Creative AI solutions. Cross-disciplinary collaboration. Community impact.
The AI Hackathon for a Better Future, hosted annually by the Mitchell C. Hill Center for Digital Innovation, brings together Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty, and industry professionals to develop innovative, AI-powered solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges. Designed to be interdisciplinary, inclusive, and hands-on, the event promotes learning through experimentation and showcases the power of artificial intelligence to drive change.
Each year, students form teams to tackle problems in areas such as:
Sustainability and the environment
Public health and wellness
Education and workforce development
Cybersecurity and digital trust
Social equity and ethical AI
Real-World Challenges + Real-Time Innovation
Participants spend two days working intensively on AI-based solutions, guided by mentors from faculty and industry. The event includes:
Lightning talks and technical workshops
Mentorship from faculty and professionals
Judged presentations and awards
Networking and recruiting opportunities
Get Involved
We invite faculty to sign up! There are opportunities to mentor student teams and serve as judges. Contact DigitalInnovation@cpp.edu
We also encourage students from all majors to participate. Whether you're new to AI or an experienced coder, this is your chance to learn, build, and compete.
Cal Poly Pomona hosted a transformative AI Hackathon and Fair in 2025, expanding the event to include research presentations, tech demonstrations, and cross-campus collaboration. 📖Read the 2025 highlights »
🔹 2024 AI Hackathon Sponsored by Avanade
The 2024 event, in partnership with Avanade, challenged students to build AI solutions for education, mental health, and sustainability, with faculty-led mentoring and strong industry engagement. 📖See the 2024 recap and winning projects »
“This event showed us how students can use AI not just to solve technical problems—but to build a better future.”