About the challenge

This year’s hackathon theme centers around Ethnic Hair Care—a diverse, culturally rich, and often underrepresented space in tech innovation. Participants are encouraged to explore any aspect of ethnic hair care, from historical traditions and education to product development, salon accessibility, community empowerment, and beyond.

Whether you’re building a mobile app that helps users track hair care routines, a hardware prototype for protective styling, a data-driven tool for ingredient analysis, or a storytelling platform to celebrate unique hair journeys—we want to see your creativity shine.

The theme is intentionally broad to welcome projects from all disciplines—tech, design, health, sustainability, and more. No idea is too small, too niche, or too bold.

Get started

Begin by identifying a problem, curiosity, or personal experience within ethnic hair care that speaks to you. Here are a few prompts to spark ideas:

  • What challenges do people face when navigating ethnic hair care?
  • How can technology empower individuals or businesses in this space?
  • What stories aren’t being told? What tools don’t yet exist?
  • How might we make hair care more inclusive, accessible, or personalized?

Collaborate, research, experiment—and most importantly, have fun while creating something meaningful.

Requirements

What to Build

Your project can take any form—software, hardware, design, research, or a blend of them all. Whether you’re coding an app, prototyping a physical tool, crafting a new product concept, designing a user experience, or creating a campaign that sparks conversation, the goal is to explore solutions and ideas that center around ethnic hair care.

We encourage projects of all sizes and stages

  • Digital tools like apps, websites, or platforms
  • Hardware prototypes or physical product ideas
  • Design concepts for packaging, salons, or retail spaces
  • Educational resources or storytelling platforms
  • Research-based insights or data visualizations
  • Marketing, branding, or awareness campaigns
  • Anything else your imagination leads you to!

What to Submit

When you’re ready to submit, include the following:

 

  • Project Overview: A short description of what you built and why.

  • Demo or Visuals: Screenshots, videos, code repos, prototypes, mockups, or concept art—whatever best showcases your project.

  • Team Details: Who worked on the project and your roles.

  • Reflection: Share what problem you set out to solve, what you learned, and what future steps you’d take.

There are no limits on how you present your submission. The goal is to clearly communicate your idea, show how it fits the theme, and highlight your creative thinking.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$130 in prizes
$10 Visa Gift Card
$30 in cash
1 winner

$25 Visa Gift Card + Suprise
$100 in cash
1 winner

The non-cash prize will be announced at a later date

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

DeAndre Walcott

DeAndre Walcott
Oregon State NSBE Vice President

Douglas Crocker

Douglas Crocker
Oregon State NSBE Finance Chair

Tylah Ellis

Tylah Ellis
Oregon State NSBE Finance Chair

Judging Criteria

  • Creativity & Originality
    How unique or inventive is the idea? Does it approach an existing problem in a fresh way or explore a new area entirely?
  • Relevance to Theme
    How well does the project connect to the theme of Ethnic Hair Care? Is the cultural context acknowledged and respected?
  • Impact & Usefulness
    Could this project make a real-world difference for individuals, communities, or businesses? How meaningful is the potential outcome?
  • Execution & Presentation
    How well is the idea communicated? This can include a prototype, design, research, mockup, code, storytelling, or other visuals.
  • Technical / Concept Depth
    How well-developed is the technical or conceptual foundation? For code: is it functional and thoughtful? For non-code: is the idea well-researched and logical?
  • Inclusivity & Accessibility
    Does the project consider diverse users, hair types, and needs? Is it designed with inclusion in mind?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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