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This spring, NYU Stern Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA student Zé Vieira (MBA ’25) helped bring Big Tech to campus through a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Microsoft. Zé was one of the lead organizers of a no-code MBA hackathon that challenged students to imagine what’s possible when AI isn’t just a tool, but a cofounder. Inspired by AI native startups that are leveraging AI to not only increase productivity, but also spin up new revenue streams, deliver value to customers, operate lean teams and as a result achieve revenue milestones at record-breaking pace, this hackathon gave students an opportunity to adopt an AI-first mindset in their venture creation journey. Leveraging the power of Microsoft Copilot and AI agents, 12 teams of Stern MBAs competed to pitch bold visions for the next generation of AI-powered innovations. 

Learn more about the hackathon from Zé below. 

Stern Faces of Change: Zé Vieira, Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA ’25
 

Hometown: Évora, Portugal

Industry before Stern: EdTech

What was the inspiration for the hackathon? 
This Hackathon was inspired by a Tech MBA experiential learning project I took part in with Microsoft’s New Future of Work — a cross-company research initiative dedicated to creating solutions for a future of work that is meaningful, productive, and equitable. As part of the project, my teammates and I researched the future of work for the firm of 2030 leveraging Microsoft Copilot and AI agents. We’ll be wrapping up the project right before graduation and we are excited to pitch our ideas to the Microsoft judges.

I found the experience truly valuable and wanted to give more MBA students a stage to pitch their ideas and practice product management skills. After all, business school is the perfect environment to practice real-world skills with real-world stakeholders, in a safe environment. Three Stern MBA student clubs – Stern’s Technology Association, Entrepreneurship and Startups Association, and FinTech Association – were able to collaborate alongside Microsoft to bring the hackathon to life. 

What was the theme of the hackathon?
The theme was how to leverage Microsoft Copilot and AI Agents in startups. We asked student teams to consider the question “what if AI was your co-founder?” With no coding, just vision, business acumen, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, student teams were challenged to pitch the next wave of AI-powered products.

What were some of the stand out ideas? 
The winning teams demonstrated what’s possible when you treat AI not as a tool, but as a true partner in building the future. Co-creating with AI and leveraging agents to automate tasks and thereby amplify impact were core themes among many teams. Twelve teams competed, five reached the final, and three teams won first, second, and third place: 

• The Eunoa Band – A wearable that acts as your real-time mental wellness coach, combining biometrics with an AI-powered journaling and coaching experience.
• Trial Ignition – A solution to modernize clinical trials by using Microsoft AI agents to automate manual data work and double research output.
• Copilot Instructor – A way to capture and scale the best internal workflows inside companies by turning your star performers’ habits into AI-powered training for the whole team.

Who were the judges of the hackathon? 
Students pitched to Chris Smellie, Director of Thought Leadership for Small Business at Microsoft, and Mike Pell, Director of The Microsoft Garage - NYC, which offers programs and experiences that drive collaboration, creativity, and experimentation to Microsoft employees, customers, and partners. Mike made this possible by sponsoring the hackathon on behalf of The Microsoft Garage.

What’s one takeaway you have from this experience? 
This wasn’t just about great ideas, it was about reimagining how we lead, innovate, and scale working side by side with AI. This experience showed us that AI is no doubt going to be a force multiplier for organizations.