Technica Marks Another Year of Innovation in Tech 

Hackathons have long served as a testing ground for creativity and collaboration, where students and professionals come together to solve real-world problems under tight deadlines. Over a day or two, ideas move from concept to creation, often sparking new perspectives and connections that last well beyond the event.

That spirit filled the College Park Marriott Conference Center on November 15 and 16, 2025, as more than 400 in-person and 100 virtual participants gathered for Technica, the world’s largest hackathon celebrating underrepresented genders. The 24-hour event brought together students, mentors and industry professionals for a weekend of coding, workshops and community-building.

Since its founding in 2015, Technica has grown from a student-run initiative into a major platform that encourages everyone to take part in tech. The hackathon’s mission remains to create an environment where participants of all backgrounds and experience levels can explore technology, build projects and gain confidence in their abilities.

This year’s event featured more than 30 workshops and 11 sponsor booths, with sessions covering topics such as Principles of Prosthetics Design, Community Building: Imposter Syndrome and Quantum Computing 101: An Intro to Quantum Computing.

Faith Comising, a senior computer science major with a minor in general business, served as one of this year’s key organizers. She said the team aimed to ensure that Technica’s mission extended beyond words on a banner or website.

“Our goal has been to continue to live out our mission of making tech a place where everyone feels like they belong, no matter their background or experience,” Comising said. “We wanted that to come through in everything we do, from how we welcome participants to how we support them throughout the weekend. When people walk through our doors, we have the ability to change the way they view the tech space.”

Comising recalled her first experience attending Technica as a freshman, describing a workshop that made her feel recognized in a field where she had not always felt represented. That memory shaped her perspective as an organizer.

“This may be a weekend event,” she said, “but it can have impacts that last a lifetime. Our goal is to create that same sense of belonging for everyone who walks into this building.”

As artificial intelligence and automation reshape the tech landscape, Comising said the role of hackathons continues to evolve.

“With the rise of AI and other emerging technologies, some people might think there’s less room for beginners,” she said. “But there’s always more ground to explore. Technica gives people a chance to learn together, to see that tech is growing, and that the community around it is growing too.”

Among the hundreds of participants who filled the Conference Center’s workstations, teams formed quickly around new ideas. For many, it was their first time participating in a hackathon.

Rushan Heaven, a junior majoring in information science, said he first learned about Technica from a friend and was drawn to its inclusive and collaborative atmosphere.

“I wasn’t really familiar with hackathons before, but I had a passion for technology,” Heaven said. “Once my friend told me about what it was, its origin and its focus on diversity, I immediately wanted to join. I applied as soon as applications opened. The environment here is different, there’s communication and the chance to learn things you might not in the classroom.”

Heaven said his background in information science has influenced how she approaches projects and teamwork.

“My academics helped me focus on what I want to do with my future,” he said. “There’s a correlation between what I study and what happens at events like this. Hackathons help me apply what I’ve learned and understand where I want to go next.”

His team developed a website that integrates university resources with Technica’s offerings, combining both communities into a single accessible interface.

“We’re building the interface right now, using what UMD has to offer along with Technica’s resources,” Heaven said. “We’re trying to get as much functionality as we can before time runs out, but even if it’s just the interface, we’ll have something to show.”

Other participants focused on projects designed to make a tangible impact on their peers.

Chloe Thompson, a sophomore majoring in information systems and operations management with a minor in computer science, returned for her second year at Technica. After spending last year attending workshops, she entered this year as a hacker ready to compete.

“This year I wanted to apply what I learned from last year’s workshops and my student organizations to create a project that could help other students,” Thompson said.

Her team of four sophomores, all majoring in computing-related fields, collaborated on a project to strengthen alumni engagement through a web-based platform.

“Our idea is to create an alumni database that connects students with graduates,” Thompson said. “We’ve been working on the design in Figma and now we’re transferring it into React to make it functional.”

She added that her computer science minor helped her approach the project more strategically.

“It’s definitely helped me think like a programmer, to solve problems and debug,” she said. “But the biggest thing that’s helped me is the Hack for Impact boot camp. It’s a student organization that creates software for nonprofits, and their program teaches web development skills that you don’t always learn in lower-level computer science classes. That’s been really valuable in helping me bring a website from design to life.”

Throughout the weekend, participants balanced coding, learning and connecting with industry mentors who offered feedback on their projects. The 24-hour format pushed students to think creatively and work collaboratively under tight deadlines, fostering both technical and interpersonal skills.

As Technica concluded on Sunday, organizers reflected on the event’s continued significance, not just as a hackathon, but as a community experience. 

“What’s special about Technica is that it evolves with the people who attend,” Comising said. “The technologies may change, but the mission stays the same: to make sure everyone has a place in tech.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications