February 4: Kick-off and working session
9:00-11:00am PT | 12:00pm-2:00pm ET

February 6: Final presentations and judging
9:00-11:00am PT | 12:00pm-2:00pm ET

Grad student teams compete on a real marketing challenge (and use AI to do it)

Turn classroom theory and best practices into real-world impact. This is your chance to team up with your grad program peers to tackle a nonprofit’s real marketing challenge—while gaining hands-on experience and adding to your resume.

• Build real campaigns that make a tangible difference

• Collaborate with peers, mentors, and industry pros

• Gain hands-on experience that bridges study and practice

• Showcase your creativity under real-world pressure

• Add proven impact to your resume before graduation

• Secure your certification of attendance and achievement

• Gain confidence using AI tools to help solve the challenge

Supercharge Growth 🧠

Turn your academic skills into real impact with AI superpowers and smart strategic thinking. Move fast, innovate boldly, and bring ideas to life. Collaborate across disciplines, tackle sprint challenges, and compete to become the team with the smartest solutions.

Resume Bonus 💰

What's in it for me?

Gain real experience that connects your studies to real work by building solutions for a non-profit. Add to your resume with verified achievements and earn yourself a certificate or social badge that proves your hands-on impact. Be seen and heard by your people.

Who is this challenge for?

You like to get hands-on: You’re ready to roll up your sleeves and apply your knowledge to a real marketing challenge.

You know AI is a game changer: You want to build skills and your confidence using AI tools for marketing.

You’re eager to learn: You want to level up your marketing skills beyond the book and classroom.

You’re a team player: You thrive in team settings, enjoy problem-solving, brainstorming, and collaborating.

You seek real world experience: You know a degree isn't always enough, and want to add real experience to your resume to help you stand out to potential employers.

Anyone currently enrolled in a postgraduate MS Marketing or MBA program are invited to participate. This is your chance to represent your university and show off the skills you've learned.

You need to join this virtual hackathon if:

How the challenge works

We're not talking theory in a classroom. We're in the field building and creating together.

CHALLENGE PRESENTED

Teams are briefed on the real-world marketing challenge the non-profit organization is facing

1

2

3

4

WORK ON SOLUTIONS

PRESENT SOLUTIONS

JUDGING & VOTING

Teams of 3-5 brainstorm, collaborate, and develop their solutions over two days, within parameters

Each team presents their solutions live, to the group and a panel of industry judges

Judges and participants cast their votes, winners are announced and prizes awarded

What exactly is a marketing hackathon?

It's a dynamic hands-on event where you collaborate with others to develop creative, actionable solutions to real-world challenges, all within a set time frame.

Your real world experience starts here

Gather a team of peers and compete against universities nationwide in a friendly, fast-paced hackathon. Work together to solve a real marketing challenge for a non-profit and create solutions they can use in the real world.

Learn by doing

Operate as a team

Build for good

A fast-moving virtual experience packed with creative problem solving
Hands-on, immersive learning (the most effective way to learn)
Work in teams to share knowledge and experience
Have space to think creatively and apply to a real world problem

Apply the skills you've learned to help a nonprofit make a real difference
Have direct impact by creating solutions for a worthy cause
Gain valuable real-world experience you can add to your resume
Contribute to meaningful change and leave inspired

Build meaningful connections through teamwork and collaboration
Collaborate across different levels, skills and perspectives
Connect with industry and apply your learnings into the real world

The non-profit you'll be helping

​Austin Lighthouse empowers those who are blind or visually impaired by providing training, adaptive‑technology access, and meaningful employment opportunities. Their goal is to build economic and personal independence so visually impaired individuals can lead fulfilling, productive lives.

Create independence for the visually impaired

What's the challenge?

Shifting buyer behavior

Develop a plan to engage buyers early in their research phase. Provide them with valuable, informative content that positions the organization as a thought leader and trusted resource.

Digital natives

Brand awareness

Create a solution that helps connect with digital-native buyers, removes friction and makes self-service buying easier and more engaging for them

Design a campaign that moves the target audience from unaware to emotionally and financially invested in the nonprofit's mission.

We’re keeping the challenge under wraps for now (that’s part of the fun!) , but here’s a peek at past hackathon challenges to get you inspired.

Meet the hackathon judges

Sit tight - all to be revealed soon

Sign up your team

February 4 & 6, 2025 | Virtual | 12pm - 2pm ET | $95 fee per person
Gather your team for a highly memorable, interactive learning experience.

• Space is limited to 10 teams

• We can accommodate up to two teams per university/college

• Each team can have a maximum of five people

• Certification of attendance awarded upon completion to add to portfolio

• Two winning prize categories. 1) The panel judges vote 2) The peoples vote

Team registration closes January 16, 2026, or once the first ten teams have signed up — whichever comes first.