Data Entrepreneurship Challenge logo

Prizes

  • 1st Place

    1st place icon $ 500

    Cash Prize

  • 2nd Place

    2nd place icon $ 300

    Cash Prize

  • 3rd Place

    3rd place icon $ 150

    Cash Prize

  • 1st Place

    A cash prize of $500 will be awarded to each member of the first place team. Additionally, the winning team will have the opportunity to schedule a one-hour consultation with the Dean of the School of Data Science, Phil Bourne and other contacts he determines based on the content of the presentation. The team will also get a full debrief from the judging panel with a consultation on suggestion for how to continue the venture from seasoned investors within the technology start-up community.

  • 2nd Place

    A cash prize of $300 will be awarded to each member of the second place team. Additionally, the second place team will have the opportunity to schedule a one-hour consultation with the Dean of the School of Data Science, Phil Bourne and other contacts he determines based on the content of the presentation. The team will also get a full debrief from the judging panel with a consultation on suggestion for how to continue the venture from seasoned investors within the technology start-up community.

  • 3rd Place

    A cash prize of $150 will be awarded to each member of the third place team. Additionally, the third place team will have the opportunity to schedule a one-hour consultation with the Dean of the School of Data Science, Phil Bourne and other contacts he determines based on the content of the presentation. The team will also get a full debrief from the judging panel with a consultation on suggestion for how to continue the venture from seasoned investors within the technology start-up community.

Judging and Consultation

Philip E. Bourne

Founding Dean of the School of Data Science

Philip E. Bourne

Founding Dean of the School of Data Science

Philip E. Bourne is the founding dean of the School of Data Science, the newest and 12th School to be formed in the University’s 200 year history. He is a world renowned biomedical and data science researcher who has published over 300 papers and five books, launched four companies, received numerous awards, and been elected as fellow to multiple scientific societies. He was the first Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Industrial Alliances at the University of California San Diego and the first Associate Director for Data Science at the National Institutes of Health.

Rob Liander

Partner & Chief Technology Officer

Rob Liander

Partner & Chief Technology Officer

Mr. Liander is a Partner and Chief Technology Officer at 22C. Mr. Liander is a thought partner to 22C’s Portfolio Companies as they navigate the opportunities and challenges associated with their technology. He also leads deployment and management of 22C’s affiliated data science organization across current and prospective Portfolio Companies. Mr. Liander served in a similar capacity at predecessor firm FiveW Capital where he worked with portfolio companies to optimize and scale their technology operations and processes to meet growth and strategic goals, as well as leading technology due diligence. Mr. Liander was the Chief Architect and second most senior technologist at Capital IQ. He built and managed a technology team of over 200 professionals responsible for data modeling, processing, and integration. He had a special focus on Capital IQ’s data architecture, responsible for integrating thousands of ongoing discrete data feeds. Since Capital IQ, he has served as: (i) CTO for a SaaS business which raised $100M+, creating technology that processed structured and unstructured content from thousands of sources for a database on millions of companies and related entities, (ii) CTO for a research organization, leading the effort to acquire and integrate a division of a large public company, saving more than $20M in technology spend on a run-rate basis (company previously breakeven), and most recently (iii) CTO of FiveW, where he worked with portfolio companies to optimize and scale their technology operations and processes to meet growth and strategic goals, as well as led technology due diligence on potential equity investments. Mr. Liander received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University.

Colleen Coda

Partner

Colleen Coda

Partner

Ms. Coda is a Partner at 22C. Prior to joining 22C, Ms. Coda was Managing Director within Blackstone’s Technology and Innovations group (BXTI). She joined Blackstone in 2011 to assist in building a technology organization to drive digital transformation that enabled growth, scale and efficiencies across all aspects of Blackstone. While at Blackstone, Ms. Coda held a number of positions, most recently as CTO of several business units including the core Private Equity unit (encompassing seven different investment segments and Portfolio Operations). In addition to her CTO roles, she also oversaw a variety of programs across BXTI including Product Management and helped run the Technology Innovations Fund, which made investments in early-stage technology companies. She also led the initiative to consolidate consulting firms into a strategic offshore center that provided services and capabilities across technology, finance and other business functions which grew to over 300 people in India under her leadership. Prior to joining Blackstone, Ms. Coda was at Capital IQ for 11 years where her last role was Co-CTO focused on Product Development. In this role, she was responsible for the strategic product roadmap working across Data & Analytics, Sales, Marketing, and Technology to align the vision of the product from conceptualization through execution. Ms. Coda is passionate about Diversity & Inclusion and advancing women’s careers in technology. At Blackstone, she was a member of the Firm’s Diversity Champion Committee and chaired Technology’s D&I committee. Currently Ms. Coda serves as a Director of Target RWE and RapidRatings. Ms. Coda received her B.S. in Computer Science from Sacred Heart University.

Wei Lin

Senior Associate

Wei Lin

Senior Associate

Mr. Lin is a Senior Associate at 22C. Prior to joining 22C, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at Guggenheim Partners, where he was a member of the Healthcare group. Mr. Lin is a UVA alumni and received a B.S. in Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce, graduating with a concentration in Finance & Accounting.

Joe Norton

Sr. Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, LMI

Joe Norton

Sr. Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, LMI

Dr. Joseph Norton is an analytics and IT professional with over a decade of experience in end-to-end solution development, computational sciences, advanced analytics, data management, enterprise architecture, systems engineering, and business strategy. He delivers analytics results and IT solutions that improve organizational strategy and processes and provide decision support to federal decision-makers. Joseph leads development of service offerings to supply repeatable, customizable solutions to government customers. He partners closely with leaders to ensure offerings are technically rigorous, incorporate emerging technologies, and meet customers' needs effectively. Joseph has a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s in chemistry and computer science from the University of Miami.

Maajid Husain

Student, Applied Statistics and Computer Science, University of Virginia

Maajid Husain

Student, Applied Statistics and Computer Science, University of Virginia

Maajid Husain, currently a fourth-year student at UVA, is pursuing a double major, earning a BA in Applied Statistics with a concentration in Finance and Business, alongside a BA in Computer Science. In his recent professional experiences, Maajid served as a Business Analytics Intern at Capital One within the Business Cards and Payments division. He also contributed to The Boeing Company's IT and Data Analytics division as a Solution Train engineer, actively involved in agile digital transformation initiatives. Additionally, he worked as a Digital Marketing Analyst at Ashburn Dental Care, where he acted as an internal consultant, successfully reducing marketing costs and developing a data-driven local marketing strategy. Within the university community, Maajid holds the position of President of the Data Science and Analytics Club at UVA, where he has played a pivotal role in expanding the club into a thriving hub for data-focused students seeking professional and academic growth. He also dedicates his time as a Diversity Career Ambassador for the UVA Career Center. Notably, Maajid has previously held leadership positions, such as President of Cavalier Analytics, Leadership Chair and Publicity Chair for the Muslim Student Association, and Outreach Manager for the UVA English Department Writing and Rhetoric Program.