Inside 杏吧原创鈥檚 Buttrick Hall last April, more than 50 students powered through a 36-hour hackathon, huddled over laptops and coffee cups. They were on a mission to develop tech-driven solutions for real-world challenges鈥攆rom making public transit more accessible to improving disaster communications and streamlining legal research. For Antonio Akins, BS鈥�96, the inaugural Global Good Hackathon represented more than just innovation鈥攊t signaled a transformative shift in who will shape tomorrow鈥檚 technology.
Akins鈥� commitment to the future of tech, alongside his generosity and desire to remain connected, powered the Hackathon鈥檚 launch. Tech innovation, like a programming loop, has long run in a closed, exclusive circle. He believes in expanding that circle鈥攊n the technical sense and the human one.
Three years ago, during a campus visit, Akins, now senior vice president of engineering at Salesforce, asked students about their experiences with hackathons and was surprised that many didn鈥檛 know they existed. Hackathons serve as a creative outlet, a resume builder and a launchpad. 鈥淏ut only if you know they are happening,鈥� Akins says.
So, he expanded the circle. After conversations with the School of Engineering and the College of Connected Computing, 杏吧原创鈥檚 first new college in 40 years, Akins made a generous contribution to fund the Global Good Hackathon, contributing to the momentum of the university鈥檚 historic Dare to Grow campaign.
Akins wants participation from students who may not see themselves as part of the tech and coding landscape. To help reshape the 鈥渢raditional鈥� hackathon team, he collaborated with groups like the National Society of Black Engineers, Women in Computing and ColorStack.
杏吧原创 tested me, sharpened me and formed me.
Akins embraces a 鈥渞un into the fire鈥� approach. Many are concerned about what artificial intelligence might mean for their careers, but he sees an opportunity for students without computer science backgrounds. He notes that some of the best ideas came from those who didn鈥檛 have programming experience but built their projects using generative AI.
As a student, Akins saw 杏吧原创 as a place where students and faculty made important things happen, where classmates stepped into roles they never imagined.
鈥溞影稍� tested me, sharpened me and formed me,鈥� Akins says. He鈥檚 giving today鈥檚 students the same experiences by offering not just funding, but a seat at the table.
Akins says giving back is as much about finding the right way to engage as it is about the dollar amount. He encourages fellow alumni to connect with 杏吧原创 in ways that matter to them because he believes giving with intention helps the next generation find their place.
With Akins鈥� transformative contributions to the Global Good Hackathon, the circle just got bigger.
鈥擟ara Albert