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No purchase or payment is necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in Hack for Impact NYC 2025 (“Hackathon”), you agree to abide by these Official Rules and accept the judges’ decisions as final and binding.

• Event Date & Time: The Hackathon will take place on June 6, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Eastern Time (one-day in-person event in NYC).
• Submission Deadline: All projects must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET on June 6, 2025 (end of the hacking period). This is the cutoff for hackathon submissions – late entries will not be accepted.
• Judging Period: Judging will occur immediately after submission, roughly 5:00–7:00 PM ET on June 6, 2025, during which judges will evaluate all eligible projects.
• Winners Announcement: Winners will be announced at the closing ceremony on June 6, 2025 (around 7:00 PM ET). Results will also be posted on the hackathon website on the same day. Any changes to these times will be communicated to participants in advance.

The Hackathon is open to individuals and teams, subject to the following eligibility rules. Participants must be adults (having reached the age of majority, typically 18 years or older) at the time of entry, and teams may have up to 5 members. Certain participants – such as event organizers, employees of sponsors, or government officials – may join in a non-competitive capacity but will not be eligible for prizes. The competition is subject to all applicable laws and regulations, and is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Age: All participants must have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence by the time of entry (usually 18 years old, or higher if local law requires). Minors are not allowed to compete.
• Team Composition: Participants may compete solo or in teams of up to 5 members. Teams can be formed prior to the event or on-site. Each individual may only belong to one team for this Hackathon.
• Permissible Entrants: The Hackathon is open to anyone who meets the age requirement and is not otherwise restricted (see below). Students, professionals, and international participants are welcome, as long as participation is not prohibited by their local laws.
• Ineligible Participants: Employees, interns, or representatives of the Hackathon’s sponsoring organizations (e.g. monday.com) or the platform provider (Devpost) are not eligible to win prizes. Similarly, government officials (including municipal, state, or federal employees who are subject to ethics rules) and corporate entities may participate for the experience and to submit projects, but cannot receive prizes. (This restriction is to comply with ethics and contest laws.)
• Conflict of Interest: Anyone involved in the organization, administration, or judging of the Hackathon (including judges and their immediate family/household members) is not allowed to compete for prizes, to ensure fairness. The organizers reserve the right to disqualify any individual or team if participation would create a real or apparent conflict of interest.
• Compliance with Law: The Hackathon is subject to U.S. federal, state, and local laws. It is void where prohibited. Individuals or teams in regions where contests of this nature are banned or heavily regulated (for example, certain countries/regions under U.S. sanctions or local contest laws) are not eligible to receive prizes. (If you are unsure about your eligibility due to local laws, please contact the organizers in advance.)

All projects must meet the following requirements to be considered for judging:

• Original Work, Created Primarily During Event: Your project must be built from scratch or modified significantly/substantially (>80% of codebase) during the hackathon timeframe. No substantial pre-existing code or prior projects may be used or submitted – this ensures a level playing field. Plagiarism of any kind will result in disqualification.
• Open-Source Libraries & AI Tools: You are permitted – in fact, encouraged – to use open-source libraries, frameworks, APIs, and AI tools to accelerate development. This includes AI/ML services or pre-trained models that might power your solution. However, you must clearly disclose and attribute any such third-party or open-source resources in your project’s README or documentation. The portion of the project that is original work from your team should be distinguishable from any boilerplate or library code. Using someone else’s code that is not public/open-source (or failing to credit open-source code) is not allowed.
• Track Alignment: Each project submission must clearly fit into one of the four Hack for Impact tracks: Education Equity, Climate Resilience, Urban Challenges, or Ethical AI. Participants should declare their chosen track when submitting. Projects will be evaluated in the context of how well they address issues within that track. (Note: If a project could qualify for multiple tracks, just pick the one that best fits – a project can only be submitted to one track.)
• Functional Prototype: Your submission should include a working MVP (minimum viable product) or prototype of your solution. It doesn’t need to be a polished final product, but judges must be able to interact with or observe a functional demonstration of the core features. This could be a running application, a deployed website, a mobile app, or any platform-specific prototype that achieves the main functionality. Make sure any login credentials or special instructions to run the project are provided. Projects that are only concept designs or slide decks without a functional component will not meet this requirement.
• Code Repository: Provide a link to your project’s source code repository (for example, a public GitHub repo). The repository should contain all code written for the project, along with a README file that explains the project and provides instructions for how to run or test it. If your repo is private, you must share access with the judges/organizers for review. The code will be used to verify originality and assess the technical implementation.
• Demo Video or Live Demo: Each team must showcase their project via a short demo. You have two options:
  • Video Demo: Submit a 2–5 minute video demonstrating your project’s features and functionality. The video should briefly explain the problem you’re solving, show how your solution works (include screen recordings or footage of the app in action), and highlight what’s innovative. Upload this video to a platform like YouTube or Vimeo and include the link in your submission. Tip: Focus on the core functionality – judges will likely watch a few minutes at most.
  • Live Demo: If the hackathon schedule permits, teams may also be asked to do a live demo or presentation of their project during the judging period or awards ceremony. In a live demo, you’ll present the same information as above in person. (The organizers will let you know if live presentations are required; even if so, it’s highly recommended to still provide a video for completeness and backup.)
• Submission Form: All projects must be submitted through the official Hackathon platform (e.g., Devpost) by the deadline. This usually involves filling out a form with your project name, a project description, selecting your track, providing the GitHub repo link, the demo video link, and any other required fields (such as team member names, tools used, etc.). Double-check that your submission is complete and that all links are accessible. Incomplete submissions or those that don't adhere to these requirements may be disqualified or not evaluated.

