Hacking Your Strategic Challenges

Bridging Gaps Through Innovation

November 16-17, 2018 | NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Professionals, business leaders, academics, students from a variety of colleges and universities, data scientists, policy makers, and people from the community come together to work on discrete challenges where design-thinking and technology are resolving factors.

About

Hackathons are typically dominated by tech people solving a problem or creating something new and improved. Given the AABE mission of addressing energy-related issues that disproportionately impact people of color and promote diversity and inclusion among energy companies, the AABE Hackathon is a new way to affect change. The questions are - what role should technology play in innovative energy solutions and how should we ensure diverse inputs are included? While complex problem solving certainly isn’t new, addressing issues in the framework of a hackathon, with diverse participants while applying principles of human centered design certainly is!

The Hack

THE HACK PROBLEMS

New Approach to Solution

Develop new approaches to energy sector challenges with input from diverse members of the marketplace.

Support Ideas Early

Support startups’ solutions with an eye toward their integration into a commercial organization or launch.

Commercializing Solutions

Advance corporate concept or project development toward commercial solutions.

Engage Students

Introduce students to business and community organizations as they engage in problem solving for real world experience.

THE HACK PROBLEMS

How it Works

teams and team leads

Team Leads build and lead teams through a design thinking problem solving process that demands creative, fact-based inputs of what end users think, feel, say and do in the context of the team challenge. Team leaders become experts in the challenge they lead. Teams are also supported by mentors who focus on design thinking solutions.

participants

Individuals already working on a product or start-up
Students or academics working on or interested in energy sector challenges
Professionals who have provided Problem Statement Briefings, ideas or concepts to be hacked
Data scientists
Community group representatives
Policy makers
Sponsor representatives

process

10 teams of 8-10 participants will each hack a different problem or challenge

Participants will prioritize up to 3 challenges that interest them.
Final assignments will be made on the first day of the hackathon based on the problem and its alignment with their skill sets and level of expertise.