From Challenges to Solutions: Talent Hackathon 2024 connected Companies with Diverse Talent

Talent Hackathon 2024 is now in the books and we are happy to report that it was a resounding success based on the responses we got from our participants and challenge owners.

Talent hackathon 2024 was organized for the second time by Talent Vantaa in collaboration with the Uusimaa TE Office and Crazy Town marking it to become another successful round of multidisciplinary hackathon. The hackathon was held at Aviapolis Clarion Hotel from March 7th to 8th, 2024.This two-day event brought together forty-five international talents and university students from diverse educational backgrounds working on challenges presented by our partners: ManpowerGroup, ReOrbit, and Holu. 

The Hackathon kicked off with an introductory remark from Talent Vantaa's business specialist, Santeri Raappana, setting the tone for the event. Crazy Town, our partner in organizing and facilitating the event,  also presented an overview of the hackathon, detailing the timeline, practical tools and support resources available to participants. 

Following this, the three challenge owners presented their respective challenges and extended their support throughout the event by visiting teams' tables and offering necessary company materials. Participants then divided into 10 teams and started working on their respective teams' challenges fueled by a selection of healthy snacks, lunch, and a steady supply of coffee. 

Throughout the event, participants were encouraged to network and challenge their creativity and teamwork skills. The presence of challenge owners at the venue further enriched the experience, providing invaluable guidance and support every step of the way. The facilitators also offered  their professional expertise to guide the participants in their hackathon experience as many of whom were first-time hackathoners. 

As such, the progress achieved was evident from the array of ideas and solutions presented by each team on the final day. Following individual team presentation to their respective challenge owners, finalist teams were selected to pitch their solutions and product demos on the main stage. Then, the event concluded with the recognition of winning teams, who received certificates and small gift bags. This was followed by a short networking session accompanied by celebratory sparkling wine.

Looking back, when we organize the Hackathon, we were aiming to make it a platform where job seeking internationals and students meet and work on specific challenges presented by Finnish companies. With the Talent Hackathon, we did exactly that. We brought together international talents and soon to be graduating students to solve business problems presented by our partners where the challenges ranged from innovative recruitment solutions to cutting-edge space technology, providing a platform for participants to showcase their problem-solving and team working skills. When we had short discussions with participants during the hackathon, they have also told us that they sought the hackathon as an opportunity to gain firsthand business experience and for the networking opportunity it creates. 

These are some of the statements from our participants:

“We joined the hackathon to network and to explore...”

“I just like the idea of working with people to create a solution and at the same time helping a company”

“It’s a good way to test my skills.”

"It also helps me to see myself how I work with topics and concepts I am unfamiliar with and still create something informative while having fun in the process.".