A panel of judges (experts from relevant fields, sponsors, and community leaders) will evaluate all eligible projects. Each submission will be scored based on the following equally weighted criteria, on a scale from “OK” to “Excellent”. Each criterion is defined with expectations for an OK project versus an Excellent project:

• Impact & Relevance – How significant is the problem being addressed, and how relevant is the solution to the chosen track?
  • OK: The project identifies a problem that loosely relates to one of the hackathon tracks, but the overall impact is limited or not clearly demonstrated. The solution’s benefit to society or the target community is marginal or unclear.
  • Good: The project addresses a clear problem within the track theme and shows potential to make a positive difference. The impact is plausible but may be small-scale or not fully realized yet. There is a defined target audience or use-case, and some evidence of benefit.
  • Excellent: The project tackles a pressing, well-defined problem directly aligned with the track’s social impact goals. It demonstrates a strong potential for significant positive impact on its intended beneficiaries or community. The relevance to the track (Education Equity, Climate Resilience, Urban Challenges, or Ethical AI) is obvious, and the solution could meaningfully improve outcomes in that domain.
• AI Execution – Quality of the AI/ML integration and technical execution of any artificial intelligence components. (Note: This criterion applies to how effectively and innovatively the project uses AI, if applicable – non-AI projects will be judged on general technical execution here.)
  • OK: The project makes minimal or simplistic use of AI. For instance, it might call a pre-built API or use an out-of-the-box model without much customization. The AI component, if present, adds limited value or could be done with simpler logic. Technical execution may be basic or have minor issues.
  • Good: The project uses AI or machine learning in a competent way to solve the problem. The team chose appropriate AI tools or models and integrated them such that the solution works as intended. The AI adds clear value, and the technical implementation is mostly solid, though it might rely heavily on existing solutions. Complexity is moderate – e.g., using a known ML model with proper adjustments.
  • Excellent: The project features an innovative or well-executed use of AI that significantly enhances the solution. The team demonstrates technical mastery of AI/ML techniques – for example, training a model on relevant data, cleverly leveraging an AI service, or implementing a novel algorithm. The AI component is integral to the solution’s success and is executed flawlessly or near-flawlessly. Technical complexity and creativity in AI usage are high, and the project may push boundaries in how AI is applied.
• Innovation & Creativity – Originality of the idea and creativity in the solution or approach.
  • OK: The project is functional but resembles existing solutions or common app ideas. It might be a straightforward or incremental improvement on something that’s been seen before. There’s little about the idea that stands out as novel.
  • Good: The project contains some original features or a clever approach to the problem. It may combine existing tools in a new way or apply known ideas to a new context. The idea shows creativity, even if certain aspects exist elsewhere. Judges will see some fresh thinking or unique element in the concept or execution.
  • Excellent: The project is highly innovative – it presents a new solution to a problem or a significantly novel approach that sets it apart. Creativity is evident throughout: from the problem selection to the tech stack or user experience, the team thought outside the box. An excellent score here means the judges have not quite seen anything like it before, or the project delivers a “wow” factor in creativity.
• Scalability & Sustainability – Potential for the project to scale up and be sustainable in the long term (technically and socially).
  • OK: The project functions on a small scale but there’s little evidence it could handle much growth. It might be tightly tailored to a narrow scenario, or the technology would need significant rework to support more users or data. The team may not have addressed how the solution would be maintained or deployed beyond the hackathon.
  • Good: The project shows some consideration for scalability – e.g., maybe it’s built on scalable infrastructure or the design could accommodate a larger user base with minor adjustments. The idea could be extended or continued with additional work. The team might have a basic plan for next steps, indicating the project could be more than a one-off prototype.
  • Excellent: The solution is designed with scalability in mind – it could be expanded to a much larger audience or multiple communities with minimal changes. Technically, it uses robust frameworks or architectures that lend themselves to growth (for instance, modular design, cloud services, etc.). It’s also sustainable, meaning the team has thought about real-world implementation, potential partnerships, or business/social models to keep it going. An excellent project here could realistically be deployed to serve thousands of users or be adopted by organizations, making a lasting impact.

