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GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Math Discovery Center @ San Gabriel Building
SEPTEMBER 27, 2025
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Did you know that Lyft and Tinder started as hackathon projects? Hackathons are where you learn to build inventions under the guidance of mentors from the technology industry and then demo to judges who are venture capitalists, entrepreneurs from the Forbes 30 under 30 List, and elite engineers from Fortune 500 companies.
This is a safe and fun space for you to build inventions with your friends! Come with your squad or meet a new friend to form a team. We will help you find teammates if you're interested.
This is your time to think about what you can build to help your community. Bring your BIG IDEAS! Our mentors will be available to help you brainstorm how to bring your ideas to life.
We will have Workshops and Mentor Office Hours on-site so that you can learn how to build games, mobile apps, prototype using electronics, and use artificial intelligence to work with data. This is the perfect time to get help with your resume during our Mentor Office Hours!
Ready to build? We've got your back! You'll have open lab time to work on your hackathon projects. Mentors will be going around to support you through any technical challenges.
The hackathon concludes with a demo! You'll have time to present your projects to a group of industry professionals from top technology companies.
WITH SUPPORT FROM TECHNOLOGISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS FROM...
Hacker Fund mentors are industry leaders and innovators from 150+ top-tier companies like Apple, Google, Tesla, SpaceX, and more. They are experts in AI, software engineering, gaming, hardware design, and advanced technologies, as well as seasoned entrepreneurs who have launched successful startups and pioneered groundbreaking solutions. Combining technical mastery with creative vision, these mentors bring real-world expertise and a passion for teaching, empowering students with hands-on guidance, practical knowledge, and the inspiration to innovate boldly and succeed in today’s tech-driven world.
U.S. Space Force
Dep. Branch Chief
Mike Telcide is the founder and CEO of TisBooked, a social travel platform designed for solo adventurers seeking connection, spontaneity, and curated experiences. Before launching TisBooked, Mike co-founded and led the first-ever International Space Pitch Day (ISPD) in 2020—a groundbreaking collaboration between the U.S. Space Force and the UK Ministry of Defence. ISPD connects cutting-edge startups with real-world space challenges, accelerating their path from concept to operational impact through funding, feedback, and direct access to defense decision-makers. Mike’s passion for innovation and emerging technology runs deep. While serving as a U.S. Space Force Officer, he managed multiple space accelerator programs and international partnerships, helping align global capabilities with user-driven needs. His work focused on shrinking acquisition timelines and transitioning startup technologies into national defense applications.
Forbes Under 30
Board Member
Gemma Busoni cofounded Discovr Labs, a VR content studio with an emphasis on educational and vocational experiences that was named one of the Top 10 VR companies by LAUNCH (also featured in TechCrunch). Discovr Labs was funded by Rothenberg Ventures, and we were part of RIVER's, the first VR accelerator, first class. Gemma previously served on the Hacker Fund Board of Directors and prior to that, founded a nonprofit that merged into Hack Club, an international network of coding clubs that empower students with technology skills. Currently, she spearheads the development of youth entrepreneurship through the company LeanGap, an immersive incubator that prepares young entrepreneurs to develop scalable companies. Gemma serves as the Board Member of the Forbes Under 30 LA Chapter where she supports entrepreneurs in Los Angeles and she actively advocates for Latina women to pursue careers in S.T.E.M. through her initiative Technolochicas.
Road to Artdom Foundation
Executive Director
Tatiana EL-Khouri is an Artist/ Visual Storyteller and Product Manager who has worked in the entertainment industry and YouTube community as an Experiential Event and Integrated Marketing professional creating business development pitches, ideation, and marketing strategies for large brands. Among her clients and projects are Machinima, Snapchat, AT&T, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Air Force Art Program/ Pentagon, NAACP, Urban Ministries, Inc (UMI), ComicMix.com, and Ford. As a product manager, she has worked closely with 3Blackdot and their debut mobile game app, Zombie Killer Squad. With over 3 million downloads, the game takes a new approach to IP development and audience growth, by partnering with large YouTube talents to drive creative and promotion. She has also worked closely with tech startups to translate their concepts in to a working app or software in a rapid lean agile build.
You must check-in with the Hacker Fund team at the courtyard in front of the San Gabriel Building. Same-day registration is allowed. Find the hacker cat! 😸
Breakfast will be served for attendees in the courtyard in front of the San Gabriel Building. All attendees will be able to participate in a team-building workshop that is designed to help hackers form teams, if they do not have one already.
We will be joined by a guest speaker in the Math Discovery Center at the San Gabriel Building. This guest speaker is an entrepreneur and elite hackathon hacker whose identify will be revealed on September 25th!
Tinder, Lyft, Meta's "Like Button", and Messenger all started as hackathon projects. You will learn how to create a hackathon project that serves either businesses (B2B) or consumers (B2C). This workshop will be led by Glendale Community College alum and elite UX Designer & Researcher, Yeyen Ong.
This workshop will teach you how to use AI tools to build software projects during the hackathon. Get ready to hack together a solution even if you have no programming experience. This workshop will be led by Andrew "The Squid" Montañez who is an elite hackathon hacker and product manager from Pluto TV.
Lunch will be served in the courtyard in front of the San Gabriel Building.
If you've ever wanted to build hardware like Tony Stark from the Marvel Avengers, this is your chance to get started with introduction to microcontrollers and hardware hacking that will be led by top hackathon hacker, Ryan Paglinawan, who is the founder of Active Inland Empire and won the hackathon at Capitol Records.
Want to learn the presentation secrets of Steve Jobs? This is the workshop where you'll learn the communication skills that prepare you for your hackathon demo, and for pitching to funders of your entrepreneurial career. This workshop will be led by Hacker Fund Founder & Executive Director Justin Brezhnev who was recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur and has raised millions of dollars in grant funding for startup founders and technologists.
Dinner will be served in the courtyard in front of the San Gabriel Building.
You must upload your projects via Devpost by 6:15pm PT in order to be considered for judging at the hackathon.
All hackathon participants will receive the opportunity to demo their projects to judges who are entrepreneurs, recruiters, and top executives from the technology industry.
The top hackathon teams will be receive awards during the Closing Ceremony, along with trophies, medals, and certificates.
The Closing Ceremony ends at this time and you'll receive parting gifts in celebration of your completion of the hackathon. If you are under 18 years of age, you must make sure Legal Guardian is at Glendale Community College to pick you up.
This program is being funded by a State Grant awarded through the City of Glendale Economic Development Division.
3435 Ocean Park Blvd. #107 PMB 124 Santa Monica, CA 90405
email us: team [at] hacker.fund
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