Official #CLETechWeek26 Buildathon

about this event

The Official #CLETechWeek26 Buildathon brings students, emerging talent, and industry professionals together for a one-day innovation challenge designed to bridge the gap between education, workforce development, and industry—and build connections that last beyond Tech Week. Participants work in interdisciplinary teams of six: 4 students or emerging talent (18+), 1 engineering/product industry leader, and 1 marketing industry leader.

Each team will tackle a real-world challenge centered around a theme developed with the host organization. Using the tools at their disposal—including modern AI and vibe-coding tools—teams will go from problem to idea to prototype in a single day. You don't need to be an expert coder. In fact, that's the point. The event brings together different skills, experiences, and perspectives to see what can be built when working across traditional boundaries.

Who Should Participate: Students & Emerging Talent (open to adults 18+ who are currently learning, training, or early in their careers—including students at colleges, universities, community colleges, trade and technical schools, certificate programs, bootcamps, and other education or workforce-development programs). Industry Leaders: experienced professionals who want to build alongside Cleveland's emerging talent. Each team includes one leader with experience in engineering, product development, or product management and one with experience in marketing, communications, branding, growth, or go-to-market.

Teams will spend the day researching, ideating, building, testing, and preparing their projects. At 4 PM, the Buildathon transforms into the opening of the Official #CLETechWeek26 Welcome Ceremony. Teams showcase their projects at demo tables as attendees and judges explore what they built. Judges will select approximately 3–5 teams to present their projects on stage during the Welcome Ceremony.

Agenda: 10:00 AM Welcome, challenge reveal & team kickoff. 10:30 AM–4:00 PM Buildathon. 4:00–5:00 PM Project demos + Welcome Ceremony networking. 5:00–6:00 PM Selected project presentations + Welcome Ceremony programming. 6:00–7:00 PM Optional networking.

What to Bring: Laptop + charger, notebook or anything you like to work with, reusable water bottle, and any other equipment you need to comfortably work throughout the day. Dress: Business casual. You'll be building during the day and showcasing your work and networking with Cleveland's innovation community that evening.

Eligibility: All Buildathon participants must be 18 or older. Theme, host organization, judges, technology partners, and additional details will be announced soon.

This event is part of Cleveland Tech Week 2026, a community-driven celebration of innovation across Greater Cleveland. Photography and videography may occur during the event and may be used for promotional purposes.

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