Save
The Date 11.01.2024
8:30 AM – 6 PM 100 W 2Nd Street,
Boston, Ma 02127
Powered by
The Possible Zone’s inaugural annual Hackathon, FastForge, offers Boston area high school students the chance to engage in a mini physical consumer product launch, reflecting our 11-month post-high school Launch program. Throughout the day, students will collaborate in teams with corporate volunteers to research, ideate, design, and pitch the next hot consumer product. The Hackathon adopts a science-fair format, with judges and investors circulating among the teams to hear pitches and ask questions. At the end of the day, The top three teams will present in the finals, where the full audience will vote to choose the winner.
Adding to the excitement, our current cohort of Founding Associates, who just completed the 11-month Launch program, will showcase their recently launched Kickstarter products and provide updates on their company success. This event will inspire high school students by demonstrating what’s possible at The Possible Zone!
The Possible Zone’s mission is to advance economic equity by ensuring young people develop the entrepreneurial spirit, skills, and networks to launch successful careers.
About TPZ Ventures
TPZ Ventures is the revenue-generating arm of The Possible Zone (TPZ), providing Boston area high school and post-high school youth with hands-on business experience. Launch, TPZ Ventures’ 11-month physical consumer product incubator, develops TPZ alumni and other young adult associates from the community into co-founders. As part of the program, each Founding Associate researches, ideates, and brings to life a new consumer product in a competitive, collaborative sprint to $1,000,000. Participants learn Product Management, Digital Marketing, and E-Commerce Operations under the guidance of TPZ Ventures’ experts. Graduates of the Launch program emerge with a skill set aligned with careers of the future and are well-positioned to advance their business or to work in roles with various industry partners.
About The Location
The Artists For Humanity (AFH) EpiCenter is an event space in South Boston, Massachusetts. It’s about 3 minutes walk from Broadway station on the Red line and Bus 11 stops at the intersection of W 2nd and W 3rd St. There is limited street parking on W 2nd St, and Channel Center Garage just minute away.
Schedule More details to come
Part One
8:30 AM
Breakfast and check in
9:00 AM
Kickoff and opening remarks
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Research, ideation, product concept and product name
Part Two
1:00 – 3:30 PM
Prototyping, branding and pitch creation
Part Three
3:30 – 4:30 PM
Semi-final pitches with judges circulating between groups
Part Four
4:30 – 6:00 PM
TPZ’s Founding Associates reveal Kickstarter products
Final 3 Hackathon team pitches with audience voting
Closing remarks
Part Two
1:00 – 3:30 PM
Prototyping, branding and pitch creation
Part Three
3:30 – 4:30 PM
Semi-final pitches with judges circulating between groups
Part Four
4:30 – 6:00 PM
TPZ’s Founding Associates Reveal Kickstarter products
Final 3 hackathon team pitches with audience voting
Closing remarks
Judges
FastForge is excited to introduce our exceptional panel of judges, representing a diverse array of roles, including angel investors and venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, foundation executives, academics, community non-profits, and finance and industry executives.
Atin Batra Impact Investing Director, ECMC Group
Sharon Botwinik Executive, Fidelity Center for Applied Technology
Barry Coffman Angel Investor and Mentor to Entrepreneurs
Jodi Collier Executive Director, Launchpad Venture Group
Christophe Coudray Angel Investor, Helen of Troy/P&G Executive
Winston Daley Entrepreneur, Investor, Youth Development Enthusiast
Jennifer Davis Managing Director at Techstars
Mine Ertugrul Finance Professor, UMASS Boston, Angel Investor
Bill Flemng Business Consultant for Designers & Design Educator
Mark Flores VP of Software, WHOOP
John Grayson Entrepreneur, Advisor, Angel Investor
Danielle Johnson Founder of Spark FM Online
Walter Kowtoniuk Venture Partner at Third Rock Ventures
Amye Kurson Owner, Ame & Lulu
Brian Lagarto Angel Investor, Shark Ninja Executive
Kat Lawlor Social Impact Leader, Executive Director, EforAll
Jossy Lee Founder, Venture Builder, Educator
Mark Levin Chairman Of The Board Of Directors, The Possible Zone
Ken Mooney Financial Services Executive, Angel Investor, Suffolk University Lecturer
Dennis Van Oossanen Former Nike/Converse executive, Angel Investor
Margarita Barrios Ponce Mission-driven & Inclusive Brand, Strategy, and Design Leader
Sean Sweeney Branding and Marketing Executive, Entrepreneur, Angel investor
Edward Tepper Biogen Associate, Passionate Startup Builder
Robert Tepper Partner, Third Rock Ventures
Lucas Turner-Owens Principal at Building Ventures
Iva Toudjarska Biopharma Company Builder, Corporate Strategy and Business Development
Jenna Ventorino Partner at WilmerHale
Lucy Wang Executive at Toast
Aidan Yeaw Blockchain/ Digital Assets Executive, Angel Investor, Edtech Impact Investor
Interested in becoming a judge for the event? Contact us! BECOME A JUDGE SPONSOR OUR STUDENTS
Sponsors & Partners
We are grateful for our donors and sponsors
Partners
Join Us Come and Join the Movement
Students
Want to join the Hackathon? To qualify:
- You are currently in grades 9-12
- You are currently enrolled in TPZ programming
-
OR you are a student at one of TPZ’s partner schools:
- Boston Green Academy
- Community Academy of Science and Health (C.A.S.H)
- Cristo Rey Boston High School
- Dearborn STEM Academy
- Dr. Albert D. Holland High School of Technology
- English High School
- Fenway High School
- Brighton High School
- Madison Park High School
- Margarita Muñiz Academy
- Saint George Schools
- TechBoston Academy
To sign up with your school contact us: hackathon@possiblezone.org
Volunteers
Calling industrial designers and marketing creatives interested in guiding teams of students for the day!
Whether you want to volunteer individually or bring a team from your company, we welcome your involvement! VOLUNTEER WITH US
Friends, Families, Community
Join us for the reception and help select the winning high school team!
Be among the first to see the consumer products developed in our post high school 11 month program!
RSVP
The Possible Zone Works.
Our students tell us what TPZ means to them. And it’s more than just testimonials. Data shows that our program prepares students to be lifelong learners and ready to pursue innovative careers.
Over our first decade, more than 1,000 students in the greater Boston area took part in TPZ programs. Those students who remained with us through their senior years in high school enrolled in college at a rate substantially higher than peers who were not a part of our program; 88% of these TPZ students went on to pursue additional education after high school, with nearly 70% enrolling in a four-year degree program.
By 2026, TPZ will be serving up to 1,000 students annually, strengthened by partnerships with Boston Public Schools, local institutions of higher education, and innovative industry businesses.