Building Tomorrow’s Change-makers: Inside GiveBackLabs Veale Hackathon 2024

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – On February 8th, GiveBackHack and the Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum collaborated to host the first GiveBackLabs event of 2024. The event was a day-long hackathon focused on addressing pressing issues related to justice and inclusion. The event brought together eight community experts and high school students to develop innovative business ideas aimed … Continue reading “Building Tomorrow’s Change-makers: Inside GiveBackLabs Veale Hackathon 2024”

2023 Impact Report

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Our Story So Far Who is GiveBackHack? GiveBackHack was founded in 2015 under the principle that we all have everything we need within ourselves to create the change we wish to see in our communities. We believe that by bringing together passionate people, facilitating discussion around ideas to solve problems, and providing a framework to … Continue reading “2023 Impact Report”

GiveBackHack’s Recommended Reads

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Check out some of our recommended top reads for 2024! Designing Your Life How to Build A Well-Lived Joyful Life Design thinking is a process that designers use to solve problems and create solutions. In their book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show how design thinking can help us design a fulfilling life. By using … Continue reading “GiveBackHack’s Recommended Reads”

Fueling Social Innovation: GiveBackHack’s Inaugural Weekend at Ohio State University

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — GiveBackHack, a local organization dedicated to fostering social enterprises, successfully launched its first annual GiveBackHack weekend at The Ohio State University from September 30 to October 1. The event exemplified the power of innovation and community support, bringing together aspiring change-makers to refine their social enterprise ideas. The event began on September … Continue reading “Fueling Social Innovation: GiveBackHack’s Inaugural Weekend at Ohio State University”

GiveBackHack 2023 concludes with $15k given away in seed funding

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – GiveBackHack, a local organization dedicated to launching social enterprises, hosted their annual GiveBackHack weekend on Oct. 13 to Oct. 15, where they awarded $15k in seed funding from IGS Energy and The Columbus Foundation to finalists. The event kicked off on Friday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m., where attendees exchanged their ideas … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2023 concludes with $15k given away in seed funding”

Planting.Life: Making Native Planting a Breeze

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In today’s world, the environment faces constant threats, which calls for action. Many of us are willing to contribute positively, but the complexity of initiating the process often holds us back. This is where Planting is.Life comes into play, a remarkable website that was reimagined from the GiveBackLabs Green Tech Event. The mission of Planting … Continue reading “Planting.Life: Making Native Planting a Breeze”

Columbus City Schools 2023: Empowering the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs – A Summer Program Success

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In the summer of 2023, the K-5 Pathway Program collaborated with GiveBackHack to introduce social entrepreneurship to students. The program’s goal was to provide practical, experiential learning and inspire young minds to become entrepreneurs. As the program concluded, its impact on students, teachers, and the community was evident through heartfelt testimonials from those involved. Student … Continue reading “Columbus City Schools 2023: Empowering the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs – A Summer Program Success”

Rela Gallery Subscriptions: Empowering Spaces with Local Art and Soaring to New Heights

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We are thrilled to feature Rela Gallery Subscriptions, an alumnus of GiveBackHack and Crowd Favorite Winner, in 2021! 🎉 Rela transforms spaces into local art galleries with rotating original artwork subscriptions. They fill blank walls and replace mass-produced wall décor with local original art, elevating subscribers’ spaces and embracing authentic artistic expression. Prospective subscribers can … Continue reading “Rela Gallery Subscriptions: Empowering Spaces with Local Art and Soaring to New Heights”

Maximizing Conversations: A Winning Sales Drip Campaign

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Establishing meaningful connections with potential customers is crucial for successful business and sales conversations in today’s fiercely competitive business environment. One highly effective strategy for nurturing leads, and guiding potential customers toward a purchase decision, is through a meticulously designed sales drip campaign. By strategically positioning a series of emails, you can actively engage prospects, … Continue reading “Maximizing Conversations: A Winning Sales Drip Campaign”

