9 Major Resources for HackATL 2020
HackATL. The biggest event EEVM, Emory Entrepreneurship and Venture Management, hosts every year. The biggest business hackathon in the entire southwest held in the beautiful marble covered Emory University…until COVID-19 happened. As the world around us has been evolving, the initial vision of the 2020 theme “Adventure is Out There” has changed as well. Initially, the theme inspires exploration of the unconventional and innovative ways to tackle everyday problems people face, now pandemic and social movement related events became the focus — pushing participants to reflect upon what we have been seeing in the news.This year, adventure will be out there…just in a digital format hosted on Devpost.
Online or not, building a business in 48 hours is no monkey business, and here are a few resources for you aspiring entrepreneurs I’ve gathered from my chat with Michelle and Andrew, the HackATL directors, this year.
- The Website
Frequently asked questions and schedules will be found on the website at https://www.hackatl.org/index.html. Not only that, you can apply to be an HackAtl Ambassador or choose to sponsor our next HackAtl event in 2021. The most important takeaway from the website has to be the past winner slide decks. Be sure to be on the lookout for those!
2. Choose Your Own Adventure
This interactive platform is curated for participants that are looking for guidance on how to pick teammates and also discover what their strengths are. Find the talents to bring to the table to see how they best fit into a team that will bring you success.
3. The Education Packet
This is the gold mine when you are floundering on where to begin. Questions on ideation, slide deck presentation formatting, market research, and pretty much anything regarding launching your pitch will be found here. Keep an eye out for this once you register for the hack-a-thon!
4. Past Competitors
HackATL is all about meeting other passionate hackers, developers, entrepreneurs and expanding your network…that being said, past competitors are some of the best first hand resources to get candid feedback and advice on how to bring home the trophy at HackAtl. Check out our videos and our articles interviewing past HackATL winners!
5. Workshops
Go to them. You won’t regret it. From ideation to design to market research to inspiration, the workshops led by professionals are sure to spark ideas and unveil potential pitfalls for you and your team before your pitch. Pre-arrival workshops will also be available. Get on it.
6. Slack
Using digital tools such as Slack, you are able to communicate with people with similar passions to create your business team. Use it to brainstorm or talk about how quarantine life has been for you. Did I mention that if you had any questions during the hack-a-thon, our team will be answering them real time on this platform? Forget waiting for an reply by email, a new solution has arrived. Ready, set, SLACK!
7. Zoom
Mentor sessions and judging will be live, brought to you by the breakout room function in dear old Zoom. Technical issues may occur, judges will be understanding, but always have a Plan B. Make sure to be familiar with the platform and any quirks you might experience!
8. Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Website…you name it, we have it. Major information and resources will be shared across our social media platforms, so if you are planning on joining us this fall, give us a follow on HackATL’s Instagram, @hackatl!
9. Yourself
A great idea is the start of every startup. Examine the different challenges or issues you have faced or the inconveniences you have found in everyday life. Lastly, tackle the issue through the lens of your genuine interest and passions. You got this!
Good luck entrepreneurs, adventure’s out there.
Written by: Yifei Gao | IQ Associate
