Hackers find inspiration, invention and community at the weekend-long Hack the North event
Over the past eleven years, Hack the North has grown to become a major force in the world of hackathons. This year’s event saw more than 1,000 young inventors come together at the University of Waterloo to work together over 36 hours and create a dizzying array of software applications, hardware projects and gadgets. The competition was as fierce as ever, but there were also lots of opportunities to make connections and get inspired.
“Sometimes hackers can be a bit shy,” said Joseph Wang, a computer science student who is co-director of this year’s Hack the North. “So, this year we created some initiatives to really promote the idea of community.”
Hackers were provided with dedicated spaces in Engineering’s E7 building for eating and socializing. Organizers also gave participants a chance to wind down and reflect with a “Hacky Hour”, that took place at the end of the weekend featuring music, cake and mingling with competition judges. “We wanted people to really explore the environment around them and get to know the incredible people they are sitting right next to,” Wang explained.
Hackers get to work.
Everything kicked off on Friday night with the opening ceremony, featuring introductions from sponsors and event organizers. Mary Wells, dean of the Faculty of Engineering, provided encouragement to attendees by emphasizing the special energy that Hack the North generates, and the unique potential to build connections and innovate. Potential was also highlighted as a theme in the dean’s closing remarks, where she reflected: “I do not doubt that your contribution to the world will make our collective society’s future very bright.”
Keynote speaker Lucy Guo provided fitting and inspirational advice during the opening ceremony. Guo is the founder of Passes, a platform for creators, co-founder of artificial intelligence company Scale AI and was named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in 2018. She is also a hackathon veteran with an intimidating track record of success, having won every event she has entered. During her fireside chat she highlighted the value of Hack the North, and discussed how competing in hackathons can build foundational skills for careers in tech and business.
Keynote speaker Lucy Guo addresses the crowd.
“I realized the world of startups existed at hackathons,” she said. “I got to learn different skillsets, I learned design, which taught me how to look for good engineers and founders. I have a good idea of how long it takes to build a product and if they can’t build as fast as me, I don’t want to invest in them.”
Guo’s perspective, as someone operating at the highest levels of entrepreneurship and innovation, galvanized the teams as they set out on 36 hours of designing, building and testing. As part of the busy schedule, participants also had the opportunity to attend workshops and panels, including “Hackathon Pitching 101” and “What They Don’t Tell You About Technical Interviews.” Sessions like this emphasise the holistic approach of Hack the North and its organizers. Students work hard on their projects and pitches to judges, but they also have the chance to learn from alumni and industry experts in a setting that promotes the free exchange of ideas.
Attendees meet employers and network during the Hack the North event.
“It goes back to the theme of community,” Wang said , on bringing back former hackers to talk to 2024 attendees. “We want to see where they’re at and see where we can get to.”
