CodeBoxx, SVP Tampa Bay, and Tech4Good Tampa Announce their First-Ever Hackathon 

CodeBoxx, the local technology training company that helps aspiring software developers from all walks of life pursue their passions in the technology sector, is living up to its commitment to empowering the Tampa Bay community through technology. CodeBoxx, Social Venture Partners Tampa Bay, and Tech4Good Tampa have teamed up to hold their first-ever Hackathon. The event will connect CodeBoxx’s current cohort of junior developers with local technology leaders to complete pro bono web development projects for three Tampa Bay nonprofit organizations: 360Eats, Barbershop Book Club, and Voices of Hope for Aphasia.

360Eats, a nonprofit based in Tampa, is reshaping the food system with its innovative “360-degree” solution that bridges the gap between hunger, food waste, and environmental sustainability. Their programs include mobile food rescue, sustainable catering services, a mobile gourmet soup kitchen, and a compost initiative. The Hackathon will deliver a website refresh featuring streamlined navigation and content to connect the community with their services better. 

The second organization to benefit from the Hackathon is the Barbershop Book Club,  founded by Antonio Brown, master barber, and owner of Central Station Barbershop, in 2016. The nonprofit encourages youth literacy in Central and South St. Pete by gifting culturally relevant books to children who read them aloud while getting a haircut. Their website will be rebuilt with a focus on increasing awareness of the significant literacy crisis in America’s inner cities and connecting the community to resources, events, and services that inspire a lifelong love of literacy. 

Voices of Hope for Aphasia, the third nonprofit benefiting from the Hackathon, was founded in 1987 by Martha Taylor Sarno, MA, MD, as the first national organization dedicated to advocating for persons with aphasia and their families. They provide access to research, education, rehabilitation, therapeutic, and advocacy services to individuals with aphasia and their caregivers. They will walk away from the Hackathon with a refreshed website featuring reorganized navigation, enhanced content, and additional functionality. 

The Hackathon was born out of a shared desire to use technology to lift up meaningful nonprofits in our community. Not only will CodeBoxx be providing an invaluable service to the nonprofit community, but they will be helping to foster a culture of collaboration and creativity among the student volunteers. 

“Technology is empowerment – for communities, for organizations, for individuals,” said CodeBoxx’s VP of People and Community Development Kim Vogel.

“Our mission at Social Venture Partners Tampa Bay is to aid in building long-term sustainable nonprofits in our community. We’re honored to partner with CodeBoxx to help develop websites and other tools to help them reach their goals.” SVP Tampa Bay’s Program Manager – Keara McGraw

The Hackathon event will take place on January 12th and 13th, 2023, at CodeBoxx’s headquarters in downtown St. Pete.