MVP & RD Impact at the 2025 Microsoft Global Hackathon
Produced by The Garage, the Microsoft Global Hackathon is the largest private hackathon on the planet. Since its launch in 2014, it has grown into a company-wide, multi-day event that empowers employees, interns, and invited guests to innovate across disciplines, roles, and geographies. With over 73,000+ participants this year and thousands of projects annually, the Hackathon fosters a culture of experimentation, inclusion, and bold thinking. This year’s Global Hackathon took place during the week of September 15 and was more than just a coding event — it was a global celebration of creativity, collaboration, and community. Almost one hundred MVPs and RDs joined forces with employees and innovators from around the world to tackle challenges that matter — from reimagining customer support to shaping the future of AI. Global Collaboration — Local Impact MVPs and RDs from every corner of the globe participated virtually, forming diverse, cross-functional teams that reflected the depth and breadth of Microsoft’s global community. Whether launching new ideas or joining existing projects, these community leaders brought fresh perspectives, deep technical expertise, and a passion for impact. “We’re thrilled to see MVPs and RDs driving meaningful collaboration across Microsoft. Their energy and expertise elevate the Hackathon experience for everyone involved.” — Alice Piras, Microsoft MVP Program Engagement Lead. Innovation in Action MVP- and RD-led or supported projects spanned a wide range of themes — each aligned with real-world challenges. Some were even recognized with awards for their ingenuity and impact. Here are just a few general examples: Customer Service Innovation: Projects explored how AI agents could assist customer support teams by retrieving information, managing documents, and streamlining workflows. Financial Services Transformation: Hackathon teams developed solutions to simplify complex processes like insurance claims and policy management using intelligent automation. Security & Compliance: Participants experimented with proactive security assessments and AI-powered frameworks to help organizations strengthen their digital posture. Sustainability & IoT: Several teams focused on environmental optimization, using data and AI analytics to improve system performance in areas like aquaponics and smart farming. Digital Identity & Inclusion: Community-led projects addressed secure onboarding and compliance challenges, with a focus on accessibility and user experience. These projects exemplify not only technical excellence but also a commitment to inclusive innovation and community-driven problem solving. Voices from the Community “Hackathon wasn’t just about building, but about creating something that could make an impact — and agentic retrieval made that possible for us.” — Shrushti Shah, MVP “It was an incredible experience collaborating with three MVPs from across the globe on a shared mission for this Hackathon. We didn’t just work together — we learned together, exchanging diverse perspectives to create something amazing in just three days.” — Maya Stewart, Microsoft, Sr. Product Manager "My Global Hackathon experience this year was nothing short of amazing! I decided to work on two projects: one where I made major contributions to an open-source project I’ve long been interested in — and another where I saw firsthand how GitHub Copilot excels at boosting productivity. Overall, I’m still energized after the Hackathon and deeply appreciate the collaborative spirit of working with fellow MVPs and Microsoft employees to achieve shared goals." — Jeremy Sinclair, MVP “It was inspiring to see how diverse backgrounds and ideas came together to build something meaningful. The culture of openness and support made this Hackathon one of the best experiences I’ve had.” — Thomas Schissler, MVP “The Garage Hackathon team engaged with the MVP/RD team again this year to invite Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals and Regional Directors to participate as hackers and advisors in the global event. The industry experts and influencers brought their knowledge and insights about Microsoft products — adding value to hacking teams from across the company.” — Susie Kandzor, Microsoft, Sr. Director of Hacking. Building Bridges Across Microsoft Beyond the code, the Hackathon was a powerful networking catalyst. MVPs and RDs expanded their circles of collaborators, mentors, and speakers — building bridges across product groups, engineering teams, and regional communities. “I’m incredibly grateful to our MVPs and RDs for their energy and contributions during this year’s Hackathon. Their technical depth and collaborative spirit made a real impact — and I’m excited to see how we can make next year’s experience even bigger and better.” — Justin Garrett, Microsoft, MVP Program Principal Program Manager. Inspired by Their Stories? MVPs and RDs are at the heart of Microsoft’s global community — driving innovation, mentoring others, and building solutions that make a difference. Want to learn more about the MVP Program or nominate someone who’s making an impact? Check out the MVP Communities site. Follow us on social media on X and LinkedIn. Learn More Take a peek at the history behind the Microsoft Hackathon — where thousands of innovators from around the world unite to turn bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs.Pantry Log–Microsoft Cognitive, IOT and Mobile App for Managing your Fridge Food Stock
