BlkTech Interactive in Charlotte will host a hackathon later this month to tackle social issues.
The inaugural HBCU Social Impact Hackathon, with support from Lowe's Cos. Inc. (NYSE: LOW), runs March 25-29. It will focus on ways technology can help with food access, education and community violence. Participants will spend the first few days designing, developing and testing prototypes. A pitch event is scheduled for the final night, with a panel of judges including Rob Cummings, Kim Evans and Ty Chandler, among others.
The winner will receive $5,000 and can use the money as he or she sees fit. The program is a step toward larger events, such as the MIT Youth Challenge or Tech Stars Social Impact Challenge.
Students at historically Black colleges and universities nationwide - including at Durham's N.C. Central University, can apply, as well as other community members, elected officials and mentors. Those eligible can participate virtually or in person at UNC Charlotte. Participants will compete in small groups of about five, with each team having at least one HBCU student.
"The community has been really supportive about participating and helping us make this a success," said Rashaan Peek, BlkTech director. "You don't have to be in technology, but we want everyone to be all hands-on with the helping and curating some social capital for the students that participate."
Peek said the hackathon is designed to funnel resources toward smaller HBCUs. It is also a way for entrepreneurs to make connections for internships or employment. The event already has participants from Johnson C. Smith University, Alabama A&M University, Grambling State University and Morgan State University, to name a few.
Participants will be learning design thinking, customer discovery and pitching techniques. Mentors will be on hand to work with the teams before the final pitch event. Peek said the mentors are meant to make participants feel more comfortable and talk through ideas before presenting to the full panel.
BlkTech Interactive plans to host a second HBCU Social Impact Hackathon in November. Sign up for this month's hackathon here.
Here's a rundown of the schedule:
March 25 — Kick-off/design sprint session, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
March 26 — Sketch, preliminary development, fast prototyping and testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
March 27 — Customer discovery, testing and prototype refinements, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
March 28 — Pitch prep
March 29 — Pitch event and awards, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.