There is no better time to be starting off your journey in technology as a female or non-binary student than right now. With the sheer number of resources, meetups, and hackathons that are available just across North America this year — the possibilities are endless.
This year, Technica is turning five and our theme is #GoBeyond. We hope to see women and non-binary folks thrive and go beyond society’s expectations for them. We encourage all our attendees to take their tech journeys beyond Technica weekend — don’t stop at our hackathon, attend others and keep creating.
Hackathons are fast-paced, collaborative idea sprints and are the ideal place for participants to come together learn new technology, connect with other technologists, and build something awesome.
There was a great masterlist made a while back by TechTogether that highlighted hackathons with a specific gender-focus. Here’s a guide to help you make the most of the rest of this 2019–2020 hackathon season as a female or nonbinary individual!
1. WHACK @ Wellesley College
“We welcome any undergraduate student 18+ to hack; it’s important to keep in mind that we are looking to create a welcoming and empowering space for women and other underrepresented identities in tech.”
2. Technica @ University of Maryland, College Park
“Technica is reshaping the way we view hackathon culture, but also the way in which we experience tech. The future of tech means giving everybody an equal opportunity to pursue it.”
3. SheHacks @ Western University
“We’re focused on creating a talent pipeline from minorities in tech, this event is specifically created as a place for women+ to explore the tech industry in a supportive way.”
4. SheInnovates @ University of Pittsburgh
“Even if you’re super nervous, teamless, and idealess, give it a try. show up, brainstorm, and commit to a weekend of trying something new.”
5. Womxn/Hacks @ University of California Santa Barbara
“We are opening the field of computer science to all womxn, whether they have been coding since birth or have never seen a line of code.”
6. Rose Hack @ University of California Riverside
“Are you a coder, tech enthusiast or someone who’s passionate about learning or an advocate for inclusivity? We want you to join us.”
7. PixelHacks @ Qualcomm, Santa Clara
“Most attendees had never attended a hackathon before, and some were even completely new to programming. Despite that, 94% of the attendees remarked that they want to attend more hackathons in the future.”
8. ElleHacks @ York University
“Even if you’ve never written a line of code, we’re prepared to teach you everything you need to learn right here while also supporting the most experienced hackers.”
9. TechTogether Boston @ Boston University
“We’re looking to shape the way women and non-binary people get involved with tech. With the support of our community, sponsors, and industry leaders, we can chip away at the gender gap in technology.”
10. T9Hacks @ University of Colorado Boulder
“Women occupy only 26% of IT positions and 18% of engineering majors in universities, and we want to help raise those numbers!”
11. FemmeHacks @ University of Pennsylvania
“We realize ‘women’ is a complicated term. FemmeHacks welcomes trans and cis women, as well as nonbinary and gender non-conforming folks. Equality for all, y’all!”
12. WiCS Hacks @ University of Texas Austin
“We are dedicated to providing an empowering experience for everyone who participates. We value the safety and security of our participants and strive to have an inclusive community.”
13. HackHer413 @ UMass Amherst
“Hackathons are a great opportunity to pursue something you’re passionate about in a manageable amount of time, push your limits, and meet people interested in innovation.”
14. HackHERS @ Rutgers University
“If we started including more women in tech, productivity will not only increase, but also the availability of solutions and products will increase with a diverse workforce.”
15. PearlHacks @ UNC, Chapel Hill
“We hope to help female computer science students to realize that they are like pearls, which are considered to be beautiful, rare, and valuable.”
16. SisterHacks @ Bryn Mawr College
“While this is a hackathon intended for women and femme-identifying individuals we encourage all students of the Seven Sister schools to participate, especially those of marginalized racial, gender, and sexual identities.”
17. Hack-a-Pipeline @ Lift Up, Milwaukee
“We want to make this event accessible to all financial situations and we understand that sometimes the ticket cost can be a burden. If you need assistance with the cost of your ticket, we have scholarships available.”
18. WiCHacks @ Rochester Institute of Technology
“This event is open to all skill levels: from women who haven’t programmed at all, to the best women programmers out there, it will be a great day to learn, invent, and create the future!”
February 29 — March 1, 2020
Join the 24 hour hackathon hosted by Women in Computing at RIT
wichacks.io
19. Hack It Together @ Lander College for Women
“This is the perfect place to hone your coding skills while having fun with your friends and meeting other women in STEM.”
20. cmd-f @ University of British Columbia
“Many females are deterred from going into STEM because they fear that they are not ‘good enough’. cmd-f aims to build confidence in women*, give them the option to explore different paths in tech, and help them escape from outdated stereotypes.”
21. AthenaHacks @ University of Southern California
“It is much more important to walking away from the hackathon with new knowledge rather than one-upping your opponents. That’s what we’re trying to fix, not just at our hackathon, but in the long run.”
22. Superposition @ VSCO HQ, Bay Area
“Females shouldn’t shy from a field because of social norms. They need to be able to access opportunities quicker and easier, just a weekend of freedom to learn computer science and build a product.”
23. HackXX @ UC San Diego
“At most hackathons, women make up only 20% of the total participants, and only 24% of professional computer scientists are women. This gender gap has actually been growing since the 1980’s, and this needs to change.”
24. AIHacks @ Institute for Creative Technologies
“Our mission is to empower young women to pursue their interests in technology and AI, as well as challenge them to apply their knowledge to make a difference in the world.”
25. Spectra @ Make School, Bay Area
“We believe that every woman should have the opportunity to excel in computer science and strengthen her technical abilities.”
Here are a few hackathons that recently took place, but keep an eye out for when they’ll be announcing their 2020 event dates!
26. MetroHacks @ Microsoft, in a city near you!
“We believe that every high school student should have the ability to pursue her passion for computer science, especially outside the classroom.”
27. GirlHacks @ New Jersey Institute of Technology
“Usually girls might not feel comfortable going into a field that’s dominated by a lot of males, but they should know that this hackathon will have a supportive and inclusive environment.”
28. Hack The Gap @ Twin Cities Geekettes, St. Paul
“The energy is infectious — being involved in the creation process and seeing the cool things people made really inspired me to continue on my learning journey.”
29. TechTogether New York @ Queens College
“People feel empowered to be passionate and to work in a space that feels intimidating to them before — the result was a true contribution to inclusivity in tech.”
Join us this November 9–10th for Technica 2019 & keep up with us at @gotechnica! Happy Hacking!
