24 Hour Hackathon for Switchers

05 May 2017

For immediate release

Follow 31 social entrepreneurs, 9 provinces embark on a 24-hour solutions hackathon

 

On 8 May, for 24 hours, all eyes will be on 31 social entrepreneurs from the ACTIVATE! Change Drivers network across South Africa, as they hack for sustainable solutions to a common challenge. The most innovative solution will win a trip to India with Startup Safari in July!

 

The ACTIVATE! Change Drivers SWITCH Programme has partnered with the Startup Safari (www.startupsafari.org) which was founded by Apoorv Bamba. Startup Safari selects entrepreneurs through various entrepreneurial development spaces and takes them on a week-long entrepreneurial ‘safari’ through India; one of the leading nations in innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

The SWITCH Programme is a startup support initiative for social entrepreneurs within the ACTIVATE! network of young change drivers. The SWITCH is a 12-month programme that nurtures and mentors social entrepreneurial ideas into strong concepts that are 1.) relevant 2.) innovative and 3.) self-sustainable. The SWITCH Programme works with aspiring social entrepreneurs who are already working at grassroots level in their communities and who are striving to create sustainable change.

 

At 8am, the SWITCH participants will receive their challenge in their mailbox. The challenge will be a brief narrative presenting overlapping social issues. The participants will be prepared with a team of 3 – 5 people to attack the problem and create a solution. They are free to recruit any help or resources they can mobilise. They can reach out to the public, they can call a friend and delegate as much as they’d like. The only rule is that by 7.59am on 9 May 2017, they have to submit a social business canvas presenting their initiative as well as 4-minute YouTube pitch.

 

An external panel of judges will score the canvas and the pitch with a score card. Results will be tallied and on 12 May 2017, ACTIVATE! will announce the winners via a press statement and social media.

 

Judges will include:

Laura Bergh (Poverty Stoplight, Cape Town)

Jason Basel (AKRO, Cape Town)

Apoorv Bamba (Startup Safari, Delhi)

And two others that are still to be confirmed.

We invite you to follow the 24 Hackathon and support these social entrepreneurs as they work tirelessly to solve a social problem in South Africa.

WHAT: 24HourHackathon

WHEN: 08h00, 8 May 2017 – 07h59, 9 May 2017

WHERE: South Africa

WHY: To win a trip to India with Startup Safari & solve a common South African social issue

WHO: Aspiring social entrepreneurs of the SWITCH Programme (ACTIVATE! Change Drivers NPO)

Ends

You can follow the event on:

Facebook page: Activate! Change Drivers Switch Programme

Twitter: @ActivateZA

   #24hourhackathon

   #Switch2017

   #SocEnt

For more information, please contact the SWITCH Programme Coordinator, Carrie Leaver on carrie@localhost and 081 838 3403

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