Hosted by Project Humanities at Arizona State University, Hacks for Humanity is not just a hackathon—it’s a 36-hour innovation marathon. Participants from diverse backgrounds—including students, faculty, staff, and community members—come together to develop technical solutions that address pressing local and global challenges. By integrating the seven core principles of Humanity 101—compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect, and self-reflection—each project not only proposes a solution but also fosters personal growth and community understanding.
This year, we are excited to welcome participants in person to collaborate, create, and innovate. With an average attendance of 150-200 visionaries, the event promises dynamic interaction and significant impact.
As we continue to build the legacy of Hacks for Humanity, our goal is to expand our reach and deepen our impact. We strive to forge strong partnerships with like-minded organizations and agencies. Together, we aim to change the world one individual at a time and strengthen our community through each Project Humanities initiative.
What Makes Us Unique
Hacks for Humanity welcomes everyone—from coders to artists, and students to retirees. By uniting diverse perspectives, we ensure groundbreaking solutions emerge every year.
Our Impact
Our hackathon does more than spark innovation; it inspires action and builds lasting networks, empowering participants to use technology for societal change.
Event schedule
Hacks for Humanity 2024 Tracks
Energy
Energy in the form of fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewables acts as a catalyst of human action, intricately weaving through our decisions, opportunities, and challenges. It has profoundly shaped our existence, enhancing the quality of life, shaping political strategies, preserving environmental integrity, and molding urban landscapes. Now, we must collectively navigate its complexities, recognizing it not just as a technical puzzle but as a social imperative. Together, how do we innovate towards a sustainable future where energy solutions bridge disciplines and ideologies to pave a path towards resilience and progress?
Mental Health
While mental health often carries negative connotations, it also holds immense potential for positive transformation. By harnessing the power of technology, innovation, and a dedicated focus on mental wellbeing, how might we bring about positive change and foster a deeper understanding of mental health across personal, professional, and societal realms that craft innovative solutions to break down barriers, promote resilience, and pave the way for a brighter, more compassionate future?
Conflict
Throughout human history, conflict has been an inherent aspect of interaction, arising from disagreements, differing opinions, and competing values. Rather than viewing peace as merely the absence of conflict, how might we embrace the complexities and nuances of conflict? When navigated thoughtfully, how can conflict serve as a pathway towards positive change and greater social good and drive meaningful progress in our communities and beyond?
Unlike many such hackathons, Hacks for Humanity invites the participation of individuals with and without coding skills. In fact, we welcome coders and creatives, app makers and artists, engineers and entrepreneurs alike, along with each and every person in between. When these diverse perspectives come together, innovation is the exciting result.
Mentors and Volunteers
Mentors bring their diverse expertise to our team. Mentors commit to 2-hour blocks and float to test teams’ ideas and to offer guidance through the hackathon process.
Volunteers assist with logistics of our hackathon. They need no specific expertise, just a willingness to support our efforts, also in 2-hour blocks. Click here more info.
Sponsorship
As the legacy of Hacks for Humanity continues, our desire is to increase its impact exponentially by building robust partnerships. Supporting agencies and organizations share our common goals to build community one person at a time, one Project Humanities program at a time.
Over a decade ago, Ahwatukee professor Dr. Neal Lester had an idea:
If code-savvy professionals can get together to solve technical issues through a “hackathon,” why can’t people of all walks of life and ages get together to come up with working “hacks” that address a social problem.
Flash forward to 2024 and the Arizona State University Foundation Professor of English has produced an answer 10 years running: People with and without coding experience can indeed gather in small teams for a focused, concentrated period of time and produce attainable solutions to social problems… Read More
Volunteers participate in the event as a close observer while assisting Project Humanities team with event logistics. They can be anyone interested in assisting the Project Humanities team in various event logistics.
Volunteer Requirements
Any age
Any area of expertise welcome
Commit to 2-hour blocks to assist Project Humanities team with logistics
Virtual and In-Person opportunities available
Assist with tasks such as registrant sign ins, facilitate participant activities throughout 36-hour event
Did you know that people who take public transportation to Hacks for Humanity have their raffle entries doubled? That’s double the chance at $1,000 worth of additional prizes ***
Getting to ASU SkySong from any the Tempe campus is easy! The Valley Metro’s bus route 72 takes you straight from Apache & Rural (outside the Taco Bell) to the entrance of the Skysong campus. However, there are plenty of other routes, some from different campuses as starting points and some that are completely free.
Click through the options below to see what routes may work best for you.
For Students Only: If you need help with transportation to the event, after you register, be on the lookout for an email from Project Humanities regarding the Uber vouchers. Limited supplies only.
