Ep. 1.8: Planning and Executing Your Next Hackathon with Veronika Vacek and Matt Arnold

"Creating a sense of purpose and commitment through events like Hackathons can transform the way we view our work and connections." - Veronika Vacek

Veronika Vacek and Matt Arnold are leaders in the innovation space for Brightidea. Veronika, with her rich background at a Fortune 500 financial services firm, and Matt, an expert with a diverse career in broadcast, film, UX, and design, share the interplay between humanity and technology in their careers and the importance of communication in innovation.

In this episode, Veronkia and Matt share the intricacies of orchestrating a successful hackathon, remote work challenges and the impact of digital transformation, how hackathons provide a unique opportunity for employees to innovate and connect in a meaningful way, and the vital role of senior leadership support in fostering an innovative organizational culture.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Significance of Hackathons: Matt and Veronika discuss the role of hackathons in driving innovation within organizations. They highlight how these events provide a unique opportunity to tap into creative skill sets, foster collaboration, and inject positivity into the workplace.
• Crafting Effective Hackathons: Veronika shares insights on the planning and execution of successful hackathons. She emphasizes the importance of detailed organization, clear communication, and early involvement of various departments to ensure smooth flow and maximum participation.
• Balancing Structure and Creativity: Matt discusses the balance between providing structure and fostering creativity during hackathons. He shares the necessity of setting the right level of support to minimize anxiety and fear, while also creating enough space for innovation to thrive.

Jump into the conversation:

00:00 Introduction to The Synthesize Pod with hosts Matt and Margaret, and special guests Veronika Vacek and Matt Arnold

05:30 Finding creative spaces in a post-covid world

12:40 Using hackathons as opportunities for creative skillsets

16:45 Differences between hackathons, pitch competitions, and ideathons

20:10 Personal career journeys

28:50 Importance of early planning, aligning teams, and considering logistics

34:30 Essential elements of a successful hackathon

40:00 Detailed phases of hackathon events from planning to post-event activities

47:10 The need for organizations to adapt rapidly and the cultural fragility around innovation and failure

Connect with us:

Veronika Vacek on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronika-vacek/

Matt Arnold on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmatthewarnold/

Brightidea - www.brightidea.com
More on Hackathons - http://www.brightidea.com/hackathon

Matt Greeley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgreeley/

Margaret Kelsey on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey

Brightidea on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightidea/