Hult Future Leaders Challenge 2025
Inspired by Sports. Driven by Business.
2025 Challenge
This year, Barça Innovation Hub has joined forces with Hult International Business School to present this year's exciting live client challenge. This competition will hone your teamwork skills as you develop innovative solutions centered around sports technology.
This challenge tackles the world of sports technology: think wearable tech, athlete performance tools, and health and wellness. Full details will be revealed live at our kick-off event on September 30.
The Client
For 2025, we’re partnering with Barça Innovation Hub—the research and innovation arm of FC Barcelona, one of the world’s most iconic sports institutions. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the Hub is committed to advancing innovation across sports, health, technology, and education by fostering collaboration among startups, researchers, industry leaders, and academic institutions.
BIHUB focuses on turning knowledge into practical solutions that not only advance the world of sport but also generate a broader positive impact on society. Its work spans key areas such as athlete performance, fan engagement, sustainability, and digital transformation. It is a global leader in shaping the future of sport and innovation.
What you'll learn
Business fundamentals
Broaden your business knowledge through a series of Masterclasses and Virtual Skills Lab sessions. Connect with world-class Hult professors on the latest topics and trends through live interactive workshops.
Teamwork & collaboration
Build a better understanding of yourself and your ability to work as a team through Hult's mentorship and team coaching. Gain in-demand skills and leverage your team’s unique experiences to get results.
Presentation skills
Learn how to tell compelling stories that communicate your ideas and inspire others. Whether it's sharing your thoughts with your team, connecting with the client, or doing a presentation.
Client consulting
Gain industry insight and professional experience as you work in teams to solve some of the biggest challenges facing global companies today and pitch your ideas to industry experts.
The Journey
Working in teams of four-to-six students, the Hult Future Leaders Challenge will take your team on an 11-week journey of challenge-based learning.
All teams will participate in the first four weeks of the challenge. During week five, all proposals will be assessed and successful proposals will progress to weeks six and seven. After the live regional presentations, teams will again be assessed during week eight.
The top 20 teams will advance to the final four weeks, which end with our live global finals.
Week One: Let the challenge begin!
Live on Zoom
Challenge launch & client brief
Students will be introduced to the 2025 challenge in collaboration with Barça Innovation Hub, including the brief, key dates, and faculty. Pay special attention to your brief to ensure your team has all the information you need to be successful.
Pre-recorded
Market Analysis and Trends Deepdive
Students will learn structured approaches to analyze industry trends, evaluate market opportunities, and map competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
Pre-recorded
Value Proposition and crafting the creative idea
Students will engage in structured ideation processes to translate key market shifts into innovative concepts, focusing on defining clear, differentiated value propositions that address real market needs and drive business growth.
Live on Zoom
Optional Office Hours
These open office hours provide students with the opportunity to connect directly with HFLC professors to ask questions, get feedback on their ideas, or clarify concepts related to the challenge.
Week Two
Live on Zoom
Who's your customer?
Learn more about customer personas and how brands use them to market their products to the right audience.
Pre-recorded
Minimal Viable Product
Students will learn how to build and test lean products by focusing only on the core features that solve key customer problems. We’ll explore what makes a product “minimum” and “viable,” how to quickly prototype and test ideas, and how to use feedback to improve.
Week Three
Live on Zoom
Optional Office Hours
These open office hours provide students with the opportunity to connect directly with HFLC professors to ask questions, get feedback on their ideas, or clarify concepts related to the challenge.
Due Date
First submissions and feedback
Live on Zoom
Bonus Session: Skills you need in a world of AI
For over a decade employers have been complaining that universities are not preparing graduating students with the skills they need to be successful in the workplace.
Week Four
Individual Team Sessions
Coaching Sessions for semi-finalists
Congratulations on making it through to the next round! In this week, you'll have a dedicated team session with a coach
Live on Zoom
Cost & pricing
Learn how managing costs and setting the right price can help a business succeed, using a simple tool called the Innovator’s Canvas.
Weeks Five to Eight: Road to Regionals
Live on Zoom
Barça Innovation Hub Client session
It's time to check-in with your client. During this session, you will take a deeper look into Barça Innovation Hub.
Live on Zoom
Deeper dive into Marketing
Learn how to create a simple marketing plan by choosing the right product, price, place, and promotion to connect with customers and grow your business.
Live on Zoom
Semi-final presentations
Lights. Camera. Action!
Each team has 5 minutes to presents their proposal. 15 slides maximum.
Weeks Nine to Eleven: Heading to the Finals
Finalists are announced
After the semi-final presentations, our coaches will provide your teams with feedback and inform you whether or not you have made it to the final.
Pre-recorded
How to build a pitch deck
Finalists will learn how to confidently pitch their ideas by creating a clear, compelling presentation that tells their business story.
Live on Zoom
How to pitch your idea
Learn how to clearly communicate your idea, grab attention, and convince others of its value in a powerful pitch.
Live on Zoom
Practice your pitch
You've done the work so now let's take time to prepare. You'll get 1:1 time with one of our professors to practice your presentation and receive feedback.
Week Eleven: The Finals
Finalist presentations
The big day is here!
After all of the teams have presented the winner will be announced.
The Mentors
Throughout your journey, you will be mentored by world-class Hult professors on the latest topics and trends through a series of Masterclasses and Virtual Skills Lab sessions.
More from future Leaders
"The students really enjoyed the challenge and I think it gave them a taste of working in marketing."
Kelly Elan
College Counselor at Lotissement Le Park Alarobia
"We hope to continue working with Hult in future challenges."
Jimena Obiols
College Counselor at Colegio Interamericano
“At its core, the Hult Future Leaders Challenge reflects our educational philosophy as a business school—putting doing at the center of learning.”
Mona Dhillon
Executive Vice President and Provost
Hult International Business School