From Down Under to Music City, How Angela Bee Chan is Creating a Hackathon Hub in Nashville

Angela Bee Chan has hit the Nashville scene with both boots on the ground, but not for reasons you might think.? Sure, Music City has many dreaming of the bright lights of the Opry and heading out on a tour bus.? For Chan, tech brought her halfway around the world from Australia to work for Schneider Electric as a Microgrid Sales Engagement Leader in the North America Market.? While learning about the amazing music and food scene here in Nashvegas, she loves the openness of the tech community.

Growing up, her goal was to travel the world.? In fact, she traveled to over 30 countries in three years while in college studying Public Relations.? She never dreamed that tech would be part of her journey.? She was invited to a hackathon by friends to learn how to use tech as an enabler for different solutions.? This caused a pivot in her career space.

Along with working for Schneider Electric, she became at Ted Talk speaker, and is the CEO of Hackathons International.? She wants to change the thought process of thinking that “hacking” is something that a person does in a dark room while breaking into computer systems and move it to the understanding that it is the “implementation of ideas.”??

Chan stated that hackathons have “Two outcomes.? The product and the people.? The products being the original solutions that we see on a day to day basis. It’s also around the people development as well.? During this process you are thrown into the deep end.? There is a lot of personal and professional development out of it as well. Things you use in your everyday life were created from hackathons, like Facebook Marketplace and the reaction buttons on Facebook.

She is hosting the very first US event for Hackathons International will be in Nashville on March 12 - 13, 2022.? You can attend in person or virtually.? In person events will be held at the new Amazon offices downtown.

The focus on this event will be helping minorities and the underserved have a larger voice in the technology industry.? Sponsors include Amazon and Meharry Medical College.

“You don’t need any prior knowledge to go to a hackathon. Have a curious and open mindset.? If you have a passion for these topics, definitely come on board. Hackathons are a way to embrace everyone’s uniqueness.? Everyone's uniqueness contributes to innovation.”

To learn more visit - https://www.hackathonsinternational.com/