about this event
East Meets West — global builders tackling New York City's urban challenges. NYC Dream Hackathon is a global hackathon for builders hosted at Columbia Business School. Builders from Columbia University, leading universities in the U.S. and Korea, and NYC's startup community will come together to build a software MVP or hardware prototype to address New York City's urban challenges. This event will be held as a satellite event within the KOOM Week Festival.
Event Overview — Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026. Venue: Columbia Business School. Expected Attendance: Approximately 100 participants. Format: Solo or in a team of up to four. Deliverable: Software MVP or Hardware Prototype. Hosted / Organized by: Korean Business Association (KBA), AI Club at Columbia Business School. Main Partner: United Korean Founders (UKF). Sponsor: Sazze Partners.
Who Can Join — Students from Columbia University and Columbia Business School; students from leading universities in the U.S. and Korea; developers, designers, operators, and early-career builders from NYC's startup community. Non-developers and non-Korean participants are also welcome.
Challenge Tracks — Participants will choose one of the following five tracks. Food Security: How to ensure a reliable food supply and distribution in densely populated cities. Affordable Housing: How to create more affordable housing and help people find and stay in it. Efficient Transportation: How people and goods can move through crowded cities more efficiently. Climate Resilience: How cities can respond to extreme heat, flooding, heavy snowfall, and rising energy demand. Public Safety: How to build systems that protect both community safety and trust.
Participant Information — You may join solo or in a team of up to four. A virtual orientation will take place about one week before the hackathon. Participants will share their interests and ideas and may use the session to decide whether to work solo or form a team. Each team must include at least one undergraduate, master's, or doctoral student. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Teams building a hardware prototype must provide their own equipment.
Judging Criteria — Problem Insight: How clearly the team defines the problem and explains why it matters. Technical Execution: How well the team builds a functional and polished prototype. Real-world Potential: The project's potential for real-world implementation and impact.
Agenda (EDT, New York time) — Schedule is subject to change. 9:00 AM | Check-in & Coffee. 10:00 AM | Opening Remarks. 10:30 AM | Build Time. 12:30 PM | Lunch & Mini Session. 1:30 PM | Build Time. 4:30 PM | Submissions Close. 5:00 PM | Final Presentations & Judging. 6:30 PM | Awards & Closing.
Benefits & Awards — To be announced.
Contact — Interested in judging or sponsoring? Contact Joshua Han (Columbia Business School MBA '27) at JHan27@gsb.columbia.edu.
tracks
Food Security
How to ensure a reliable food supply and distribution in densely populated cities.
Affordable Housing
How to create more affordable housing and help people find and stay in it.
Efficient Transportation
How people and goods can move through crowded cities more efficiently.
Climate Resilience
How cities can respond to extreme heat, flooding, heavy snowfall, and rising energy demand.
Public Safety
How to build systems that protect both community safety and trust.
when
KOOM NYC Dream Hackathon
Check-in & Coffee 9:00 AM; Opening Remarks 10:00 AM; Build Time 10:30 AM; Lunch & Mini Session 12:30 PM; Build Time 1:30 PM; Submissions Close 4:30 PM; Final Presentations & Judging 5:00 PM; Awards & Closing 6:30 PM. Schedule is subject to change.
◍ Columbia Business Schooltickets
| tickets | price | Fee | Status | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Admission | Free | TBA | Available | Free entry to the KOOM NYC Dream Hackathon at Columbia Business School on October 17, 2026. |