Hack-AI-Thon Jam 2

Join us for a full-day, hands-on Hack-AI-Thon designed for software developerswho want to deepen their practical understanding of AI.

Our goal is to strengthen practical skills, inspire creativity, and create meaningful solutions for our community.

🎯 Focus: Applied AI • Automation • Collaboration • Innovation

⚠️ Limited spaces available — come ready to learn, build, and jam with us!

🏆 Judge Spotlight:

### Isaac Abbs

CIO & Assistant Vice Chancellor for IT | Pima Community College
Isaac leads a 100-person technology team driving major digital transformation initiatives across Pima Community College. Starting his career as a software developer, he brings deep expertise in applied technology, innovation strategy, and building solutions that truly serve our community. His leadership combines technical excellence with a genuine commitment to accessible education and community impact.

***

### Calline Sanchez

VP, Technology Services Competitive Strategy | IBM
A trailblazing technology leader with over 25 years at IBM, Calline has shattered glass ceilings throughout her remarkable career — ascending from systems developer writing code to multiple Vice President positions leading global teams and billion-dollar portfolios.
Currently spearheading global competitive strategy initiatives, her expertise spans data analysis, product design, infrastructure innovation, and strategic marketplace positioning. Her leadership has driven significant revenue growth through co-creating resilient solutions with clients and deploying innovative service portfolios across IBM's Technology Lifecycle Services.
A champion for women in technology, Calline hasn't just held her ground in tech leadership for over two decades, she continues paving the way for the next generation, disrupting stereotypes with her performance and proving that women don't just belong in technology leadership, we excel at it. With degrees from the University of Arizona (including an MBA from Eller College of Management), she brings both technical depth and business acumen to everything she touches.

***

### Ash Black

Director of AI, XR & Student Success | The University of Arizona
An AI Trailblazers pioneer since 2023, Ash is a visionary technologist and experiential educator who founded multiple workforce development programs at the University of Arizona (aicore.arizona.edu). With advanced expertise in AI, XR, Web development, and data science, Ash specializes in rapid prototyping and transformative digital innovation.
Currently leading Biosphere 3 — an extraordinary AI strategy that digital twins Biosphere 2, creating a network of naturalist and scientific AI minds that interface with the intelligence living within ecological biomes. As Ash puts it: "From Digital Twin to growing food on Mars!"
A sought-after keynote speaker at events including the Arizona Technology Council AI Summit, Public Sector Communicators, and Arizona Attractions Alliance, Ash brings a unique ability to bridge emerging technologies, workforce development, and planetary-scale innovation. Ash's passion for supporting future ecosystems with AI technology makes them a true visionary who understands how to build solutions that matter for humanity's future.

📋 Two Tracks — Choose Your Adventure

🔨 Hacking Room (Full Day)
Form a team and build something real with AI.
- 9:00 AM — Welcome, Team Formation & Project Kickoff
- 10:30 AM — Hack Time begins
- 12:00 PM — Lunch (included)
- 12:45 PM — Hack Time continues
- 4:00 PM — Team Pitches to Judges
- 5:00 PM — Winners Announced!

📚 Education Room (10:30 AM – 3:00 PM)
- Building with Claude Code — Hands-on session with Anthropic's AI coding tool
- AI Trailblazers Apprenticeship Program — Learn about our mentorship program and hear from current apprentices
- Lindy.ai Deep Dive — Build AI agents and automations
- Architecting for AI — Design patterns and process mapping for AI-powered systems

Attend the sessions that interest you, then rejoin the Hacking Room as you wish.

Event Details:
- Location: The Arizona Sands Club, 5th floor inside the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility at the University of Arizona. Views of the football field and Catalina Mountains.
- Price: $40 (including food)
- Duration: Full day (9 AM – 5 PM)

Who Should Come?
Community software developers will collaborate in teams to create meaningful AI projects that tackle real-world challenges. This is about learning by doing — applying AI and responsible innovation to continue building community impact.

We can't wait to create alongside you!

PS — if $40 is cost prohibitive, contact us for scholarships.