The City of Memphis has announced the results of the 2024 Hackathon, which took place at the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology from November 15 to 17, 2024.
The following is what the City of Memphis had to say in a press release:
“Byte the Blight” team won the City of Memphis Hackathon grand prize. The team devised an innovative way to eliminate blight in the City by using technology to empower government, citizens, and non-profits to clean up the City.
Seventy hackers from 14 teams gathered for a 36-hour sprint to develop solutions to civic challenges. The three challenges were reducing neighborhood blight, enhancing transportation for workforce development, and leveraging Smart City Technologies.
The City of Memphis’s executive leaders identified these topics because they sought new ideas for delivering services to residents. The Hackathon occurred at the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology from November 15 to 17, 2024.
“I appreciate how these team members dug deep into the City to understand our problems and develop creative solutions. Hopefully, we can implement some of their ideas to improve our citizen’s lives,” said Antonio Adams, Memphis’s Chief Operating Officer.
Innovate Memphis, in partnership with the City of Memphis, Memphis Technology Foundation, BDPA, City Leadership, CodeCrew, Epicenter, Midsouth Makers, StartCo, and Tech901. Event sponsors include Malasri Engineering, Blue Note Bourbon, Blue Suede Networks, Ting, Orion, Adams Keegan, and the FedEx Institute of Technology.
“It was truly inspiring to see so many Memphians lend their talents and time over a weekend to help solve pressing civic challenges. I was blown away by what each team was able to accomplish in such a short time, and I’m confident that the City will see these ideas come to life in the months ahead. Everyone in Memphis should be proud of what this Hackathon community is capable of with a little time, skills, and collaboration,” said Jessica Lotz, Executive Director at Innovate Memphis.
Grand Prize Team ($2,000 prize) – Byte the Blight
- Project Description: A Blight Layer API Gateway that will summarize Blight data across departments and allow GIS-informed Blight remediation by the Mayor’s office, civic maintenance technicians, citizens, and non-profits. It will also allow for 3rd-party mapping services to provide auto-routing and crowdsourced data retrieval/submission.
- Team Members:
Prince Bobo
Michael Gattas
Leo Rule
Mike Schoenberger
Challenge 1 (Blight) Winner ($1,000 prize) – Clean Slate
- Project Description: A program that will allow adults re-entering from incarceration and youth to organize neighborhood cleanups and put cash in their pockets while beautifying their City.
- Team Members:
Hassan Ali
Kaliaya Dews
Katerra PayneYusra Salameh
Yesenia Sanchez
Tasneem Wakil
Challenge 2 (Workforce Transportation) Winner ($1,000 prize) – Tech Titans
- Project Description: Website prototype where multiple local employers can upload transportation needs/schedules for employees and pool resources to provide rides to and from work.
- Team Members:
Carl Bledsoe Jr
Venki Mandapati
Venky Rajendran
Balaji Venkatasubramaniyar
Challenge 3 (AI & Smart City) Winner ($1,000 prize) – NEAIA (Non-Emergency Artificial Intelligence Assistant)
- Project Description: An AI assistant designed to alleviate pressure on emergency dispatch systems by redirecting non-emergency calls and helping individuals report non-urgent issues effectively, educating the public on proper 911 usage, and enhancing response times for true emergencies.
- Team Members:
Kareem DaSilva
Marcus Kelly
Chisom Okonkwo
Source | memphistn.gov
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