There’s thousands in cash up for grabs along with bragging rights for those hackers who can solve the problem statement of using technology to make Calgary more accessible for visitors and newcomers.
That’s the challenge for participants in Calgary’s biggest hackathon, the YYC Hacks 2024 event, held at Bow Valley College from Feb. 2 to 4.
It comes on the heels of another event to boost the profile and increase collaboration in Calgary’s exploding tech scene, the Mega Tech Meetup. Serene Yew, software developer and CEO of Calgary software consulting firm Pixeltree, who helped organize the meetup, is also the catalyst for the annual hackathon.
She said this year’s problem statement is meant to directly address accessibility challenges for newcomers to Calgary. It’s something she’s seen in the city’s tech community.
“We see a lot of tech talent coming into our city, into our country, with lots of foreign experience, but they’re having a lot of trouble finding their place here in the city and finding work that’s relevant to them, that they can use their skill sets for,” Yew said.
“So, in addition to solving that problem, I’m hoping that the scene would make it more welcoming to those people as well that are new to our city, and are finding it challenging to find their place here.”
The three-day event will invite teams (minimum of six and no more than 10 members) to conceptualize, design and execute a program that solve the problem statement in some way. Projects are scored by judges in five categories and out of a possible 135 points.
Growth of the hackathon
Yew said that when she first set the course for the hackathon three years ago, she thought that it was making an impact in the city’s tech ecosystem, but she wasn’t quite sure.
“Since that first one was such a success, other groups have been able to see the value that this brings to the talent that’s there, the community as a whole,” she said.
“It’s been a lot easier to get other groups to buy into it.”
They’ve also been able to nail down the logistics over the past couple of years. While something inevitably pops up as a challenge – like failed air conditioning during one summer event, or Yew’s event on crutches last year – they’ve got the process down pat.
One change is the move over to the Bow Valley College (BVC), which is this year’s event sponsor. Yew said they’ve been working with BVC on their micro-credentialing programs, and they’ve been a great partner for the software industry.
They are also tapped into the school’s entertainment arts centre and the new eSports arena, and BVC is supporting the hackathon and other community events in that location. The event will also coincide with Chinook Blast events in Calgary this year.
The event is open to the public and there are still some spots available for anyone looking to join in (not just coders!). For more information, you can visit the hackathon website.
