Hack the Gap 2017

Photo Credit: Sharolyn B. Hagen Photography

Photo Credit: Sharolyn B. Hagen Photography

Our 3rd annual all-women hackathon will be held January 14-15, 2017 at Target Plaza Commons in downtown Minneapolis and participant registration is now open! We are excited to welcome Target as our “Change Agent” sponsor for this hackathon. We are honored to have Target’s support.

Our hackathon is aimed at creating a high-energy weekend where women from all backgrounds and experience levels can enjoy an accessible, approachable, positive experience. The women will pitch ideas, form new friendships, work with new technologies, write code, hack hardware, and present their team’s project to the community by the end of the weekend. Mentors and judges, who are thoughtfully selected from the community will offer feedback to the participants.

Post-hackathon, the participants have continued working on their projects together, started new businesses, received promotions, and found jobs with other participants and with our sponsors. Many women spoke with us about what the event means to them. For some, it is a new group of people they meet and bond with, for others it is new skills they learn. Most of all women tell us about the the confidence they leave with after the weekend event.

With the support from Target and the rest of our community we can reach more women, connect them to new friends and new opportunities, and create a safe space for them to explore their technical abilities, without the sexism that exists in everyday settings.

To get involved with this year's Hack the Gap or to inquire about sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, see How to Help.