Who knew there was such an appetite for tech highlighting Calgary as a winter city?
YYCHacks, that’s who.
The YYCHack Winter Edition, which invited participants to create innovative software that shows off Calgary’s chops as a winter city, is sold out with more than 150 participants. The event goes from Feb. 3 to 5 at the Platform Calgary Innovation Centre.
Serene Yew, CEO of Pixeltree and YYCHacks founder, said participants will not only work on the software, but they’ll have a chance to network with industry.
“There is a strong need for technical talent in Calgary as the innovation industry expands, and this hackathon is helping to grow the community for new and established coders, graphic designers, project managers, and anyone who can contribute to software development,” Yew said.
Teams will also be mentored along the way by established developers and entrepreneurs. Yew said that’s helped them achieve some of the highest participation and follow-through rates of any hackathon held in Calgary.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek will deliver the keynote opening address and then have a fireside chat with Yew starting at 5 p.m. Calgary Economic Development President and CEO Brad Parry will provide closing remarks on Sunday at around 2:30, after judging is complete.
The event was planned as a part of the city’s Chinook Blast winter festival.
“We are thrilled that YYCHacks is back and is happening during Chinook Blast,” said Franca Gualtieri, Executive Director of Chinook Blast from Tourism Calgary.
“Chinook Blast is about bringing people together and showcasing innovations and creativity in the city. The tech sector is a growing sector in Calgary and incorporating this premiere event into our winter festival gives people the chance to see and be inspired by the talent we have in this city.”
The hackathon is supported by the City of Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, Prairies Economic Development Canada, SAIT and Bow Valley College.
Tickets are still available for the public judging of the projects. More information here.
