Join us for the AI Hackathon at Ohio State, a 24-hour, in-person student hackathon at OSU Campus. Sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild in collaboration with the Buckeye Fintech Group, this event invites college students to build AI-powered solutions to real-world challenges in education and finance. Participants will receive access to IBM SkillsBuild AI courses and an exclusive pre-event webinar led by IBM technical experts to help them prepare for the hackathon. When the hackathon kicks off, teams will design, build, and demo AI-powered solutions across two challenge tracks (AI in Education and Fintech) using IBM AI and cloud technologies, with hands-on mentorship from IBM professionals throughout the event. Students will compete for a share of the $10,000 prize pool, build a portfolio-ready project, earn IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials, and network with fellow students and IBM experts while exploring the future of AI.
The Challenges
Choose one of the two challenge tracks and build an AI solution that applies responsible AI to solve real-world challenges.
AI in Education (General Track)
FinTech Track
Build AI-powered solutions that improve the student experience at Ohio State. Focus on challenges like advising, course planning, campus services, accessibility, or academic support, with an emphasis on practical solutions that could realistically be used on campus.
Design AI-driven fintech solutions or apply financial technology in creative ways to solve real-world problems. Projects may focus on areas such as budgeting, investing, financial access, automation, or data-driven decision-making.
All students, faculty and community members are welcome to join the morning Networking Session to explore AI and connect with IBM and technology leaders.
The hackathon is open to all local college students across majors and backgrounds, including:
Computer Science, Data Science & Engineering
Students interested in building, coding, and applying AI and technical tools to real-world challenges.
Business & Industry Disciplines
Students who bring industry or domain knowledge to help define problems and shape practical solutions.
Design, Marketing & Communications
Students focused on UX/UI, product design, branding & storytelling to enhance the user and presentation experience.
Any Students Passionate About Exploring AI
Students from any major who are curious about AI and want hands-on experience building real-world solutions.
Team size is 1–5 participants, solo participation is also allowed.
Benefits of Participation
See below for the key benefits you will gain by participating in this AI-focused hackathon:
Project Ownership – Keep your work, share it on GitHub or LinkedIn, and build your portfolio.
Networking – Connect with IBM experts, peers and the general AI community
Career Experience – Gain insight into real-world AI careers and professional workflows through engagement with IBM experts.
Digital Credentials – Earn IBM recognized SkillsBuild certifications to boost your resume.
Next Steps – Opportunity to participate in the hackathon and put your new knowledge into action.
Mentorship – Get one-on-one guidance from IBM professionals to strengthen both your technical and professional skills.
Industry Recognition – Showcase what you learned to IBM & OSU mentors, judges and technology leaders.
Prizes – Compete for a share of the $10,000 cash prize pool and receive IBM swag, giveaways, and more in recognition of your work.
Prizes
Total prize pool $10,000 USD. Prizes are awarded across two challenge tracks and special categories to recognize strong ideas, technical execution, creativity, and impact.
General Track
Total Prize Pool: $6,000
1st Place: $2,500
2nd Place: $2,000
3rd Place: $1,500
FinTech Track
Total Prize Pool: $2,500
1st Place: $1,250
2nd Place: $750
3rd Place: $500
Specialty Awards
Total Prize Pool: $1,500
Most Technical Product: $500
Most Creative Video: $500
Most Social Impact: $500
Judging Criteria
Teams of 1–5 people will choose one of the challenge tracks above and submit one project.
See the following criteria that judges will use to evaluate your solution:
Technical Execution
Does the solution effectively use AI and the required technologies?
How well does the prototype function and demonstrate its intended capabilities?
Is the solution easy to use, navigate, and understand?
Is the technical approach thoughtful, reliable, and well structured?
Does the project follow responsible and ethical AI practices?
Innovation
Is this a unique approach or a new type of solution?
Does the solution introduce creative or inventive uses of AI?
Is it differentiated from existing tools, processes, or approaches?
Does the project reflect original thinking or a strong reimagining of current solutions?
Does the team demonstrate innovative problem-solving?
Challenge Track & Real-World Fit
How relevant is the solution to the selected challenge track?
Does the project address meaningful real-world needs and user pain points?
Is AI applied in a way that enhances impact and aligns with real-world context?
Is the solution practical, scalable, and suitable for real-world implementation?
Does the team clearly articulate the problem, users, and value created?
Communication & Presentation
Is the problem and solution clearly explained and easy to understand?
Does the demo effectively showcase how the solution works?
Is the presentation or video well structured and engaging?
Does the team clearly communicate the value and impact of their solution?
Are questions answered clearly, demonstrating understanding of the solution?
Timeline
1/23
1/26
TBA
TBD
TBD
2/27
2/28
Registration Opens!
Students participate in SkillsBuild AI learning plan
Live Webinar
Email goes out to collect RSVPs for onsite event
Deadline to submit RSVP response
Onsite Hackathon at OSU kicks off
Team Demos, Judging & Winners Announcement!
Sponsored by
IBM SkillsBuild is a trademark or registered trademark of IBM Corp., in the US or other countries or both.
In collaboration with
Buckeye FinTech is Ohio State’s premier business-tech student organization focused on AI and software at the intersection of finance and engineering. We host large-scale events with industry partners that bring together technical and business-oriented students, with a strong emphasis on hands-on experiences tied to real-world industry use cases.
