First National Bank, a division of First National of Nebraska, the largest privately owned banking company in the United States, will host its third annual CodeOne Hackathon this weekend.
The bank-sponsored hackathon will begin on Friday, September 25, and go through Sunday, September 27. Sixteen teams of three programmers, designers, and idea gurus each will take over the First National Tower Wintergarden, 16th and Dodge Streets, throughout the 48-hour period, focused on improving the bank’s customer experience.
“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 showcases our community’s amazing technical talent and innovative spirit while demonstrating that technology and innovation are a critical part of banking.”
She said the response has been outstanding, with multiple teams on the wait list. Among the registrants are six women - compared to one the first year; a total of 27 students from Creighton, UNO and UNL; individuals from entrepreneurial ecosystem Omaha Year of the Startup and Interface Web School; and one Google Scholar.
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.
A new wrinkle this year is that, while the judging ceremony will again be on Sunday night, winners will be notified the following week in person by the bank’s Enterprise Technology Team, a la Publishers Clearinghouse.
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 today is far removed from its startup status.