Data 360 and Hip Hop Education Center Celebrate Hip Hop 50 With Hackathon Dedicated To Preserving Hip Hop Landmarks

Press Releases

Jul 14, 2023

Data 360 and Hip Hop Education Center are partnering to host the Hip Hop Hackathon 2023 event series July 19 and 26, 2023 and World Hip Hop Day virtual celebration and competition from August 9-31, 2023, in honor of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary. The event series and competition aims to preserve Hip Hop landmarks around the world using Google Maps and Google Assistant technologies, and provide participants with key tech and creative skills to prepare them for entry-level jobs or to advance in their careers. The event welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds, including artists, musicians, developers, data scientists, educators, technologists, students, job seekers, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts passionate about Hip Hop, technology, education, and media innovation.

Los Angeles, July 14, 2023 We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Hip Hop Hackathon 2023 event series and competition in partnership with Data 360 and the Hip Hop Education Center. The event series and competition is taking place now through August with pre-launch creative and tech career training events July 19 and July 26, 2023 and a competition period of August 9-31, 2023, and brings together Hip Hop artists, academics and enthusiasts along data scientists, coders, technology specialists and educators to collaborate and create innovative solutions for the preservation of Hip Hop in honor of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary using Google Maps and Google Assistant technologies. The awards for the hackathon additional training and sponsored career and funding programs will be provided with corporate sponsors starting in September 2023 and throughout the remainder of 2023

The Hip Hop Hackathon is a unique event series and competition that will provide a platform for individuals from different backgrounds to use their technology skills and creativity to archive Hip Hop landmarks around the world using Google Maps and Google Assistant to gain key tech and creative skills that will prepare participants for 5 or 6 figure entry level jobs or help them advance in their current careers with newer skills required in the age of data, AI and other newer technologies.

Guest speakers from Hip Hop Education Center include trailblazing artists and technologists: Paul DEO, Simone Berry (People of Crypto), Whitney Taber (Girls Make Beats), and Idris Brewster (Kinfolk). In collaboration with Dolby Impact Labs, Hip Hop Education Center will introduce Dolby engineers as well as Hip Hop Producers Elai Tubo (Eric B & Rakim, Run DMC), GrandMixer DXT (Hebrew Hancock, and NAMM 2023 Innovator Award Recipient).

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop, and Hip Hop Hackathon is proud to be part of the celebration. With this event, we hope to honor the legacy of Hip Hop by continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in music and technology.

Why is the Hip Hop Hackathon solution urgently needed?

Here are some stats that point to why there are gaps in STEM, the number #1 market in the planet, and why culturally competent programs like Hip Hop Hackathon are needed to close the gap and pipeline into nontraditional professional development and business funding programs like apprenticeships, other alternative training programs, and grants and accelerators for new or mature businesses run by women or People of Color.

According to the Huffington Post, less than 5% of the United States’ population has a STEM degree. This is shocking in a time where we need more tech and STEM professionals in the workforce than ever before.
Apprenticeships are important for access to tech. Over 75% of US businesses report having a hard time recruiting skilled job applicants. More and more companies are looking to expand their hiring beyond traditional college degrees and into apprenticeships, as a solution to fill the talent gap, according to the Manpower Group.
African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos between 18-24 account for 34% of the population, but earn only 12% of the undergraduate degrees in any field (A Looked at Minorities in STEM Infographic, Sources kevinmd.com, usnews.com, esa.doc.gov).
$16 trillion was lost as a result of discrimination against African Americans in 2020 – The US GDP that year was $19.5 trillion, according to NPR.
According to the 2019 State of Women-Owned Business Report from American Express, Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs. While the number of women-owned businesses grew 21% from 2014 to 2019, Black women-owned businesses more than doubled during that time at 50%.
US Latinos account for the fastest-growing portion of US GDP. So much so, that if we considered US Latinos as their own country, it would be third only to the GDP growth rate of China and India in the past decade, according to McKinsey in “The economic state of Latinos in the US: Determined to thrive, November 14, 2022.
At a time of economic uncertainty with concerns about a possible recession growing, consumers are looking for additional support. McKinsey’s research estimates that the Latino consumer base has unmet needs of more than $100 billion currently, and this could grow six-fold to $660 billion if we address the parity gap between Latinos and non-Latino Whites based on share of population.
According to one estimate by the WorldBank, the unmet demand for credit among women totals US$1.7 trillion. That’s a lot of good business ideas that don’t get off the ground because of gender inequality.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Hip Hop Education Center to host this year’s Hip Hop Hackathon event series and competition” said Data 360. “This is a unique opportunity for individuals from different backgrounds and parts of the world to come together to share their love for Hip Hop while getting the opportunity for new high paying careers for People of Color and funding for businesses owned or operated by People of Color.”