Each criterion will be scored and the scores combined to determine winners. Judges will provide an overall score for each project, and top-scoring entries will win. In the event of a tie, judges will compare the tied projects’ scores criterion by criterion (starting with Impact & Relevance) until the tie is broken. All judging evaluations will be conducted fairly and impartially, at the judges’ sole discretion. Judges’ decisions are final and binding on all participants.

• Prizes: The hackathon’s prizes and recognitions will be awarded to the top projects as decided by the judges. The winning team(s) will earn the opportunity to pitch their project at a “Builder’s Demo” event after the hackathon. This special event will include investors, founders, and developers in the audience, giving winners exposure and a chance to further showcase their solution. (Details about the Builder’s Demo – date, format, etc. – will be provided to the winners after the Hackathon.) In addition to the Builder’s Demo opportunity, winners will receive official recognition (e.g., certificates or trophies) and may receive additional prizes such as sponsor swag or other rewards (to be confirmed on the hackathon site).

• Winner Selection: Judges will deliberate after submissions close on June 6, 2025. Using the criteria above, they will select:

  • an Overall Winner (or 1st Place team),
  • and possibly Runners-up or Track Winners (if applicable, depending on how prizes are structured per track).

  The exact prize categories (e.g., one winner per track, or 1st/2nd/3rd overall) will be clearly outlined on the hackathon website. All winners will be notified during the closing ceremony and via the contact information provided in their submission. If a team is disqualified or cannot accept the prize, the organizers may, at their discretion, award the prize to the next highest-scoring entry.

• Presentation: Winning teams should be prepared to briefly present their projects at the end of the event when winners are announced. This is a chance to celebrate your work with all participants and judges. (Time constraints may limit presentations to winners only.)

• Judging Decisions: All decisions regarding prizes, winners, and disqualifications made by the judging panel and Hackathon organizers are final. By participating, teams agree to accept the judges’ assessments and rankings. No appeals or challenges to the outcomes will be entertained. Judges will provide feedback where possible, but are not obligated to justify their decisions.

• Prize Distribution: Prizes (other than the Builder’s Demo opportunity) will be distributed to the winning team’s members after the event. If there are monetary prizes or tangible awards, teams may be required to provide additional information (such as tax information or proof of identity) to claim them. Any taxes on prizes are the responsibility of the winners. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable for other goods, except at the sponsor’s sole discretion (for example, the sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the advertised prize becomes unavailable).

(Note: Employees of sponsors or others noted in Eligibility may participate but will not receive prizes. If such a team ranks in a winning position, the judges may still give them honorable mention, but the actual prize will go to the next eligible team.)

All Hack for Impact NYC participants are expected to uphold a welcoming, professional, and inclusive environment. By joining the event, you agree to the following code of conduct and rules:

