Take a bite out of food issues in Seneca’s hackathon | MyNews | Seneca Students

Looking for a way to showcase your skills while tackling real-world issues? 

This year’s Seneca Hackathon with a focus on the future of food could be just the ticket. 

Students and alumni will team up to brainstorm innovative solutions, with mentorship from industry professionals in this student-run event, which involves a competition of up to four days.  

“It’s a way for students to show their skills in solving current problems our society is facing,” said Isaiah Cyrus Majam, the Event Director.  

Mr. Cyrus Majam (pictured) is one of the students in the eight-month Project Management – Information Technology graduate certificate program who is helping to organize the hackathon. 

Representatives from more than 20 companies and organizations such as Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank, CPOS, an automation technology company based in Ottawa, and Thinking North, an investment network based in Toronto, are among this year’s partners and sponsors. And some of them will be mentoring participants and helping to judge the event.  

“There are certain problems that they want to solve,” Mr. Cyrus Majam said, noting the hackathon is a great way to brainstorm possible solutions. 

Each team will select a problem statement from one of five challenge categories to tackle in the competition. The categories are: food sustainability; innovative retail solutions; food insecurity and charitable support; nutrition, wellness and consumer education; and food safety, traceability and transparency.  

There are two stages to the competition and prizes will be given to the winners in each of the categories. 

For students and alumni, it’s not just a learning experience, it’s also a great way to network and to possibly tap into employment opportunities. 

This is the sixth year that Seneca has hosted the event. Last year, about 1,000 people registered and 180 participants made it through to the finals.  

If you’re interested and want to learn more about it, drop by the in-person mixer on Thursday, March 13 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall, Building A, Newnham Campus. 

Registration for the free event is available through the hackathon website and closes Sunday, March 16 at 11:59 p.m. 

The competition involves three virtual sessions on Sunday, March 23, Monday, March 24 and Friday, March 28, along with an in-person finale in the Event Space, on the second floor of Building K, Newnham Campus on Saturday, March 29.