First published on MSDN on Mar 06, 2018 We are Ami Zou (CS & Math), Silvia Sapora(CS), and Elena Liu (Engineering), three undergraduate students from UCL, Imperial College London, and Cambridge University respectively.Microsoft Global Hackathon 2025: MVPs Driving Innovation Across Communities
The countdown is on! The Microsoft Global Hackathon is back the week of September 15, 2025, bringing together thousands of Microsoft employees and select external contributors to dream big, team up, and build solutions that make a difference. Hosted by The Microsoft Garage, this multi-day gathering is the largest private hackathon in the world - a place where creativity, curiosity, and community collide. A Movement Born in 2014 When Satya Nadella launched the first Microsoft Hackathon in 2014, the goal was simple: spark innovation and inspire cultural transformation. Fast-forward to today, and it’s become a global movement. In 2024, more than 71,000 people participated across 75+ venues worldwide - spanning every role, team, and geography at Microsoft. The energy was contagious, and the projects tackled challenges in AI, sustainability, accessibility, and developer tools. MVPs and RDs Making Their Mark Last year, Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and Regional Directors (RDs) joined virtually, bringing their expertise and community connections into the mix, collaborating with employees, mentored teams, and even took time off from work to fully immerse themselves in the event. Projects ranged from reimagining education and improving transportation to advancing responsible AI, supporting healthcare innovations, and championing diversity and inclusion. “We find that MVPs and RDs bring meaningful perspectives and experiences to Hackathon, and this diversity can enhance the outcomes for project teams.” – Susie Kandzor, Senior Director of Hacking. Stories from the Front Lines In 2024, several MVPs were publicly recognized for their impactful contributions: Lesley Crook led a project exploring HR onboarding experiences using Viva, Mesh, AI, and Copilot, while Jeremy Sinclair described his collaboration with Microsoft employees as “exhilarating,” highlighting the value of cross-functional teamwork. These stories reflect Microsoft’s commitment to celebrating MVP impact and fostering inclusive, community-driven innovation. How You Can Join the Story Even if you’re not an MVP, you can still be part of the movement: Learn more about the MVP Program and its role in the Microsoft ecosystem. Watch the MVP Program video for inspiration. Curious about becoming an MVP? Check out the FAQs to see how to apply. Innovation Starts Here The Microsoft Global Hackathon isn’t just an event - it’s proof that grassroots innovation can change the way we work, live, and connect. Whether you’re joining in this year or simply cheering from the sidelines, we invite you to follow along, share your thoughts, and celebrate the people who make it possible. What’s your MVP story? Drop it in the comments or tag us on social media. Let’s inspire the next wave of innovators and community leaders!Get Ready for the Powerful Devs Conference + Hack Together 2025
We’re excited to invite students and educators to participate in this year’s Powerful Devs Conference + Hack Together, starting on February 12, 2025. This event is your chance to learn, innovate, and create impactful solutions. The conference will be followed by a two-week Hack Together, ending on February 28, 2025. Whether you're a student eager to expand your skills or an educator looking to inspire your students, this event is for you to harness the full capabilities of the Power Platform. About the Powerful Devs Conference On February 12, 2025, the one-day online Powerful Devs Conference will showcase how the Power Platform can empower you to build smarter, faster, and more efficient applications. Designed for creators of all experience levels, this event will teach you how to use cutting-edge tools like Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse, AI Builder, and Copilot Studio. Highlights for students and educators: Students: Discover how AI and app development can shape your future career. Connect with professionals and gain insights into building solutions that solve real-world problems. Educators: Learn how to incorporate these technologies into your curriculum to prepare your students for the workforce of tomorrow. Our expert hosts, Scott Durow and Kendra Springer, will guide you through an inspiring day, including a keynote by Leon Welicki, who will discuss how professional developers and future innovators (like you!) can harness the Power Platform