Dates & Program Phases

The #75HER Challenge is a multi-phase build journey designed to support learning, iteration, and responsible execution.

  • Learn-a-thon (Foundations): Completed – February 9, 2026
  • Idea-thon (Blueprint Phase): Completed – February 9–16, 2026
  • Hackathon (Build Phase): NOW through March 7, 2026
  • Demo Day: March 8, 2026 (International Women's Day)
  • Winners Announced: March 16, 2026

Participants may join at different points in the program. Regardless of when a participant enters, all submissions are held to the same quality, integrity, and documentation standards outlined in the judging criteria.

 

Eligibility

CreateHER Fest is a global, inclusive innovation challenge centered on building technology with and for women and marginalized communities.

Who can participate:
  • ✅ All genders welcome — allies encouraged!
  • ✅ Age 17+ (minors need parental/guardian consent to receive awards)
  • ✅ Global participants welcome (local restrictions and taxes may apply)
  • ✅ All experience levels: builders, designers, researchers, activists, students, and professionals
  • ✅ Agreement to the Code of Conduct — respect, collaboration, safety, and integrity are non-negotiable

Participation is open; recognition and awards are designed to reflect thoughtful engagement, documented learning, and responsible execution throughout the program. All teams may submit and be evaluated; Community Builder Support Awards are intended to reinvest in active participants and teams who have been building with the community across the program's earlier phases. To ensure multiple teams are recognized for their work, each project is considered for one track award.

 

Project & Submission Requirements

Your submission must include:

  • ✅ A working prototype (hosted link or demo file with clear setup instructions)
  • ✅ A 3-5 minute YouTube demo video that shows the problem, solution, and live walkthrough
  • ✅ A public code repository (GitHub/GitLab) with commit history POST January 6th, 2026, a clear README, quickstart, and decision log
  • ✅ Evidence of thoughtful problem framing, accessibility, and responsible use of data and assets

⚠️ Submissions that expose PII, include fabricated claims, violate IP, or are non-functional may be disqualified.

Reference our Submission Checklist for the ultimate success!

 

Code Originality Requirement (All Participants)

To ensure fair judging and celebrate what you build during #75HER, the core of your project must be created within the Hackathon window.

✅ Totally OK:

– Using frameworks and libraries (React, Flask, TensorFlow, etc.)

– Building on starter templates or boilerplates (document them in your README)

– Integrating APIs and third‑party services

– Adapting open‑source components with your own logic

– Continuing something you started during a #75HER workshop

❌ Not OK:

– Submitting a project mostly built before February 16th with minor tweaks

– Backdating commits to fit the timeline

– Repackaging pre‑built solutions as new work

Your README defines tech stack, what you built during #75HER, what you built on top of (if applicable), and your public repo verifies commit history. Judges will review your timeline and documentation; if something is unclear, we may ask you to walk through your implementation rather than assume bad intent.

 

Awards & Recognition

CreateHER Fest awards are designed to recognize thoughtful, community-centered builds — not just technical complexity or polish.

Awards may highlight strengths such as:

  • 🎯 Clear problem framing and real-world relevance
  • 👥 Alignment with women and marginalized communities
  • 📢 Strong storytelling, usability, and demo clarity
  • ⚖️ Responsible technical decisions and ethical considerations
  • 📈 Notable learning progression or first-time builder growth

Full award details, eligibility considerations, and distribution will be listed on the main Devpost page and may be updated as sponsors are confirmed.

 

Track Awards

CreateHER Fest offers Community Builder Awards to active participants and teams who have been building and learning with the community throughout the program:

  • 🤖 Best Use of AI/ML (with Goose) – $600
  • 🥽 Best Use of AR/VR/XR – $500
  • ⛓️ Best Use of Blockchain – $400
Award Notes:
  • Each project can only win one track award
  • Teams of 1-5 must select one primary category (AI/ML, AR/VR/XR, or Blockchain) for evaluation
  • At least one team member should have actively participated in the 75HER Challenge (e.g., attending a live session or engaging in Discord)
  • Full award details, eligibility, and distribution will be listed on the main Devpost page and may be updated as sponsors are confirmed

 

Judging Criteria & Winner Selection

Judges will review submissions using a scored rubric with five criteria:

  • 📝 Clarity (25%)

    Is the problem and user clearly defined? Is there an observable success test that shows whether the solution works?

  • ✅ Proof (25%)

    Does the project run from a clean start with linked evidence, sources, and a verifiable demo path?

  • 👥 Usability (20%)

    Is the experience accessible, readable, and clearly explained for diverse audiences?

  • 🧠 Rigor (20%)

    Are technical decisions documented? Are risks identified and addressed? Are tradeoffs explained thoughtfully?

  • ✨ Polish (10%)

    Is the scope realistic and timeboxed? Does the execution feel professional and intentional?

Judges prioritize thoughtful problem framing, documented learning, and responsible execution over technical complexity alone.