Class of 2023

For the 2023 NRF Foundation Student Challenge, teams of two to four students from NRF University Member schools competed in the business case competition for a chance to earn tuition scholarships and industry recognition.

Teams pitched their ideas for a growth strategy for Public Lands, a new outdoor specialty retail concept with a unique mission – to celebrate and protect public lands for all.

Pitches were evaluated by a group of retail executive judges on their research and understanding, creativity and feasibility, visual effectiveness and structure and quality. Ten teams advanced to the semifinals, which included Q&A calls with a panel of new retail executive judges.

Three teams advanced to the final round, where they pitched to a third panel of judges.

The Scholarships

Each student on the top team received a $7,000 scholarship; students on the runner-up team received a $5,000 scholarship, and third place team members each received a $2,500 scholarship.