Georgetown AI Buildathon
By Erich Kottke
One Day. One Challenge. Build Something Real.
Join Georgetown University students and alumni for an in-person AI Buildathon focused on creativity, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and building real products with AI.
Whether you're already experimenting with AI, have an idea you've always wanted to build, or have never written a line of code, this event is designed to give you the opportunity to turn an idea into something real.
No traditional coding experience is required.
You'll receive the official challenge and Buildathon tracks at kickoff, then use AI-powered tools to take a problem from idea to working product.
What to Expect
We'll kick off the Buildathon in person at Georgetown University with an introduction to AI-native building, insights from speakers and industry leaders, and everything you need to get started.
Then, the challenge begins.
The official tracks and specifications will not be revealed until kickoff, giving every participant a fair opportunity to start from the same place.
You'll have the day to:
Get the Challenge — Discover the official tracks and specifications at kickoff.
Identify the Problem — Think critically about the user, problem, and opportunity before jumping into the build.
Build With AI — Use Lovable and AI-powered tools to turn your idea into a working product.
Present Your Solution — Submit your product along with the story behind what you built, the problem you're solving, and how your solution works.
Get Judged — Projects will be reviewed by a panel of judges across entrepreneurship, technology, venture, product, and the Georgetown community.
Get Recognized — Winning projects will have opportunities for recognition, visibility, and connections across the Georgetown and DC startup ecosystem.
This isn't about who can write the most code.
We're looking for great problem-solvers, creative thinkers, strong ideas, thoughtful execution, and people willing to experiment with what's possible using AI.
Who Can Participate?
This event is FREE for eligible Georgetown University students and alumni.
Undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni across different programs and disciplines are encouraged to participate.
You don't need to be a computer science student.
Business, technology, design, entrepreneurship, finance, analytics, product, and other backgrounds are welcome.
Limited capacity. Registration is required.
Start From Scratch
To keep the competition fair, Buildathon projects should begin as new builds.
You may bring your experience, skills, interests, and ideas, but the official challenge specifications won't be released until kickoff.
Why?
Because we want to see what you can think, design, and build during the challenge, not what you've been developing for the last four months.
More Than a Competition
The Georgetown AI Buildathon is also an opportunity to meet people across technology, entrepreneurship, venture capital, AI, and the DC startup community.
We're bringing together students, alumni, founders, builders, investors, mentors, and industry professionals.
The goal isn't simply to walk away with a project.
It's to walk away with new skills, new relationships, something tangible you can showcase, and a better understanding of what's possible when you build with AI.
New to Vibe Coding? You're Welcome.
Never built an application before?
That's okay.
We'll share resources leading up to the Buildathon to help participants understand the fundamentals of AI-native building, including how to think about:
Users → Problems → Ideas → Product → UX → Data → Security → Building
The goal is to lower the barrier to entry so that a great problem-solver with a great idea has an opportunity to compete, regardless of their traditional coding experience.
Washington, DC, United States In person Student Event