Business Leadership Students Designed a Strategy for NEWTON University in Just 24 Hours

Twenty-four hours. One real business challenge. Zero room for hesitation.

What happens when students are given an incomplete brief, limited resources, and just one day to deliver a solution that must stand up to scrutiny from experienced investors and business leaders?

The inaugural Design Thinking Hackathon within the Business Leadership programme at NEWTON University set out to answer exactly that question. The result was an intensive 24-hour experience that pushed students far beyond the boundaries of traditional classroom learning and into the realities of modern business decision-making.

A Challenge Wrapped in Secrecy

The event began at 9:00 a.m. with an introductory session and campus tour. Students then took part in a series of workshops focused on Design Thinking, market research, analytics, and projective communication. Among the speakers was marketing expert Karel Novotný, whose insights later influenced many of the teams’ strategic proposals.

At 11:40 a.m., everything changed.

During the Mission Briefing, the three randomly assigned teams finally discovered the challenge they would spend the next 24 hours solving. Until that moment, the assignment had remained known only to Jiří and Veronika Koleňák.

At noon, the countdown officially began.

Twenty-four hours. No comfort. No certainty. Just teamwork, strategic thinking, and a lot of coffee.

“Our teams were asked to develop a solution for a challenge that had been kept completely confidential until the very last moment. I had the opportunity to watch their progress throughout both days, first as a mentor during evening consultations that lasted well past midnight, and later as one of their biggest supporters during the final presentations,” says Pavel Semerád, Vice Rector of Sting University, who mentored students together with Petra Přibilová.

The hackathon was intentionally designed to simulate the realities of high-pressure business environments and rapid innovation projects.

Students did not spend the night in hotels. Instead, they slept on mats directly on campus. They worked with limited information, restricted consultation opportunities, and the constant pressure of a rapidly approaching deadline.

“You discover a lot about yourself and your team at three in the morning when everyone is exhausted but the presentation still has to be finished,” reflects Business Leadership student Katrin Skalníková.

One of the most valuable lessons quickly became clear: in business, delivering a good solution on time is often more valuable than endlessly pursuing a perfect one.

The teams had to define roles, overcome initial uncertainty, and align around a shared vision.

“At the beginning, it was complete chaos. Everyone viewed the problem differently and had their own ideas,” says student Jiří Kaderka. “Then something shifted. We started listening to each other. Different perspectives gradually came together to form one strong concept.”

Key Objectives and Benefits

The pilot edition was designed to help students:

• Strengthen critical, analytical, and creative thinking under extreme time pressure
• Build confidence in their ability to solve complex business challenges
• Develop the mindset that “done is better than perfect”
• Learn how to prioritise effectively and deliver structured outputs on time
• Provide university leadership with authentic insights from Generation Z regarding the future of higher education

From Idea to Impact

The greatest challenge was not the sleepless night but the final presentation before a panel of experienced business leaders and investors.

The judging panel consisted of:

• Margareta Křížová, business mentor and Head of the NEWTON Business Accelerator
• Ondřej Průcha, CEO of Svoboda a Průcha
• Vít Čermák, CzechInvest

Each team was given exactly 30 minutes to present and defend its solution.

The judges assessed not only presentation quality but, more importantly, the feasibility, scalability, and strategic logic behind each proposal.

The winning team presented a detailed concept for a gamified university ecosystem, combining content strategy, technology, and student engagement.

Their proposal went beyond technology trends. Drawing on principles of behavioural psychology, it focused on increasing student engagement, improving retention rates, supporting academic success, and strengthening community connections.

“This is what I call a project with real impact and clear value,” commented judge Vít Čermák.

For many participants, however, the most valuable part of the experience came after the presentations.

“The discussions with the judges were incredibly valuable. Having the opportunity to hear direct feedback from experienced professionals and understand what we could have improved was probably the biggest takeaway for me,” says student Alexandra Krnáčová.

Why Do We Do It?

The Design Thinking Hackathon is not a standalone event. It is a natural extension of the philosophy behind the Business Leadership programme at NEWTON University.

Its purpose is to help students develop confidence in their ability to analyse complex situations, make decisions under pressure, and deliver professional solutions in uncertain environments.

“The only learning that truly creates lasting change is learning people experience for themselves,” explains Eva Ambrozová, Head of the Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development Programme. “Here, students stepped outside their comfort zones and experienced the pressure, responsibility, and decision-making challenges they will face in real leadership roles.”

Although this was the first edition of the hackathon, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in connecting academic learning with real-world business practice at NEWTON University.

The event concluded with a celebratory toast and an informal networking evening where students, mentors, investors, and university leaders continued discussing ideas, strategies, and future opportunities.

Looking Ahead

The ambition is clear: to expand this successful concept across the wider NEWTON University Group ecosystem and continue creating opportunities where students can learn through experience rather than theory alone.

As Jiří Koleňák, CEO of NEWTON University Group, explains:

“We continuously look for meaningful ways to connect students with real business practice. The ability to balance creativity with execution is essential. Having a great idea is no longer enough. What matters is the ability to turn that idea into something that can genuinely work.”

And that is exactly what NEWTON University students achieved in just 24 hours.

As participant Vojtěch Bartoň put it:

“This wasn't just a hackathon. It was a glimpse into the realities of tomorrow's business world. NEWTON is not a university for people who simply want to get through their studies. It is for those who want to create, innovate, and shape the future.”