On the weekend of Saturday, August 9th, entrepreneurial Bostonians will have the opportunity to hack their hearts out at four idea-stirring events. But with a trio of solid hackathon options, how can you pick just one? Prizes are great, of course, but you better be jazzed about the purpose, too. Remember, this is one of the last weekends of summer you're giving away. We decided to break down the lineup for you.
HubHacks: Boston’s Civic Hackathon
Mayor Marty is calling upon Boston residents for the City’s first-ever civic-minded hackathon.
The Challenge
The Mayor wants to make the permitting process easier in the Hub. The best way to find out how to improve it? Get the advice of the entrepreneurial applicants themselves, in a weekend-long event. Walsh, the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics aims to bring together technically-savvy Bostonians to tackle one of four available challenges related to the permitting system of the city. Come Sunday, crews will present their proposed solutions, and the best will get recognized.
The Winnings
Recognition and tons of warm and fuzzies, knowing that you’re doing your part to make Boston better.
The Info
Saturday and Sunday, August 9th and 10th, at 10 a.m., at District Hall (Seaport)
Zero to 30: The Welcoming Committee Hackathon
An all-day event that gives you the chance to pitch in and promote the LGBTQ community.
The Challenge
The Welcoming Committee, a former PayPal Start Tank company that organizes events, meetups and bar nights for the LGBTQ community to raise awareness and build community, aims to expand into three new cities by October 2014. In addition to Boston, the startup is already hosting events in the likes of Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. TWC wants to add a whopping 10,000 new members in each city during the month of September, which means one thing: It’s going to need to mobilize. So, the startup, with the help of LGBTQ entrepreneurship nonprofit StartOut, is asking its local members and the public to come together and sprint to design campaigns that can be launched across the three new cities (which will be announced at the event) to introduce thousands of people to TWC.
The Winnings
Special prizes donated from the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Globe are in store. We've been promised they're awesome, so don't miss out.
The Info
Starts Saturday, August 9th, at 11 a.m., at IdeaPaint’s Downtown Boston pad.
Because any hackathon that has “code for good and glory” as its catchphrase shouldn’t slip under the radar.
The Challenge
Hosted by PayPal, but held at Isobar’s South Station office, this weekend event will charge you with solving a problem that stands to have significant impact on the local level. The "First Battle” will have attendees competing to create a killer app with social good for their city – for example, a platform that matches charities with potential donors in the Boston area.
If your urban solution wins, you’ll go on to compete in what PayPal’s calling "The World Finals," which will take place in San Jose, California, November 14th through the 16th. “Your Code. Our Globe,” for that round, reads the event’s description. Basically, if you make the cut, leave it all on the field. There’s no theme or restrictions for this round, so cook up projects you fancy. There’s big money and prizes at stake.
The Winnings
If you’re dubbed a champ at the First Battle in Boston, you’ll score free beer and a slew of other sweet prizes like a PlayStation 4, round-trip flights and hotel fare in Silicon Valley for the World Finals, and what looks to be an instantly-printing camera. Considering that the first 25 in the door will score a Leap Motion Controller, everyone has a chance to be a winner, too. Win the World Finals, though, and you could walk away with a no-strings-attached check for $100,000. Oh, and an axe trophy. No, we’re not kidding.
The Info
Saturday and Sunday, August 9th and 10th, at 9 a.m., at Isobar
This legacy Massachusetts shoe company wants you to put your best foot hacks forward.
The Challenge
The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company and Intrepid Pursuits is calling upon the dually trendy and techy population in Cambridge and Boston to create fashion-friendly apps leveraging its shoe API. The exact subject matter of the Web and mobile apps is fully up to the participant, as long as they put the API to use. Plus, all code created over the course of the weekend is owned by the teams. Put those two factors together, and you get [stylish] freedom.
The Winnings
Four awards will be granted come Sunday eve – Best Overall Prize, Best Use of API, Best Smartphone App and Best Web App. The top winner will receive $1,500, while all other reigning teams will get a not-so-shabby $1,000. Two honorable mentions will also be named. Their prize? Two pairs of HH Brown shoes, of course.
The Info
Saturday, August 9th, at 8 a.m., at the Cambridge Innovation Center (Kendall Square)
