By Joselyn Pinto, Student in the M.S. in Technology Management program and Executive Board Member of the Technology in Business Association
Before coming to Columbia’s M.S. in Technology Management program, I had always been drawn to projects that connect technology and social impact. As someone from Ecuador, I have seen how access and opportunity are still not equally distributed. In 2024, 75.8% of rural employment in Ecuador was informal, and to me, that says a lot about how uneven stability and opportunity can still be. I had also seen how technology could make a difference in my work at PayJoy, where access to the financial system could open the door to more opportunities. So when the idea of organizing the Columbia AI for Good Hackathon came to me, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue, even if I did not yet know exactly how to bring it to life.
The hackathon was my way of proposing a different lens through which to view AI. I do not believe in fighting the trend or the inevitable. I believe in learning it, shaping it, and building remarkable things with it together. I wanted to create a space where more of us could connect ideas and feel that, yes, we love technology, but we also love people, communities, and the world we are trying to improve. More than a technical competition, the hackathon was meant to show that AI can be approached not only with ambition, but also with responsibility, empathy, and purpose.
Although I had organized events in Ecuador before, including a two-day conference during my undergraduate years as vice president of the Student Government, leading something like this at Columbia felt like a new challenge. I wanted it to be exceptional, so I approached the preparation seriously. I attended hackathons across New York City to understand what made them engaging, what felt missing, and what I could do differently.
As a member of the Technology in Business Association, I worked closely with the organization to help bring the event to life while also building support beyond campus through external partners. Bringing in sponsors and collaborators such as ElevenLabs, Standout, MentorMates, Matchbox, The FOMO Club, Coeus Collective, Cliqk, and GymText helped strengthen both the experience and the credibility of the hackathon.
The Columbia AI for Good Hackathon became a one-week initiative anchored by two in-person days. On the opening day, we welcomed 150 builders into the room, bringing together students, founders, and professionals around a shared goal of building meaningful solutions. The experience included workshops, inspiring talks, and even a magic show that helped set a creative and energetic tone. By Demo Day, we had received 40 project submissions, selected 15 finalist teams to present live, and recognized four winning teams.
More than the number of attendees or the size of the event, what truly stayed with me was the feeling in the room: people from different backgrounds coming together to build with purpose. Students, founders, CEOs, partners, and professors were united by the idea of building for good and willing to put themselves out there, even with the vulnerability that comes with participating in a hackathon, which is, after all, a competition.
Organizing this hackathon reminded me that leadership often begins before you feel fully ready. My biggest lesson was simple: take the leap, even if you do not have the full recipe yet. At Columbia SPS, this experience showed me that technology management is not only about innovation, but also about bringing people, ideas, and purpose together to create real impact. It is also about having the courage to share what you believe in, because many others may be looking for those same spaces and opportunities.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Technology Management at Columbia University prepares graduates to lead digital transformation, and align technology and business strategy with an ethical lens. Through experiential learning, industry partnerships, and Columbia-supported research, students gain fluency in digital platforms and emerging technologies, and learn to design human-centered solutions that drive innovation and sustainable impact.
The program is available for part-time or full-time enrollment online or on campus in NYC. Learn more about the program here.
