancing to the second round and making tremendous, long-lasting change in their curricula! This cohort developed and implemented a curriculum change plan for their schools in collaboration with each other, The Hitachi Foundation and Net Impact. Cash prizes will be received for each goal met.

Additionally, we're proud to announce the winner of the case competition, University of San Diego! The competition took place at the 2012 Net Impact Conference in front of a distinguished panel of judges.

Thank you to all schools that participated in Round I of the competition. They showed impressive initiative and progress toward integrating Pioneer Employer cases onto their campuses.