The INSPIRE Black Employee Network’s Global Social Justice Hackathon wrapped up in June, and the winners have been announced! If you haven’t already, check out our Hackathon kick-off post, where we highlighted how INSPIRE is doing what matters through our Social Justice Hackathon.

This year’s hackathon garnered impressive global participation; over 100 participants came together across regions to build technology which empowers underrepresented groups, nurtures inclusive thought, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and creates a better world for all. Participating teams created solutions oriented around four key challenges: Physical and Mental Wellbeing; Social and Political Engagement; Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging; and Access and Opportunity.   

The first place prize went to Team Socially United for their drive to harness the power of technology and innovation to accelerate exonerations. Their solution encompassed a multi-faceted approach to save valuable time and resources for legal professionals, aiding their efforts to uncover the truth and reduce time to exoneration.  

Second place went to Team AgriAerial. Their solution was to utilize open-source satellite data from the Sentinel 5-P satellite to monitor air pollution in any given area, providing near real-time visualizations within a given time frame to identify hotspots and impacts on vulnerable communities, allowing for targeted interventions for environmental justice.  

Third went to Team DigitalDivas for their web application called Food4Good, which eases the process of requesting and distributing food donations. It connects people, supports the mission of food for everyone and helps to eliminate food waste.  

For contributors like Divya Sivaraman, who was on Team DigitalDivas, this hackathon was a special experience because it allowed assigned teams to use their technical knowledge and skills to benefit the world around them. Participants found it was intriguing yet tough to brainstorm an idea and think about how they could use technology they work with daily to create a positive social impact.  

“I really appreciated the opportunity to hone my professional skills and grow as a consultant, while also developing something that is significant and meaningful in addressing social challenges,” she said.

Above all, my favorite part about the hackathon is the spirit of collaboration, social justice and innovation that arises from the creativity of our people. We are seeing this come to life this year; the winning solution of Team Socially United centers around an innocence advocacy organization dedicated to reviewing legal proceedings related to wrongful convictions and empowering the exoneration process. Through Food4Good, Team DigitalDivas is taking action on widespread issues in the United States. Over 5.1 million Americans cannot afford to put a meal on their table, whilst many restaurants waste pounds of food every day, as they do not have an effortless way to share their food availability for the charities to pick up. These are only a few examples of Hackathon solutions that can deliver real-world results and effective outcomes.  

And the impact does not stop there. This year’s solutions will all be presented to Microsoft leadership, showcasing how teams leveraged the Power Platform and generative AI to create remarkable solutions.  

“One thing I was curious about was how we could utilize artificial intelligence in a solution like this,” Divya said about Food4Good. “If we had more time to work on this that would definitely be something we would have explored. Another great part about this hackathon was working with a fantastic team of women! We were all at different levels and had different experiences but worked great as a team. We all put our minds and experiences together when brainstorming solutions. Making Food4Good from a blank canvas required all hands on deck, and I got the chance to see everyone’s passion to make a meaningful and useful solution.”  

AgriAerial team member Jared Mohammed did not hesitate to jump in either when I asked him about how this experienced impacted him: “Our solution was important to us because the 2023 Ohio train derailment was right next door to most of our team, being in the Midwest. Seeing the negative impact that the derailment caused, not only on the environment, but also on the communities in the area made us realize how important and impactful this solution can really be.  

“In true hackathon fashion, most of the work was not completed until the week of the submission. With the entire team working hard and staying online outside of usual work hours, we all had the opportunity to get to know each other more, which was a very enjoyable experience for us all. This was my first time participating in the Social Justice Hackathon, so getting to work on a solution that is focused on real issues made this experience much more fulfilling than some other hackathons I have participated in.”  

I would encourage anyone at Avanade to sign up for this annual event. If you raised your hand this year, thank you. As a former member of 2022 Hackathon Team Squirrel, I had the opportunity to hone skillsets not primarily used on my day-to-day work, meet fantastic colleagues across regions and, most importantly, support a vital cause with significant social impact. INSPIRE’s Social Justice Hackathon is one of the many ways that Avanade focuses on doing what matters and making a genuine human impact.