ESCP Hackathon: AI edition challenges students to reshape customer experience

120 students, 20 mentors, and 20 developers reimagine business through artificial intelligence

The ESCP Hackathon invited students to reimagine the customer experience through AI — and deliver tangible solutions in just one day.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a frontier technology; it is already reshaping the way companies interact with customers, make decisions, and define their strategies. For future business leaders, the key challenge is not simply understanding AI, but learning how to apply it meaningfully and responsibly to the real issues shaping today’s and tomorrow’s economy.
This is the mindset that drives ESCP Business School, which has placed AI at the heart of its educational mission. And it is the spirit behind the 2025 edition of the ESCP Hackathon, held in Turin.

After five successful years focused on sustainability, this year’s edition turned the spotlight on AI, asking participants to tackle a compelling and complex challenge:
How can we use AI to enhance the customer experience?

The response was overwhelming: all places were booked within seconds of registration opening. The event brought together:

• 120 international students from various ESCP programmes
• 20 corporate mentors from leading firms
• 20 professional developers
• 12 participating companies
• 4 tech sponsors

For one high-intensity day, students were immersed in co-creation, technical development and strategic innovation, supported at every step by senior professionals.

Visionary insights to start the day

The Hackathon opened with a welcome from Professor Alberta Di Giuli, Dean of ESCP Business School Turin, who highlighted the importance of innovation in shaping responsible business leaders.

Three keynote speeches then set the tone for the challenge ahead:

• Carlotta Reviglio, Value and Engagement Lead at OpenAI, explored how generative AI is reshaping education and access.
• Francesco Ronchi, President & CTO at Synesthesia, reflected on innovation in digital ecosystems.
• Daniel Levis, Founder & CEO of Soraia and ESCP alumnus, offered a personal take on pushing forward even when ideas are imperfect.

Driving the energy and momentum throughout the day was Adriano Sorgente, the event’s Game Master, who kept teams engaged, informed, and on track — all while making the experience unforgettable.

A full day of teamwork and collaboration

Throughout the Hackathon, participants worked in 20 multidisciplinary teams to develop AI-based solutions aimed at enhancing the customer experience. Each team was guided by a corporate mentor offering strategic insight and business framing, and supported by a professional developer who ensured technical feasibility and helped turn ideas into working prototypes.

The active involvement of a wide range of corporate event partners strengthened the initiative. Among them were AB InBev, Amplifon, Bain & Company, Danone, Facile.it, Generali, KPMG, Lazard, Nexi Group, PETRONAS, TeamSystem and U.G.A. Nutraceuticals, whose professionals shared their time, expertise and real-world challenges with the students.

In addition to corporate support, the event also benefited from the contribution of leading tech sponsors. OpenAI, Synesthesia, Soraia and OPIT – Open Institute of Technology provided advanced tools, knowledge and technical mentorship that elevated the quality and impact of the solutions developed.

Award-winning projects: AI solutions with real-world impact

The projects were evaluated by a jury composed of Carlotta Reviglio, Francesco Ronchi and Davide Silvestri, and chaired by Professor Francesca Pucciarelli.

Before the award ceremony, Professors Isabella Maggioni and Marie-Catherine Mignault, AI Coordinators at the ESCP Turin Campus, delivered closing reflections on the day. Their intervention emphasised the central role of technology, collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking in shaping the future of management education.

Based on the video submissions and overall project quality, the jury selected the most outstanding teams and invited them to present their solutions live on stage, before awarding the three prizes recognising impact, innovation and scalability.

Impact Award – Team THINKTANK

Challenge addressed: Leveraging AI to improve customer experience in healthcare-related services.
Solution: An AI-powered application designed to help users manage personal medical records and related information, making healthcare data more accessible, intuitive and empowering for everyone, particularly vulnerable users.
Team members: Luca Bagnis, Nicolò Fresia, Salma Hade, Sebastian Natali, Alessio Neumann, Lucrezia Pio
Mentor: Nicola Bottone (KPMG)
Developer: Davide Sirica

Innovation Award – Team Shareholder Value Maximisers

Challenge addressed: Improving inventory efficiency and customer order predictability.
Solution: An AI-powered interface developed in collaboration with AB InBev, designed to enhance inventory tracking, forecast customer demand and support more efficient decision-making. The team developed a full MVP, including user interface design and an operational AI-driven platform.
Team members: Mina Bodaghi, Ali Daoudi, Nam Le Tri, Erica Pellegrino, Ramatha Traore, Florian Trepetschnigg
Mentor: Carlotta Nicoli (AB InBev)
Developers: Carmelo Cutroneo, Paolo Micheletti

Scalability Award – Team PNLMakers

Challenge addressed: Making recruitment processes more efficient and accessible.
Solution: SelectifAI, a highly scalable AI tool designed to streamline recruitment by matching students and companies more effectively. The team delivered a complete end-to-end project, including concept design, functional app development and a final video presentation.
Team members: Itay Aviv, Alexandre Cayer, Joshua Czarny, Tosca Di Cara, Lucas Thai, Alex Toumasson
Mentor: Luca Aldrovandi (Generali)
Developer: Marco Fediuc

From Hackathon to professional insight: the KPMG Experience

Following the event, the winning teams of the 2025 ESCP Hackathon were invited to an exclusive visit to KPMG’s offices in Turin. During the experience, students met professionals from KPMG Italy — including Marco Perrone, Matteo Santià, Mattia Caio, Filippo Menis, Shafy Nosrallah and Stefania Manzo — who shared insights into the firm’s values, advisory services, career paths and recruitment processes.

This visit reinforced the Hackathon’s role as a bridge between academic learning and professional practice, offering students direct exposure to real-world consulting environments.

The AI edition of the ESCP Hackathon was designed and expertly coordinated by Maria Turreno and Sofia Baldissera of the ESCP Careers Centre, whose leadership ensured a seamless and engaging experience for all participants.

With AI at its core, the 6th ESCP Hackathon provided students, mentors, and partners with a unique space to learn, innovate, and shape the future of business.
It all starts here.