• Be Respectful and Inclusive: Treat all fellow participants, mentors, judges, and organizers with respect. Harassment or discrimination of any kind is strictly prohibited. This includes but is not limited to harassment or disparagement based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any personal characteristic. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for harassment – any participant who engages in harassing or abusive behavior will be expelled from the hackathon without eligibility for any prize. Always conduct yourself in a manner that fosters a supportive, inclusive hackathon environment.
• Collaboration and Fair Play: Teams are encouraged to collaborate within their team but not to collude with other teams in a way that undermines the competition. Do not sabotage anyone else’s project or livelihood. During the event, you may seek general advice and support from mentors or organizers, but the work on your project should be done by your team members. Any attempt to interfere with another team’s work or to tamper with the judging process is unacceptable and may result in disqualification.
• Originality and Integrity: As noted in Submission Requirements, all project work must be done during the hackathon. No plagiarism — you must only submit work that you or your team have created, or clearly indicate any parts that derive from third-party resources. Submissions will be checked for originality. If you reuse code that you wrote before the event (or submit an old project), or copy others’ code without credit, that is a breach of the rules (and the spirit of the hackathon) and will lead to disqualification. Similarly, do not falsify or misrepresent any aspect of your project (e.g., claiming functionality that doesn’t exist). We expect all participants to act with integrity.
• Use of Resources: You should only use tools, data, APIs, and resources in ways that are ethical and within legal rights. This means having proper licenses for any software or data you use, and not violating any terms of service. If the hackathon provides particular APIs, datasets, or services for you to use, follow any usage guidelines given. Also, ensure your project doesn’t secretly collect data from users without consent – transparency is key, especially for AI projects.
• Appropriate Content: Projects must not contain content that is illegal, offensive, or harmful. This includes no hateful content, no sexual or graphically violent material, and nothing that infringes on anyone’s rights. In particular, entrant submissions must not include or promote any offensive, defamatory, obscene, or discriminatory material, or any activities that could be considered illegal or highly unethical. The theme of this hackathon is social good, so ensure your project aligns with a positive mission and does not have malicious purposes. (The organizers reserve the right to reject any submission that they deem inappropriate or against the public interest.)
• Social Good Mission: Remember that Hack for Impact NYC is focused on creating solutions for societal benefit. While we welcome a broad range of tech innovations, every project should tie back to doing good – whether it’s improving education access, helping the environment, addressing urban issues, or ensuring AI is used ethically. Projects that are purely commercial with no social impact, or that could be used in harmful ways, are not in the spirit of the event. The judges may take into account whether a project’s outcome is aligned with positive social impact when evaluating for prizes (this is inherently reflected in the Impact & Relevance criterion).
• Intellectual Property (IP) and Rights: Participants retain ownership of their code, designs, and all intellectual property of their hackathon projects. The organizers and sponsors do not claim any ownership of your work. You are free (and encouraged) to continue developing your project after the event. However, by submitting a project, you grant the organizers and sponsors permission to use your team’s name, project name, descriptions, screenshots, and demo materials for hackathon promotion and presentation purposes (e.g., to showcase winners or examples of projects). You also agree that all content in your submission is original or used with permission – do not include proprietary code or confidential information that you don’t have the right to use. If you use open-source components, ensure they are under a license that allows their use, and give proper credit (as noted above).
• Safety and Responsible Innovation: Do not build anything that could endanger others. This is a broad rule, but it means, for example, no weapons, no malware, no dangerous hacks. Any hardware projects must be handled safely. If your project could potentially cause harm if misused, take steps to prevent that and be clear about intended use. We want creativity, but not at the expense of safety or ethics.
• Compliance with Venue and Sponsor Rules: If the hackathon is held at a physical venue, all venue rules (safety regulations, security checks, closing hours, etc.) must be followed. Also comply with any applicable terms of service for technologies you use. For example, if a sponsor API has usage policies, don’t violate them in your project.
• Enforcement: Participants who violate the Code of Conduct or any hackathon rules may be warned or, at the organizers’ discretion, immediately disqualified and removed from the event. Serious violations (harassment, cheating, etc.) will result in expulsion from the venue (if applicable) and potential banning from future events. The organizers may also choose to take further action (e.g., notifying appropriate authorities) if laws are broken. Remember that the organizers have the right to disqualify any team for unsportsmanlike conduct or rule violations. We sincerely hope none of that will be necessary – we’re here to have fun, innovate, and make a positive impact!

(If you encounter any issues or witness behavior that violates these rules or the Code of Conduct, please report it to a hackathon staff member immediately. We will handle all reports with discretion and take appropriate action.)

The following section contains important legal terms and conditions governing the Hackathon. Please read these carefully. By participating, you (and your team members) agree to these provisions:

