Senior Venture Prize
The Milstein Venture Prize ($7500 per award) supports two graduating seniors per year to travel (internationally or domestically) and undertake an innovative, original project of their own design.
The Venture Prize celebrates experiential learning, connection, entrepreneurship and the power of technology to transform lives. It is premised on the idea that world-changing ideas can come from anywhere and anyone, and that interdisciplinary Milstein Scholars are uniquely poised to identify them, integrate them, and advocate for them.
Awardees must spend more than two weeks on location or traveling, but there is no upper boundary on the length of the trip. The Venture Prize is not designed to support volunteering, but volunteer experiences may inform a broader project.
The Venture Prize requires two steps: a nomination and an application. The entire Milstein Program (all years) will be asked to nominate seniors who have made a positive impact on the program, on campus, or beyond. Those who are nominated and who also meet the eligibility requirements described below will be invited to apply.
Up to two prizes of $7500 each will be awarded per year.
Venture Prize recipients will return to campus within a year of their trip to speak to current cohort about their experience.
Past Awardees
Andres Wu '24 (Information Science, Computer Science minor): Andres will travel to Taiwan and Japan to research the eco-tourism industry and interview small scale service providers to build an environmental tourism-focused app/platform.
Pareesay Afzal '24 (Comparative Literature, minors in Migration Studies, Law and Society, Music): Through creative writing groups in both Washington D.C. and Pakistan, Pareesay will study the resilience of migrant women and create an online anthology of their work.
Eligibility
Milstein Program graduating seniors who are nominated by their peers will be invited to apply. In order to qualify for an award, a nominee must have completed the following components of the Ithaca campus program:
☑ First Year Course Project
☑ MStudio (with good attendance record)
☑ Junior Project
NOTE: Cornell Tech SUMMER RESIDENCY is an optional experience, is not a requirement to be nominated.
Apply
Nomination Process
Milstein students are asked to nominate a fellow Milstein scholar who demonstrates an investment in community-building or cohort engagement—a student who has inspired their fellow Milsteiners, students, or community members on campus and beyond.
Please submit up to two names for consideration. You cannot nominate yourself. The link for nominations will be posted here later this Spring.
Application
Once nominated, a student will have until April 18 to complete a brief application for the prize.