Anthropic Hackathon Powered by Ara and Elevenlabs
CBC and Wharton AI & Analytics is partnering with Anthropic for our second annual hackathon, themed around Machines of Loving Grace; the idea that AI, built thoughtfully, can genuinely improve human life. We're not here for another demo day. We want projects that are impact-heavy: ambitious, meaningful, and grounded in real problems people face.
Sponsors: Anthropic, Ara, ElevenLabs, Claude Builder Club, Wharton AI and Analytics Club, and Hack4Impact
Judged by member from the Wharton AI and Analytics Club, Wharton Fintech Club, Wharton Technology Club, Hack4Impact and Wharton Entrepreneurship Club, Claude Builder Club
Teams of 2 – 4 will build across five tracks :
Biology & Healthcare: Make healthcare more accessible; expand mental health support
Economic Empowerment & Education: Remove barriers to learning and opportunity
Democratic Governance & Collaboration: Help people participate in democracy or work together better
Creative Flourishing: Amplify human creativity and help people find meaning
Scientific Discovery: Support research and exploration across any scientific domain
Competing for Anthropic API credits and a special Impact Award presented by Penn Hack4Impact, recognizing the project with the greatest potential for real-world change.
The best builds will win the following:
🏅 Main Prizes
🥇 1st place: $150 cash* + $1k Anthropic credits
🥈 2nd place: $100 cash* + $350 Anthropic credits
🥉 3rd place: $150 Anthropic credits
🛴 Ara Sponsor Prizes (eligible for teams that integrate Ara)
🏆 Overall Winner: 2 Scooters
⚡ Most Technical: Nvidia Jetson Nano
🔥 Most Viral: Nintendo Switch
🎙️ ElevenLabs Sponsor Prizes (eligible for teams that integrate ElevenLabs)
🎙️ Best ElevenLabs Build: 6 months Scale tier ($330/month value) per team member
To be eligible for prizes, builds must:
Be a new build (no previous projects)
Use Claude in some capacity (better integration = more points)
Submit a GitHub repo + demo video
Snacks and dinner provided! Come ready to build!
(Note: To receive a free ElevenLabs subscription for use at the hackathon, please register before April 8 — we cannot send subscriptions after that date.
*Amazon gift card
Hackathon Schedule (Subject to change)
12:30 – 1:00 PM: Registration and Opening Ceremony
1:00 – 4:00 PM: Build Time
4:00 – 5:00 PM: Final Build (Submit by 5)
5:00 – 5:45 PM: Round 1 Video Screening and Fireside Chat
5:45 – 6:30 PM: Round 2 Q&A and Dinner
6:30 – 7:30 PM: Finals and Live Presentations