Growing Beyond the “SheHacks” Name, TechTogether Boston Returns as the Region’s Largest All-Female and Non-Binary Hackathon
TechTogether is #MakingTheNewNormal — Over 1,000 Participants Gather in Spring 2019 To Advance Gender Inclusivity in Tech
BOSTON (March 5, 2019) — TechTogether Boston, previously known as SheHacks, aims to hold one of the world’s largest all-female and non-binary hackathons on March 22–24, 2019 at Agganis Arena on Boston University campus. This event aims to bring together participants from around world for 36 hours of collaboration to create projects, learn about tech, and network with corporate partners including Wayfair, Fidelity Investment, PayPal, RedHat, Dell, and Toast.
This event is organized by TechTogether, a nonprofit whose mission is to encourage and empower female and non-binary individuals to become involved in tech by supporting environments that are inclusive, informative, and open to learners of any level. The event serves to support and connect members of these marginalized groups who may be underrepresented in tech, by providing a stimulating environment that welcomes innovation and collaboration. Registrants are equipped with a range of resources and opportunities including technical workshops, keynote talks, training, and team-building exercises to explore career options and project ideas in areas of high demand. These range from software engineering, web design, and mobile development, to hardware and data science.
Regardless of skill level, TechTogether offers opportunities for participation, volunteering, ambassadorship, and mentorship. TechTogether Boston is free to all registrants and offers applicants the opportunity to be reimbursed for travel and other economic constraints. With over 1,000 expected participants from around the world, the event will launch at 8:00pm in Boston University’s Agganis Arena on March 22nd, 2019. The hackathon will continue for 36 hours, into final presentations and awards on Sunday, March 24th at 2:00pm.
This year, TechTogether Boston continues to support and empower individuals and the community that it inspires. “I loved this event because it didn’t feel intimidating. Being surrounded by other women and non-binary people where the emphasis was on learning new things and celebrating each other gave me confidence that I never realized that I could have,” says 2018 participant Sarah Manlove (UMass Amherst). Her fellow participant, Eva Lynch (Simmons College), expressed a similar appreciation for the community that arose around this event, saying “These events are breeding grounds for curiosity and knowledge. The atmosphere alone is incredible, but the resources that these events allow you to tap into and the people you come in contact with that you wouldn’t have otherwise — it’s an invaluable experience.”
“The goal of this event is to raise awareness of the gender gap in technology and provide an opportunity for young women to explore their interests in the tech industry. Thanks to the tremendous support our group has received from the Boston community and beyond, we are confident that this event will help us achieve this goal to increase gender diversity within the tech industry.” said Fiona Whittington, Founder and CEO of TechTogether.
The TechTogether Boston 2019 Hackathon offers participants project-based experience and networking with companies including IBM Research, Microsoft, Atlassian, and more. These opportunities will include talks from Varsha Venkatesh and Johan Ospina from Wayfair, who will be speaking about Augmented Reality on Android and Wayfair’s 3D Model API. The hackathon will also offer many more resources for participants to learn, as well as to hone their skills.
To apply to TechTogether Boston or to sign up as a mentor or volunteer, please visit https://boston.techtogether.io. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Event: TechTogether Boston
Who: 1000+ Women and Non-binary Participants and 100+ Volunteers and Mentors
When: Friday, March 22, 2019 at 8:00pm — Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 2:00pm
Where: Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
About TechTogether
Founded in 2018, TechTogether is a student-led nonprofit organization that equips individuals with the resources and tools to host their own all-female and non-binary hackathon. TechTogether provides individuals the opportunity to explore interdisciplinary areas of technology with the mission of ending the gender hacker gap in technology. For more information about participation or corporate partnerships, visit https://techtogether.io
