Latinos x AI Hackathon - NYC
Latinos x AI Hackathon — NYC
Saturday, October 10 · 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM · New York City
Nuestra gente. Nuestros problemas. Nuestro código.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, 150 builders are spending one Saturday in New York building AI for the problems our communities actually live with. Not a demo day. Not a panel. Eight hours, three tracks, working software by 5pm.
Applications are reviewed. Attendance is free.
The Three Tracks
Pick one when you apply. Build for it all day.
01 · Immigration — Papers & Process Status, documents, deadlines, and the systems that decide who belongs. Think intake triage for legal aid clinics, plain-language explainers for immigration forms, interpreter tooling, case-status tracking, know-your-rights assistants.
02 · Healthcare — Care Without Barriers Language, coverage, and access for patients the system was not built for. Think interpretation at the point of care, insurance navigation, discharge instructions people can actually read, community health worker tooling, prescription and benefits literacy.
03 · Finance — Banking the Unbanked Credit, remittances, and building wealth without a financial history. Think remittance transparency, credit-building for thin-file borrowers, small business bookkeeping for cash operations, benefits and tax navigation, fraud protection for first-generation account holders.
Prizes
$4,500 total — $1,500 per track.
Every track winner also gets [sponsor perks once confirmed].
Schedule
Schedule
10:00 AM — Doors, breakfast, team formation
10:45 AM — Opening remarks and track briefings
11:15 AM — Building starts
1:00 PM — Lunch
3:00 PM — Mentor office hours and mid-day checkpoint
4:45 PM — Submissions close
5:00 PM — Demos on stage
5:45 PM — Judging and awards
6:00 PM — Close
Who Should Apply
Engineers, data scientists, and designers who want to ship something real in a day
Product people and founders who can shape a problem and pitch it
Clinicians, immigration attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and financial counselors — the people who know the problem from the inside. You do not need to code to be valuable here. Teams with a domain expert consistently win.
Students and career switchers
You can apply solo or with a team of up to four. Solo applicants will be matched at 10:00 AM.
What to Bring
Laptop and charger
A problem you have seen up close
ID for building security
We provide breakfast, lunch, coffee, wifi, power, mentors, and the room.
Rules
Build during the event. Prior research and planning are fine; prior code is not.
Teams of one to four.
Every submission needs a public repo, a two-minute demo video, and a short written description.
You keep everything you build. No IP claims from organizers or sponsors.
Be decent to each other. Harassment of any kind means you leave.
Mentors and Judges
[ADD once confirmed: names, titles, organizations.]
Partners and Sponsors
[ADD once confirmed: logos and names.]
Interested in sponsoring or partnering? Write to chris@ziora-copilot.com or book 30 minutes. Sponsorship closes October 1.
FAQ
Is it free? Yes. Applications are reviewed because space is limited to 150.
Where is it? New York City. The exact address is shared with approved attendees.
Do I have to be Latino to attend? No. The event is built by and for the Latino community in New York, and everyone who wants to build for these problems is welcome.
Do I need a team? No. Come solo and we will match you at the start.
What language is the event in? English, with Spanish spoken throughout. Apply and demo in whichever you prefer.
Can I keep working on my project afterward? Please do. That is the point.
A note on selection: This edition is built for and centered on the Latino community in New York. Applications from Latino and Hispanic builders will be prioritized. Allies are welcome to apply and will be considered as space allows.
Questions: chris@ziora-copilot.com Hosted by Christopher Martinez