25W530 75th St., Naperville, IL

Build for Impact

A week-long hackathon to create technology that matters. Join developers, designers, and innovators.

Start Hacking

The Mission

This is a week-long hackathon where participants compete to create an app, game, or webpage that solves a real problem.

Charity Initiative

All leftover proceeds from registration fees will be donated to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.

Open Source

AI Allowed

Event Timeline

Sun, Aug 2 @ 9:00 AM

Kickoff & Theme Release

User manual release. Hacking begins immediately.

Fri, Aug 7 @ 6:00 PM

Pitch Signup Deadline

Last chance to sign up for pitching to be eligible for awards.

Sat, Aug 8 @ 6:00 PM

Pitch Schedule Released

Teams will receive their presentation slots.

Sun, Aug 9 @ 9:00 AM

Code Freeze

Last commits into GitHub. Later commits result in penalties.

Sun, Aug 9 @ 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Pitches & Awards Ceremony

Judging begins at 9:30 AM. Awards ceremony concludes the event at 6:00 PM.

The Pitch Manifesto

Pitches start Sun, Aug 9 at 9:30 a.m. Slides are optional, but clarity is mandatory.

Required Content

  1. The Idea: What was your original concept?
  2. The Goal: What were you trying to achieve?
  3. The Process: What steps did you take to reach the goal?
  4. Self-Assessment: How well do you think you did?
  5. The "Why": Why should your project win?
  6. Walkthrough: A live demo of the project.
  7. Q&A: Answer questions from the judges.

Presentation Style

  • Team Effort

    Every member must participate equally.

  • Engagement

    Maintain eye contact. Do not read directly off a paper.

  • Preparation

    Minimal stuttering. Know your lines.

EXPERTS ONLY

Call for Judges

We are looking for industry leaders.
Note: Only 4 spots available.

Responsibilities

  • Evaluate pitch delivery and technical execution.
  • Select winners based on the rubric.

Get Involved

Registration closes Aug 7th.

Solo Hacker

Register as an individual.

$15.00
POPULAR

Team Entry

Register a team of up to 4 members.

$15 /person

Judge

Apply to evaluate projects.

Free