17-18
October, 2026
Are you ready to collaborate with like-minded individuals and be part of a tech-ready ecosystem?
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Attend this Hackathon to showcase your skills as part of the amazing tech talent in Tennessee, network, and learn from like-minded individuals.
Challenge Themes
More information will be released soon.
Participation
Hackathons are not just for programmers. In order for a group to succeed, it is most ideal to have a mix of people from diverse backgrounds and skillsets. We call it the 'Minimum Viable Team' - the smallest team required to achieve a specific purpose. Many startups use this formula to create their first teams. Teams should have a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 6 people. We encourage anyone wanting to to land their next role at a tech organization, or anyone passionate about helping the our local communities in Tennessee to come and join us!
Hipster
person who designs the prototype
Hacker
person who creates the prototype
Hustler
person who sells the product
Herder
person who facilitates and manages the team
What will happen?
Throughout the weekend, you will be faced with a series of activities to help you develop your solution for the judges. The outcome will be a presentation (pitch explaining why you worked on this) and a prototype (demonstration of the key feature you developed over the weekend). Many people go to Hackathons because it's about the 'tech', but we define that as the following steps of a Hackathon:
1
Networking
Find your team mates. We'll have activities to help you through this process.
2
Ideation
Develop creative ideas! We'll have mentors who will give you feedback.
3
Build
Create a really quick version of your solution and test it with your customers.
4
Hacking!!
Using the feedback, create your demo and presentation to pitch to our experienced judges.
Agenda
The Hackathon event is a hybrid event with the option to participate in-person at Vanderbilt University. If you are participating online, you need to have 1x person on your team present at the Final Showcase from 1-5pm. on Sunday. The expectation of the team is to develop:
- A feature for an existing business (working function)
- OR develop a new technology solution (new business idea from scratch)
We expect teams to use the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. You can access the starter kit here to familiarize yourselves with the technology and tools. We will be holding 2x workshops on this during the hackathon.
Key attendance is expected for all participants - either in-person or online.
Opening Keynote
Saturday, from 9-10am
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Keynote Speaker
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Hackathon Logistics and Process
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Challenge Statements revealed
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Team Registration
Information Session / Workshop
Thursday from 5:30-7pm
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An introduction to the Hackathon
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Technology Upskilling Workshop
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Hackathon Tips and Tricks
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Networking
Final Showcase
Sunday from 1-5pm
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Participants to present their demo and presentations (4 min each)
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Judges to determine winners
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What's next for Hackathon
Prizes
Our panel of judges will be assessing the teams based on the criteria:
Desirability
Why the customer will use it, and feedback received from research and customer interactions
Feasibility
How you worked together as a team to create the prototype / feature that you are demonstrating
Viability
What you will do to acquire customers so that you will have different revenue streams
Sustainability
How will you meet the Sustainable Development Goals and meet Science Based Targets
WHAT YOU WILL SHOW THE JUDGES
A PITCH
A 2 minute presentation explaining the customer pain point, why you came up with your solution, and how you will be approaching potential customers
A PROTOTYPE
A 2 minute presentation demonstration of at least one feature of your proposed working solution. It can be a feature for an existing business, or something completely new!
YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE REWARDED WITH
1:1 Mentoring
with recognized leaders in tech to help your career journey
$2000 USD
Monetary Prize Pool
Awarded to winning teams
1st - $1000
2nd - $750
3rd - $250
Access to like minded individuals and tech communities groups
Judges
Industry experts who will be evaluating the video presentations. They will be asking questions after the presentations to the teams to help determine the winners.
The Hackathons International Team
The benefits of going to a Hackathon is that you can learn new skills about entrepreneurship, design thinking, and technologies that you can bring back into your day-to-day life. The Hackathons International will be with on site to help you throughout the Hackathon.
CEO & Co-Founder, Lead Facilitator
Angela Bee Chan
Software Developer and Tech Support
Alicia Brandewie
Faith James
Marketing Lead and Event Support
Mentors
COMING SOON!
Watch to learn more
Thank you to our Community Partners for providing their platforms to help spread the word about #HackTN.
If you want to learn more about this Hackathon, watch and read the below!
Speakers
COMING SOON!
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is a Hackathon?
Hackathons are NOT just for programmers. They require collaboration to achieve desirable, feasible, and viable solutions. A Hackathon is a short, pressurized competition where a group come together to design, develop, and demonstrate their ideas on center stage! Usually at the start we give you context about a problem/challenge statement, and then it's up to you to come up with creative ideas! We expect your teams to develop a rough Minimum Viable Product so you can pitch your idea and show the judges what you've come up with on the Sunday afternoon. Read more here.
Who can participate in a Hackathon?
Anyone with an open mindset can participate. Because this is a Hackathon focused around software development and launching business ideas, we need a mix of business, design, technical, creative and industry experts to form teams.
I am under 18 years. Can I participate?
Email angela@hackathonsinternational.com for further information. You will need a parent of guardian present.
Do I need to form a team before we join the Hackathon?
No, we will be giving you time at the start of the Hackathon to network and meet other people. Teams should be between 3-6 members. We encourage you to bring your friends!
What do I need to bring to the Hackathon?
Bring your laptop and charger, notepads and pens, an open mindset and positive attitude!
What does my ticket include?
An unforgettable opportunity formulate an idea and create a product
Learn and upgrade your knowledge bank with new skills and tools
Access to our Hackathons International tech ecosystem partners (including meeting others in tech, introductions to companies, mentors, and advisors)
Meals will be provided on Saturday - breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday - breakfast and lunch
Who owns the Intellectual Property of the solution at the Hackathon?
We don't own anything, you do! We also abide by the Hack Code of Conduct
I heard that I can go to a Hackathon where jobs are available. Where can I learn more?
Yes, there will be recruiters and talent scouts at the hackathon. There will be a special 'workforce development' panel during deliberation, after the Hackathon showcase. During this you can gain tips on how to do well in an interview and understand the available roles that are open. Keep posted!