Outside the Classroom

Outside the Classroom Experiences

The ESTEEM program extends far beyond the traditional classroom setting, offering a wide array of outside-the-classroom experiences designed to immerse students in the real-world practice of innovation and entrepreneurship. These unique opportunities provide invaluable exposure to dynamic ecosystems, from major immersion trips to innovation hubs like Chicago and Silicon Valley, and feature hands-on learning through high-stakes competitions, direct engagement with leading founders and executives through guest speaker events, and trips to thriving startups and corporate innovators. This approach ensures that graduates leave the program with a powerful network and the practical insights needed to launch successful ventures or drive corporate innovation.

Trips

Indianapolis Innovation Visit

Indy

Each cohort also travels to Indianapolis to explore the city’s rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Recent stops have included 16 Tech, Remodel Health, and Alloy Partners (formerly High Alpha), offering exposure to venture studios, health-tech startups, and collaborative innovation districts.

Chicago Immersion Trip (January)
Students begin the spring semester with an all-day visit to Chicago, where they tour startup and early-stage companies, visit an accelerator or co-working space, and end the day connecting with ESTEEM alumni at the University’s facility in the Loop.

SV

Silicon Valley Experience (Spring Break)

Over Spring Break, students spend a week in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, CA. The trip includes networking with founders and executives, company tours, shadowing industry leaders, and experiencing the culture of innovation that defines the region.

Student Competitions & Events

ESTEEM students gain hands-on experience and valuable exposure by participating in a mix of university-run annual events and prestigious external competitions.

Notre Dame Annual Events

These recurring events are organized and hosted by the University of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, offering ESTEEM students opportunities to develop, pitch, and launch their entrepreneurial ideas on campus.

Race to Revenue - An annual summer accelerator program that provides funding, mentorship, and co-working space for teams to launch their ventures after the academic year concludes.

McCloskey New Venture Competition - One of the nation's premier student-focused pitch competitions, offering significant prize money and mentorship for developing and refining new business ideas across all Notre Dame colleges.

Friday Pitches - A weekly or bi-weekly low-stakes forum where students can present their capstone project ideas or startup pitches to a panel of peers, faculty, and industry experts for instant feedback and coaching.

External Competitions

ESTEEM students frequently elect to compete in high-profile national, regional and local events, testing their skills against top graduate programs and gaining recognition for their innovation and analytical abilities.

Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) - The world's largest venture capital competition, where students act as venture capitalists, evaluating real startups, performing due diligence, and structuring investment offers. (e.g., Kate O’Farrelly won the top prize at the Boston regional earlier this year.)

Daniels Fund

Daniels Fund Inaugural Ethics Case Competition - A competition focused on analyzing complex business ethical dilemmas. ESTEEM teams apply ethical frameworks and business acumen to propose solutions. (e.g., An ESTEEM team was awarded $120K in the inaugural competition.)

Momentum - Pitch Competitions - A series of targeted pitch competitions focused on specific themes or technologies, often sponsored by Notre Dame's innovation centers, designed to encourage rapid idea iteration and presentation skills.

ESTEEM students also have the opportunity to attend national conferences relevant to their capstone projects.
(Past examples: NSBE Conference, MIT Sports Analytics Conference, etc.)

Guest Speakers

Throughout the year, ESTEEM hosts innovators, executives, and founders who share their industry experience and entrepreneurial insight. Recent speakers include:

  • Rick Stepien – Ideal Tridon

  • Christopher Pierce – Nautic Partners

  • Christy Augustine – COO, Bloomreach

  • Rob Piconi – CEO, Energy Vault

  • Tim Connors – Venture Investor

  • Andy Tometich – Corporate Executive

Field Trips

In addition to major travel experiences, each cohort takes local field trips to visit startups, nonprofits, and innovation-focused organizations in the South Bend area. Examples include:

BWB

Better World Books - A Certified B Corporation and global online bookseller, founded by Notre Dame alumni, that focuses on a for-profit social mission: selling new and used books to fund worldwide literacy initiatives and promote environmental sustainability.

enFocus - A Certified B Corporation and global online bookseller, founded by Notre Dame alumni, that focuses on a for-profit social mission: selling new and used books to fund worldwide literacy initiatives and promote environmental sustainability energy, innovative solutions, and creative collaboration."