Become a BigCo Partner
2026 BigCo Studio Faculty
Gautam Ahuja
Professor
How It Works
- Companies apply to participate in BigCo Studio and identify an influential Company Advisor to join our BigCo Innovation Council. Request more information here.
- Companies fill out an application where they describe their company’s vision, mission, and strategy. They can also identify areas of opportunity for students to work on.
- Student teams will review all applications, apply to the companies, and indicate their preferences to work with each company in rank order.
- Companies will receive a copy of each student team application and rank the teams in order of preference.
- The Studio team will match the companies and teams based on mutual desire to work together. Companies can match with up to 5 teams.
- The student teams conduct research, talk to company stakeholders, and develop and test prototypes of a new product they would like to launch at their company.
- Student teams deliver a final presentation and demo to their companies.
FAQs
What types of companies participate in BigCo Studio?
BigCo Studio is for established global companies with at least 500 number of employees and at least $100,000,000+ in revenue. BigCos are comprised of distinct business units, departments, or teams that represent multiple corporate activities.
How many teams will work with each BigCo?
Each student team must have its own Company Advisor. In most cases, each BigCo is matched with up to 5 student teams.
Is every BigCo guaranteed to match with a student team?
No. After the submission deadline, each BigCo application is reviewed internally. Some BigCos will not move past this review stage. Once all applications are reviewed, a matching algorithm will connect student teams with BigCos, optimizing for student interests.
Is there any cost to participate?
If a BigCo matches with a student team, there is a suggested $8,000 donation to help defer the cost of operating Cornell Tech’s unconventional Studio, which includes professional teamwork coaching support for students, new materials for projects such as the latest digital devices, training for practitioner teachers, events such as monthly Maker Days, and more.
What is the relationship between the companies and student teams?
BigCo Studio projects do not work for hire or internships, but real-world learning opportunities for academic credit. Company Advisors will help to guide the student teams in successfully navigating the opportunities and challenges of a BigCo and building products in a complex environment at scale.
How is Intellectual Property (IP) handled?
The primary purpose of the project is the education of the student. Organizations and students should define projects that are learning experiences and expose students to real-world challenges and opportunities within the organization. The ownership of any intellectual property (IP) that may be created during the project is public domain. The project is for educational purposes and any resulting intellectual property is openly shared for public benefit. IP, along with other legal matters, including confidentiality, pertaining to the project, are agreed upon at the outset of the project using the Cornell Standard Project (CSP) agreement.
Companies that are matched with a team agree to use the CSP without modifications or revisions.
Culture
Our culture is designed to encourage sharing, critiquing and celebration of innovative ideas. Events like Open Studio, Studio Sprints, and Student-Led Scrums foster creativity, teamwork, and close interaction with leaders from New York City’s technology and startup communities.