Sidewalk Sidekick: Revolutionizing Accessibility Awareness through Gamified User Testing

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GiveBackHack Columbus 2022 team Sidewalk Sidekick held their first user test, lasting 2.5 hours with 15 participants. The first app release included 5 tags users could use to mark sidewalk issues. During the first mapping day, over 200 issues were logged by users. Despite the early stage of development, some users are still using the … Continue reading “Sidewalk Sidekick: Revolutionizing Accessibility Awareness through Gamified User Testing”

New GiveBackHack Event Series: GiveBackLabs

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I’m thrilled to announce that our team is launching a new event series – GiveBackLabs. For years we have been wanting to create events centering innovation for specific social issues, but just haven’t had the right opportunity. Whether it’s Green Tech, Reproductive Justice, Mental Health or another pressing social issue, GiveBackLabs are designed to provide … Continue reading “New GiveBackHack Event Series: GiveBackLabs”

GiveBackHack and Veale Youth Forum Team Up for Youth Design Challenge 2023

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On February 3rd, 2023 GiveBackHack kicked off their second-annual Design Challenge with Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum. The program was a great success, with 60+ students from 5 different high schools in Cleveland participating in the partnership event with The Veale Foundation. The event was focused on a Social Impact Design Challenge, and students experienced GBH … Continue reading “GiveBackHack and Veale Youth Forum Team Up for Youth Design Challenge 2023”

GiveBackHack 2022 Impact Report

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Who is GiveBackHack? GiveBackHack was founded in 2015 under the principle that we all have everything we need within ourselves to create the change we wish to see in our communities. We believe that bringing together passionate people, facilitating discussion around ideas to solve problems, and providing a framework to work through those ideas to … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2022 Impact Report”

GiveBackHack Q&A: What advice do you have for people who are starting a social enterprise?

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Starting a social enterprise can be a challenging but rewarding journey. Here are some tips to help you get started: Clarify your mission: Start by articulating your social or environmental mission and the problem you aim to solve. This will guide your decision-making and help you stay focused on your goals. Talk to those affected … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Q&A: What advice do you have for people who are starting a social enterprise?”

GiveBackHack Q&A: Is GiveBackHack a good resource for someone looking to start a social enterprise?

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In a word: YES! GiveBackHack can be a valuable resource for someone looking to start a social enterprise. The GiveBackHack Event brings together individuals from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and non-profit leaders, to work together to create solutions to social and environmental problems. Sometimes, this is done in the form of a weekend-style … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Q&A: Is GiveBackHack a good resource for someone looking to start a social enterprise?”

Columbus City Schools 2022: Entrepreneurship Education with Results!

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During Summer 2021, K-5 Pathway Program students participated in a 4 module business-building curriculum run by GiveBackHack. These modules provide Design Thinking inspired experiential education and introduces students to different entrepreneurs in the community.

GiveBackHack Kicks off K-5 Summer Entrepreneurship Experience in collaboration with Columbus City Schools and CoverMyMeds

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GiveBackHack has teamed up with the Columbus City Schools Summer Experience to provide a hands-on, experiential learning curriculum that empowers students through entrepreneurship. The program is based on research showing that partnerships between families and the community, which aim to make learning interactive, increases student achievement.  Learn more about the Columbus City Schools Summer Experience. … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Kicks off K-5 Summer Entrepreneurship Experience in collaboration with Columbus City Schools and CoverMyMeds”

GiveBackHack Q&A: Why is Social Enterprise Important?

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Social enterprise is important for a large variety of reasons. Here’s a quick top five: Addressing social and environmental problems: Social enterprises use business principles and practices to address pressing social and environmental problems, providing innovative solutions to the challenges faced by communities and the planet. Creating positive impact: Social enterprises are driven by a … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Q&A: Why is Social Enterprise Important?”

