By Fiona Whittington
COM’19 | Advertising & Computer Science
Previously known as SheHacks, TechTogether was created with the sole aim of increasing the rate of female and femme non-binary attendance at hackathons in the Boston area. When TechTogether was created there was no big entrepreneurial vision – only a single idea that by hosting an all-female and femme non-binary hackathon we could empower more women to give the tech industry or simply hackathons a try.
What started with an email chain between myself and another student, both passionate about ending the “hacker gap”, has grown into a non-profit that helps students from around the country host their own all-female and femme non-binary hackathons.
What is exciting about TechTogether is that the concept evolved out of many different conversations with friends, advisors, and professors. As I learned from being involved in the BU Summer Accelerator and the BU Spark! program, ideas are cheap – the ability to execute and improve our initial idea with almost no resources and experience in face of resilience is what led us on a path to success. I personally believe the key to resilience is patience. No matter what your position is in your career, the ability to think before you act will enable you to make the most out of unfavorable situations.
For students seeking to start their own project or business, I recommend beginning your journey by posting your idea on Facebook. Not only will this help you find potential teammates or future users, but it will make you accountable for taking the next steps to transform your ideas into reality. Entrepreneurship is all about taking risks, and from my experience employers appreciate students that are willing to explore areas outside their comfort zone.
If you want to get involved in TechTogether, you can apply to participate in our Boston event held at Agganis from March 22nd – 24th or email our team at info@techtogether.io for more information about leadership opportunities within our organization.
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