Management Consultancy: Maldives Ocean Hackathon
Nov 1, 2023
SparkHub LLP, commissioned by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology under the Digital Maldives for Adaptation, Decentralization, and Diversification (DMADD) Project, managed the inaugural Maldives Ocean Hackathon. This World Bank-funded initiative aimed to capitalize on the potential of the ocean hackathon as a strategic venture. With our extensive experience in the startup ecosystem and a track record of successful hackathon organization, including events like Angelhack, we approached this undertaking with dedication and expertise.
Commencing our consultancy from August 13 to October 21, 2023, SparkHub was entrusted with conceptualizing, strategising, implementing and executing the hackathon, along with finalizing the call for challenges for 2023. We developed the Maldives Ocean Hackathon Strategy through comprehensive research and stakeholder engagement, outlining challenges, the code of conduct, judging criteria, participant & submission methodology, rules of hackathon, terms of Hackathon and mentoring guidelines. Sparkhub was also tasked with organising pre-workshops, conducting & facilitating the hackathon during the event day.
For branding and creative content, we collaborated with Encrea, our creative partner. The registration portal and website (oceanhack.mv) went live on August 30, marking the official launch event where H.E. Aminath Shauna inaugurated the Maldives Ocean Hackathon. Pre-Workshops (Ask Me Anything Session) were conducted in mid September, targeting tech enthusiasts and research students, providing valuable insights into the challenges.
Utilizing the SparkHub registration platform, teams submitted project ideas by the September 30 deadline, resulting in 21 teams and 4 international teams. After a meticulous selection process consisting of a committee representing SparkHub & MOECCT, 10 teams, comprising 50 participants (13 female and 37 male), including one international team, were chosen for the hackathon. The Hackathon teams got mentoring from 10 experts from areas covering Oceanography, Data Science, Tech, Environment, Climate Change, Business, Product Development and Finance.
The Maldives Ocean Hackathon unfolded from October 15 to 17, featuring facilitation by Mr. Ratish Narayan, a seasoned professional with a background in managing hackathons globally. During the 48-hour event, two workshops on rapid prototyping and pitch preparation were conducted to guide and assist the participating teams during the final demo and pitch sessions.
The culminating phase of this dynamic event involved the evaluation of the ingenious solutions by a distinguished panel of five judges represented by both International (World Bank and Microsoft) and Local Experts in the area. The debut Maldives Ocean Hackathon emerged as a resounding success, a testament to our commitment to excellence and our ability to orchestrate a transformative hackathon experience in Maldives.
The successful execution of the Maldives Ocean Hackathon event day was made possible through the dedicated support of our community leaders and through the technical strength of our partners. The team played an active role in ensuring the success of the event. The inaugural Maldives Ocean Hackathon, organized by the SparkHub team, comprised members: Mr. Hussain Jinan (Strategist & Lead Consultant), Ms. Aishath Adnan (Consultant & Facilitator), Mr. Abdulla Shafeeu - Abo (Creative and content curator), Mr. Shazif Adam (Creative and Branding), Mr. Sharif Khaleel (Website and Tech Support), Mr. Ibrahim Shaikhan Mohamed (Photographer), Mr. Ratish Nayaranan (Lead Facilitator), Mr. Hassan Junaid (Social Media), and Mr. Ismail Mohamed - Sovile (Videographer).