Hackathon April 2024
Our April Hackathon was filled with inspiring energy and collaboration to solve problems using tech with a group of inspiring women, non-binary, and trans people! We had 10 total teams working on tech solutions for everyday problems.
“I had a great time meeting new people and working together to build something concrete!”
The problems addressed ranged from mental health to social connection apps, from a takeout copycat recipe website to safe ways to engage with law enforcement.
3 teams rose to the top with their final solutions:
1st Place: Glow Girl
Description: Glow Girl is a unique women's health website designed for confidentiality and accessibility. With security features and multilingual translations, accessing information is safer and more private. Plus, Glow Girl is also available as a Progressive Web App, so you can download the website directly onto your device; in cultures where discussing these topics can be difficult, your privacy is ensured.
Our goal? To empower women by offering a secure and convenient space for accessing essential health resources.
Technologies used:
React
Progressive Web App
Redux
Bootstrap
Figma
Canva
Trello
Team Members: Tracey Treat, Sheida Rashidi, and Liz Kerber
2nd Place: Sunny Side Up
Description: A mental health app that focuses on the positive aspects of a user's day. Users can input positive moments during their day by responding to a daily prompt and see other user’s responses who are located near them. Each user can customize their profile through their “inner egg” by selecting colors and add-ons, usernames, and bio.
Technologies used:
React.js
Google Maps API
Canva
Team Members: Haleigh Ziebol, Patty Rodriguez, and Bryalla Roseman
3rd Place: TXTL
Description: A trigger application that SILENTLY lets you contact and communicate with law enforcement during emergency situations. The application can be accessed from any device The initial triggering of TXTL comes from sending a white heart in any message, that connects law enforcement to the conversation thread. It’s designed to portray a regular messaging system with a regular chatting feature, except you are no longer in your primary messages.
Technologies used:
Bootstrap
CSS
Canva
Figma
Team Members: Tamara Temple, Joi Hargrove, Rose Dillon, and Blera Latifi
Congratulations to our winning teams who each won cash prizes! Many of our participants would say the real prize wasn’t the money, but was being part of the event itself.
“I felt included and really enjoyed collaborating with new people and getting to know them at the same time.”
We heard from multiple people who said they are typically the only woman in their bootcamp program or Computer Science class. Others are software engineers or working in tech where they often feel outnumbered. That wasn’t the case at our Hackathon.
“This experience was a lot of fun and less intimidating than I thought it would be. It was a friendly, supportive environment that encouraged all skill levels.”
At Hack the Gap, we elevate women, non-binary, and trans people in technology by creating spaces to get together, hack and connect, providing tech training and pathways into tech, and connecting candidates with employers.
If you want to be part of future events like Hackathon, subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know! Looking to be inspired today? Order a copy of our Hack the Gap book featuring tech stories from women and non-binary folks from around the Twin Cities.
Thank you to our sponsors for making this Hackathon possible: Full Stack Saint Paul, SPS Commerce, Genesys Works, Creed Interactive, Solution Design Group, and Super Go Faster.
Please stay connected by following us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Let’s Hack the Gap!