1. Media & Publicity Release: By entering the Hackathon, you grant the Hackathon organizers, sponsors, and their agents the right to use your name, likeness, photograph, voice, and project materials for promotional purposes. This means the Hackathon may display or publicize your submission (including project description, code snippets, demo video, etc.) and may use your personal attributes (such as your name and any images or recordings of you at the event) in any media, worldwide, for publicity and advertising of the event or similar future events. This authorization is granted without further compensation to you and without any right of approval, unless such permission is prohibited by law. (In essence, you consent that we can showcase your participation and project to promote the hackathon and its mission.)
2. Privacy & Data Collection: By registering for the Hackathon, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information by the organizers and sponsors for the purposes of administering the event (for example, to communicate with you about hackathon logistics, to verify eligibility, to coordinate judging and prizes) and for other purposes consistent with these rules. This information may include your contact details, demographic information provided at signup, and any other data you choose to submit as part of your project. All personal data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws and the organizer’s Privacy Policy (and/or Devpost’s Privacy Policy, if you registered via Devpost). The organizers will not sell your personal data to third parties. Participants should be aware that project submissions (excluding any sensitive personal data) may be made public as part of the hackathon results. If you have questions about data usage or want to request deletion of your data after the event, please contact the organizers. (Note: If you do not agree to your personal data being used as described, please do not register for the hackathon.)
3. Liability Release: By participating in this Hackathon, you agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless the Hackathon organizers, sponsors, venue providers, Devpost (if applicable), and each of their respective parent companies, affiliates, and employees/agents (the “Released Parties”) from any and all liability or claims arising out of your participation in the event and any related activities or acceptance of any prize. In plain language, this means you can’t hold the organizers or sponsors legally responsible for any injuries, losses, or damages you may suffer in connection with the hackathon. This release covers all kinds of claims, for example: personal injury or illness, property damage or loss, economic loss, or claims relating to publicity or privacy, or infringement of intellectual property rights, that occur during or as a result of the Hackathon. You also agree that the Released Parties are not responsible for any technical malfunctions, theft, loss, or other problems beyond their control that may affect your ability to participate or submit your project. Exception: The only exceptions to this release are for matters caused by a Released Party’s gross negligence or intentional misconduct, or other liabilities that cannot be released under law (for example, certain jurisdictions do not allow liability waivers for severe personal injuries). To the extent such an exception applies, the liability of the Released Party is limited to the minimum extent permitted by law. By entering, you also agree that the Released Parties aren’t liable for any errors in communication or materials related to the hackathon, or any actions of third parties that disrupt the event. (Simply put: you are assuming responsibility for any risks of participating in a hackathon, and you won’t sue the organizers if something goes wrong, except in very exceptional cases.)
4. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law: Except where prohibited by law, you agree that any and all disputes or claims arising out of or related to this Hackathon or any prizes awarded must be resolved individually (not as part of a class or group) and exclusively by final and binding arbitration. This means you are waiving your right to sue in court or have a jury trial, and also waiving the ability to bring or join a class-action lawsuit. The arbitration will be conducted under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and, unless the parties agree otherwise, the arbitration hearing will take place in New York, NY, USA (or at the nearest AAA regional office to the participant). The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction. The Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §§ 1–16) will govern the interpretation and enforcement of this arbitration agreement and all proceedings at arbitration. In any such dispute, under no circumstances will the Hackathon participant be permitted to obtain punitive, incidental, consequential, or other indirect damages (including attorneys’ fees), aside from actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any) directly related to participating in the Hackathon. Participants hereby waive all rights to have any damages multiplied or increased. Governing Law: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, or enforcement of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of participants and the organizers/sponsors, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflict of law principles. (If you are a consumer residing outside the U.S., you may also have rights under your local laws.) By entering, you consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of New York for the purpose of confirming any arbitration award or addressing permitted exceptional legal matters.
5. Additional Terms: The organizers reserve the right to modify, cancel, or suspend the Hackathon if necessary (for example, in the event of a virus, disaster, or any other occurrence that materially affects the event’s fairness or integrity). If any provision of these rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable, all other provisions will remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the organizers to enforce any term of these rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision. These Official Rules, together with any hackathon-specific instructions on the event website, constitute the entire agreement between the Hackathon organizers and participants regarding this event. By entering, you represent and warrant that your submission is your own original work (or you have all necessary rights to use it) and it does not violate the rights of any third party or any laws. The Hackathon organizers are not obligated to verify the accuracy of any team’s claim of intellectual property ownership, but if any issues are brought to our attention, we reserve the right to investigate and take appropriate action (including disqualification of a submission found to be infringing).

Hacker Code Of Conduct

All attendees, sponsors, partners, volunteers and staff at our hackathon are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to ensure a safe environment for everybody.

Our hackathon is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable environment and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of the following:

• gender
• gender identity and expression
• age
• sexual orientation
• disability
• physical appearance
• body size
• race
• ethnicity
• nationality
• religion
• political views
• previous hackathon attendance or lack of
• computing experience or lack of
• chosen programming language or tech stack

We do not tolerate harassment of hackathon participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate at any hackathon venue, this includes the following.

• hacks
• talks, presentations, or demos
• workshops
• any parties associated to the hackathon
• social media
• any other online media

Hackathon participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the hackathon without a refund (if applicable) at the discretion of the hackathon organizers.

By reading and acknowledging these Legal Terms, you understand your rights and obligations as a participant. If you have any questions or need clarifications about these rules, please reach out to the hackathon organizers before the event or during the hackathon. We want to ensure everyone has a safe, fun, and fair experience at Hack for Impact NYC 2025!