StartHub's Spotlight Event for January 2018 - SheHacks Boston

January 9, 2018

SheHacks Boston  | January 26-28, 2017 | Boston University

We had the pleasure of interviewing Sreeya Sai, a junior at Northeastern University majoring in computer science and the Head of Sponsorship for SheHacks Boston, to learn more about this student-run hackathon that is happening later this month on January 26-28.  Register now to hack, mentor, or volunteer!

What is SheHacks Boston?
SheHacks Boston is set to be the largest student-run, all female and femme non-binary hackathon geared towards college and high school students. For 36 hours, students from around the world will come together at Boston University to build innovative projects, learn how to code, and celebrate women in technology. This is an endeavor on behalf of women from universities all around Boston, including Boston University, MIT, Northeastern, UMASS Boston, Wellesley, and more.

The mission of SheHacks Boston is to empower women and non-binary individuals in computer science, provide them with opportunities to explore the tech industry in an inspiring, encouraging, and energizing environment, and create a community of inclusivity within the Boston tech industry.

Registration is still open at www.shehacks.io to participate. If you don't want to hack, other ways to get involved are through mentoring and volunteering (sign-ups also on our website).

How many attendees do you expect to receive? Where do they come from?
We are expecting about 1,000 participants from around the world. We have high school, undergraduate, graduate, and newly grads participating and SheHacks is the first hackathon for 44% of our participants.

What sets this hackathon apart from other hackathons?
SheHacks Boston is a collaborative event between many universities in the Boston area which is what sets it apart from many collegiate hackathons. We believe that women can achieve great things when they come together and support one another to achieve. Boston is an up and coming tech hub for a lot of start-ups and tech giants which makes it the perfect place to host the largest all-female hackathon. We want to make a big statement and bring the gender gap issue in tech to the forefront. Hackathons are a great place to learn new technologies, turn ideas into reality, and network with future employers but unfortunately, only 20% of hackathon participants are female. At SheHacks Boston, we want to eliminate the stereotype surrounding the term "hacker" and make female engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders the new normal.

Is there a way for non-attendees to follow the conversation? 
To get updates leading up to and throughout the event, be sure to follow our social media accounts. Our Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/SheHacksBoston/, our Twitter is https://twitter.com/shehacksboston/, and our Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/shehacksboston/. Our hashtag is #makingthenewnormal.

Who is the best contact for press?
Fiona Whittington can be contacted for further coverage at fionaw@bu.edu

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