Highlights from Hack Tāmaki 2021
Hack Tāmaki 2021, a 48-hour tech and problem solving event, the first in the Tāmaki regeneration area, kicked off in March this year. Hosted in St Johns, by local business and event partner, Jacobsen, we were totally blown away by the level of dedication and talent in the room. Here’s a quick run down of some of the key highlights. Doors officially opened late afternoon on Friday March 26 to over 100 participants who were welcomed with a mihi whakatau, led by local iwi, Ngāi Ta ki Tāmaki, and event partner and organiser Kerry Topp. From here, five teams were formed around local business challengers Jacobsen, We Can All East, Fusion NZ and Tāmaki College, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Ika Bowl. Each team included a diverse mix of creatives, tech devs and entrepreneurs from different cultural and gender backgrounds. Under the guidance of experienced mentors from the tech and business industry, the teams were tasked with defining a business challenge or problem that needed exploration and, ultimately solving. Part of what made Hack Tāmaki truly unique was the environment and opportunity it created for under-represented groups such as Māori, Pasifika and women to participate on a level playing field in the tech arena. A high level of skill, connectivity, creativity and cooperation were just some of the values added because of this. HackTāmaki became one of the most diverse hackathons in Aotearoa with 33% Māori and Pasifika, and 41% women participating; with business challenges across sectors. In between problem solving with tech, delicious meals were shared, participants enjoyed amazing traditional and contemporary performances by local talent, and everyone got to take part in a very special guided hikoi up Maungarei (Mt Wellington). On the final day, March 28, each team pitched and presented their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges, Dr Michelle Dickinson, Teresa Pollard, Terri Carajannis and Tip Piumsomboon who selected team Awhi as the overall winner. Tāmaki Regeneration Company would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the participants, judges and mentors involved. To learn more about Hack Tāmaki 2021, check out the short doco style video we made and read our interview with Russel Dunn and Andrew Gur, co-leaders of winning team, Awhi.
