TechNisa Hacks is a hackathon dedicated to empowering Muslim women in technology through innovation, collaboration, mentorship, and community.

Inspired by the Arabic word نساء (Nisā’), meaning “women,” TechNisa was created to build a space where faith and ambition can thrive together. Whether you're building your very first project or you're an experienced hacker, TechNisa Hacks is an opportunity to learn new skills, meet other women in tech, connect with industry professionals, and turn your ideas into something real.

Throughout the weekend, hackers will work in teams to build projects, attend technical and career workshops, connect with mentors and sponsors, and participate in community programming. The weekend concludes with our Project Expo, where teams will showcase what they've built to our judges and compete for prizes.

What makes TechNisa special is the community behind it. We're bringing together Muslim women from different schools, backgrounds, and levels of technical experience for a weekend designed to make technology feel more accessible, collaborative, and exciting.

📅 August 21–23, 2026
📍 Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Toronto

Come build, learn, connect, and create with us at TechNisa Hacks! 💻✨

Requirements

What to Build

Build a new project during TechNisa Hacks that solves a problem, explores an idea, or creates something meaningful using technology.

Your project can be a web or mobile app, AI/ML project, hardware project, developer tool, game, or anything else you can build and demonstrate!

  • Projects should be started during the hackathon.

  • Existing libraries, APIs, frameworks, datasets, open-source tools, and templates are allowed.

  • AI development tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and similar tools are allowed.

  • Your project does not need to be fully polished or production-ready. A working prototype or proof of concept is welcome!

  • Teams should be able to explain what they built and how their project works.

What to Submit

All materials that you plan to show judges must be uploaded or linked directly on your Devpost submission.

Your submission must include:

  • Project Name
  • Project Description — Briefly explain the problem you're solving, your solution, and what you built.
  • Technologies Used — List the languages, frameworks, APIs, hardware, AI tools, or other technologies used.
  • GitHub Repository — If your project involves code, your code must be available through a publicly accessible repository.
  • Demo Video — Upload or link a short video demonstrating your project and its key features.
  • Presentation Slides — Upload or link the slides your team will use during judging.
  • Additional Materials — Any Figma files, prototypes, PDFs, videos, or other materials you intend to present must be publicly accessible and linked on Devpost.
  • Team Members — All team members must be listed on the submission.
  • Best Beginner Prize Opt-In — Select this category if you would like your team to be considered for the Best Beginner Prize. To be eligible, the majority of your team must be participating in their first-ever hackathon. A beginner means this is your first hackathon ever, not simply your first time participating in TechNisa Hacks.

    • 4-person team: At least 3 members must be beginners
    • 3-person team: At least 2 members must be beginners
    • 2-person team: Both members must be beginners
    • Solo team: You must be a beginner

Important: During judging, teams should only present materials that have been included or linked in their Devpost submission.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

4 non-cash prizes
1st Place - Best Overall Award
1 winner

Each member of the 1st Place winning team will receive a Fujifilm Instax Mini 13.

2nd Place - Best Overall Award
1 winner

Each member of the 2nd Place winning team will receive a JBL Go 3 Speaker + Fujifilm Disposable Camera.

3rd Place - Best Overall Award
1 winner

Each member of the 3rd Place winning team will receive an Amazon Echo Dot.

Best Beginner Project Award
1 winner

Each member of the Best Beginner winning team will receive a Premium Aroma Diffuser. To qualify, the majority of the team must be participating in their first-ever hackathon.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Habiba Mostafa

Habiba Mostafa
Microsoft

Saima Munir

Saima Munir
DataRobot

Fariha Rashid

Fariha Rashid
Wealthsimple

Afreen Aliya

Afreen Aliya
Wealthsimple

Saima Khan

Saima Khan
Wealthsimple

Sara Hosseini

Sara Hosseini
Nasdaq

Tabassum Pasha

Tabassum Pasha
Waive

Yusra Hussain

Yusra Hussain
Deloitte

Rishard Rameez

Rishard Rameez
Zown

Judging Criteria

  • Originality
    Does the solution do something entirely novel, or take a fresh approach to an old problem?
  • Design
    Did the team put thought into the user experience? How easy was it to navigate the solution? How inclusive is the project?
  • Relevancy
    Is the solution relevant to the challenge prompt? (Does it address a broken system?) Does it solve or properly address the challenge?
  • Technology
    How technically impressive/complex is the project? Does the solution work?
  • Presentation
    Is the pitch persuasive and compelling? How well was the project presented?
  • Practicality
    Would the solution work in real life? How practical and useful are the ideas and hacks presented? Does it solve or properly address the challenge?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

Invite others to compete

Hackathon sponsors

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