UpGlo Hackathon 2026

If you had five hours and an internet connection, could you come up with an idea that uses AI to advance the programmatic work of your organization (or solve a life problem!) without copying any of the thousands of offerings that are already out there? 

Could you present a working prototype to your organization in five minutes, endure their scrutiny and questions, and come out feeling wowed by what your colleagues can do—their inspired and innovative ideas?

Welcome to UpGlo’s first Hackathon, where over a third of our staff teamed up in small groups to brainstorm and workshop ideas that put AI to work.

Why do this? We help immigrant professionals build meaningful careers in the United States, how’s a hackathon going to help?

It helps by reminding all of us that creativity is everywhere you turn and that solutions begin with a clear understanding of the problem. 

It didn’t hurt that the hackathon was also fun and about exploring what doors AI can open for us as we continue to improve how we work with immigrant jobseekers, employers, and partners. 

So what did we come up with? The better question might be: What didn’t we come up with? 

Teams showcased an internal platform for coaches and jobseekers to interface with each other and better track schedules and notes. In a world this chaotic, getting organized matters. 

We saw an app that helps make use of whatever food you’ve got on hand by suggesting recipes based on cultural preferences and crowdsourcing stories and traditions.

And we considered a project manager that helps you hit your goals by working with your actual life and circumstances and a mock interview coach that even helps users with their English pronunciation. 

At Upwardly Global, we’re always thinking about what more can we do; how else can we help? With 2.8 million immigrant professionals unemployed or working below their skill levels in this country, this is no time to get complacent.

As we move ahead, we’ll be continuing to advance ideas, tools, and services that best support immigrant talent as they build meaningful careers here in the US.