What is AthenaHacks?
Join us for a spectacular weekend dedicated to closing the gender gap, exploring new
technologies, and building the next big thing! Our mission is to support and nurture students
of marginalized gender identities in technology by hosting Southern California’s
premier women-centric hackathon (trans and non-binary inclusive).
Join us
on campus at the University of Southern California (USC) for over 24 hours full of free food,
technical workshops, mentorship, social activities, and more! No experience necessary – we
only require curiosity and creativity!
Check us out in the press!
From hardware to mobile, there are so many fields to explore! We want women to explore their ideas and interests, and are looking forward to some amazing projects! Check out last year's projects here!
Schedule
Take a look at the schedule for the hackathon this weekend! Get excited for the workshops, socials, and food!
FAQs
What's a hackathon?
A hackathon is a 24 hour event where students with similar interests come together to work on a project. You can attend workshops, hear from people in the computer science field and network with students and reps from companies!
Who can attend?
All female and gender non-conforming university students are welcome to attend AthenaHacks! Other students are welcome to apply as a mentor or volunteer.
Will AthenaHacks be virtual this year?
AthenaHacks will be fully in-person this year! We will be hosting our event on-campus at the University of Southern California.
When will applications open and close?
Hacker Applications are currently open! You can apply through the link at top of our website or on our linktree. They are reviewed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible!
Do I need to be a CS major or minor?
No! This is the perfect place for any student to create their first coding project. We'll have plenty of resources for beginners to get started!
Does this cost money?
Nope! Admission is free! Our sponsors and AthenaHacks will provide you with the free swag!!
How do teams work?
At most teams can have 4 people. You can have your teammates in mind before the event, or you can find a team during our team formation activity before and after opening ceremony!
Will there be hardware available?
We do provide hardware!! We will have Grove Beginner Kits for Arduino and Grove IoT Edition Starter Kits.
Is there a code of conduct?
Yes, we want to make AthenaHacks enjoyable for everyone! We follow MLH's Code of Conduct: here.
Can I mentor?
If you have technical experience with programming or software development, please apply to be a mentor today!
I want to join the organizing team. Where can I apply?
Are you interested in making a huge impact on women in tech? Join AthenaHacks as an organizer! We recruit once a year in the fall for our Programs, Logistics, Finances and Marketing teams.
Where can I find more info about opportunities and events?
If you'd like to stay updated on all things AthenaHacks, follow our Instagram here for the latest updates on exciting opportunities, campus events, and a behind-the-scenes look at our team!
Will AthenaHacks reimburse my transportation costs?
Please see the official AthenaHacks 2025 Discord for details!
Our Sponsors
A huge thank you to all our sponsors and contributors! If you're interested in sponsoring AthenaHacks 2025, please contact us at athenahacks@gmail.com
Keynote
Katya Sutil
Sr. Manager of Falcon 9 Subassemblies Production at SpaceX
Katya is the Sr. Manager of Falcon 9 Subassemblies Production at SpaceX, where she leads the department responsible for building and testing propulsion systems, structural components, and mechanisms for the F9 rocket. With a background in Industrial Engineering, Katya has also led the build out of several new product production areas across SpaceX. Katya holds a Bachelors and Masters degree from USC Viterbi, and is excited to share insights on building a career in the emerging technologies industry.
