Forty graduate students from 11 California universities tackled pressing industry and societal challenges at the AI Pitch Competition organized and hosted by UC Riverside’s student Product Club in February. The contest required teams to collaborate and present innovative AI-driven solutions to real-world business questions.

Students formed teams in early February and over the course of the month, competitors engaged in virtual guideline sessions, a Q&A round, and submitted their pitch decks and presented their ideas to a panel of judges for the Feb. 28 final event at UCR’s new School of Business building.

The best solutions—judged on innovation, feasibility, and impact—were awarded cash prizes and recognition.

Learning Through Competing

The AI Pitch Competition fostered creative problem-solving and prepared students for careers in AI, product management, and technology-driven industries.

Student teams of two to four members in any major selected an industry challenge and developed an AI-driven solution. Because students were from varying majors, the teamwork highlighted an interdisciplinary approach.

The preparation required for the competition also allowed students to connect with industry leaders and mentors who provided real-world exposure.

AI Pitch Competition Winners

The first-place team was Project Hawkeye from UC Riverside, which presented a software verification testing agent. Placing second was AIVisionaries from USC Marshall, presenting an AI workforce manager. Third place was awarded to RadyPMClub from UC San Diego, which presented NomiAI: Your smart sake assistant.

The competition’s judges included UCR professors: Anthropology Department Lecturer Stephen James, Department of Computer Science and Engineering Associate Teaching Professor Paea LePendu, Assistant Professor of Teaching Information Systems Professor Sanjoy Moulik, Associate Professor of Marketing Ashish Sood, and Assistant Professor of Teaching Information Systems Rich Yueh.