hackNY’s Founders Discuss the Local Hacker Scene
Evan Korth and Chris Wiggins, two computer science professors who run hackNY, stopped by theCUBE at MongoDB Days 2013 to discuss how their organization helps young developers enter the job market.
Host Dave Vellante starts the interview by highlighting that hackNY is not an incubator; it’s an educational initiative that aims to federate the next generation of hackers for the New York innovation community. Wiggins confirms, and provides a brief rundown of what he and Korth have been up to in recent years.
The two academics founded hackNY in 2010 because they sought to “change the narrative” for young software engineers in the area who, at the time, didn’t have a vibrant community to fall back on. Wiggins notes that a lot has changed since, thanks in great part to hackNY’s efforts.
Korth chimes in and elaborates. He says that they hold two hackathons every year, and adds that each event attracts hundreds of developers from leading universities. He also mentions that they have a fellowship program which offers “top hackers from around the world” an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and learn what it’s like to work in a startup environment. Korth notes that 10gen has supported their initiative from the very start. The company has been sending MongoDB evangelists to every hackathon, and recently committed $750,000 to the fellowship program.
After going over 10gen’s other contributions to hackNY, Korth tells Dave that each hackathon lasts twenty four hours. The event begins with an API showcase that is followed by a meetup with representatives from select tech firms. Four hours later, participants divide into teams and embark on an 18-hour programming marathon. Wiggins recalls how once, a team developed an app that could transform two iPhones into a virtual drum set complete with drumsticks. Another group of attendees created a hackathon platform called Hacker League.
He and Korth wrap up the interview by highlighting that developers are looking for new technologies that can boost their productivity. In Wiggins’ view, the community is excited about MongoDB because it scales remarkably well from an application development standpoint.
Check out the video below for the full interview.
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