ATX Hack for Change Kicks Off Three-Day Event For Civic Good

Austin, Texas — ATX Hack for Change, one of the leading civic hackathons in the country, opens June 3 with hundreds of participants collaborating to solve community issues. Festivities are hosted by St. Edward’s University, in partnership with the City of Austin’s Innovation Office and Open Austin.

The three-day event launched with keynote speakers Michele Grieshaber, chief marketing officer from Silicon Labs and Mark Strama, head of Austin operations for Google Fiber thanking the participants for their commitment to improving the conditions within Austin.

Teams made up of community organizers, nonprofit groups, educators, government employees, writers, graphic artists, project managers and techies will tackle the city’s biggest issues, from ridesharing to beekeeping.

Austin’s exponential growth comes the aches and pains of new urban struggles. ATX Hack for Change, a civic hackathon, is an event that brings the community together to voice their concerns and work on creative solutions.

“Social innovation is rarely the work of a solitary individual. Instead, it happens when people exchange ideas and build off one another,” said Silicon Labs Chief Marketing Officer Michele Grieshaber. "We’re proud to join other members of the Austin tech community at this event. Together, we can develop solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our city today.”

Beyond helping just Austin, ATX Hack for Change will be joining the Smart City Hack, a global initiative supporting the public to go from generic urban problems to sustainable app-based solutions.

Participants will network and talk to tech experts from Cisco, Google, VMware, BlueChasm, Freshform, iDesignedu, Netsync, Silicon Labs and MakerSquare.

Sponsors also included Central Market, SkinnyPop Popcorn, Southside Flying Pizza, Amy’s Ice Cream, Chameleon Cold Brew and KIND snack bars. To keep stress levels low, Wanderlust Yoga is offering free morning classes.

More than 300 hackers from various civic sectors are attending the hackathon.

Participation is free, and participants can register at atxhackforchange.org.

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