Leverage hackathons as a powerful catalyst for rapid innovation, empowering you to tackle your organization's challenges head-on through collaborative engagement

Key Features

• Learn how to identify challenges in your organization quickly by engaging people
• Understand how to organize your hackathon to find practical and impactful solutions
• Execute winning solutions through a scientific, customized acceleration program

Book Description

Discover the transformative power of hackathons with expert guidance from Ann, founder of the Hack for Earth Foundation. With a background in psychology and years of experience as Head Project Manager at Hack for Sweden, she brings unparalleled insight into human behavior and citizen-driven innovation, a concept she coined. In this book, Ann introduces the innovative Dream-Hack-Build method and guides you in taking action through the hackathon process and implementing solutions fast.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I explains why hackathons are effective for innovation in today's complex business landscape, showcasing real-world examples of citizen-driven innovation and how to use them to drive impact in your organization.

Part II delves into organizing a hackathon, emphasizing audience engagement by creating challenges with a deep sense of urgency. You'll learn how to choose the right hackathon platforms, structure, and communication strategy, and manage hackers, mentors, jury groups, and partnerships to serve your hackathon purpose and achieve impactful results.

Part III is where you'll bring hackathon solutions to fruition by designing a customized acceleration program grounded in science and established facts of startup success.

By the end of this book, you'll be on your way to becoming a business leader-a changemaker of the future.

What you will learn

• Find out what makes hackathon a game changer in innovation
• Identify and tackle challenges in your organization by finding practical solutions
• Activate engagement among customers, partner organizations, and employees through an interactive and fun hackathon experience
• Leverage the Dream-Hack-Build method for enhanced organizational performance and brand development
• Customize your hackathon using the best platforms for your challenge
• Create a personalized acceleration program rooted in group dynamics and psychology

Who this book is for

This book is for business leaders, C-suite executives, and decision-makers in search of impactful solutions to their organization's challenges. While a basic understanding of hackathons is beneficial, no other technical skills associated with hackathons are required to derive value from this book.

Table of Contents

1. Redefining the Hackathon Tool
2. Making Citizen-Driven Innovation Work for You
3. The Dream! Hack! Build! Method
4. Creating the Perfect Challenge for Your Hackathon
5. How to Organize an Impactful Hackathon
6. Communication and Managing Hacker Teams and Mentors
7. Partnerships for Success
8. External Communication and Social Media Presence for Hackathon Success
9. Taking Citizen-Driven Innovation to the Next Level
10. Converting Hackathon Results into Real Tools
11. Build for Earth Learnings - How to Make a Startup a Success Fast
12. Appendices A and B
13. Glossary

About the Author

Ann started the Hack for Earth Foundation in 2021, sensing the need for an international platform for citizens to co-create sustainable innovation for the future. As a licensed psychologist with 18+ years of experience, she has a profound understanding of human behavior and the importance of people and communication. As Head Project Manager at the government mission Hack for Sweden, she invented the impactful Dream-Hack-Build method and coined the concept of citizen-driven innovation. She introduced her work at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2022, and at TEDx Stockholm in 2020. She is a multiple published author and an international speaker on hackathons, citizen-driven innovation, and ESG in action.

Love Dager is a serial entrepreneur, hackathon expert and co-founder of Hack for Earth AB. Known for his outstanding achievements in creating tech communities, fostering innovation and impact, Love comes from a background in tech working for Norrsken, Microsoft and Hack for Earth. Pioneering the hackathon method for the government mission Hack for Sweden in 2019, Love adapted this previously tech based format to tackle society's greatest challenges, laying the foundation to what would evolve into Hack for Earth and the Dream! Hack! Build! method. Back in his home country of Sweden he runs Stockholm Fintech, the nation's largest community within fintech, and invests in early stage startups on the side. Love's passions are tech and empowering youth to become entrepreneurs.

Mustafa Sherif, an urban planner from Baghdad, now residing in Sweden, is renowned for his people-focused city designs. Educated in Stockholm and Milan, his global insights drive his commitment to community-involved urban development. At Hack for Earth, as Community Manager, Sherif channels his passion for community and citizen-driven innovation into international hackathons. Additionally, Sherif's Urbanistica Podcast, reaching over 140 countries globally, has become a vital platform for urban dialogue, emphasizing human-centric city planning. His multifaceted contributions underscore his influence in shaping the future of urban spaces globally.