News
April 7, 2025
Daniels Fund Awards $250,000 to Top Teams at Inaugural National Ethics Case Competition
Notre Dame, University of Colorado Boulder and US Air Force Academy Were Top Finishers in Prestigious Competition
Teams from three universities took home a total of $250,000 as winners of the inaugural Daniels Fund National Ethics Case Competition.
The winning teams were:
First Place — University of Notre Dame ($120,000)
Second Place — University of Colorado Boulder ($80,000)
Third Place — United States Air Force Academy ($50,000)
The winning teams were:
First Place — University of Notre Dame ($120,000)
Second Place — University of Colorado Boulder ($80,000)
Third Place — United States Air Force Academy ($50,000)
1st Place winning Notre Dame team with Daniels Fund President & CEO Hanna Skandera (left).
The competition immerses students in a challenging business ethics case – focused on a company’s development of a cutting-edge artificial intelligence system – that mirrors real-world scenarios and equips them with practical tools for ethical decision making. The goal of the competition is to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application.
Student teams were evaluated on their ability to apply the Daniels Fund Ethics Principles – integrity, trust, accountability, transparency, fairness, respect, rule of law and viability – while proposing practical and free-market solutions to complex business cases before a panel of executives.
Student teams were evaluated on their ability to apply the Daniels Fund Ethics Principles – integrity, trust, accountability, transparency, fairness, respect, rule of law and viability – while proposing practical and free-market solutions to complex business cases before a panel of executives.
2nd Place University of Colorado Boulder team with Daniels Fund President & CEO Hanna Skandera (left), and head judges Scott Darnell (second from left) and Kristi Burton Brown (right).
“These students demonstrated exactly what Bill Daniels, one of America’s legendary entrepreneurs, believed – that the most successful leaders are those who understand that ethical conduct and business success go hand in hand,” said Hanna Skandera, President and CEO of the Daniels Fund. “Their commitment to ethical decision-making was impressive and proved that a deep understanding of business ethics is a winning free-market strategy.”
The national competition consisted of three rounds that asked students to tackle scenarios that mirror the complexities and moral dilemmas faced in business. The first round consisted of essays and the 20 teams with the highest scoring essays were invited to Denver for live presentations. The top five teams in the semi-final round competed in the finals.
The national competition consisted of three rounds that asked students to tackle scenarios that mirror the complexities and moral dilemmas faced in business. The first round consisted of essays and the 20 teams with the highest scoring essays were invited to Denver for live presentations. The top five teams in the semi-final round competed in the finals.
3rd Place United States Air Force Academy team with Daniels Fund President & CEO Hanna Skandera (left), and head judges Scott Darnell (second from left) and Kristi Burton Brown (right).
The 20 teams in the Denver competition represented:
- Arizona State University
- Auburn University
- Brigham Young University
- Clemson University
- New Mexico State University
- Texas A&M University
- U.S. Air Force Academy (2 teams)
- University of Colorado Boulder (4 teams)
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Denver
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Utah (3 teams)
- University of Wyoming
- Western New Mexico University
“It was an honor to welcome talented teams from across the country to Denver to compete in this prestigious national competition,” Skandera said. “Our congratulations to the three top finishers. They have set the bar for every future competing team and represent the best of what the future of business can be.”
About the Daniels Fund
The Established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund is a private charitable foundation dedicated to positively impacting American life, with particularly focus on Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In addition to its Ethics Initiative, the Fund invests in nonprofits through its grants program and recently awarded 230 full-ride college scholarships to highly motivated students through the Daniels Fund Scholarship program. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.
The Established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund is a private charitable foundation dedicated to positively impacting American life, with particularly focus on Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In addition to its Ethics Initiative, the Fund invests in nonprofits through its grants program and recently awarded 230 full-ride college scholarships to highly motivated students through the Daniels Fund Scholarship program. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.
Media Contacts:
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Sean Duffy, 303.718.9049,
Bruce Wilmsen, 720.941.4429,