Cardano Hackathon in Caracas

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Crystal Software Corporation

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

4

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Our solution is to organize the “Cardano Hackathon in Caracas” to promote Aiken mastery training, attract developers, and encourage Smart Contract innovation in the Cardano ecosystem.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

Collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean University (ULAC) and FUNINTEC, we have an alliance through which we collaborate closely in training processes, development of new talents and creation of technology. This collaboration provides credibility, experience and access to resources. Our alliance with the Universidad Latinoamerican y del Caribe (ULAC) and FUNINTEC is key to the co-organization of the hackathon as it provides a reliable framework that strengthens the impact of the event and guarantees high-quality execution.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Hackathons are a good mechanism to promote open source because they offer an ideal environment for collaborative development. The decision to hold a hackathon creates an ecosystem where community development benefits and guarantees transparency

[METADATA] Horizons

Hackathons

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Our proposed solution is to organize a Cardano-focused hackathon in Caracas that addresses several important aspects:

Problem and Approach:The problem we are addressing is the need to foster innovation, skills development and community engagement within the Cardano ecosystem. We believe that hackathons provide an ideal platform to bring together creative minds, developers and blockchain enthusiasts to explore and showcase the potential of Cardano technology. Our approach combines hands-on experience, mentorship and collaboration to drive innovation and create a supportive environment for participants.

Participation: Our hackathon will engage developers, entrepreneurs, students and cardano blockchain enthusiasts in Caracas. By providing an inclusive and collaborative environment, we will attract diverse participants who are interested in learning, experimenting and advocating for Cardano. 

Demonstration of Impact: We will demonstrate the impact of our project through various means:

• Number and quality of projects: The quality of the projects developed during the hackathon will showcase the innovative solutions and ideas generated within the Cardano ecosystem.
• Participant feedback: Collecting feedback from participants on their experience, skill development and overall satisfaction will help validate the impact of our approach in fostering learning, collaboration and community engagement.
• Community growth: by tracking participants' continued engagement and contributions after the hackathon, we can measure the impact on the expansion and vitality of the Cardano community.

The solution aligns with Cardano's vision of empowering people, promoting decentralized innovation and building a blockchain ecosystem that is robust, sustainable and scalable.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Our proposed solution directly addresses the challenge by focusing on the objectives outlined in the challenge statement. These objectives include equipping and supporting developers with functional tools and infrastructure, making Cardano the preferred choice for creating decentralized applications, and fostering the evolution of the Cardano developer ecosystem.

By organizing the “Cardano Hackathon in Caracas”, we will bring together developers, programmers and enthusiasts to work collaboratively on Aiken projects. This hackathon will provide a platform to promote developer competition, encourage innovation and facilitate collaboration within the Cardano ecosystem.

The impact of this project goes beyond funding the project team. It brings immense value to the Cardano ecosystem in the following ways:

1. strengthening the developer ecosystem: the hackathon will attract developers, both from within the Cardano community and from external sources, to interact with Aiken, thus expanding the developer ecosyste
2. Developers participating in the hackathon will gain hands-on experience and motivation to further develop the Cardano platfor
3. This will create a strong community that will contribute to the growth, improvement and sustainability of the Cardano ecosyste
4. This will drive innovation and potentially attract further investment and development to Cardan

These key results will contribute to the long-term growth and success of the Cardano ecosystem.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We have a work team and related entities with extensive experience in academic processes, development and management of technological projects.

This experience allows us to provide valuable guidance, mentoring and technical support to participants during the hackatho:

1. Financial transparency: We understand the importance of financial accountability. As part of our fund management process, we will establish a transparent budget, ensuring clear documentation of expenditures and regular reporting on the use of funds. We will comply with established financial procedures and request an external audit, if necessary, to ensure proper management of funds.
2. We will provide regular updates, progress reports and maintain transparency to build trust and accountability

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Preparations and planning (schedule: 1 month).

1. Output: Develop the promotion and coordination strategy of the project team, roles and responsibilities.

2. Acceptance Criteria: Define the detailed project plan.

3. Evidence: Headquarters agreement with ULAC and FUNINTEC to ensure.

Resource mobilization and participation (schedule: 1 month).

1. Output: Promote the hackathon to attract participants internally, through Cardano community channels and through social medi
2. Acceptance Criteria: Coordinator with ULAC and FUNINTEC to involve their students and teacher
3. Evidence: Reach out to communities of third-party developers and technology enthusiasts to expand the participant bas

Execution of the Hackathon (schedule: 1 month).

Activities:

1. Output: Facilitate workshops, mentoring sessions and panel discussion
2. Acceptance Criteria: Encourage collaboration and networking opportunities among participant
3. Evidence: Hold the hackathon event at the ULAC headquarter

Follow-up after the hackathon (schedule: 1 month).

1. Output: Review and analyze participant comments and project result
2. Acceptance Criteria: Prepare a comprehensive report that highlights the impact and achievements of the projec
3. Evidence: Share the report with the Cardano community, accepted parties and fund contributor

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

We have a team with extensive experience in planning, project management, as well as alliances with experts in development of: Web, Plutus, Haskell, Marlowe, who have developed very successful projects in Cardano.

We can mention the following capabilities and experiences:

1.Relationship with the Cardano Confederation community and projects such as AdaLabs, AdaSolar, GameChanger and Token Mithrandir.

2.Participation in local and regional Cardano community events CIP-1694 and Cardano Summit, local Intersect workshops, Cardano Intersect Constitutional workshop and University Onboarding.

Team members:

1.Amlia Alter (Project Leader)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ing-amelia-alter-a6673898/

 

2.   Wilmer Varon (Project Planner)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilmer-leonardo-var%C3%B3n-63a29666/

 

3.   Orestes Gutierrez (Application Developer)

https://www.linkedin.com/es/orestes-gutierrez-mendoza-a6056815b/

 

4.   Carlos Palacios (Project Manager)

https://www.linkedin.com/es/carlos-palacios-rada-788704161/

 

5.   Jean Carlos Aguilar (Relationship Manager)

https://www.linkedin.com/es/jean-carlos-%E2%82%B3guilar-39a278240/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

• Prizes hackathon (₳9000 first prize, ₳7000 second prize, ₳5000 third prize)=₳21000

• Event video and photo editing=₳1000

• Marketing=₳1000

• Buffet catering service ₳10000 x 2 days = ₳7000

• Venue expenses X 2 days=₳35000

• 50 t-shirts=₳4000

• Organizers (including marketing, visiting different venues for the Hackathon, designing t-shirts, organizing contest content, hiring mentors, coordinating two-day events) ₳9000 2 people = ₳18000

• Salaries of judges and mentors, designing challenges, testing, judging judges 200 X 30 hours X 2 people = ₳12000

Total Duration (4 months)

Total Budget ₳99,000

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents good value for money for the Cardano ecosystem due to the following reasons:

1.Strategic Impact: The proposed Hackathon directly addresses the need to improve developer competency and foster innovation within the Cardano ecosystem. The value derived from a strengthened developer community and increased adoption of Cardano for decentralized application development is significant in terms of the overall growth and success of the ecosystem.

2.Competitive Fees: We have taken into account industry average fees, freelancer fees, and market competitiveness to determine the budget elements. This ensures that costs are proportionate and realistic in the context of the industry and the skills required for successful execution of the project. In summary, the cost of the Hackathon is justified by the strategic impact it will have on the Cardano ecosystem, the track record of the team, careful consideration of costs, and the expected value creation. The budget allocation has been determined in a manner that ensures efficient utilization of resources and provides value for money to achieve the project goals and objectives.