GiveBackHack to begin Oct. 1 with $15K in seed funding for finalists

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – GiveBackHack, a local organization dedicated to launching social enterprises, is returning with their annual event on Oct. 1 to Oct. 7 where they will award $15K in seed funding from IGS Energy and The Columbus Foundation to finalists. The virtual event will kick off on Friday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m., where … Continue reading “GiveBackHack to begin Oct. 1 with $15K in seed funding for finalists”

GiveBackHack Powered by Denison Edge – Coming to Students this Fall!

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Have you ever walked away from a GiveBackHack signature event thinking, “Man, that was awesome! Same time next week?” As a bunch of energetic folks who love to empower communities to find their spark and fire it up, maybe it’s just us. But our signature community event is something very near and dear to us: … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Powered by Denison Edge – Coming to Students this Fall!”

GiveBackHack for Corporate

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GiveBackHack provides engaging, educational experiences based on best practices that give attendees the expertise to move their ideas and products forward faster. Our Background These best practices are proven not only by institutions like IDEO and Stanford Design School, but also by the success we see from our events. The passion and energy of our … Continue reading “GiveBackHack for Corporate”

GiveBackHack for Communities

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GBH was founded in 2015 under the simple yet profound principle that we all have everything we need within ourselves to create the change we wish to see in our communities. We bring Product Management and Design Thinking practices to the social impact space. We know that empowering individuals through our process helps create more … Continue reading “GiveBackHack for Communities”

GiveBackHack for Educators

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GiveBackHack believes in building future changemakers. We are excited to engage with entrepreneurial-minded students with a keen eye for social impact. We provide experiential and immersive education opportunities that empower students through fundamental skill-building. GiveBackHack was an unforgettable experience! Through immersive lessons and engaging discussions, the GiveBackHack Team helped us learn and utilize the Design Thinking … Continue reading “GiveBackHack for Educators”

Where Innovation Meets Action: GiveBackHack Services

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The GiveBackHack Launchpad for Social Impact is now coming to YOU. We’re excited to bring the magic and proven success of GiveBackHack in collaboration with your programming needs. We facilitate experiences that teach Lean Startup, Product Management & Design Thinking fundamentals to allow anyone – regardless of their background – to make their ideas a … Continue reading “Where Innovation Meets Action: GiveBackHack Services”

Spring Rocket Fuel Round Blasts Off!

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In Spring of 2021, seven alumni teams joined forces for GiveBackHack’s first-ever Rocket Fuel Round. Stretching from March 27th through April 3rd, 2021, Rocket Fuel Round aimed to help existing GiveBackHack’s social enterprise alumni combat their biggest business challenges through Design Thinking.  This was an opportunity for these teams to receive training, mentoring, and the … Continue reading “Spring Rocket Fuel Round Blasts Off!”

GiveBackHack Columbus 2019 Update: Renter Mentor Launches service line to list and find affordable housing.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dec. 09, 2020 – As Renter Mentor prepares to launch its new multi-listing platform, a central number has been established for landlords and residents of the city of Columbus to call to list and find affordable housing along with other supportive services. Starting, today, landlords looking to list available properties and connect … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Columbus 2019 Update: Renter Mentor Launches service line to list and find affordable housing.”

GiveBackHack Hosts Their First Ever Virtual Event

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In a year marked by uncertainty and unprecedented challenges, over 100 dedicated designers, developers, hustlers, and every day engaged citizens tuned it to make a positive dent in 2020. Through October 9 to October 17, GiveBackHack hosted its first entirely virtual (and global!) event, in which 100+ participants of geographic and experiential diversity committed themselves … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Hosts Their First Ever Virtual Event”

GiveBackHack 2020 FAQs

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What will GiveBackHack look like in 2020? The team at GiveBackHack is committed to keeping everyone’s health and safety at the forefront of our decisions. Just the same, we want to ensure that the GiveBackHack experience is as fun, empowering, and impactful as it always has been. In 2020, GiveBackHack will be a global, virtual … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2020 FAQs”

