What is HackOHI/O?
HackOHI/O is Ohio State’s largest annual hackathon. It’s an exciting 24-hour event where 800+ students from 60+ majors come together to code, learn, create, and network. Open to all fields of study it’s built for thinkers, makers, and doers who use technology to solve real problems, and build strong portfolio projects.
Participants form teams to develop tech solutions from scratch or tackle industry challenges, then pitch their prototypes to expert judges for feedback. The event emphasizes rapid innovation, interdisciplinary teamwork, and real-world skill-building.HackOHI/O integrates the KEEN Entrepreneurial Mindset, encouraging Curiosity, Connections across disciplines, and Creating Value through meaningful, impact-driven projects. Top teams may continue their work through the BOSS program with the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, including a “golden ticket” opportunity to pitch for up to $50,000 in funding.
HackOHI/O is part of the broader OHI/O ecosystem of hackathons and creative tech events that connect students with mentors, industry, and each other. It’s a welcoming space to build skills, explore ideas, and make an impact!
2025 Keynote Speaker
We’re thrilled to announce Christina Cacioppo, cofounder and CEO of Vanta, as the opening speaker for Hack OHI/O! An Ohio native, Christina has built one of the fastest-growing companies in security and compliance automation. Since launching Vanta in 2018, she’s led it to remarkable success, surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue and reaching a $2.5 billion valuation in 2024. Before founding Vanta, Christina worked at Dropbox and Union Square Ventures, experiences that inspired her to solve the tedious challenges of security compliance. Her entrepreneurial drive started early, at age 11, she ran her own Beanie Baby business on eBay! Join us to hear Christina’s story of building one of the most innovative companies and to get inspired to build something extraordinary yourself.
Wrap Up Report
HackOHI/O 2025 brought together more than 675 students and 125+ volunteers for a fast-paced weekend of creativity and technical exploration. 190 Teams were formed and we saw another year of increases in the number of projects submitted for judging.
The event underscored OHI/O’s mission to bridge classroom learning with real-world problem solving, To see the full breakdown of participation, project highlights, and event insights, click through the complete HackOHI/O 2025 Report on the left.
Winners
| Place | Team | Description | Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place – Overall | Team 220 – Awesome Dragons | GuruAI is an AI-powered web application to help teachers by recording lessons and providing real-time feedback on lesson strengths and weaknesses. The application includes a visual dashboard component, session management within classes, and an interactive Q&A session to prepare teachers for questions. | |
| 2nd Place – Overall | Team 217 – that’s why we clash | MolViz AI is an advanced AI-powered molecular analysis platform designed to revolutionize the field of drug discovery and molecular research. Its core purpose is to make quantum-level molecular analysis faster, more accessible, and more intelligent by combining quantum chemistry simulations, machine learning predictions, and interactive 3D visualization into one seamless web-based platform. | |
| 3rd Place – Overall | Team 49 – Lockheed Lovers | An AI-powered Scheduling Solution for The Ohio State University | |
| CSI Best AI Integration | Team 246 – What the Duck | What the Duck is a teach to learn website where you explain concepts to “ducks” of varying expertise that listen, question, and challenge you to fill knowledge gaps, turning passive LLM use into active understanding. | |
| Most Original | Team 79 – MVNU-Kenyon | Pchz is a modern, real-time web platform designed for sharing and engaging with short-form video pitches—think “YouTube meets TikTok, but for projects, talent, and collaborations.” The core goal is to help founders, developers, recruiters, investors, and creators connect around project ideas, showcase their skills, and discover new opportunities in a more interactive, video-first way. | |
| Most Technical | Team 126- Team Buck | MediMoji is inspired by Nikhil’s grandmother, who faced language barriers and relied on visual aids to understand medical care. It builds visual communication tools for patients who don’t speak English, struggle with jargon in their native language, or are visual learners. | |
| Most Social Impact | Team 136 – Norton Antivirus | AI-Powered Roommate Solutions. Using AI to help with all aspects of dorm management, including location sharing, chore distribution, and conflict mediation. | |
| Capstone | Team 256 – ARMageddon | The purpose of this project was to prototype a parallel gripper brake system designed to test and validate the torque-holding capacity of robot arm motor brake designs. For our capstone project we need to make sure the leader arm design features mechanical braking to remove torque load from the motors when the safety switch is not engaged. | |
| 1st Place – Honda | Team 48 – Random ah team | AI Powered Camera and congestion tracker that logs movement and noise level within buildings. | |
| 2nd Place – Honda | Team 166 – Triple A for the W | OSU Smart Parking is a full-stack application to track real-time surface parking lots and garages to reduce frictions caused by searching for available parking spots. | |
| 3rd Place – Honda | Team 56 – log-ic bait | Our project is a cross-platform mobile app designed to simplify transportation around The Ohio State University campus. The app’s primary purpose is to help students and visitors quickly find the fastest and most efficient bus routes without having to manually check schedules or calculate transfers. | |
| 1st Place – AEP | Team 229 – Bia | The Dynamic Grid Analyzer is a web-based simulation tool designed for real-time power grid monitoring, vulnerability analysis, and automated remediation. The application provides an interactive dashboard where users can model grid stress by adjusting environmental parameters like temperature, wind speed, and load factor | |
| 2nd Place – AEP | Team 6 – Hack Ops | An intelligent web-based system for transmission planners to calculate and visualize real-time power line ratings, perform N-1 contingency analysis, predict daily load stress patterns, and leverage AI-powered recommendations. This system prevents grid blackouts by dynamically tracking line capacity, simulating outage scenarios, and identifying stress points before failures occur. | |
| 3rd Place – AEP | Team 116 – Emmetts Team | Dynamic Line Rating System – Real-time transmission line thermal stress analysis |
Sponsors
Partners
Competition Info
| Place | Prize | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place – The top overall project of the hackathon. This goes to the team that best combines technical execution, innovation, presentation, and overall impact. | Meta Quest 3 |  |
| 2nd Place – The runner up project that demonstrates exceptional quality and execution, narrowly behind the winning submission. | Acer Nitro Monitor |  |
| 3rd Place – The third best overall project, recognized for outstanding work across all evaluation criteria. | Sony XM4 |  |
| CSI Best AI Integration – Awarded to the project that most effectively incorporates artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies in a creative and functional way. | Mechanical Keyboard |  |
| Most Original – Given to the project with the most unique and innovative concept | JBL Charge 5 |  |
| Most Technical – Recognizes the project with the most impressive technical complexity and implementation, showcasing advanced programming skills. | Apple Homepod |  |
| Most Social Impact – Honors the project that best addresses a real-world problem and has the greatest potential to make a positive difference in a community. | Coffee Machine |  |
| Capstone – A special recognition prize for the best projects created through the Capstone track. | $75 Amazon Gift Card |  |
Frequently Asked Questions
Hosted by OHI/O
OHI/O is a student organization at The Ohio State University dedicated to fostering tech culture at Ohio State and its surrounding communities in Central Ohio. OHI/O hosts multiple events throughout the year, including MakeOHI/O, ShowOHI/O, and High School I/O. Through these events, OHI/O provides students the opportunity to build with real technologies outside of the classroom and connects them with our industry partners.