About
Join Entrepreneurship at Cornell and the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise for a joint event, bringing together Celebration Ezra and the Cornell Business Impact Symposium (CBIS) into a unique opportunity for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and professionals.
Celebration Ezra, a two day entrepreneurship conference named in honor of Cornell’s entrepreneurial founder, will feature eLab Demo Day, fireside chats with prominent entrepreneurs, Student Business of the Year recognition, the BenDaniel Venture Challenge, and the recognition of the 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year.
The Cornell Business Impact Symposium is focused on the distinct, positive impact that the private sector is having on social and environmental challenges, and will feature fireside chats and panel discussions, coffee chats and a networking reception for students to meet speakers, sponsors, and other professionals, and the finals of the Undergraduate Impact Investing Pitch Competition.
One registration will get you access to all programming. Join us for great conversation, networking, and speakers April 9-11
Joint Agenda
*denotes session will be livestreamed
Celebration Ezra
Wednesday – April 8th
6:00 – 8:30 PM
Celebration Ezra Kick-off – Networking@Rev:
Whether you’re a graduate researcher at Cornell, an innovator working on the Commons, or an Ithaca College student on South Hill, one thing unites us all – the energy and support of Ithaca’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Networking@Rev will feature guest speakers who will share their startup journeys, while highlighting the mentors and resources that helped them along the way.
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 East State Street (Parking available at Seneca Street Garage, 215 North Tioga Street)
[Free & Open to the Public] Register Here
Thursday – April 9th
2:00 – 4:00PM
Entrepreneurship at Cornell Advisory Council Meeting
Advisory Council Members and Invited Guests ONLY
Taylor Room, The Statler Hotel
4:30 – 6:15 PM*
eLab Demo Day
Discover Cornell’s leading student startups at eLab Demo Day. In this special presentation, startups from eLab, Cornell’s student accelerator program, showcase their businesses.
Statler Ballroom, The Statler Hotel
[Free & Open to the Public; if you are only attending eLab Demo Day, then no conference registration required]
6:15 – 7:30 PM
Networking Reception
Co-sponsored by Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship
Ballroom Foyer, The Statler Hotel
[Free & Open to the Public]
Friday – April 10th
All Celebration Ezra events taking place in the Statler Ballroom, The Statler Hotel
8:30 – 10:00 AM*
BenDaniel Venture Challenge and Breakfast
The BenDaniel Venture Challenge (BVC) is Big Red Venture’s annual pitch competition that gives five companies the chance to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors. Companies based in New York or with a Cornell affiliation are eligible to apply for their chance to win a $25K cash prize.
10:15 – 11:00 AM*
AI and the Future of Hospitality and Travel Distribution
Ashwin Kamlani MMH ’03, Founder and CEO, Hyperfunnel
Matt Nixon ’04, Managing Director, Hotelie Ventures
Sanjay Vakil, Co-founder, Direct Booker.ai
Moderated by Christy McDowell PhD, Director and Senior Lecturer, Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
Presented by Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship
11:00 – 11:50 AM*
Fireside Chat with Dan Cane ’98, Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2026, Moderated by Tim Barry ’93, Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2024
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Entrepreneurship Awards Lunch
BenDaniel Venture Challenge
Student Business of the Year
Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year, honor conferred by Kavita Bala, Provost, Cornell University
Sponsored by Acquisition Group
1:30 – 2:30 PM*
Fireside Chat with Nancy Whiteman ’81, Founder and CEO, Wana Brands, Moderated by Rachel Dunifon, Rebecca Q. and James C. Morgan Dean, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
Cornell Business Impact Symposium
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Welcome Remarks
Rm 196, Statler Hall
3:30 – 4:30 PM
Panel 1
Rm 196, Statler Hall
4:30 – 5:15 PM
Keynote
Rm 196, Statler Hall
5:15 – 5:45 PM
Break
Park Atrium, Statler Hall
5:45 – 6:45 PM
Panel 2
Rm 196, Statler Hall
6:45 – 7:15 PM
Short Talk
Rm 196, Statler Hall
7:15 – 8:45 PM
Reception
Park Atrium, Statler Hall
Saturday – April 11th
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Light Breakfast
Park Atrium, Statler Hall
9:00 – 10:30 AM
Undergraduate Impact Business Investing Competition
Rm 198, Statler Hall
10:30 – 11:00 AM
Coffee Break
Park Atrium, Statler Hall
11:00 – 12:00 PM
Impact Investing Panel
Heather Henyon MBA ’03, Founding Partner, Mindshift Capital
Ola Omotoso, Senior Investment Associate, Galway Sustainable Capital
Louis Schick MS ’91, Director of Investments, Clean Energy Investments
Rm 198, Statler Hall
12:00 – 12:30 PM
Competition Winner Announcement and Closing Remarks
Rm 198, Statler Hall
Celebration Ezra Sponsors
Cornell Business Impact Symposium Sponsors
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Entrepreneurship at Cornell?
