Over the last three or four years we have hosted some of the most amazing and inspiring hackathon events for our clients and partners. We have focused on customer experience and travel, insurance and healthcare, environment and government policy. We have delivered new businesses, investment opportunities, products and potential acquisitions for our clients.
For us, the hackathon experience is a catalyst for a larger conversation around innovation. We prove that you can develop solutions, business models and even teams much faster than you might imagine. More importantly, we show you how this can shift mindsets and behaviours – not just in the teams who participate, but in the organisations that sponsor, pose challenges or provide mentors.
As we prepare for one of our most interesting, and challenging events yet – Bryony Cole’s Future of Sex hackathon, I am reminded why these events are important:
- Diversity drives value – there is clearly room for growth when it comes to the types and styles of participation in the technology industry. Startup Muster data reveals that only 25.4% of founders are female – but McKinsey research indicates that companies that commit themselves to diverse leadership they are “more successful”. This event has attracted some of the world’s leading experts on sexual health, intimacy and wellbeing and iwe are aiming for 75% female-identifying participation in Australia’s first sextech hackathon.
- Sextech is the fastest growing industry you’ve never heard of – this $30 billion industry is growing at 30% per year – faster than the drone industry (a comparable new tech industry category). Sexual health, activity and wellbeing drives our behaviour, impacts our communities, challenges our beliefs and inspires art. It also taps into our deepest needs and desires. Considering its impact, there are precious opportunities for us to explore the positive impact of how we “look at many issues that impact sexuality, from sexual violence and abuse, to global health crises like AIDS and STDs, to education models that help us live healthier lives”.
- The Time is Up and the Time is Now – the ten year growth of the #MeToo movement and its recent spike in global awareness has signalled that there is an appetite for social change. This #sextech hackathon has not emerged in isolation – it is part of a vital global conversation that is changing the way that industries operate, how women are paid and how power is used to mask sexual harassment. This hackathon and its particular focus places Australia at the centre of a global conversation that is still developing. The Future of Sex hackathon is the perfect chance for you to join it.
The final (surprise) surprise, is that the prizes for the winning team are astounding. Not only do you have the chance to participate in a vital, global movement, create fabulous solutions and meet world leading mentors, you very may well win a trip to Paris. Book your hackathon tickets today.
