2024 Elon Microfinance Challenge

Hosted by the Elon Microfinance Initiative and Elon’s Department of Economics

In this data analytics consulting competition, gain exposure to high demand, real-world consulting skills and practical experience working with a client organization.

Process

Student teams of three will have 2 weeks to analyze proprietary data for a real non-profit client that provides microfinance to Ugandan Refugees. Apply your skills to analyze the data and make a virtual presentation to the client in April.

Deliverable

Teams will present their analysis and recommendations to the client who will judge the teams on April 16, 2024.

Awards

First place: $1,000
Second place: $500
Third place: $250

Timeframe

  • Register to participate by March 29
  • The case is revealed on April 1
  • Presentations to be submitted by 3 p.m. ET on April 15

Faculty Consultants

Teams may contact Dr. Steve DeLoach or Dr. Tonmoy Islam for advice and feedback. At no time will faculty consultants provide explicit direction, instructions or analysis support to the case or final presentation. All work submitted and presented must be performed by the students.

This challenge taught me the importance of communicating your strengths, as we all came into this project with different skill sets and interests, but together we were able to draw conclusions that independently we wouldn’t have discovered. It was a challenging few weeks working through the data, but learning how to tackle a large task with a team equipped with different perspectives was invaluable.

Savannah Josey ’23, 2020 Elon Microfinance Challenge participant

Contact

For more information, contact Dr. Tonmoy Islam or EMI president Emily Lesniak.