Hudson Valley Open Data Hackathon 2025

Unlocking Public Data Insights: The 2025 Open Data & AI Hackathon

On March 26, 2025, the Hudson Valley tech community gathered at RPI for a high-energy day of "Learning, Collaborating, and Exploring Genius." Guided by the theme of Social Good in the Hudson Valley, teams leveraged New York State’s Open Data resources alongside cutting-edge AI tools like Google Gemini to build impactful civic solutions.

Using GDG support we explored "Build with AI" resources and applied these to NY State Open Data.

150 + people attended, congratulations to six teams winning!

From mobility analysis in "SafeWalk" to healthcare insights in "EndocrineWatch," these photos capture the spirit of innovation that defines HVTechFest. We are proud to foster a marketplace of expertise where developers, students, and civic tech enthusiasts collaborate to make our region a better place to live and work.

FIRST PLACE:

• Public Transit Planning: William Chen, Michael MacIsaac, Sravan Parakala, Sachin Mitra
• Safe Commute:  Adam Kaplan, Colin Farley, Daniel Kirtman, Aaryaman Thuloj

SECOND PLACE:

• Green Walk Finder: Misha Awad, Matthew Eshed, Nick Ciuica, Shannon Higgins, Sutherland Brown, Zuriel Aviles, and mentor Joe Torreggiani
• Smart Predict: Shreenidhi Srinivasan, Soumeek Mishra, Robert Haney, and mentor John Krupavaram Pole Bhakthavatsalam

THIRD PLACE:

• Endocrine Watch: Connor McCormack, Dave Long, and Mark Ferran
• Safe Walk: Hemanth Macharla, Dhanwanth sai Dasari , Yashwanth Bezawada, and mentor Tahreem Arif

When: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 11:00am - 4:00pm

Where: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Darrin Communications Center (DCC), 51 College Avenue, Troy, 12180 
 

Judging Criteria: 

1. Problem Expression
2. Use of Open Data
3. Use of AI
4. Presentation
5. Solution
6. Impact
7. Team Collaboration
8. Future Plans 

Judges:

• Karl Ulrich
• Daniel Raj Jeevaguntala
• Santosh Borse
• Josh Gurwitz
• Wesley Turner
• Anuj Tyagi

See final pitching recorded on YouTube: 

• Episode 1 - four teams presented: Safe Walk, NYC Safe Commute, Green Walk Finder, Smart Predict
• Episode 2 

What to Expect:

• Hands-on Workshop Sessions: Learn to integrate NY State Open Data APIs with popular AI frameworks
• Project Development: Work in teams to build innovative solutions using public datasets
• Expert Mentorship: Receive guidance from experienced data scientists and civic tech leaders
• Demo Showcase: Present your solutions to fellow participants and judges

Challenge Focus Areas:

• Transportation and mobility analysis
• Environmental data visualization
• Public health trends
• Education metrics
• Urban planning and development
• Government transparency tools
• Any topic you are passionate about that Open Data can assist with

Prize Categories:

• Most Innovative Use of AI
• Best Public Impact
• Technical Excellence
• People's Choice

Who Should Attend:

• Civic tech enthusiasts
• Students and researchers
• Software developers
• Data scientists
• UI/UX designers
• Public sector professionals
• Curious, innovative minds

Resources Provided

• Access to NY State Open Data Portal
• Cloud computing credits
• AI model templates
• Technical documentation
• Development environments
• Mentorship and support

Required Skills

• Basic programming knowledge
• Familiarity with data analysis
• Interest in civic technology
• Collaborative mindset

What to Bring

• Laptop with relevant development tools
• Ideas for civic innovation
• Enthusiasm for public data

Partners

• NY State Technology Office
• Local Tech Companies
• Civic Tech Organizations
• Open Source Communities

Join us in transforming public data into actionable insights and innovative solutions for New York State residents!