🧠The AI Collective | KingHacks 2026 Opens!
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​Presented by AWS, Backboard.io, ElevenLabs, IBM, and the Kingston Mayor’s Office
​Backboard.io is the sponsored AI API provider for KingHacks. Through Backboard.io's unified API you will have access to over 2200 LLMs and modular features such as RAG, Web Search and the worlds #1 ranked long context memory.Â
​Projects in ALL streams are encouraged to use Backboard.io's API and take advantage of their developer credits, the use of their memory is not required.
​Note for Mayor's Track: Through Backboard.io you can access Cohere models, ensuring that all data at rest and in transit is 100% Canadian, critical for government applications.
​All participants will receive $10 in developer credits by registering their team at:
API Access:Â Backboard.io/hackathons
Promo code:Â QMIND26
​To learn why Backboard.io is a great starting point for any AI Hackathon project, check a quick walkthrough video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__LkDBg8OaA
​📍 January 16, 2025 — Queen’s University, Kingston (Online Judging, Attendance Not Required)
​🗂️ (Online prep begins one week earlier)
​Join 200+ builders for Kingston’s largest industry-backed AI hackathon. One week before the event, participants will receive track details, datasets, and tools and start building! This gives every team a head start before demo day.
​This hackathon is built around career opportunity and real impact.
​IBM and Backboard will be onsite accepting resumes, AWS engineers will provide mentorship, and the Mayor’s Office will evaluate AI civic projects with a pathway to present at City Hall.
​Start building someting, make impacts, and potentially land your dream internship here!
​• AWS Cloud Credits: All participants receive access to AWS cloud credits on hackathon day. • ElevenLabs Offer: All registrants receive 3 months free of the Creator tier (normally $30/month).
​🏆 Tracks & Prizes
​🟦 AWS Track
​Build an AI solution powered by AWS tools or cloud services.
​Prize: $1,000 in AWS Credits, 1-on-1 mentorship from AWS Solutions Engineers
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​🟥 IBM Track
​Enterprise AI, Data Governance & Responsible AI
​Create a scalable, enterprise-ready AI solution that solves a real business problem while embedding responsible AI practices.
​Prize: An office tour with a career panel dedicated for the winners. Expect to meet IBM managers and executives who can share advice and talk about internship opportunities(anytime from Feb-May)
​IBM will have an onsite booth and will accept resumes for internship consideration.
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​🟨 Backboard.io Track
​Use Backboard.io’s memory product to create a personalized, context-aware AI experience.
​Prize: $500 at any restaurant in Kingston + a formal interview with Backboard.io
​Backboard.io will be onsite and actively accepting resumes.
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​🟪 ElevenLabs Track
​Build an AI product that uses voice or audio to improve how people create, communicate, or access information.
​Prizes:
​• Overall Winning team: 3 months of ElevenLabs Pro tier per member ($1.6k Value).
​• Best ElevenLabs-powered project: 6 months of ElevenLabs Scale tier per member ($10.8k Value).
​ElevenLabs will provide API access, branding assets, and technical support for teams building with their platform.
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​🟩 Mayor's Innovation Track
​Build an AI tool that improves Kingston’s civic services or community life.
​Prize: Finalists present at City Hall in the Mayor’s Innovation Challenge
​City officials will attend and judge onsite.
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​📅 Event Format
​All participants will receive tracks, rules, datasets, and APIs one week before Jan 16, giving teams a head start on hacking.
​January 16 — Hackathon Day
​• Welcome & sponsor introductions
​• Final build & refinement period
​• Sponsor booths open (IBM, AWS, Backboard)
​• Resume drop for IBM and Backboard
​• Live judging by sponsors + Mayor’s Office
​• Awards & finalist announcements
​🍕 Food, drinks, cookies, and swag will be available throughout the day.
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​✨ Why Attend
​This hackathon is designed to help students:
​• Build with real industry tools
​• Meet engineers and hiring managers
​• Get resume feedback & internship opportunities
​• Work on civic challenges with real impact
​• Land your dream internship next cycle!
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​🎙️ Meet the Judges
​Meet the experts evaluating your work:
​• Juan Djuwadi — Product Manager, Google (ex-Riot Games & Electronic Arts)
​• Michael Jiang — Software Engineer, Google (ex-Wayfair)
​• Ran Tao — Cloud Support Engineer, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
​• Praveen Kumar Venugopal — Senior Data Scientist, CVS Aetna
​• Deepti K. — Advisory Board Member, CallBotics.ai
​• Prathusha Prakash — Engineering Leader, TikTok (ByteDance)
​• Jason Dsouza — AI Engineer, Creator of Caer (3M+ installs), Deep Learning Educator @ freeCodeCamp, Winner of 60+ Hackathons
​• Siddhu Raj — Business Intelligence Engineer II (Forecasting), Amazon
​• Vinod Bottu — Senior Software Engineer, Microsoft
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​These judges bring deep expertise across AI, cloud computing, product engineering, and large-scale data systems. Your project will be reviewed by people who ship real products at global scale.
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​👥 Who Can Participate
​Students of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome!
​Fill out the application form here to be officially considered:
https://forms.gle/A7u4zUEKKtnHMQUu8
​We need at least one google form submission from each team! Make sure your teammates are registered to the Luma event after you fill out the Google form!
​Please submit your registration before Jan 7!
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​As always, food and drink, engaging conversation, and incredible company will all be provided!
​​Please be advised: Unfortunately, space is very limited at these community events and we can not always accept everyone we would like to. If you are not accepted to this event, please keep applying! We appreciate your application tremendously and we are looking forward to seeing you at a future event very soon!
​The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 70,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.
​All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective are subject to our Code of Conduct.