Note: We recommend that you start your public transportation route at least 1 hour before the opening session at 5:00 pm on Friday, October 11 so that you can arrive on time.
No! Hacks for Humanity invites participants from a all skillsets. We welcome artists, business people, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, creatives, and generalists; indeed everyone in between from high school to the professional retirement.
Teams are formed on-site to assure that each team has an even balance of people from non-tech and tech backgrounds.
Those who are fortunate to be in the Phoenix Metropolitan area have the benefit of being able to have the full event experience including 3 days of catered food, raffle prizes, shirts, and activities like therapy dogs and a fully equipped Gameplex. Because of this, we strongly encourage that those who can be in person to be on-site.
In-person participants may go home in the evening to sleep so long as they return back to the venue before 7:30 am. In-person participants who leave the Hackathon and do not return on-site forfeit their eligibility to claim their team’s prize.
Individuals register online as a participant, volunteer, or mentor, and self-identify with one of the designated expertise areas (business, design, engineering, generalist, etc.).
Participants will be randomly assigned to a team based on a diverse set of expertise areas. Teams consist of 3-5 members. No pre-assembled teams allowed. A goal of this hacking event is to get people to work across the lines of the every day and the familiar. In other words, we want teams to mix and match rather than teams of all graduate students, all undergraduates, all community members, all males, all from a single school, etc.
On the evening of the event commencement, attendees will report to the in-person venue
When teams are formed, the hacking begins with guidelines and milestones provided by the event coordinators.
All team members must be an active participant throughout the event in order to be eligible to receive prizes.
Teams are required to attend event plenaries and must send at least one team member to attend each workshop.
The hacking event ends with each team pitching its product and judges determining the top teams for awards and prizes.
Provides resources and mentors during and after the event
Creates a network among other individuals and organizations advocating for societal change
Builds friendships, mentorships, and networks
As the legacy of Hacks for Humanity continues to unfold, our impact increases through robust strategic partnerships with supporting agencies and organizations that share our common goal of doing social good, one person at a time.
The team producing owns the product/idea produced and the IP. We suggest sharing within your teams and making code open source but this is not a requirement for event participation.
Nope! This Hackathon is free for all participants, volunteers, and mentors.
Judges
Amanda Opperman, PhD
Dr. Amanda Opperman is a self-described edu-prenuer with over 20 years of experience launching and growing academic programs at colleges and universities across the country. She earned her PhD in Education with an emphasis in Social Justice from the Claremont Graduate School/San Diego State University joint-doctoral program. She is the co-founder of San Francisco-based Helios Education Lab, a consulting agency that serves higher ed, and she was part of the executive team responsible for opening a branch campus of California University of Management & Sciences in San Diego, CA. Amanda recently joined the team at ASU Foundation as the Senior Director of Development for ASU’s Biodesign Institute.
Whitney M. Harvey
Whitney M. Harvey, Esq. is a business strategist and consultant who combines her legal expertise with wellness practices to enhance corporate environments. As the founder of The Self Coached Lawyer and GENThirty8, she specializes in integrating HypnoBreathwork® to reduce stress, promote mental clarity, and foster leadership. With 20 years of corporate experience, Whitney helps professionals align their personal passions with their careers while promoting inclusivity and well-being in the workplace. She holds a Juris Doctor and is pursuing a PhD in General Psychology with a focus on Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Patti Sampson
Patti Sampson has spent over 25 years perfecting the follow-up game and mastering various Customer Relations management (CRM) software as a digital marketer, email specialist, top-producing AZ real estate broker, and CRM strategist as the founder of her own marketing companyCRMLadyBoss.com and CEO/ Founder of EngageMore CRM. Her training and experience have helped thousands of small businesses and real estate professionals all over the world to understand the power of their CRM and the importance of why the ‘Money is in the follow-up.’Patti is also the author of the best-selling book Drip Campaign Secrets and a member of the five-time international World Champion Sweet Adelines acapella Scottsdale Chorus.
Mitt Williams, MD
Mitt Williams, MD, is a retired anesthesiologist, having received her degree from Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, Indiana). Her international healthcare experience includes a fellowship in Cardiac and Pediatric Anesthesia in Sydney, Australia.
sponsors
Supporters
Past Hacks for Humanity At-A-Glance
Hacks for Humanity 2023
Hacks for Humanity 2022
Hacks for Humanity 2021
Hacks for Humanity 2020
Hacks for Humanity 2019
Hacks for Humanity 2018
Hacks for Humanity 2017
Hacks for Humanity 2016
Hacks for Humanity 2015
Hacks for Humanity 2014
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