Female innovators kick off with prototype designs at fintech hackathon
observer.ug, September 12, 2022, 10:25PM | Day Two of the 2022 Women in FinTech Hackathon concluded with teams completing their solution and prototype designs.
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| File Photo/Courtesy: Cynthia Mpanga, Corporate Affairs Manager, Standard Chartered Bank, Uganda. |
According to Boston Technology, a solution design is the first step towards the eventual physical deployment of any solution. It is a visual blueprint for what needs to be built out. On the other hand, a prototype design is an early sample or a visual model of a product created to test a concept or process.
With these two tasks completed, the teams are all optimistic that they will be able to each deliver a minimum viable product (MVP) at the end of the hackathon. According to the HiPipo CEO, Innocent Kawooya, the Women in Fintech Hackathon doesn’t only address the gender diversity challenge in the technology industry but also empowers women with the right skills and tools to think, design, innovate and transform societies.
“Seeing the teams getting down to serious work is a great deal for us because it shows how far we have come; from having a dream, putting it on paper as an idea and now executing it. The same process is what all innovators must go through to actualize their products,” Kawooya said, adding;
“The facilitators and mentors in this hackathon are equipping participants with the required technology skills and also introducing them to real-life realities that they must overcome if they are to succeed.”
Now in its third edition, the Women in FinTech Hackathon is part of HiPipo’s commitment towards empowering women with the required digital and financial inclusion skills so that they can innovate, prosper, earn and develop their families and communities. This year’s edition has gathered 20 Women-led teams of between two to four members each.
Minus the ‘fintech’ technical work that the hackathon is about, the participants were on day two mentored by Cynthia Mpanga, a renowned public relations practitioner and corporate affairs manager at Standard Chartered Bank, Uganda. Her mentorship was focused on personal branding, public relations and communication.
The week-long Women in FinTech Hackathon will culminate into the Women in FinTech summit on Friday, September 16 at Mestil hotel, Kampala; where the best performing teams and individuals from across East Africa will be announced and receive their share of the $10,000 collective prize money. The best teams will also automatically qualify for the Women in FinTech Incubator program that will run until January 2023.
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