Hacking to Win at HackNYU 2019

With more than 500 participants keen to prove their talent and passion for finding technology-based solutions to some of society’s most pressing issues, the atmosphere at HackNYU 2019 was electric. Choosing one of four themes (health and well-being, sustainability, education, or financial empowerment) the students collaborated on a wide range of projects, including developing websites, applications, and even hardware.

The hackathon — which is entirely run by students with the strong support of several faculty members and departments — took place from February 15 to 17 at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the NYU LaGuardia Co-op. As in past years, students from NYU’s portal sites in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi participated online, making this a truly global event. This year, it featured representatives from some of the biggest names in the technology sector, from iconic banking firms like JP Morgan to social media giants like Facebook. Some of the companies sponsored their own challenges within the main competition, offering generous cash prizes and tempting tech devices, and all offered the chance to network and learn about career opportunities.

Emphasizing creativity and innovative thinking under serious time pressure, the hackathon gave participants 48 hours to conceive of and build their innovative solutions. At the end, winners were chosen by a panel of industry professionals, and some $28,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the victors. But the real prize, of course, was the expertise gained and the memories made.

View the HackNYU 2019 Winners