Zillow is coming with the bag once again for HBCU students! We’ve got how you can win some of the $90,000 in cash, prizes and internships
Now’s your chance to use “tech for good” to develop and pitch an innovative solution to a problem faced by consumers, or a new product or service that would make it easier for them to find a home they love. We know so many students do amazing things daily with their tech skills…often effortlessly. So why not link up with a few of your classmates to do something BIG?! Hack Housing! And get a big bag to match.
Registration is open until 9/6, 1:59p ET, for the second annual ZILLOW HACKATHON!
During the week long Zillow HBCU Housing Hackathon, kicking off September 9, in partnership with UNCF, students will learn about the real estate industry, Zillow offerings, housing data, and various application programming interfaces. Then they will develop and pitch tech solutions to help consumers overcome obstacles on their journey to find a home. Student teams will present their ideas to Zillow and tech-industry leaders, with top teams receiving cash and prizes for themselves and their universities.
How can data be used to provide early warnings of housing vulnerability, both for individuals and community groups, to avoid evictions and homelessness? What next-generation real estate tool can your team build for millennial or Gen Z home shoppers or homeowners? How can technology be used to make the mortgage process more equitable when so many in the black community (84% more than in the white community) are denied mortgages due to credit score discrimination? The more creative solutions, the better.
At the end of the challenge, team finalists will pitch their solutions to a panel of judges. The first-place team will receive a $20,000 cash award, split among its members, and Zillow will donate $25,000 to its school’s computer science program. Second- and third-place teams will receive $12,000 and $6,000 cash awards, respectively. Students from the top three teams also will receive new laptops and textbook gift cards. All eligible hackathon participants interested in a role at Zillow will have an opportunity to interview for an internship.
The first Zillow HBCU Housing Hackathon, in 2021, drew 150 students, representing 17 HBCUs. A team of four Morehouse College students (above) won first place and a $20,000 prize for creating “Reliby,” an app that uses machine learning to predict increases in rent and utility costs at a specific address over time, thus giving renters early warning about looming affordability challenges. Zillow also donated $25,000 to Morehouse College’s computer science program as part of the first-place prize.
“It’s awesome to conceptualize a project that could help a lot of people and not only win the hackathon and receive prizes that are great for my team, but also help earn a donation for our college,” said Paul Lockett, a member of last year’s winning team and a 2022 Morehouse College graduate. “We had a plan, we executed on it and we are so happy we had this amazing opportunity to work and learn with Zillow.”
Let’s get it!
GET ALL THE INFO & REGISTER HERE – WITH YOUR TEAM OF 2-4 PEOPLE – BY 9/6, 11:59P ET!
