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On a rainy Saturday in New York City, about 40 ������Ƶ alumni and students gathered to spend eight hours together for ������Ƶ’s first-ever off-campus Hackathon, powered by the , the , and the . The hackathon was one of many events held around the country.

Hosted by Jeff O’Connell ’94 at his downtown  offices, the ������Ƶ Hackathon involved engineers, computer coders, and technicians who helped enhance the web presence of her nonprofit venture, . Maker Studios, with its casual, loft-style space and multiple conference rooms, provided the perfect backdrop for the Hackathon.

Amanda Brown ’15 discusses her venture with ������Ƶ Hackathon participants

After a morning introduction, the group broke up into different teams to examine Brown’s project, which was inspired through her work with .

“It was amazing to watch how quickly the groups actually moved from thought to action,” said , director of the Thought Into Action Institute. Groups discussed funding strategies, marketing decisions, and internal coding functions that could improve her efforts. These discussions led to the first versions of a crowdfunding platform to assist with construction of a school in Nepal.

“I could not be more impressed and grateful to ������Ƶ alumni,” said Brown. “This was such an incredible experience to witness … people creating on small teams, on their own time, just for me and my project.”

, professor of computer science, was on-hand to advise some of his students and participate. The reaction from all the participants “hacking” was universally positive. “In all, the event highlighted the tremendous energy that ������Ƶ people have to be engaged intellectually even during their free time, collaborate on creative ideas, and then deliver real results,” said Hapworth.

To learn more about the Digital Media & Technology Network, the Thought into Action Entrepreneurship Institute, or ������Ƶ Day of Impact, please visit .