to build secure, enterprise-level applications. Whether you're just starting or have some experience, the sessions will provide actionable insights, from learning how to use generative AI in Copilot Studio to building cross-platform apps with Dataverse and .NET MAUI and even scaling solutions for millions of users. Our agenda is designed to inspire and equip developers at every level. The full list of sessions can be viewed here. About the Powerful Devs Hack Together From February 13-28, 2025, the Powerful Devs Hack Together is a 2-week global online hackathon where students and educators can apply their creativity and knowledge to build innovative solutions using the Power Platform. Be sure to check out the hackathon details at https://aka.ms/PowerfulDevs/Hack and star the repo! Hack Together is open to anyone who wants to explore the endless possibilities of using the Power Platform for enterprise app development. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, advanced maker, admin or a professional developer – all are welcome! Check out solutions submitted from the last Hack Together and get inspired to build something that’s innovative with AI What's in it for me? Students: Gain hands-on experience with tools that are highly sought after by employers, work collaboratively in teams, and make your mark in the tech community. Educators: Lead your students in an engaging, practical learning experience and inspire them to think outside the box while solving real-world problems. During the hackathon, we’ll host additional sessions on topics like AI, automation, security, and extensibility to fuel your creativity. You can register here for both the Conference and Hack Together sessions! In order to participate in the hackathon, you must register for a session. Your registration will be for both the selected session and the hackathon. Prizes and categories There are exciting prizes for the top 8 projects from the Hack Together, with each winning team receiving a cash prize of $550! A panel of expert judges, including Microsoft engineers, product managers, and developer advocates, will evaluate submissions based on innovation, impact, technical usability, and how well they align with the following hackathon categories: Best Overall Best in Power Best in Integrations Best in Automation Best in Applications Best in Agents Best in Pages Best in AI Learn more about the rules and regulations in this video: To participate in Hack Together, you must register for the event at https://aka.ms/powerfuldevs/register. Registering for any of the sessions counts as a registration for the hackathon. You will also need to have your own access to a Microsoft 365 account with a Power Platform license. Once you have registered and have access to the Power Platform, you can start building your solution! We’ve created a Learn Collection to help you get started: https://aka.ms/PowerfulDevs/Learn. Be sure to join the Hack Together community hereby starring the repo! This discussions board will be your hub for all updates and information related to the hackathon, including Office Hours, Session Q&A, Project Submission Guidelines, Winner Announcements, and more. You’ll also find helpful resources to get started and learn about the Power Platform. Plus, this is where you’ll submit your final solution. Introduce yourself and join the conversation at https://aka.ms/PowerfulDevs/Hack/Discussions to ask questions, share ideas, and get feedback from Microsoft experts and other participants. You can look for teammates for the Hack Together as well! Your team can submit your solution through GitHub Issues any time before February 28, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST. Your submission should include: A short video demo showcasing your solution. A brief description of the problem statement and your solution overview. Any other relevant details Projects can be submitted using the Project Submission Form, and detailed guidelines are available in the GitHub Repo at aka.ms/PowerfulDevs/Hack. So, what are you waiting for? Students, take the first step toward building your skills and showcasing your talent. Educators, get involved as well and inspire your students to innovate and learn through hands-on experience. Register now and start hacking—we can’t wait to see the amazing solutions you create! 😊 For more information about the event, visit our site: aka.ms/powerfuldevs.Mastering Hackathons with Microsoft Design-Led Thinking: Unleash Your Creative Potential
Unlock your team's full potential in hackathons with Microsoft Design-Led Thinking. Explore the principles of empathizing, ideating, prototyping, and delivering with impact. Enhance your problem-solving skills and create innovative solutions that make a lasting impact.Students hack to solve big challenges in food production at the Cornell DigitalAg hackathon 2021
This year 175 students from all around the world got together to try to solve some of the greatest challenges facing farmers trying to feed a fast-growing global population, as part of the Cornell Digital AG hackathon 2021.