Wild Tiger Tees: GiveBackHack Cleveland 2018 Winner Spotlight & Impact Update

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We last learned about Wild Tiger Tees back in February of 2019 after they were founded at GiveBackHack Cleveland in May of 2018. Since then, their team has been quite busy creating impact for the community and beyond! On the surface, Wild Tiger Tees is a screen printing and design shop based in Columbus, Ohio. … Continue reading “Wild Tiger Tees: GiveBackHack Cleveland 2018 Winner Spotlight & Impact Update”

GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019 Winner Spotlight: Project ADAM

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At GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019, there were three teams that walked away with funding and resources to move forward. Project ADAM, an algal bloom testing kit and community engagement program, was one of the most impressive. Team ADAM describes their project as follows: Algal blooms, or sudden growths of algae due to chemical pollutants in water … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019 Winner Spotlight: Project ADAM”

GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019

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Overview – GiveBackHack Cleveland, 2019 On September 20th to 22nd of 2019, Cleveland hosted its 3rd GiveBackHack at StartMart, Tower City where 65 participants committed their entire weekend to build social impact ideas into reality. On Sunday evening, 7 teams presented to a panel of judges: ADAM, Winner – First Place (Tied), $2,500 from The … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019”

GiveBackHack Columbus 2019 – Impact Infographic

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On April 26th, 2019, 120 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at CCAD’s Crane Center and committed an entire weekend to take a brand new social impact idea into reality at the sold-out GiveBackHack Columbus 2019. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Columbus and generously hosted by … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Columbus 2019 – Impact Infographic”

GiveBackHack FAQs (frequently asked questions)

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General GiveBackHack FAQs Who attends GiveBackHack? Participants come together from 4 main categories: People in the impact space — folks who work at non-profits or in social enterprises, folks who volunteer, who have experienced the problem themselves, or engaged citizens People in the tech space — designers, developers and other technical talent People in the startup/business … Continue reading “GiveBackHack FAQs (frequently asked questions)”

GiveBackHack Baltimore 2019 Impact

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Event Overview On February 1, 2019, 95 excited Baltimore community members left their 40+ hour work week, battled the snowy weather, and showed up at the Allovue office space in the Remington neighborhood in Baltimore to commit an entire weekend to bringing a social impact idea to reality at GiveBackHack Baltimore 2019. GiveBackHack is a … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Baltimore 2019 Impact”

Creating a Compelling Pitch

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When you’re short on time and working to communicate your idea, you have to put a lot of intention into the information you do and don’t share. That’s why we thought we’d provide you with a step-by-step analysis of a company that did it well from GiveBackHack. Below, you’ll find the pitch from OpenSheet – a … Continue reading “Creating a Compelling Pitch”

GiveBackHack Spotlight – Shatter

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Sarah Woods wasn’t entirely certain of what her pitch was going to be when she agreed to attend GiveBackHack Columbus. As a female Product Manager working in technology, she was always interested in social causes and giving back to the community, but wasn’t sure where to start. Little did she know that after one weekend … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Spotlight – Shatter”

PRESS RELEASE: GiveBackHack Goes Global with Rustic Pathways, Supports $10,000 Student-Focused Design Challenge

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MEDIA CONTACTS: Suzy Bureau GiveBackHack Founder press@givebackhack.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (COLUMBUS, OH) – November 19th, 2018 – GiveBackHack and Rustic Pathways are partnering to launch the first Critical Issues Summit, a new type of immersive social impact experience for high school students that culminates with an innovation challenge with a $10,000 prize. The ​Critical Issues … Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE: GiveBackHack Goes Global with Rustic Pathways, Supports $10,000 Student-Focused Design Challenge”

GiveBackHack Goes Global With High School Student-Focused Summit

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GiveBackHack is a launchpad for social impact. We have always been driven to bring communities together, help people learn from one another, and ignite the flame of community members who have a spark for social entrepreneurship. We support all kinds of people – community leaders, developers, designers, and more – who are creating sustainable solutions … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Goes Global With High School Student-Focused Summit”

