A huge thanks to our sponsor The Impact Competition. They fund case competitions that provide a financial incentive for teams of students to brainstorm effective solutions for the most pressing issues affecting the communities they live in.  Traditional case competitions offer a theoretical proposal that students are tasked with solving. However, the Impact Competition aims to solve local, real-world issues, and provides the funding for the students to see their solution in action.  Like when Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business partnered with local Non Profit Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, The students came up with an innovative housing solution to help Habitat’s mission.In this episode, you will find out how this exact case worked, as well as how The Impact Competition got started in the first place. You will hear 3 voices that all played their part in filling that first idea of the Impact Competition with life, action and impact. 























Seeing the big impact one idea can have







Meet Lance Breitstein, a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business who spent over a decade as one of the best short term equity traders on Wall Street.  At 32 he retired to start The Impact Competition. 















Lance Breitstein (on the left) Picture Credit: Lance Breitstein 







The Impact Competition funds case competitions which challenge students to find solutions for a different local non-profit each year. Students then implement the solutions using the Impact Competitions seed money. The Impact Competition currently runs this program for example at Indiana University, University of Maryland, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins and more to come. 







Essentially they are turning students into future donors, volunteers, and philanthropists while helping local non-profits in the process. 







Why not me?















This is what Lance asked himself as he started to share his idea with others. One of the first people who heard about his idea was Wendi Goodlett, back then she was working with the Kelley School of Business but has since taken on the role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County.







Wendi Goodlett (in the middle) Photo Credit: Wendi Goodlett







Wendi worked as a volunteer on the construction site through the Women Build program of Habitat for Humanity for 11 years prior to joining the staff.







She is committed to providing access to affordable and sustainable homeownership opportunities for underserved populations, while building community and engaging people in Habitat’s mission. 







As the Impact Competition went into its first inaugural round at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County was selected as the beneficiary receiving seed money to implement the solutions that the competing students came up with.







Empowering NGO’s not just with advice but hands-on support 







It wasn’t easy to pick the winning idea, as the students came up with many great suggestions that all had the potential to help Habitat to realise their vision world where everyone has a decent place to live.







Photo Credit: Global Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County















Actually implementing change







Shawna Meyer-Niederman, Associate Director at the Kelley Institute for Social Impact at Indiana University,