Written by Davidson College student, Victoria Ochieng ’27
Somewhere between challenging myself and the desire to one day tell my sisters that I participated in a hackathon, I found myself registered for the 2025 Hack@Davidson. Another major reason why I ended up signing up was that a friend reached out to ask if I wanted to team up. On top of that, the supportive co-workers at the Hurt Hub kept encouraging me to do it.
And I believe it’s important to mention that I had no background in coding. And a big part of why I was able to constructively participate in this hackathon was because there was a No-Code Track. A huge thank you to the organizers for their inclusive decision to include the track.
Hack@Davidson is an annual student-led hackathon at Davidson College that brings together participants from both within and outside of Davidson for a weekend of brainstorming, creativity, and innovation.
This year, Hack@Davidson brought together 88 participants, more than 50 of these were from outside Davidson, and 32 tech projects that were created over the course of 36 hours. The hackathon included various tracks, such as:
Check out some of the 2025 projects and winners!
On the final day of the event, participants presented a demo of their projects to a panel of judges, who then decided which teams deserved to win in each track. Several organizers from Major League Hacking (MLH), sponsors, alumni, and speakers generously lent their resources, time, and expertise to support the weekend.
Thank you so much to the 2025 sponsors: https://hackatdavidson.com/#sponsors
I met Natalia Descombe ‘26, during one of the Davidson Entrepreneurship Speaker Series events. We connected then and later grabbed tea. This year, we reconnected and decided to team up. Neither of us had participated in a hackathon before, so from the beginning, we agreed that we were here simply as two young Wildcats drawn to business—learning and bonding along the way. Although we had no prior experience with hacking, we knew we were creative thinkers. Confident in our ability to identify problems and design solutions—entrepreneurial, as Natalia calls it—we decided to give Hack@Davidson a shot.
Seoyoon Song ‘26, another brilliant-minded friend of mine, later joined us, and just like that, we had our little trio of innovators.
We began brainstorming our project idea on Friday night. From the start, we all agreed that we needed to tackle a genuine problem. So, we spent the entire night and initially struggled to settle on a problem and decided to sleep on what we had brainstormed. The next morning, we finally landed on Post-Harvest Loss (PHL). We chose this issue because, based on our research, it was clear this was a significant issue across the world, especially in developing countries. Personally, I strongly advocated for this issue because I had grown up in an agriculturally rich community and had a deep understanding of the impact of PHL.
The solution we “coded” was SEED (Sustainable, Equitable & Efficient Distribution). SEED is a community-driven marketplace that empowers and connects farmers and local consumers to buy, trade, sell, and donate produce, reducing food waste and improving food security. Deep down, we knew it also stood for Sleep, Eat, Exercise, and Drink—one of our earlier ideas that we had to let go of. I hope you’re picking up something from this about compromising: when pivoting to a final idea, it’s okay to find connections and borrow from previous inspirations or ideas.
Spending 36 hours with my two new friends taught me a few valuable lessons about teamwork and tech innovation:
As I reflect on this weekend, I keep thinking about a phrase I recently came across from Your Business Venture by Linsey Mills ‘92 — technology is a disruptor. It’s a powerful tool that has the potential to disrupt multiple industries simultaneously. Looking back at our thought process before landing on SEED, I remember considering so many different directions we could take. The possibilities felt endless, and our own solution itself was going to disrupt a lot of things, including FinTech, agriculture, and education.
I also got to network and meet brilliant people. I recommend looking into the mind-blowing projects that were submitted. Additionally we received an invite from one of the attendees to present at an upcoming tech showcase, such amazing connections!
Another key part of the hackathon was the various workshops available to participants. While I attended a few, one that stood out to me was the Women in Tech Brunch, an open session designed to inspire women in technology and tech entrepreneurship. Sponsored by Women in Computer Science, Hack@Davidson, the Hurt Hub@Davidson and the NC IDEA Engage grant program, this casual roundtable discussion featured accomplished women who have made their mark in the tech industry including:
Here are some of my key takeaways from the panelists:
Sitting across from these incredible women, I felt a rush of inspiration. You sure can be anything you want!
Would I participate in another hackathon? Absolutely. Hackathons push you outside your comfort zone, force you to think critically, and provide an incredible learning experience. They help you foster meaningful connections, expose you to new ways of thinking, and spark ideas that could turn into real ventures. And you could win prizes—we won Best No-Code Hack, and each of us took home a brand-new Kindle!
To anyone considering a hackathon or any new experience: Just do it. You will learn something, meet someone, or discover a new interest.
A huge congratulations to the Hack@Davidson organizing team. You executed an amazing event with great collaboration, communication, and event management skills. Well done!
Adiós, and see you at the next Hack@Davidson!
Have you ever wished you had a trusted circle of other independent entrepreneurs who truly get your journey? People who understand both the thrill and the weight of building something meaningful on your own? Let’s make that solo journey a little less solo.
We’re creating something new at the Hurt Hub – a monthly breakfast gathering called The Solopreneur Circle, and we are looking for individuals who want a seat at the table. This isn’t just another networking event. It’s an intimate community where we can drop the polished pitch and have real conversations about what it takes to build and grow our individual ventures.
The first Thursday of each month, you’ll join other passionate entrepreneurs like yourself in a space where you can:
The Hurt Hub, along with Michelle Mckown-Campbell, founder of Activate the Awesome and Knowledge Hub speaker, will help facilitate these conversations to get the ball rolling, but the real magic will happen in the authentic connections and conversations between members. Whether you’re wrestling with scaling challenges, seeking feedback on new ideas, or simply want to be around others who understand the entrepreneurial mindset – this is your space.
If you have any questions about Solopreneur Circle or upcoming events please email Amy Gascon, at amgascon@davidson.edu.
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