Key points:
- Hackathons International has launched in the United States and will hold its first Hackathon in Tennessee, sponsored by Amazon and Meharry Medical College’s Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health, on March 12-13.
- The #HackTN Hackathon will promote tech talent and showcase collaboration among software development engineers, creative designers, product managers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders in Tennessee.
- The Hackathon will encourage the creation of new social, physical and economic innovations to address social determinants of health (SDoH) with the objective of promoting health and well-being for all.
Hackathons International today announced that #HackTN, a Hackathon event, will be held on March 12-13 to showcase the tech talent in Tennessee and encourage the creation of new innovations to address social determinants of health.
Sponsored by Amazon and The Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health at Meharry Medical College, the event will focus on developing solutions that promote health and well-being for all people over the next decade in the United States.
During the Hackathon, participants will form teams and discover the needs of Tennessee communities. Participants will range from software development engineers, to creative designers, to product managers—anyone who is passionate about positively influencing the health outcomes of our people,. Participants can attend online or in person at the Amazon offices in Nashville.
“Nashville and the State of Tennessee are increasingly recognized as a hub for many tech-based organizations, which is one of the core reasons I decided to move here,” said Angela Bee Chan, co-founder and CEO of Hackathons International. “I am very excited to run a Hackathon to promote the tech ecosystem, provide an avenue to explore careers in technology, increase the economic development within the state, and work on creating innovative solutions on the social determinants of health.”
Tennessee is a high-growth tech hub, as demonstrated by recent announcements that organizations including Amazon, Oracle and Facebook are heavily investing in the state and creating more job opportunities. Chan recently relocated to Nashville in 2021 to capitalize on the emerging talent pool. This is the Australia-based company’s first major expansion in the United States.
Chan said, “The focus on social determinants of health will be providing a robust framework for our participants so that they can understand the health inequities we have in Tennessee. This was an immediate observation I saw when I first arrived in Nashville. We have structured the Hackathon to educate ourselves, our participants, and to support minority and underserved communities. We hope that after the Hackathon, we can bring awareness of these issues and develop solutions which participants can easily action after the event.”
Amazon also is making a major contribution to the tech industry in Tennessee with the opening this year of its new Nashville Yards office, which will bring more than 5000 corporate and technology jobs to the community to support the company’s global operations business. The Hackathon will be one of the first local events Amazon is sponsoring to connect to the local community.
“We are thrilled to expand our hiring efforts in Tennessee and have been impressed by the resilience and creativity of the people in the region,” said Dustin Eden, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition at Amazon. “Amazon is committed to investing in a real way in the communities where we live and work. Through this Hackathon, we hope to foster local and diverse talent and contribute to accelerating important issues faced by the state.
Meharry Medical College launched the Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health in 2019 to advance and propel nationwide efforts to understand the impact of larger societal issues on health and well-being, particularly of underserved populations. To support its work, the Center has tapped into the wealth of tech talent in Nashville who are eager to innovate around creative health solutions. The Center hopes to further the cultivation of new ideas by participating in #HackTN.
“Our vision is to empower communities through research and outreach programs focused on health, wellness and science,” said Dr. Bryan Heckman, the Center’s founding director. “This Hackathon gives us an opportunity to create solutions to serve the underserved in an innovative and collaborative environment.”
The Hackathon is expected to be attended by at least 150 participants in the United States. There will be a prize pool of $1000 for the winning teams. The event is being promoted by Hackathons International’s community partners, including Blacks in Technology Nashville, Girls in Tech Nashville, Nashville Women’s Programmers, Co.Lab, The Black Codes, Internet Explorers, Nash Tech, Startup Nash, freeCodeCamp Nashville, Startup Grind Nashville, Launch Tennessee, Hustle to Business University,Code Academy Nashville, Nashville Dot Net User Group, and others.
Starting on Saturday, March 12, teams will be guided by mentors on how to move from empathy to ideation, to development and deployment of a key feature or solution. On Sunday, there will be a showcase where judges will decide the top winners based on the attractiveness, creativeness and practicality of the proposed solution. There total prize pool will be $1000.
About Hackathons International
Hackathons International is an organization that ensures that tech opportunities are accessible for everyone, everywhere. They help forward-thinking companies leverage innovative hackathons to improve their brand, spark innovation and create a consistent framework to increase economic development and activate tech ecosystems around the world. By systematically facilitating in person, hybrid and virtual hackathon events that bring diverse participants together, Hackathons International help companies achieve their hiring, retention, innovation, brand perception and brand awareness goals. For more information visit https://www.hackathonsinternational.com/about
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About Meharry Medical College – Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health
Since Meharry Medical College's inception in 1876, its mission has been to level health inequities and improve the health and health care programs of minority and underserved communities. In 2019, Meharry Medical College established The Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health (CSSDoH) to further Meharry's mission of serving the underserved. CSSDoH's vision is to empower communities through research and outreach programs focused on health, wellness and science. To learn more about the Center's research and initiatives, please visit: www.sdoh.center.