Arkansas Children’s Innovation Center, in partnership with Arkansas entrepreneurial support organizations, will present a 48-hour digital health challenge featuring a $10,000 cash prize. The event, known as a hackathon, will be held from Jan.21-23, 2022 and applications for participation are now open.
“Arkansas Children’s is committed to improving child health through innovation,” said Rick Barr, MD, MBA, chief clinical and academic officer for Arkansas Children’s. “This type of event creates an exciting challenge for software developers across the state to build solutions that will positively impact pediatric healthcare.”
The event is a collaborative effort with Arkansas Children’s, Cartwheel Startup Studio, Startup Junkie Consulting, HealthTech Arkansas and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Participants in the competition will work alongside Arkansas Children’s clinicians and administrators to solve real-world pediatric healthcare problems.
“The differentiating factor for our hackathon participants is they’re working on validated user problems and they have the interest of Arkansas Children’s to pilot the solutions that are built,” said Joshua Stanley, managing partner at Cartwheel Startup Studio. “That’s a big advantage for participants, and it’s why our organization is excited to partner with Arkansas Children’s in this project.”
The digital health hackathon supports Arkansas Children’s mission to improve the health and well-being of children in Arkansas and beyond.
“The Arkansas Children’s Innovation Center has taken a comprehensive approach to building a culture of innovation, and this collaborative hackathon is a tangible example of how we’re utilizing the strengths of entrepreneurial services organizations in the state to help us meet our innovation goals,” said Barry Brady, chief operating officer of Arkansas Children’s Research Institute.
Applications for participation are now open. Interested parties can apply either as an individual or as part of a team. The application deadline is midnight, Dec. 31, 2021. Learn more at https://bit.ly/nwahackathon.