Harvard Hacking Autism

Overview

Our mission is to meaningfully improve the lives of people with autism -- at scale -- through business ventures. We're inviting students and community members to join for a day of brainstorming, ideating, and prototyping. Attendees will form teams, and then present final pitches to a judging panel, highlighting innovative solutions to address the challenges surrounding autism.

Event Details

We will be bringing together individuals from multiple backgrounds for a one-day event to “hack” some of the major pain points that people with autism face. We are asking participants to develop product and/or business concepts or come with existing ideas that you want help or feedback on. This could include designing a solution to address language and communication disorders, outlining a new concept for adaptive play, pitching a solution around employment services, or designing a plan for a new residential community. We’ll have end-users on hand to help attendees better understand these challenges.

The event will begin at 10am on May 7th. We ask that participants arrive at least 10 minutes early in order to check-in.

Event organizers will provide brainstorming materials. Participants are not required to bring any additional materials, but may bring a laptop or other supplies that they may find helpful.

We are seeking participants from all backgrounds, including healthcare, business, education, tech, design, and more. No technical experience or prior knowledge regarding autism is required for this hackathon. 

Prizes

Cash prize(s) will be awarded to the winning team.

Select participants may receive an exclusive invite to work with Blue Umbrella, an autism incubator in formation, to move their ideas from concepts into a startup reality, following the hackathon. Blue Umbrella may also offer summer/fall internships or Independent Projects to promising individuals.

Keynote speaker:

Mindy Scheier, Founder of Runway of Dreams, a nonprofit organization working with the fashion industry to adapt mainstream clothing for the differently-abled community. 

Partners/ Sponsors

• Harvard Digital Initiative
• Harvard Social Enterprise Initiative
• Blue Umbrella, an autism startup accelerator
• Exceptional Lives

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Contact

Email JBailey@mba2016.hbs.edu if you have any questions or concerns