The Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge harnesses the power of capital markets and student creativity to create positive impact in a world of perpetual resource scarcity and continued population growth. Every year, the Kellogg School of Management and Morgan Stanley partner to host the challenge where teams of graduate students from around the globe develop and pitch creative financial approaches to tackle our world’s most pressing challenges.

Contestants must propose and defend a strategy that uses finance and investment tools rather than an operating enterprise to address an environmental or societal challenge. The competition is an opportunity to apply core finance principles to target the economic, social and environmental challenges that drive the field of sustainable investing. Pitches might focus on areas like water, energy, food, social mobility, climate change, education or healthcare, among others. Contestants are encouraged to apply the entire spectrum of investment tools, styles and asset classes. The Challenge seeks to identify the next generation of sustainable finance practitioners, connect emerging leaders with industry professionals, and foster even greater emphasis on sustainability at graduate schools around the world.

Teams of graduate students are invited to submit a two-page prospectus by February 1, 2019, 11:59PM PST that outlines an innovative financial vehicle that addresses a sustainability challenge and meets the requirements of an institutional investor (social operating enterprises are not applicable). Each prospectus should appropriately address the guidelines provided. Ten finalist teams will be selected from the pool of submissions and announced by February 25, 2019. Finalists will present their proposals to a panel of judges at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong on April 12, 2019. A panel of experts from some of the world’s leading financial and impact investing institutions will review and judge the pitches. Judging criteria can be found here.