Build for LA. Build for the world.
The Dual-Use Hackathon is InnovateLA’s closing event of LA Tech Week, hosted at USC Viterbi from October 16 to 18, 2026. Los Angeles breaks the way the country breaks: fire, water, grid, ports, comms. Build something that solves an everyday LA problem and still works when things fall apart. Build for one, and it counts for both.
How it works
- 1 mystery problem, revealed live Friday at 6:15 PM. Everyone gets the same one.
- 5 lenses. Pick your angle: Crisis Mitigation (NULL Labs), Energy & Grid Hardening (Base Power), Resilience Comms (Retell AI), Ports & Logistics (Terminal49), and Lens #5, top secret until Friday.
- 3 live twists. The problem shifts Friday night and Saturday morning. You get 6 hours after each one to adapt and respond.
The essentials
- Cost: Free. Food provided all weekend.
- Teams: 2 to 4 people. No team? We match you Friday at 7 PM.
- Experience: None needed. Designers, researchers, business and policy minds are just as valuable as coders.
- Format: In person only, USC University Park Campus.
- Submissions due: Saturday, Oct 17, 10:00 PM on Devpost. No extensions.
Schedule
Friday, October 16
- 5:00 PM: Check in, MCB 101 (Michelson Center)
- 5:30: Kick Off
- 6:00 PM: Mystery problem revealed
- 7:00 PM: Squad formation
- 8:30 PM: Move to RTH 526 and start building
- 9:00 PM: Teams lock
- 11:30 PM: Twist 1
Saturday, October 17
- 4:30 AM: Twist 2
- 7:00 AM: Twist 3 (the last one)
- 10:30 AM: Retell AI info session
- 11:00 AM: Talk with Ambassador Ivonne A-Baki
- 1:00 PM: IBM SkillsBuild session on IBM Bob
- Evening: 1:1 mentor sessions
- 10:00 PM: Final submissions due on Devpost
- 10:30 PM: The Midnight Games
- 12:00 AM: Seven finalists announced
Sunday, October 18 (Ginsburg Hall)
- 12:00 PM: Demo area opens; guests vote for People’s Choice
- 1:00 PM: Featured talk with Matthew Finney, Accenture Federal Services
- 2:30 PM: Seven finalists pitch, then all awards announced
- 3:30 PM: Close
Times may shift. The participant portal is always current.
What’s at stake
Top three overall win $1,000, $500 and $200 and advance to the Das Family Incubator to compete for a share of $30,000. Each sponsored lens crowns its own winner, with prizes including cash, trophies and fast-track interviews. Plus Best Build with IBM Bob, Best Shift Adapter, Best Live Demo, People’s Choice and the Fun Team Award. Prizes stack.
Hosted on Devpost
