Introduction

wmn; 2023 hackathon is our flagship event and a non-profit initiative designed to empower women and non-binary folks. In hindsight, we’re happy to say that it created a significant impact by enabling many builders to put together a working prototype in a time crunch.

Not only did wmn; provide a safe and comfortable space for women and non-binary folks, but it’s also inspiring participants to take further steps in participating in all-gender hackathons. And the feedback, the heartfelt tweets, and the messages that we received are the utmost validation to keep us going and make us feel like all our efforts are worthwhile.

Additionally, it was heartwarming to witness many women experiencing solo travel for the first time, with their parents' approval solely due to the event being a women-only hackathon. This fills us with gratitude and pushes us to create further an inclusive space in tech.

At the hackathon, we realised the importance of even the tiniest of details, such as feeling comfortable enough to take nap breaks, which often go unnoticed in all-gender hackathons. This happened when a builder expressed her feedback on the hackathon, which moved us deeply and reinforced our commitment to ensure the utmost comfort for women in our future initiatives.

We received 1700+ applications and selected 100 builders to join us in the tech heart of India, Bengaluru. Come along to relive the two unforgettable days that will ignite a wave a innovation.

🥁🤩 The Excitement Begins

The stage was set, the anticipation was palpable, and the excitement was contagious as the doors of wmn; 2023 swung open. With a flurry of smiles, hackers from diverse backgrounds united under one roof, ready to embark on a journey together. The air buzzed with energy, and we knew something extraordinary was about to unfold.

👩🏽‍💻✨ Hacking Frenzy

Once our Chief-of-staff (and everything wmn; 2023)Shriya Karanam, kicked off the hackathon, a whirlwind of keyboards clacking, late-night discussions, and relentless problem-solving ensued. The participants got immersed in a sea of code and collaboration. Many of the builders met their team members for the first time here and formed bonds that they would take away even after the hackathon.

Builders had such an amazing time that they wrote about wmn; on Twitter to share their experience with the world; see for yourself in their tweets below:

🤗 Memorable Moments

While wmn; 2023 was a marathon of coding and problem-solving, it was also peppered with moments of pure joy and camaraderie. Laughter and competitiveness filled the air during the Treasure Hunt, coffee-machine chats, puppy interaction, and late-night discussions.

🥁 Drumrollsss 🥁 Meet the Top 3 winners!

🏦 1st Place: insurEASE

It addresses the challenges of an insurance claims process, high settlement costs due to fraud, and the burden of uncovered Outpatient Department (OPD) expenses. It simplifies claims, prevents fraud, and covers OPD costs, providing a smoother and cashless insurance experience.

Builders: Anukriti Chaudhari, and Surabhi Suman

Check out the project: https://devfolio.co/projects/insurease-50a3

💪🏽 2nd Place: Shakti

Shakti addresses workplace sexual harassment by providing a platform that allows individuals to maintain a provable track record of their experiences, seek advice and support, and ensure privacy. It utilizes a web interface, smart contracts, and generative AI models to empower victims and improve the reporting process.

Builder: Sheetal Ohja

Check out the project: https://devfolio.co/projects/shakti-73e3

📚 3rd Place: TweeReader

A simple extension that harnesses the power of ChatGPT to get more context on interesting tweets. This will make it simple to find context on a wide range of subjects, including art, science, history, and even pop culture, and get a greater sense of the subject any tweet is talking about.

Builders: Aaishika S Bhattacharya, Anishi Raj, and Yukta Sharma

Check out the project: https://devfolio.co/projects/tweereader-79e5

🛠️ Best hack built on Ethereum + Polygon: EquiID

It eliminates biased fields in job applications, ensuring fair evaluation based on skills and qualifications. By removing unnecessary factors like gender and native background, it promotes equal opportunities. It can securely store and verify previous pay slips using NFTs, preventing bias based on salary history.

