We are in the countdown to the Ekos Hackathon: Hands on the Forest. Our proposal to promote four days of immersion in nature and prototyping in Belém has caught the attention of many people, with a variety of interests. Some of this group already have experience in innovation marathons, but for some of our 32 selected participants, the challenge promises to be completely new.
This is the case for Marcela Porto. This will be the first hackathon for the economics student, who lives in São Paulo. At just 21 years old, she already has a background in social projects. "I worked for two years with popular education and creative economy, in a technological incubator for popular cooperatives. I developed projects with artisan networks, community gardens, and during this time, I even visited Pará," she says.
The trip may not be unprecedented, but participating in an innovation and prototyping marathon is exciting for the student. "I didn't even know there was such a thing as a hackathon, but I really enjoy joint creation, working collectively. So, when I found out that everyone would have the opportunity to pitch an idea and contribute to others' ideas, working together, I was very excited to participate," Marcela summarizes.
Excitement has also reached São Carlos, in the interior of São Paulo, where computer engineer Rogério Ruivo is looking forward to the opportunity to connect two of his great interests. Programming marathons are frequent in his routine, but it was the invitation to bring nature closer that made the Ekos Hackathon experience much more interesting.
"Since I was a teenager, I have maintained a tree nursery planting project; it's a hobby I have. My idea is to combine technology with this project to create smart nurseries that make it possible to monitor these trees. When I learned about Natura's hackathon, I was very excited about this possibility," Rogério explains.
In just a few days, the ideas and experiences of Marcela and Rogério will be shared with the other participants of the Ekos Hackathon. "It's going to be a lot of fun, everyone giving their best to create something new. I can’t wait to interact with local communities and better understand this new economic frontier, the possibilities of establishing new market relationships," Marcela states.
