The Heist Hackathon

Vaults will be opened TBA October 2026

1.Slide Deck – Max 8 slides, covering:
Team Name + Vault
Problem Statement (“What are you trying to crack?”)
Solution Overview (What’s the “heist” plan?)
How It Works (product, prototype, or service description)
Tech Stack / Key Technical Challenges
Market Opportunity (who’s the target user, is there demand?)
Impact + Sustainability

Please provide video of slide deck and pitch including audio (8 min max)

2. Demo or Prototype
One of the following:
a. Hosted link (e.g. GitHub Pages, Heroku, Streamlit, mobile app, etc.)
b. Video Walkthrough (5 min max)

3. 1-Pager Executive Summary
A brief document or Notion/Google Doc that includes:
Short problem/solution description
Key features
Target user/customer
Team roles & member names
Vault track selected
Links to GitHub/codebase, figma, or additional assets

Suggested Team Structure
4–5 members per team
At least 1–2 Simon students
At least 2–3 Hajim/AS or technical members
A mix of strategy, building, and storytelling roles

Teams to assign:
Technical Lead
Business Lead
Pitch Lead
Researcher/Analyst (optional)
Designer (optional)

Solo? Or need a team member? Meet team members at the kick-off! 
“Matchmaking During Kick-off” with mentors to help plug gaps

Judging Rubric – The Heist: Crack the Code to Innovation

Projects will be evaluated across four core dimensions that balance technical innovation with entrepreneurial strategy:

1. Problem & Vault Fit (20%)

Clarity of the problem being “cracked”
Relevance to the chosen vault (AI, Sustainability, MedTech, or Wildcard)
Importance and potential impact of the problem

2. Innovation & Technical Execution (30%)

Originality of the solution and creativity of approach
Quality and feasibility of the technology or prototype
Technical challenges addressed and effectiveness of the solution

3. Entrepreneurial Vision & Market Potential (30%)

Strength of the business/market opportunity
Scalability and sustainability of the venture
Alignment of solution with customer or user needs

4. Pitch & Storytelling (20%)

Clarity and persuasiveness of the pitch
Ability to communicate the “heist” narrative and value proposition
Team collaboration and presentation flow

Grand Prize: The Master Key
$1,500 prize + Foundry mentorship
Awarded to the best overall project (highest score across rubric)

Best Technical Execution (Hajim Special Award)
$500 prize + meeting with Hajim faculty

Best Entrepreneurial Vision (Ain Center Special Award)
$500 prize + meeting with Simon faculty

Closed until October 2026

🏴‍☠️ The Heist Rules

1. Team Formation

• Cross-disciplinary teams are strongly encouraged (Arts & Sciences + Hajim + Simon). All students must be from the University of Rochester for this event.
• Solo entries are not permitted, you need a crew to pull off a heist (You need at least 2 members).

2. Vault Selection

• Each team selects one “vault” challenge track
• Once chosen, your vault cannot be switched mid-heist.

3. Timeline

• Kickoff Briefing:
• Final Submission Deadline:
• Awards:
• Late submissions = mission failure.

5. Deliverables – See Submission Requirements Above
6. Mentor Checkpoints

• Each team must meet at least 1 mentor (entrepreneur in residence) checkpoints during the heist.
• Mentors advise but do not execute—they’re like the blueprint guy, not the one cutting the vault door.

6. Original Work

• Solutions must be created during the heist timeframe.
• Pre-existing projects can be used as inspiration, but must show significant new work.

7. Fair Play

• Collaboration across teams = fine (sharing tools, general advice).
• Plagiarism or stealing another crew’s idea = automatic disqualification.
• Respectful behavior is non-negotiable.
• Must participate in the entire event (for the length of the event). Participation requires participation in group activities, meetings and final submissions.

8. Judging

Projects will be evaluated on:

Innovation & Creativity – Did your crew crack the vault in a novel way?
Feasibility & Impact – Could this solution work in the real world?
Technical Execution – How strong was your “heist plan”?
Business & Market Potential – Is there a payoff worth chasing?
Teamwork & Storytelling – Did you sell the judges on your heist?

9. Code of Conduct

• Treat teammates, mentors, and judges with respect.
• Harassment, sabotage, or misconduct will end your run.
• Remember: a successful heist takes brains, not bad behavior.

10. Winning the Heist

• Judges award prizes based on total score.
• Bonus recognition may be given for:
  • Most daring idea (biggest swing)
  • Best heist story/pitch
  • Smoothest execution