The 2024 Rising C-Suites
Business Hackathon
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What is the Rising C-Suites Business Hackathon (RCBH)?
The Rising C-Suites Business Hackathon is a multi-day competition for high school youth held in partnership with top business schools and organizations. RCBH powered by Berkeley Haas is our signature summer event held at the Haas campus in collaboration with the Berkeley Haas School of Business, one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, and Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY), Haas’ world-renowned summer high school program.
When and Where is RCBH?
The 2024 RCBH Powered by Berkeley Haas will be held on the Haas campus from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. PDT on the weekend of June 22nd-23rd. Housing and transportation are NOT provided.
What are the criteria to apply?
Anybody in high school grades 9-12 is eligible to apply. Use the navigation on the left to fill out and submit your application.
When is the application due?
The application for the 2024 RCBH will be due 11:59 P.M. PDT on July 2nd, 2024.
What is the fee to attend/apply for RCBH?
The application fee is $20, and if accepted, the entry fee is $200. Please see our refund policy below.
What is the RCBH Refund Policy?
The RCBH application fee is NONREFUNDABLE. However, if you have paid the final entry fee, you have 48 hours to request a full refund (minus transaction fees) by emailing us at risingcsuites@gmail.com.
What makes the RCBH special?
There are hundreds of business competitions, but none are like the Business Hackathon. Not only do we provide a learning and networking experience in the program through which we also immerse you into one of the most well-respected business environments, but we also make each hackathon unique.
No one competition looks the same, with different requests, scoring rubrics, judges, presentation styles, and time frames. In short, just like in the real world, you really don’t know what to expect and have to let your entrepreneurial mindset lead the way.
What does the agenda look like for RCBH?
From the beginning of each day to the end, RCBH is full of memorable and enriching experiences. For example, attached below is the agenda used for the 2023 RCBH powered by Berkeley Haas:
Day 1
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Student Check-in
Students checked in and picked up their badge, Berkeley Haas folder and handbook, and complimentary donuts.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Welcomes & Introductions
RCBH participants played a few icebreaker games and were introduced to the RCBH team.
10:30 AM - 10:40 AM: Break
10:40 AM - 11:30 AM: Guest Speaker #1 - Peter Molloy
Peter Molloy is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and expert in rebranding consumer brands. As the former President of La Terra Fina, he doubled sales and increased EBITDA 25 times before successfully selling the company. With his extensive experience and passion for entrepreneurship, Mr. Molloy has been a valued member of the Haas School of Business faculty since 1999 and now serves as a Faculty Director and Lecturer at Berkeley Haas. At RCBH, students were able to ask Mr. Molloy personal questions and connect with him.
11:30 AM - 11:45 AM: Break
11:45 PM - 12:15 PM: Guest Speaker #2 - Arun Khemlani
Arun Khemani is a student at Bentley University who has notably led consulting for Israeli startups at TAMID. Arun serves as the Chief Operations Officer at Accelno and the Chief Operations Officer at the Morning Investor. As a young person driving positive change in the world, Arun was a source of inspiration for many high school students at the Business Hackathon.
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM: Campus Tour
Students were given a full tour of the UC Berkeley and Berkeley Haas campuses.
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM: Lunch
RCBH participants were given a list of the top spots that all Cal and Haas students love and were free to get food wherever they desired.
1:45 PM - 2:15 PM: Guest Speaker #3 - Sanjeev Chawla
Sanjeev Chawla is the Founder and CEO of Agnity Global, a leading provider of contextual communications for the healthcare industry. He has created many successful startups and now operates as the CTO of Transaction Network Services (TNS), a provider focused on data communications and interoperability solutions.
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: About Us
During this time, we told the story of RCBH’s founding and how Rising C-Suites became the first youth-led company to officially collaborate with Berkeley Haas and B-BAY.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Teams + Scenario
Teams were announced, and the 2023 RCBH prompt was presented.
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM: Recap + Day 2 Breakdown
RCBH team briefly went over the highlights of the day and provided a general agenda for the following day.
3:50 PM - 4:00 PM: End of Instruction
RCBH participants were now free to meet with their teammates, start their work, or stop by the RCBH team to ask any questions.
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Team Time
Competitors had the option to work either in the Wells Fargo Room or anywhere else on the Berkeley and Haas campuses.
Day 2
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Student Check-in
Students checked in and picked up their badge, Berkeley Haas folder and handbook, and complimentary donuts.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Team Time
Competitors had the option to work either in the Wells Fargo Room or anywhere else on the Berkeley and Haas campuses.
11:30 AM - 12:30 AM: Lunch
RCBH participants were given a list of the top spots that all Cal and Haas students love and were free to get food wherever they desired.
12:30 AM - 3:00 PM: Presentation and Judging
Teams presented to the judges, including Olive Davis, the founder and Managing Director of the B-BAY program, and Leon Ying, the founder of Berkeley Haas’ Courtyard Ventures startup investing group.
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM: Break
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM: Awards
The top three were awarded cash prizes, business consulting, scholarships, and admission to the B-BAY program, alongside framed certificates signed by the RCBH and B-BAY team.
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM: Closing Statements
A quick wrap-up of the event + how to stay involved with future RCBH and find other opportunities.
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Photos
4:00 PM: Check Out + Goodbye!
