The bank-sponsored hackathon will begin on Friday, September 25, and go through Sunday, September 27. Twelve teams of three programmers, designers, and idea gurus each will take over the entire First National Tower Wintergarden throughout the 48-hour period, focused on improving the bank’s customer experience. Onlookers are invited to stop by.

“We are excited to announce our third CodeOne event. We feel this is a positive experience for the developer community, First National Bank of Omaha and our city,” said Angie Garrett, vice president, Innovation and Enterprise Solutions. “The event truly showcases our community’s amazing technical talent and innovative spirit. Hopefully our event will demonstrate that technology and innovation are a critical part of banking.”

Participants will compete for over $17,000 in cash prizes and raffles. The First-place team will go home with $7,500, while second-place will receive $5,000, third place will take home $2,500, and the audience choice prize winner will receive $2,000.

Garrett said First National Bank has a long history of investing in Omaha startups and the tech community, most notably its early investment in TD Ameritrade, a Fortune 500 company that is hardly in startup mode today.

The weekend will include an opportunity to win raffle prizes, work out the kinks with a licensed massage therapist, plus enjoy all-you-can-eat food, and a fully stocked fridge.

Organizers are actively recruiting teams from the University of Nebraska Raikes School of Computer Science and Management, Peter Kiewit Institute, Creighton University Computer Science, and Iowa Western Community College. Past participants have come from as far away as Arizona, California and Oregon.