From now through the rest of 2023 before and after the Hackathon competition August 11-25, there are expert and career events provide opportunities for participants to network, learn, and prepare for the hackathon. These events allow participants to engage with industry experts, learn new skills, and collaborate with other participants. The organizers are excited about the opportunities these events will provide for participants to prepare for the hackathon and create meaningful connections with other industry professionals.

“We are proud to be the founding company of the Hip Hop Hackathon 2023,” said Marie Smith, CIO and Co-Founder of Data 360 and Managing Director of Data 360 Labs, “We believe that data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning along with tech in general can play a significant role in the growth and development of Hip Hop culture and in undervalued communities. We are excited to see what innovative solutions the participants will come up with.” The representatives from Data 360 will be on site and available virtually during the events series and hackathon competition to provide support and guidance to the participants.

The Hip Hop Education Center also expressed its excitement about the event. “We are elated to partner on an event that combines our passion for Hip Hop with education, archiving, and technology,” said Martha Diaz, Executive Director and Chief Visionary Officer of Hip Hop Education Center. “We hope to create a space that fosters creativity, connectivity, and community for all participants.” The Hip Hop Education Center and its partners are providing content and programming support and resources for the participants.

This event series and competition promises to be an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in the Hip Hop history, media, music, coding, tech jobs, data science, and technology. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, Hip Hop Hackathon is the perfect opportunity to showcase your talents and collaborate with like-minded individuals. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of an event that could change the future of the most popular culture in the world!

“We believe that this event will inspire the next generation of media and technology pioneers and bring about positive change in the industry,” says Marie from Data 360. “Media and technology are two industries that have always been intertwined, and this event series and competition is a great opportunity to bring them together in a meaningful way.”

The Hip Hop Hackathon 2023 welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, musicians, developers, data scientists, educators, technologists, students, job seekers, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts passionate about Hip Hop, technology, education, and/or media innovation. Participants, speakers, mentors, sponsors, and teachers can register and find more information about the event series and competition at https://www.hiphophackathon.com.

About Data 360

Data 360 is a leading service provider focused on helping clients save up to 90% of their operational costs through the power of big data, AI, and machine learning. By leveraging predictive analytics comprised of advanced data systems and artificial intelligence technologies, Data 360 accelerates the creation of effective digital marketing, sales and HR systems, communities and marketplaces. Data 360 enables businesses to achieve unprecedented results and unlock new and unique opportunities for growth that are unavailable from any other typical digital media platform or service. https://www.data360network.com

About the Hip Hop Education Center

The Hip Hop Education Center is a pioneering organization dedicated to advancing Hip Hop as a vital educational and cultural force. Through their programs, resources, and partnerships, they promote the study and preservation of Hip Hop’s history, culture, and artistic expressions, empowering individuals and communities through the transformative power of Hip Hop education. https://www.hiphopeducation.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mona Ibrahim Associate Director, Development and Special Projects Hip Hop Education Center mona.ibrahim@hiphopeducation.org

Monica Walters Support Team Admin Data 360 Network support@data360.solutions

Additional Information:

Pull Quote

“This is a unique opportunity for individuals from different backgrounds and parts of the world to come together to share their love for Hip Hop while getting the opportunity for new high paying careers for People of Color and funding for businesses owned or operated by People of Color.”

Media Contact

Mona Ibrahim, Associate Director, Development and Special Projects, 1 9173306413, info@hiphophackathon.com, https://www.hiphopeducation.org

Monica Walters, Data 360, 1 2133758848, support@data360.solutions, https://www.data360network.com

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SOURCE Associate Director, Development and Special Projects