Metro Manila— Social impact incubation network Impact Hub Manila (IHM) brings back Impact Hackathon to find innovations for current social challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Innovators, and aspiring change makers and entrepreneurs from all over the country can now sign up to participate in the week-long online event set to run from August 17 to 21, 2020.
Now that the Philippine economy is in the brink of a recession, this year's Impact Hackathon is geared towards rebooting the economy through inclusive digital innovations in 5 verticals— Climate Change, Education, Food and Agriculture, Health and Wellness, and Smart Cities.
What to expect in the week-long hackathon
Partners for each vertical will pose problem statements for the participants to hack, through viable tech solutions.
The goal of each participating team in the hackathon is to create minimum viable products (MVPs) by the end of the hackathon week. Winning ideas will be incubated by IHM and its partners who will also support the scaling of the projects to ensure impact and sustainability.
Winners will take home over 100,000 USD worth of prizes, including access to IHM's incubation program and global network of experts and entrepreneurs.
Capitalizing on Impact Hub's global network of mentors, industry leaders, impact-driven entrepreneurs, and changemakers, IHM will conduct a series of Learning Sessions. These sessions will equip participants with relevant information for the innovations they will come up with during the hackathon. These will also serve as a platform for rich discussions and network-building among participants, mentors, and partners.
Impact Hackathon will culminate in a festival titled, "2050 Fest" where experts, industry leaders, and collaborators will come together for panel discussions and the announcement of winners.
Timeline
July 1: Opening of Registration Portal
August 17: Opening Program
August 18-21: Hackathon proper and Learning Sessions
August 22-23: Jury Deliberation
August 24: "2050 Fest" Culmination Program
August 25: Announcement of National Winners
Catalyzing digital transformation and social innovation.
Impact Hackathon is part of Impact 2050, a multi-year program designed by IHM to create large-scale economic impact through cultivating the Philippine's startup and innovation ecosystem.
Last year's Impact Hackathon gathered over 80 partners, and 300 mentors and jurors for the 1,700 participants which yielded 186 completed projects. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an urgent and dire need for sustainable innovations to build a resilient nation.
Through digital solutions and impact-driven entrepreneurship, the program also aims to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that ensure no person and no community are left behind in pursuit of sustainable development.
Partners from Impact Hackathon 2019 like Quezon City Government, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Asian Development Bank (ADB),and KMCwill be back to support this year’s hackathon along with new collaborators such as the Office of Senator Francis Pangilinan, Department of Agriculture, iProcure, Unifinity, Salesforce,Technicorum Holdings Pte Ltd, Multisys Technologies Corporation, andTrueDigitalamong others.
Learn more about the program through www.impact2050.com.
Interested participants may register for Impact Hackathon at www.impact2050.com/impact-hackathon.
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About Impact Hub Manila
Impact Hub Manila is a social impact incubator and a network of impact-driven entrepreneurs and changemakers. Five years since it opened its doors in the Philippines, IHM has directly supported over 500 entrepreneurs, reached over 20,000 individuals through its events, training, incubation programs, and funneled over 1 million USD – worth of grants and entrepreneurial support. The Impact Hub network is present in 100 cities and 56 countries worldwide. The United Nations in Geneva recognizes IHM as a key driver for the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About CesRondario, Regional Lead, Impact Hub APAC; Founder & CEO, Impact Hub Manila
Ces is an impact entrepreneur and a solutions architect with over 8 years of international experience. Having worked with various sectors including government agencies, NGOs, private sector groups, she has developed expertise in creating strategic cross-border partnerships, innovation consulting, designing and implementing multi-stakeholder programs, and in-depth knowledge on supporting startups in various stages of growth. She founded the first Impact Hub in the Philippines in 2015. Ces holds advisory roles in various organizations, represents the Philippines and Asia Pacific in several international association networks, and is also the Program Director for Entrepreneurship at the Meridian International College.