It all started as a question: How can we open Google’s Colorado doors to partners who want to help solve real challenges facing the state?
Googlers across the Boulder office (quickly) volunteered to find out.
On November 5th, Google Boulder hosted the first-ever Colorado Impact Hackathon, bringing over 70 of the state’s brightest business and engineering students together with government experts to “hack” timely and local energy problems.
The campus was buzzing as students from the University of Colorado Boulder arrived to examine four energy challenges put forward by the Colorado Energy Office. These challenges covered climate workforce shortages, electric vehicle adoption, rural electric vehicle charging infrastructure and incentivizing home energy upgrades.
Governor Jared Polis even got in on the fun, inspiring students with direct insight into Colorado’s policy and energy landscape: “Colorado is leading the way with innovation to help build smarter infrastructure and attract more businesses to Colorado. A Hackathon is a great way for technology experts, students and policy experts to come together to collaborate on the best ways to solve pressing issues and help prepare our students and workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.”