GiveBackHack Columbus 2018 – Impact Infographic

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On April 27th, 2018, 120 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at CCAD MindMarket and committed an entire weekend to take a brand new social impact idea into reality at the sold-out GiveBackHack Columbus 2018. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Columbus and generously hosted by the … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Columbus 2018 – Impact Infographic”

2018 Cleveland GiveBackHack Press Release

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1 June 2018 Foundations of 9 New Social Enterprises Launched at 2nd Annual GiveBackHack Cleveland CLEVELAND, OH: The foundations of 9 new social enterprises were launched at GiveBackHack Cleveland (May 11-13). Each social enterprise took a different approach to community impact, targeting issues like housing insecurity, transparency in public records, access to … Continue reading “2018 Cleveland GiveBackHack Press Release”

After GiveBackHack: Where is DACA Time Now?

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It’s hard to believe GiveBackHack Columbus is a wrap! For those unfamiliar with the event, GiveBackHack is a weekend of social innovation that brings community members together to create and launch sustainable solutions for social impact. GiveBackHack connects the entrepreneurial, technology, and social impact communities to learn from one another. It blends startup concepts like rapid prototyping, iteration, and … Continue reading “After GiveBackHack: Where is DACA Time Now?”

Resources for Cleveland 2018 Teams

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GiveBackHack is a launchpad for social innovation, which means we’re pulling together resources to help you launch your business. We know this is hard. It takes a ton of work to vet an idea, iterate, and bring it into reality. Everything we pull in is intended to help you learn quickly, overcome common barriers, and … Continue reading “Resources for Cleveland 2018 Teams”

Four Years of Crimson Cup at GiveBackHack!

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Developing creative solutions for important social issues isn’t easy. It takes focus, critical thinking, logic, and the motivation to keep going, despite the long hours and obstacles encountered along the way. As such, the attendees of Columbus’ annual GiveBackHack event always appreciate a bit of a caffeine boost to keep their minds sharp. Enter Crimson … Continue reading “Four Years of Crimson Cup at GiveBackHack!”

Haven Collective Offers Support for GiveBackHack Organizing and Teams

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When Haven Collective co-creators Melissa Blackburn & Danielle Lim met in grad school, they hit it off with the first ‘hello’. This former operations strategist and marketer duo shared a passion to empower and support entrepreneurs to truly succeed. Besides an affinity for the startup scene, both have a deep passion for a balanced lifestyle. Together, they co-founded … Continue reading “Haven Collective Offers Support for GiveBackHack Organizing and Teams”

GiveBackHack Returns to CCAD in April

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By Jackie Mantey for Columbus College of Art & Design and cross-posted from https://www.ccad.edu/news/givebackhack-returns-ccad-april GiveBackHack returns to the Columbus College of Art & Design campus for its fourth year on Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29. This weekend-long event brings together passionate community members to develop sustainable, technology-based solutions to pressing social issues. Teams of members from the … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Returns to CCAD in April”

Resources for GiveBackHack Columbus 2018 Teams

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Participating in GiveBackHack not only allows community members to find like-minded individuals of various backgrounds (social impact, technology, business & more)  to help execute on ideas, it provides top mentorship and even better: resources and funding. All resources listed below will be awarded at the conclusion of the GiveBackHack weekend after Sunday evening pitches! The full … Continue reading “Resources for GiveBackHack Columbus 2018 Teams”

AWH and DACA Time Team Up to Empower Dreamers With New Social Enterprise

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NEWS PROVIDED BY AWH  Feb 20, 2018, 08:00 ET COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — AWH, a digital product consulting, user experience, and software development firm, today announced a client partnership with DACA Time, a Columbus social enterprise offering a secure online platform to ease the DACA application process for Dreamers. According to Chris Slee, founder and Chief Product Officer at … Continue reading “AWH and DACA Time Team Up to Empower Dreamers With New Social Enterprise”

