UW-Green Bay hosts first hackathon experience

UW-Green Bay celebrated the success of its first-ever hackathon, “HackGB,” bringing together student innovators from 11 universities and colleges.

The event attracted 58 participating groups, 10 sponsors, and judges and speakers from as far away as San Francisco and Canada.

While the event primarily appealed to computer science students, participants studying electrical and mechanical engineering were also encouraged to compete by developing hardware-based projects.
Held Oct. 17-18, the 24-hour hackathon challenged participants to build projects from scratch inspired by social issues and causes important to them. Teams competed for a share of more than $5,000 in prizes, with judges evaluating their creations on several criteria.

Among the winning projects was “Cold Guard,” a hardware-based security tool inspired by a recent cybersecurity breach involving European supermarket refrigerators being hacked and overheating. The team developed a device designed to serve as a protective barrier between potential threats and the equipment those threats seek to compromise. Projects like Cold Guard demonstrate the potential for hackathons to help students turn their ideas into practical solutions, according to HackGB student leaders Carlos Guzman and Sachin Shrestha.

They pointed to companies such as Twitter and GroupMe as examples of businesses that originated from hackathon-style environments, where collaboration and experimentation can spark new ideas.

Beyond technical innovation, accessibility was another important consideration in the planning of HackGB. Guzman and Shrestha explained that tools such as Lovable, which supports AI-assisted coding, helped make participation more accessible to students with different abilities and needs. One participant, Benjamin Villalovas, earned a win for the best use of Lovable software with a project that maps haunted houses across the United States and identifies whether each location meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Despite being unable to use his hands, Villalovas completed the project using his foot and a specialized mouse alongside coding software.

The event was organized by two UW-Green Bay computer science organizations, 404 Network and Google Developer Group. Although both clubs were established within the past two years, their members saw an opportunity to create an event that would allow students to demonstrate their technical skills beyond the classroom.

Ethan Wollert, president of 404 Network, said the initiative was intended to expand opportunities for students pursuing computer science. “We’re trying to give more opportunities to computer science students and create a more well-rounded computer science degree,” Wollert said.

With its inaugural event complete, UW-Green Bay plans to make HackGB an annual competition hosted at the STEM Innovation Center. Organizers hope to attract even more sponsors and participants next year as the event continues to grow.

Students interested in participating in HackGB 2027 can watch for applications on the event’s website, www.hackgb.com, early in the new year.

Pass It Forward™ editorial is sponsored by Packers Give Back, Nicolet National Bank and the National Trust for Local News.