On Sept. 9 in the Collins Room, Engineering and Entrepreneurship Program Head Lee Mirsky, Science Instructor Catherine Mino and Entrepreneur in Residence Fellow Lauren Choi hosted an entrepreneurial Hackathon that offered students the opportunity to identify a problem in an area of interest to them, devise a solution and pitch their solution to a panel of judges. The event was organized through the Frank and Eileen Accelerator Program, an on-campus program that provides students with entrepreneurship opportunities and allows attendees to cultivate their problem-solving skills in a collaborative environment. 

Prior to the event, students were given the option to pinpoint a problem in the sectors of education, social justice, fashion or the environment that intrigued them. Once they arrived, they were split into small groups based on their demonstrated interest and were tasked with identifying as many solutions to their problem as they could. They then came up with product ideas that varied from an app that helps users compost to a body scan technology that determines what size you are at different stores. 

Once they received feedback from peers and further developed their solutions, students had the opportunity to pitch their inventions to a group of judges. The panel included Interim Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Allison Ponzio, Lauren Choi and Lisa Tsou, who is the founder of The Winning Pitch, an organization that provides strategic consulting and coaching to early stage entrepreneurs.

“We included a pitching component because we wanted to take students throughout the whole entrepreneurial process, which often involves pitching your ideas to an audience, whether that’s an audience of investors or people that can provide you with mentorship,” Mirsky said. “We decided to bring in a group of people experienced in entrepreneurship to provide the students with authentic advice.”

While waiting for the judges to deliberate, students also heard from Audrey Mcloghlin, the founder of Frank and Eileen, the women’s fashion organization that funds the Frank and Eileen Accelerator Program at Marlborough. Mcloghlin spoke about her own path as an entrepreneur and the importance of resilience when entering the field. 

Following Mcloghlin’s speech, groups were granted different awards based on specific aspects of their ideas. For example, the Needfinder Award was gifted to the students who displayed the most empathy when identifying a problem. Essentially, the event was a microcosm of the Incubator and Accelerator Programs, which take students through the same process but over multiple years, rather than just a few hours. 

“Many of the students that attended were interested in the Incubator and Accelerator Programs, so it was a great opportunity to meet them, have them meet other students who are currently applying and just have a fun entrepreneurship morning,” Mirsky said.