Guidelines for Think Tank
Congratulations on being selected for the RE:BORDER Conference 2026 Think Tank Competition. The conference organizing team looks forward to your contribution and appreciates the time and effort invested in preparing your proposal.
The information below provides you both with guidelines and recommendations for preparing your Think Tank Pitch presentation.
Structure of a Think Tank Pitch
Each team will have five minutes to present its innovation, followed by a question-and-answer session with the judges. The session is intended to be conversational and interactive.
Presentations can be delivered in either English or Spanish.
Recommendations
We recommend the following to help you deliver a clear and compelling Think Tank Pitch:
Preparation
Participants are encouraged to rehearse thoroughly and anticipate questions from the judges, particularly regarding:
Theoretical/Conceptual framework of the project
Populations/Communities served by the project
Binational impact
Feasibility of the project
Scalability and growth potential
Binational collaboration components of the project
Practice
Given the limited presentation time, teams should determine in advance who will serve as the primary presenter. Ideally, one team member should deliver the presentation, while additional team members may participate during the Q&A session. Volunteers will signal contestants at intervals regarding the time remaining to complete the presentation.
Slides
Slides are optional. Participants who choose to use slides should prepare a maximum of 5-7 slides. Slides should serve as visual storytelling tools rather than detailed documents.
The Think Tank format consists of a rapid-fire five-minute presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session with the judges. To support an effective presentation, participants are encouraged to keep the number of slides to a minimum and ensure that their presentation remains within the allotted time.
Upload your slides: If you choose to use slides, you will need to upload the slides to your original Think Tank submission. Beginning September 5, 2026, you may log back into your Four Waves account and access your original submission to upload your slides. Click here for login guidance.
Questions
For questions regarding the Think Tank session or for additional clarification, please contact the RE:BORDER Conference team at reborderconf@sdsu.edu
Conference Registration
All participants, including Think Tank presenters, must register for the conference. Certificates of Participation will be provided after the conference.
Registration is free for students. Non-student participants are required to pay a modest $25 registration fee.
To register, click the button below to access and follow the instructions. Participants are also encouraged to review the Program Schedule for additional information and to check the conference website regularly for updates.
Think Tank presentations are tentatively scheduled to take place in Montezuma Hall inside the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union beginning at 3:40 pm on conference day, October 14, 2026.