On the weekend of July 17, 300 hackathon organizers from universities around the world gathered for an epic weekend in sunny San Francisco at GitHub HQ. Hackathons have taken the world by storm, and the third annual Hackcon reflects that. It is nearly three times the size of the first event barely a year earlier.
Hackcon presents a unique opportunity for hackathon organizers. For most of the year, they’re working hard to build the best hacker communities possible for their fellow students. But at Hackcon, they share their experiences – their trials and tribulations – to help each other and to learn from one another.
It’s amazing to see what hackers can build at hackathons, but imagine what happens when the ones who build the hackathons work together. Check out just a handful of the great talks from Hackcon!
Workshop: Hackathon Logistics
We kicked off Hackcon III with our first ever Hackcon Workshop Day for new organizers. We spent Friday with an amazing group of people who were organizing their first hackathon where we had office hours and workshops on the basics of creating these weekend bonanzas. Check out the first workshop on Hackathon Logistics from our very own Shy Ruparel.
State of the League
It’s hard to know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you came from. Hackathons have had a major impact at schools across the world and have changed the lives of the students who participate. They open up a world where you truly can build anything you set your mind to. Swift, CEO and co-founder of Major League Hacking, breaks down how far we’ve come over the course of the Spring 2015 season.
Partner Organizations
Brynn Claypoole, a former director of PennApps, has had a ton of experience working with other organizers and on-campus student organizations. She uniquely understands the value of these partnerships with other groups. In fact, Brynn was one of the first organizers we reached out to for BrickHack! Your organizer team is always there for you, but in this talk you can learn how to work together with other leaders on campus to make your communities more successful.
Stuff You Don’t Need
As an organizer of HackTX for many years, Taylor Barnett understands the essence of a hacker event. As hackathons have evolved, we have added in crazy mini-events, huge speakers, and a ton of non-essential niceties. What we forgot is that as long as there is a hackathon to go to, people will show up! Taylor breaks down what we do (and don’t) need for a great event.
Hacker Renaissance
Hackathons are commonly thought of as the next revolution. But Dave Fontenot, founder of MHacks, argues that it’s more like the Renaissance. Hackathons are the next enlightenment, bringing the knowledge of programming to the masses! Hackathon, oh hackathon! You blew all our minds.
The Adventures of Nick
Nick Quinlan, NA Commissioner of Major League Hacking, has been described as a lightning bolt in human form. But did you know that he has a darker, livid side to him? In his long history at hackathons and through his chance encounters with Swift, Nick shows just how far MLH has come since its inception.
SharkHacks 2 Electric Boogaloo
If there’s one thing to know about 2015, it’s that it was HUGE year. For Shark Hackers. SharkHacks 5000 was a rousing success following Hackcon II and Alexey and Nick, both formerly of PennApps, delivered on a world-shaking event. Now, with SharkHacks 2 Electric Boogaloo, Ishaan (formerly from HackMIT) and Nick are diving to much deeper depths!
Watch the full schedule of workshops and talks on MLH TV.
Happy Hacking!
-Carl