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Application Opens November 1, 2024
Application Deadline Date is March 14, 2025

We will honor one Cornell student business as the Student Business of the Year during the annual Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration Ezra.

Emphasis is on the business and the team behind it, not just on the entrepreneur.  The award will recognize commitment to developing and operating a successful business while pursuing an education.

The award will be made to the business.  The cash prize is $5,000.

This award recognizes the achievements of a Cornell student launched and operating business that meets the following criteria:

  • Business must be operated by a current Cornell student or team of students while at Cornell; if a team, 50% or more of the team members must be registered as current Cornell students. A business that exists prior to the students’ enrollment at Cornell can qualify, but a business that is developed significantly while the student or student team is enrolled at Cornell will be given preference (for example, a student may have started a business prior to entering Cornell and then significantly further developed it while enrolled at Cornell).
  • Student(s) in the business may be undergraduate or graduate.
  • Business must be operating at the time of award announcement (preferably legal entity established).
  • Success metrics for the business will vary depending on the industry in which the business participates.  Factors could include:
    • business team’s initiative, character, originality, and persistence
    • revenue generation (social and environmental outcomes are considered, but revenue generation is the focus)
    • other indications of customer validation like users and downloads
    • business creativity/uniqueness
    • tangible intellectual property position that protects the product or service
    • scalable business model
    • size of addressable market
    • awards, business competition success, or other industry recognition
    • receipt of grant funding, equity investment or other capital
    • substance and sustainability of the business (as opposed to pitch performance)

The Award will be determined by a Selection Committee:

  • The Selection Committee will first screen the nominated businesses to assure that they meet qualification requirements.
  • The Selection Committee will then have a finalist group of businesses present in person; a decision on winner will then subsequently be announced.