About the challenge
Brilliant minds coming together to solve a problem for good - Welcome to this year’s Girls in Tech Hackathon: Hack for the environment. Organised into teams, members will work together to find the most innovative solutions to the climate’s biggest challenges.
Focusing on sustainability, climate change, and deforestation, this competition will see your project reviewed and your thinking tested, by a panel of expert judges. You’ll walk away with a project to add to your portfolio, specialized mentoring, team networking, and comprehensive exposure to a new sector of tech.
About Girls in Tech
Girls in Tech is at the forefront of empowering women to address critical global challenges through their tech expertise. Our mission revolves around fostering equality, inclusivity, and the freedom to create meaningful solutions to complex problems.
We extend a warm invitation to join us in a collaborative endeavour to develop essential tech solutions for some of the world’s biggest climate issues. Whether you possess web development skills, design acumen, product development expertise, engineering prowess, strategic thinking capabilities, or simply have innovative ideas, we value and seek your valuable input.
By coming together as a supportive community, we can bridge the gender gap in the tech industry and provide the necessary encouragement and elevation for women's careers in technology. Together, we will create equal and inclusive experiences that make a tangible impact on the world.
Join us in this inspiring journey of leveraging technology to change the future of our world and the environment. Your unique skills and perspectives will contribute to building a brighter future for all.
Requirements
What to Build
Think about how your team might use tech, AI, blockchain and other technologies to come up with answers to the following problems.
- Waste: Less than 9% of all plastics are recycled globally. Is there a way you and your team can come up with an idea to increase the recycling rate of plastics, whether in the USA or elsewhere?
- Deforestation: Can you come up with a tech idea to track and disrupt deforestation? How might we track deforestation and the increasing number of trees being planted in the Amazon?
- Endangered species: Tigers in Southeast Asia, rhinos in Africa. Animals are being poached, decreasing biodiversity. How might we use technology/AI to increase animal biodiversity?
- Climate change: Can you think of how tech could help increase the lifespan of car batteries and assist battery-powered cars to go further? Can you think of ways renewable resources could achieve this?
What to Submit
A functioning MVP ready for immediate use.
OR
Develop a prototype concept for an application that can later become a functioning product.
All of the following items must be included in your submission to the Girls in Tech Devpost page:
1. Submission form: Submit your project to the Girls in Tech Devpost before the deadline and complete the submission form questionnaire. Submissions (including video/code links) are editable until the deadline of August 23.
What to include:
- An introduction
- Speak about your purpose & motivation
- An explanation on how does the application work
- An explanation on the development of the application
- An explanation on how to use the application
- An explanation on the difficulties & challenges faced during the design and/or development process.
- An explanation on your Go-to-Market Strategy (How will the application be available to the public, and is it scalable?)
2. Video : Upload a 3 min video including the following:
- A pitch deck presentation
- A demo of your product, including an explanation of the solution and function of your application.
- This video can be submitted as a Youtube link on your Devpost page for your project. Make sure the video is set to public visibility.
- Please note any video longer than 3 mins will be automatically disqualified
3. GitHub or other code repo link: Please ensure that this link is publicly shareable so judges can access your project.
4. Supporting assets: Provide images, screenshots, & wireframes of your project.
***Important: By submitting your project to the Girls in Tech Hackathon Devpost, you acknowledge that these materials may be used to promote this hackathon globally
HACKATHON SCHEDULE:
| Team Formation & Build Period | Judging | Winner Announced |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 26 - Aug 23 | Aug 24 - Oct 6 | Nov 9 |
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
| Step | Topic | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| # 1 | Registration | In Devpost, click the “Register” button and create an account. |
| # 2 | Join Slack Workspace | Join the Slack Workspace: Girls in Tech: Hack for the Environment and introduce yourself in the #general channel! |
| # 3 | Recruit team members | Head over to the participants’ page to indicate whether you’re working alone, looking for teammates, or already have a team. You can also post in the #find-teammates Slack channel if you’re still looking for more team members or are trying to join an existing project. |
| # 4 | Create a team channel in Slack | Feel free to create your channel in Slack and invite all of your team members to it. |
| # 5 | Review rules and challenges | Review the rules and guidelines on Devpost and challenge project ideas: Girls in Tech : Hack for the Environment |
| # 6 | Prototype, build, and test | Work on your challenge project and submit it via Devpost. It is highly recommended to use Slack to reach out to your team members. |
| # 7 | Submit your application! | Submit your completed project by the sprint deadline of August 23, 2023. |
PRIZES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS:
To be in the running to win any of the above prizes, you must have submitted your application by August 23, 2023.
Prizes
$6,000 in prizes
1st Place
$3,000 cash value
1 winner
2nd Place
$2,000 cash value
1 winner
3rd Place
$1,000 cash value
1 winner
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Lorraine Coulson
VP, APAC Services Delivery at Guidewire
Christina Colby
Chief Customer Officer at Guidewire
Shenna Rougely
Sr. Director at McKesson
Judy Bowers
Innovation Change Lead at McKesson
Hu Huang
Sr. Data Scientist at McKesson
Tatjana Lalkovic
Senior VP & Chief Technology Officer at Definity
Bill Pearce
VP, Information & Cyber Security at Definity
Jyoti Sharma
MD, Chief Administrative Officer – Retirement, Marketing & Digital Client Technology at TIAA
Tushaar Bedi
MD Head of Individual Retirement Solutions Technology at TIAA
Daniel Hursh
MD, Executive Application Development Manager at TIAA
Cinda Whitten
SMD, Global Head of Investment Operations at TIAA
Leigh Hopfensperger
Chief of Staff, Head of Operational Effectiveness at TIAA
Roberta Mccarter
McKesson
Laura Drabik
Chief Evangelist at Guidewire
Judging Criteria
-
Originality
Is the idea original and innovative? -
User Experience
Is the design user-centric, easy to navigate, and intuitive? -
Business
Can the application be transformed into an MVP ( Minimum Viable Product), be profitable, and scalable? -
Application Potential
Is the application addressing real issues the users are facing? Does the application provide user research or validation?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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