Katerina Gradovich, Director, Manager Selection Specialist, Chief Investment Office | Bank of America 

Mark Hayes, Managing Director, Director of Sustainable Investing | Glenmede 

Natasha Braginsky Mounier, Partner (ret.) | Capital Group; Senior Fellow, FLCTGlobal; Corporate Director and Committee/Board Chair; UK Charity Trustee 

Sarah Friedman Hersh, Independent Sustainable Investing Strategist 

TRAVEL 

Who should I contact in case of a travel emergency (e.g., my flight is canceled)?  

The fastest way to get assistance is to reach out to the contacts here: https://travel.procurement.upenn.edu/travel-emergencies.  

LUGGAGE  

Please note that there is no luggage storage on campus for Friday’s events. We encourage you to use your hotel’s on-site luggage storage options.  

ATTIRE  

Business attire: consistent with what you would wear to a job interview  

COVID (AND OTHER AIRBORNE ILLNESSES) PROTOCOL  

Masking is always an option for anyone who chooses to wear a mask for any reason; masks will be available on site. We strongly encourage anyone who is experiencing symptoms to self-test at home before arrival.  

Frequent handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer are encouraged, and hand sanitizer will be available throughout the day’s events. Throughout the event, participants will be in a large conference room seating approximately 35 people and in large halls seating up to 200 people.  

FAQ

What is the competition and presentation format?
Student teams will have 15 minutes to present their slide deck to a panel of industry judges. Following the presentation, each team will have up to 10 minutes for live Q&A with the judges. 

After all teams have presented, the judges will deliberate and select a winner. A celebratory reception will immediately follow the competition, including opportunities for photos and informal conversation with judges, sponsors, and attendees. 

When are presentation slides due, and how should they be submitted?
Finalist teams must submit their presentation decks in PowerPoint format (PDFs will not be accepted). The submission deadline will be shared with teams via email. 

Teams should plan for a 15-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of Q&A with the judges. Presentations should typically be 8–12 slides in length to allow adequate time for discussion. 

For the final competition, materials do not need to be anonymized. 

Who will attend the final competition?
The audience will include industry judges, program sponsors, Wharton staff, and guests. Finalist teams will also be present for each other’s presentations.  

How will the winning teams be recognized?
The winning team and runner-up will be featured in a story published on the Wharton Impact website.  

Do all team members need to attend and present?
All team members are required to attend and participate in the final presentation. 

If a team member is unable to travel due to illness or an emergency, please contact program staff as soon as possible. 

Will finalist teams receive travel support?
Only students who are members of the selected finalist teams qualify for travel support. 

The program will cover the cost of economy travel to and from Philadelphia for the final competition. Travel should be scheduled for arrival the evening before the finals and departure the day after the event. No exceptions will be made. 

Travel must be booked through World Travel, and travelers are responsible for selecting the lowest and most reasonable travel option (airfare, train, etc.) consistent with their itinerary and the business purpose of their trip. Travelers should make their travel plans as early as possible and remain flexible to take advantage of advance purchase fares. 

Departure and return travel should originate at the home university, and the destination must be Philadelphia. 

All travel must be booked in coach/economy class. Paid preferred seating or other optional seat upgrades that require additional fees are considered personal expenses. Upgrades within coach class (such as Economy Plus seating) are also considered personal expenses. Business or First Class travel will not be allowed. 

We strongly urge students to arrive by Thursday evening before the finals, as we have a full day of programming beginning at 8:00 AM on Friday. 

All teams are also required to attend a private lunch with Bobby Turner and Bank of America, our TIPC sponsors, on Friday afternoon before the competition. 

Students are responsible for ground transportation (e.g., travel between the airport and hotel), meals outside official event programming, and any additional travel costs beyond those associated with attending the event. 

Barring illness or emergency, each team is expected to attend the event and present in person. 

Where will we stay during the event?
We reserved single hotel rooms for each team member for up to two nights (Thursday and Friday) at the Sheraton Hotel near campus.  

Who should I contact in the event of a travel emergency (e.g., if my flight is canceled)?
Please follow the guidance provided here: https://travel.procurement.upenn.edu/travel-emergencies. It is quickest to reach out to World Travel staff, as our staff cannot modify or book travel on your behalf. 

Can our faculty mentor or coach attend the final event?
Faculty or staff who supported the finalist teams are welcome to attend the final event. However, they will be responsible for their own travel and lodging arrangements if necessary. Faculty and staff must contact TIPC staff in advance to register for the event. 

What if our team cannot attend in person? Will there be a virtual option?
Finalist teams are expected to commit to traveling to Philadelphia and presenting live at the final competition. 

If a team member cannot attend due to illness or an emergency, please notify program staff as soon as possible. A virtual option will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.