​A 3-day hackathon at Hacker Dojo bringing together veterans, engineers, designers, nonprofit leaders, and community builders to co-create solutions to challenges faced by the veteran community.

​The Challenge

​What was the hardest part about coming home as a veteran?

​For many veterans, the challenge does not end when they leave the service. It begins when they try to navigate the systems designed to support them.

​Too often, veterans face:

• ​Confusing websites and complicated processes

• ​Long application forms

• ​Unclear pathways to finding the right resources

• ​Waiting weeks or months for support when they need it most

​When a veteran needs help, accessing support should not feel like another battle.

​The goal of this hackathon is to explore solutions that make getting support as simple and accessible as possible. We believe veterans should be able to communicate what they need and quickly connect with the right resources, organizations, and people who can help.

​Listen First. Then Build.

​This hackathon is built around a simple principle:

​Listen first, then build.

​Veterans will share their lived experiences, challenges, and ideas directly with builders. Engineers, designers, and innovators will then collaborate with veterans to transform those insights into working prototypes over the course of the weekend.

​The goal is not just to create a project for a weekend. The goal is to build ideas that can continue growing into real tools, services, and solutions that improve the lives of veterans.

​3-Day Agenda

​Day 1 — Listen, Pitch, Form Teams

​Understanding the problem and finding opportunities

• ​Veteran open mic sharing real challenges and lived experiences

• ​Innovation pitch session inspired by veteran stories

• ​Team formation and collaboration kickoff

• ​Evening kickoff into hackathon build begins

​Day 2 — Build With Veterans

​Turning ideas into solutions

• ​Full-day collaborative building session

• ​Veterans actively engage with teams as advisors and co-designers

• ​Mentorship, iteration, and prototyping

• ​Evening continued development and refinement

​Day 3 — Demo & Celebrate

​Showcasing solutions and creating momentum

• ​Final build and project preparation

• ​6:45 PM submission deadline

• ​7:00 PM team demos begin (5-minute presentations per team)

• ​Judges deliberate and evaluate solutions

• ​Winner announcement and awards

• ​Community celebration continues until 9:00 PM

​Join us in bringing together veterans and innovators to build a future where accessing support is faster, easier, and centered around the people who need it most.