EaC is a diverse, university-wide program that finds and fosters the entrepreneurial spirit in participants from every college, every field, and in every stage of life.
Why did the name of the conference change to Celebration Ezra?
To honor Cornell University’s first entrepreneur, Ezra Cornell, we decided to change the name of our spring conference to “Celebration Ezra”. Check out a list of other high profile Cornell entrepreneurs here. You may be surprised to find that Ezra created Western Union!
Why did Celebration Ezra and the Cornell Business Impact Symposium partner up?
Traditionally these 2 events often happened on consecutive days, so we decided to actively collaborate and offer attendees the ability to register just once and get the benefit of both! We are delighted to further expand the entrepreneurship and business partnerships across our campus!
What is the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise?
The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise (CSGE), based in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, works to advance how the private sector can play a unique role in addressing the world’s toughest social, environmental, and economic challenges. Specifically, the Center engages companies and others working at the intersection of business and sustainability to advance knowledge on the innovative, profitable opportunities that address global sustainability challenges to help transform the impact of private enterprise on the world.
How do I get involved in the Impact Investing Pitch Competition?
The Impact Investing Pitch Competition is open to teams of 2 to 4 undergraduate students from any university. Teams will identify, research, and recommend an existing early-stage company that addresses a social or environmental problem for a hypothetical investment of up to $1 million. Additional information on forming a team, registering, and deadlines can be found here.
Alumni and professionals interested in sponsoring the event, being a team mentor, or judging the competition can reach out to Monica Touesnard.
What is EaC Advisory Council?
The EaC Advisory Council is made up of alumni and other business leaders who are interested in fostering the growth of entrepreneurship at Cornell. Membership offers great networking and mentorship opportunities while learning about new initiatives and getting frequent updates on our program and the Cornell entrepreneurship ecosystem.
What is the Cornell Business Impact Symposium?
The Cornell Business Impact Symposium is an annual event that focuses on the distinct, positive impact that the private sector is having on social and environmental challenges, providing a unique opportunity for students to engage with professionals, expand their professional network, and learn about relevant topics and career opportunities through panels and discussions.
The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise works with student organizations, Impact Investing at Cornell, Energy Transition Club, Cornell Sustainability Consultants, Nexus Project Team, Sustainable Global Enterprise Club, and Johnson Food and Agriculture Club, to identify topics of interest and invite speakers.
What opportunities are there for networking? How do I participate in the CBIS coffee chats?
Students can register for all portions of the events and chat with professionals, speakers, and sponsors during the networking receptions, coffee breaks, etc.
The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise will reach out to students (~2-3 weeks prior to the event) registered for CBIS portions of the event to collect resumes for a book to share with speakers and sponsors, and to share information to sign up for Friday coffee chats.
How can I stay up to date on all entrepreneurial things at Cornell?
Join our listserv! There are multiple events and news items that come out each week to keep you “in the know” of everything entrepreneurial at Cornell. Scroll to the bottom of this page to find the listserv form in the footer.
