Haiti's First AI Hackathon This Weekend

This Friday, fifteen teams will gather in Pétion-Ville for 48 hours of intensive AI development. It's Haiti's inaugural artificial intelligence hackathon, and the mission is straightforward: create a space where developers can build, learn, and forge lasting connections.

When: Friday, November 28 – Sunday, November 30, 2025
Where: Pétion-Ville, Ouest, Haiti
Who: 45 developers across 15 teams

The Format

Fifteen teams. One weekend. Working AI applications.

This isn't about polished pitch decks or theoretical concepts. Participants will ship testable, deployed code that solves real problems. The focus is on execution—moving from concept to production-ready prototype in a compressed timeframe.

Teams will work across six core themes:

• AI for Health & Well-being — Diagnostic tools, medical chatbots, accessibility solutions
• Generative AI Applications — Content generation, automation, creative tools
• Education Technology — Personalized learning, tutoring systems, skill development
• Art & Culture — Creative tools, cultural preservation, media generation
• Community Solutions — Civic tech, local problem-solving, social impact
• Open Innovation — Unconstrained exploration of AI's potential in Haiti

Each team selects their focus area and builds accordingly. The overarching theme—"From Idea to Deployment"—reflects the event's emphasis on shipping functional software, not just showcasing ideas.

The Context

Haiti's developer community has long operated in isolation. Talented engineers learn independently, often without access to mentorship, structured training, or peer collaboration. The ecosystem exists, but it's fragmented.

This hackathon addresses that gap. It's designed to prove that given the right infrastructure, support, and community, Haitian developers can compete at the highest level.

The timing is deliberate. AI development has never been more accessible. Pre-trained models, API endpoints, and deployment platforms have democratized what was once exclusive to well-funded research labs. Any developer with internet access and the willingness to learn can now build sophisticated AI applications.

The opportunity is clear. The question is whether Haiti's tech community can mobilize to seize it.

Pre-Event Preparation

Participants didn't arrive unprepared. Over the past month, all teams completed four intensive training sessions covering:

• AI fundamentals and machine learning concepts
• Working with modern AI APIs and frameworks
• Rapid prototyping and deployment strategies
• Best practices for production AI systems

The goal was to eliminate the learning curve during the event itself. Participants will arrive with foundational knowledge and can focus entirely on building.

During the weekend, organizers provide:

• Dedicated venue with reliable infrastructure
• High-speed internet and development resources
• Technical mentorship from experienced AI practitioners
• Meals and refreshments to maintain focus and energy

The environment is optimized for one thing: uninterrupted development.

Evaluation Criteria

Sunday afternoon, each team presents to a panel of industry professionals and technical mentors. Projects are evaluated across three equally weighted dimensions:

Innovation (33%) — Does the solution address a genuine need? Is the approach novel or differentiated? Does it demonstrate creative problem-solving within Haiti's unique context?

Technical Execution (33%) — Is the application functional and deployed? Is the code maintainable? Are AI/ML techniques properly implemented? Does the system handle edge cases gracefully?

Communication (33%) — Can the team articulate the problem clearly? Is the demonstration compelling? Do they understand their target users and potential market?

The judging philosophy is pragmatic: a simple solution that works reliably outperforms a sophisticated system that fails under basic use cases. Teams are evaluated on what they ship, not what they promise.

What's at Stake

Yes, there are tangible prizes—hardware, software licenses, and visibility within the tech community. But the real value extends beyond material rewards:

A portfolio-ready prototype that demonstrates AI competency to potential employers or collaborators

Production-grade skills in modern AI development that are immediately marketable

Network access to experienced developers, mentors, and industry professionals

Proof of concept for future projects and ventures

The prizes are secondary. The primary value proposition is what participants build, learn, and who they connect with during the 48 hours.

Post-Hackathon Reality

Let's be direct: a weekend prototype is not a finished product. The path from hackathon demo to production deployment is long and requires sustained effort.

What organizers can commit to:

• Maintaining connections with participants after the event
• Making introductions to relevant contacts when opportunities arise
• Continuing to create spaces for community growth and collaboration

What they can't promise:

• Guaranteed funding or institutional partnerships
• Immediate commercialization pathways
• Automatic scaling to production systems

The hackathon provides a launchpad—technical skills, a working prototype, and access to a community. Everything beyond that depends on individual teams' ability to iterate, find users, and push their solutions forward.

For those serious about continuing, the foundation will be solid. For those who move on, the skills and connections remain valuable.

The Long Game

This event won't transform Haiti's technology sector in 48 hours. That's not the objective, and anyone claiming otherwise is selling something.

The actual goal is more modest but more sustainable: demonstrate that Haiti can produce high-quality technical events, that Haitian developers can master cutting-edge tools, and that a community exists worth investing in.

Success looks like this: In five years, several participants from this weekend have launched their own ventures, are mentoring the next cohort of developers, or have shipped AI tools used beyond Haiti's borders.

Every working prototype is evidence. Every new skill acquired is compounding value. Every meaningful connection is potential future collaboration.

The movement isn't built in a weekend—it's initiated in one.

The Team Behind It

This hackathon is organized by Syntax Studio, Akademi, and Le Wagon Canada, with support from multiple partners who recognize the opportunity in Haiti's developer community.

Beyond institutional support, the event benefits from something harder to quantify: experienced developers, colleagues, and close friends who volunteered their time to mentor throughout the weekend. They're contributing because they believe in what's being built.

The conviction driving everything: when you build something serious, the right people recognize it and join the effort. This event is proof of that principle in action.

Follow the Build

Throughout the weekend, we'll share real-time updates, project highlights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of what teams are creating.

LinkedIn: @ayiti-ai
Instagram: @ayitiai
Twitter/X: @ayitiai

This weekend, fifteen teams build. We document what emerges.

No overclaiming. No empty promises. Just developers doing what they do best: solving problems with code.