How a Hackathon Changed My Life

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This post was originally published on Medium, by Derek DeHart summarizing the impact participating in GiveBackHack has had on his life mindset. On March 30, 2017, the idea of “social entrepreneurship” wasn’t really on my radar. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that I had few entrepreneurial aspirations in general. I had a job; I … Continue reading “How a Hackathon Changed My Life”

Philadelphia 2017 Impact

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Read about GiveBackHack Philadelphia’s 2017 Impact: A social enterprise to give away menstrual products won at the inaugural GiveBackHack – Generocity Philly The hackathon for companies with both social impact and business potential just held its first Philly event. Organizers consider it a launchpad — “This weekend is really just the beginning.” generocity.org

Mother & Daughter Team Up To Help Kids Get Hearing Aids

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This post was originally published on the CoverMyMeds internal blog, summarizing an employee’s participation in GiveBackHack Columbus 2017. Susan Bradley and her daughter, Eden, were doing a bit of spring cleaning around their home when they stumbled upon something they hadn’t seen in years: Eden’s old hearing aids. Eden, 11, was born with unilateral hearing … Continue reading “Mother & Daughter Team Up To Help Kids Get Hearing Aids”

Cleveland 2017 Pre-submitted Ideas

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We are incredibly excited to share the first round of pre-submitted ideas for GiveBackHack Cleveland! Posted here is an in-depth view of ideas that will be pitched alongside the typical 50+ brand new ideas on Friday night of GiveBackHack. So, what do the ideas below mean to you? If you’re inspired by the ideas below, you can … Continue reading “Cleveland 2017 Pre-submitted Ideas”

Resources for GiveBackHack Columbus 2017 Teams

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Participating in GiveBackHack not only allows community members to find like-minded individuals of various backgrounds (social impact, technology, business & more)  to help execute on ideas, it provides top mentorship and even better: resources and funding. All resources listed below will be awarded at the conclusion of the GiveBackHack weekend after Sunday evening pitches! The full … Continue reading “Resources for GiveBackHack Columbus 2017 Teams”

From Buses to Businesses

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Hi, I’m Bryan, a designer who always dreamt of also being an animator. Attending GiveBackHack last year helped catapult me to achieving this dream, and I’m going to tell you how it happened. But first, let me re-introduce myself: Hi, I’m Bryan, a designer and an animator. Let’s start back in 1995 when I first … Continue reading “From Buses to Businesses”

Columbus 2017 Pre-Submitted Ideas

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We are incredibly excited to share the first round of pre-submitted ideas for GiveBackHack! Posted here is an in-depth view of ideas that will be pitched alongside the typical 50+ brand new ideas on Friday night of GiveBackHack. So, what do the ideas below mean to you? If you’re inspired by the ideas below, you can get … Continue reading “Columbus 2017 Pre-Submitted Ideas”

Making an Even Better Launchpad

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New with GiveBackHack: post your idea in advance & bring your “partially-vetted” ideas For our first 2 years, we were hyper focused on being the launchpad for brand new social enterprise ideas that were all pitched for the first time on Friday night. We did this because we wanted to ensure a level playing field … Continue reading “Making an Even Better Launchpad”

One in a Billion

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Hi there, my name is Eileen. I’m a full time CEO at my company, Billion, and an avid eater of potato chips. My first GiveBackHack was the first one in Columbus, Ohio in the spring of 2015 and here’s my story. When I first discovered GiveBackHack, it was my junior year of college. I think … Continue reading “One in a Billion”

GiveBackHack 2016 Success: 12 Businesses & $16,000 in Seed Capital

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The weekend of February 19th-21st in 2016, 115 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at the CCAD MindMarket and committed an entire weekend to taking a brand new social impact idea into reality. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Columbus, GiveBackHack connects the tech and social impact … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2016 Success: 12 Businesses & $16,000 in Seed Capital”