The BIGGEST AI Hackathon is Coming to the Borderland

Join the BIGGEST AI Hackathon

STTE, UTEP Computer Science Department and El Paso Labs are joining forces to offer the BIGGEST AI Hackathon, April 25-27, 2025.

Are you ready to push the boundaries of AI, collaborate with top talent, and solve real-world challenges? This is your chance to innovate, compete, and turn your ideas into reality. Whether you’re a coder, designer, entrepreneur, or problem-solver, the AI Hackathon is your opportunity to make an impact.

🔥 Network with industry leaders
🎯 Develop groundbreaking AI solutions
💡 Learn from expert mentors
🏆 Compete for cash prizes and recognition

Register now and be part of the future of AI! 

After registration, sign up and join the El Paso Labs STTE Discord.

Industry Leaders: Share What Keeps You Up at Night

Do you face challenges that AI could help solve? Share your biggest pain points with us! By submitting your challenges, you’ll have the opportunity to see top developers from our AI Hackathon tackle real-world problems that matter to your industry. The most compelling challenges will be selected for our AI Hackathon at UTEP on April 25-27, where cutting-edge solutions will be built and judged by leaders like you.

🔹 Submit your challenge in a brief survey
🔹 Watch innovators develop AI-powered solutions
🔹 Help shape the next big breakthrough in your industry

Fill out the survey below and be part of the AI revolution!

Open AI Hackathon Recap

The Microsoft OpenAI Hackathon, organized by STTE in collaboration with a council of startups, was held from March 31st to April 2nd, 2023. The hackathon aimed to advance regional talent, build industry products, and transform the region by incorporating AI technology into local businesses. The targeted industries for the event were Advanced Manufacturing (with a focus on Logistics), Construction, and Financial Services.

With ten team participants from various backgrounds and industries, the event was a huge success. The hackathon featured an esteemed panel of judges, including Alexandra Chavez, Senior Vice President of Bank of America, J.J. Childress, Community Engagement Manager at Microsoft, Duane Murphy, President of Gamer Logistics, Samuel Moreno, co-founder of Musicstar.ai, and Frank Spencer, President of Aztec Contractors.

After three days of intense coding, brainstorming, and collaboration, the winner of the hackathon was the team from Bosque Labs. Their innovative AI solution aimed to revolutionize the financial services industry, providing users with customized financial planning and investment advice based on their personal preferences and goals. The team received a prize of $2,000 and the opportunity to work with STTE to develop and implement their solution.

We would like to thank all the judges, competitors, tech council, and sponsors who made this event possible. Special thanks to Microsoft for their generous sponsorship of the hackathon.

As we look towards the future, it is important to note the transformative power of AI technology. According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, AI has the potential to create an additional $13 trillion in economic value by 2030. The Microsoft OpenAI Hackathon is just the beginning of transforming the Paso del Norte Region and beyond with the latest advancements in AI technology. 

STTE Open AI Hackathon Report

Duane Murphy

President, Gamer Logitics

“STTE’s Open AI Hackathon provided a pivotal platform for addressing my business challenges. The caliber of solutions developed by the teams was exceptional; I was so impressed that I ended up working with one of them. The ability of the Team to transform an idea and a conversation into a viable and effective product has been great to watch. I see a great future as a result of their work.”

Frank Spencer III

President at Aztec Contractors

“The impact of AI on our workforce is undeniable, and STTE’s hackathon has emerged as a game changer for industries seeking to harness technology for process optimization. I urge fellow industry leaders to participate and explore how embracing technology can propel your organization forward in the forthcoming industrial revolution.”

Alexandra Chavez

El Paso Market Executive, Bank of America

“Participating in the Open AI hackathon gave me a firsthand glimpse into the transformative power of AI. Witnessing developers craft innovative solutions in a short timeframe has illuminated the potential for technology to enhance financial literacy significantly.”

1st Place Winner: Bosque Labs

Team: Zeke Chavez, Brett Schuster, Rafael Ferreira, Zachary Myers

Industry: Construction

Description: Materialize.AI is optimizing construction inventory management with data-driven insights. Presentation

2nd Place Winner: DropDev

Team: David Marek, Marco Alanis, Derek Cisneros, David Gamez

Industry: Finance

Description: Musa FI is your personal financial assistant, where you can connect your bank accounts and ask it anything you need help with.  Presentation

Photos

3rd Place Winner:  Supply AI Sense

Team: Aldo Sanchez, Alvaro Mendoza, Esteban Lozano, Luis Cedillo

Industry: Logistics

Description: Upload physical documents and generate usable data and visualize the supply chain by being able to extract information from lots of attributes. Presentation