Hello 50:50 World in Zurich: Hacking the Culture

Overview Hello 50:50 World march meetup about how hackathons shape who belongs in tech with Zeynep Savaseri. Lightning Talk What? Hacking the Culture: How Hackathons Shape Who Belongs in Tech Who? Zeynep Savaseri – ETH student and founder of HerCode, organizing hackathons that encourage more women to participate in tech Hosted by Hello 50:50 World in collaboration with ETH Diversity Hackathons are often celebrated as spaces of creativity, innovation and collaboration. In a short amount of time, teams come together to build ideas, experiment with technology and learn from each other. But beyond the code and prototypes, hackathons also shape something deeper: who feels welcome in tech — and who does not. Our speaker Zeynep is launching hackathons designed to encourage more women to participate in technology. Together, they will explore how the design of hackathons, from team formation and mentorship to communication and culture, can influence who participates, who thrives, and who ultimately continues to study in STEM and work in tech. This meetup is open to a wide range of perspectives. Whether you have participated in hackathons yourself, have never joined one (perhaps for specific reasons), are organizing hackathons, or are part of an organization that uses hackathons for innovation, collaboration or talent acquisition, this conversation is for you. We will discuss questions such as: What makes a hackathon feel like a safe and welcoming space for everyone? How do hackathons influence who feels they belong in tech? What barriers might prevent people from participating in hackathons in the first place? How can organizers, participants and companies design hackathons that foster inclusive collaboration? To participate, bring someone with a different perspective (e.g., gender, nationality, etc.) to ensure balanced representation. Please note that we are taking pictures during our meetups. If you don't want to be in pictures, let us know when you check-in. Do you have a topic or a speaker in mind for a lightning talk? Get in touch at hello5050world@gmail.com Hello 50:50 World Can we really achieve gender equity and diversity in tech if we stay in our feminist bubbles? Do you believe that we can only achieve more equality when everybody is on board? Then join the conversation on diversity in tech at our Hello 50:50 world meetups. To participate, you’ll need to bring someone with a different perspective (e.g., gender, nationality, etc.) to ensure balanced participation. Both you and your +1 need to get a ticket so we can better manage attendance. Learn more Venue & setup We will meet at the PBLabs at ETH Zurich in collaboration with ETH Diversity (thank you for hosting us!). 17:30 – Doors open 17:45 – Intro, Lightning talk & QA with speakers 18:00 – Open discussions (3x switching groups) 18:45 – Summary round 19:00 – Closing