About Us

Our History

The story began in October 2021, when Isabella Venancia Gardner (Bella) and Mylène Brown-Coleman founded the first Diversity Committee within the BETA student association, STORM, at VU Amsterdam. This initiative was in response to encountering racist and sexist comments among classmates and identifying a lack of clear channels for reporting and seeking assistance.

Bella served as the Co-founder and Chair of the Diversity Committee, with Mylène as the Vice Chair, up until their graduation. Their efforts were directed towards fostering an environment of inclusivity and respect.

During Mylène's time as the AAPPCie committee secretary, she observed a significant underrepresentation of women at the Amsterdam Algorithm Programming Preliminary (AAPP). This lead to the idea of organizing a female-focused hackathon, aimed at creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in competitive programming.

With Dr. Katja Tuma as scientific lead, the first Hack4Her took place in June 2022, at VU Amsterdam. The event was women-only and attracted 35 attendees.

Hack4Her was founded to create a supportive and inclusive tech community. Its evolution reflects a commitment to these principles, with each event building upon the last to advance diversity in technology.

Our Mission

Hack4Her is dedicated to fostering a women-centered space in the technology sector. Our mission revolves around providing women with increased opportunities for hackathon participation and project experience, educating all individuals on the importance of women-centered technology and inclusivity, promoting diversity within the tech community, and facilitating connections among people from various backgrounds.

Scientific Committee

Our scientific committee members serve as consultants for our challenges, assist in promotion, and help ensure impartial and fair conduct of our hackathon.