Builders: Reet Batra, Aditi Polkam, Ashitha P R, and Apoorva Thirupathi

Check out the project: https://devfolio.co/projects/equiid-66ab

😎 More cool projects

• Connect: A platform for sharing resources with peers, getting feedback on projects, and getting rewarded through a system of incentives, recognition, and benefits.
• HandyHome: One app for convenient home services, access to trusted professionals for seamless efficiency, and quality assistance at users’ fingertips.
• VitaPlate: A platform for getting a tailored nutrition experience that connects users with nutritionists for personalized meal plans and expert guidance.
• Oh Fudge: A resilient immutable EHR (Electronic Health Record) management system to prevent tampering with records.
• I Might Have Trauma: A user-friendly platform that helps individuals recognize and understand their trauma experiences through trauma questionnaires, personalised assessments, interactive chatbots, awareness programs and user-friendly UX.
• ninmu: An app that automatically plans daily chores for you based on the user's consistency with each type of chore and workload preference.
• LOYX: A loyalty reward program that puts the customer first and offers personalized brand NFTs, exclusive deals, and transparent consumer-owned data.
• MapSafety: A Telegram bot that prioritizes users’ safety during cab rides. It constantly monitors the live location and promptly notifies users’ families with emergency alerts if the cab deviates from the intended route.
• Kavach: A women's healthcare tool to provide affordable and accessible AI-powered support.
• Mentor Verse: A decentralized, incentivised, anonymous platform that helps mentors and mentees connect.
• KichenKorner: A cooking recipe book for easy access to any recipe.
• FoodNet: It tackles food waste and hunger by connecting restaurants and NGOs, streamlining the process of donating excess food to those in need.
• GenConnect: An app that simplifies medication management with timely reminders and a dynamic checklist.
• Bridle: A Chrome extension using Ethereum that evidences the real-time location of the student using maps API to help record student attendance.
• FloodGuard: Real-time waterlogging updates and interactive maps for residents to navigate monsoon season more effectively.
• Password Manager: A secure CLI Password Manager that stores and encrypts passwords, allowing users to access and manage their credentials with a single master password.
• EMOTIFY: Personalized jukeboxes for a mood-driven musical journey.
• Bounce Back: Reliable and efficient detection systems for speed breakers and potholes, ensuring road safety and infrastructure maintenance.
• ReDefy: Provides accurate and reliable information about clothing items for confident online shopping.
• MyPockerGuide: An online tour guide suggesting complete customized travel plans based on users’ interests, location, time, mode of transport and budget.
• Plant Care: A one-stop solution for buying plants, scheduling gardeners, and getting expert care tips through a helpful chatbot.
• Hashira: Empowering event organizers with effective marketing tracking, sponsorship connections, and incentivizing event sharing for wider reach and engagement.
• NFT Marketplace: It’s a backend for NFT marketplaces that can upload NFTs, and perform the backend services such as --> $ make transactions. $ set price to NFTs. $ assign admin share.
• Lifeline donor web app: Connecting blood donors with recipients, bridging the gap to address blood scarcity and save lives through streamlined coordination and communication.
• Taarikh-pe-Taarikh: A solution for lawyers to effortlessly track and manage court dates, freeing them from the hassle of manual scheduling.
• Sakhi: Your Bestfriend:  A tool to empower women with safe transportation, essential services, entrepreneurship support, upskilling games, networking, and donations to NGOs.
• CYSTER - caring for her: A website allowing women with PCOS to track symptoms and progress, access valuable information, connect with a community, and manage appointments seamlessly.

💃🏽 wmn; 2023 open house

wmn; Hackathon 2023 was not only about coding but also about forging connections that would last a lifetime. During the open house, participants seized the opportunity to network with industry professionals, sparking conversations that ignited new ideas and collaborations. Many new relationships were formed, fostering a supportive ecosystem beyond the hackathon.

💪🏽 Mentorship and Mental Health

To guide our participants on their hacking odyssey, we had a team of experienced mentors who generously shared their wisdom and expertise. Besides, we invited the mental health & wellness team at Kaha Mind, to help our builders take a much-needed breather. The problem is not just about women having access to tech, but also about understanding how tech can be a safe space for them once they’re in. Kaha explored the underlying challenges and encouraged our participants to open up to their peers in the most vulnerable ways to form deep, life-long friendships.

🎯 An insightful panel on "Empowering Women in Tech"

We had the most engaging and productive conversations in a panel with Shuvi (Lightspeed), Sanchita (WomenDroid), Rhea (HoovuFresh), and Jyotsna (Women Who GO Bangalore), discussing how women can navigate careers against the backdrop of emerging technologies, how to differentiate between mere buzzwords and actually life-changing inventions, and more. In a Q&A round, they helped the builders with navigating their personal careers — how to switch fields from Software to Machine learning, how to understand if one is more suited as a generalist or a specialist — to mention a few.

Conclusion

As the curtains close on wmn; 2023 hackathon, we express our heartfelt gratitude to every participant and guest who made this event a resounding success. A special thanks to our partners for helping make the hackathon possible — Hasura, Nilenso, Polygon, Filecoin, Replit, Github, AWS, Digital Ocean, and Google.

The connections made and knowledge gained during these exhilarating days will continue to shape our paths as we move forward. We’re excitedly looking ahead to the next wmn; hackathon to continue innovating and empowering each other.

wmn; 2023 exceeded all our expectations and showed us how audacious women are a force to be reckoned with. We are filled with hope for the future as we reflect on the innovation that came to life in just 48 hours. Until we meet again, let's keep pushing ourselves to empower all underrepresented genders, close the gender gap in tech, and embrace the spirit of innovation that made wmn; 2023 a journey to remember.

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Until then, Never Stop Building 🛠️