First National Bank, a division of First National of Nebraska, the largest privately owned banking company in the United States, will once again host its highly regarded CodeOne Hackathon.
The bank-sponsored hackathon will begin on Friday, November 4, at 6 p.m., and - with daylight savings time - end Sunday, November 6, at 5 p.m. Fifteen teams of three programmers, designers, and idea gurus each will take over the First National Tower Wintergarden throughout the 48-hour period, focused on developing ideas to improve the bank’s customer experience. Onlookers are invited to stop by.
“We were the first American Bank to host a hackathon four years ago and are excited to leverage this innovative method to engage our community, cultivate new ideas and introduce exceptional technology talent to career opportunities at First National Bank,” said Angie Garrett, vice president, Innovation and Enterprise Solutions. “The event is an outstanding showcase for the community’s amazing technical talent and innovative spirit, while demonstrating that technology and innovation are critical to banking.”
Garrett said First National Bank has a long history of investing in Omaha startups and the tech community. Participants will compete for over $17,000 in cash prizes and raffles. The First-place team will receive $7,500, second-place will get $5,000, third place $2,500, and the audience choice prize winner will receive $2,000. The weekend will include an opportunity to win raffle prizes plus enjoy all-you-can-eat food, and a fully stocked fridge.
Organizers have actively recruited 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.