AI Supply Chain Observatory Hackathon
We participated in grantee AI Objective Institute's Supply Chain Observatory and it's extreme weather hackathon.
Participating in this initiative is part of our AI and Critical Infrastructure project. We offered hackathon participants the opportunity to apply for small grants or collaborate with our related project: Emergency Communication Satellite Launches in June 2025
See also Environmental and Ecosystem Grants and Civic, Social and Govtech Grantmaking
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Join us for the AI Supply Chain Hackathon! This exciting event is happening at Plug & Play Tech Center with the option to join online, so you can participate from the comfort of your own home or workplace.
Background
The images of the fires from Los Angeles are horrifying, but given recent trends they should come as no surprise. Over the past 20 years, the average number of billion-dollar extreme weather disasters has more than doubled annually, according to the NCEI. In a report by Munich RE that estimated economic losses from these events at $270B, Chairman Thomas Blunck noted: "Climate change is taking an increasing toll. The natural disaster figures for 2022 are dominated by events that, according to the latest research findings, are more intense or are occurring more frequently." Accuweather estimates that in January, 2025 the Los Angeles fires have already exceeded this loss impact, putting the toll at $250B-$275B and making this among the most expensive fires in human history. A 2024 study published in Nature found that the impact of extreme weather events on supply chains dramatically magnifies this economic impact, noting: "Global GDP loss from climate change will increase exponentially the warmer the planet gets when its cascading impact on global supply chains is factored in."
Thus, we believe it is urgently necessary to create new AI solutions to deal with emergent risks associated with extreme weather. This Hackathon brings together stakeholders from the tech, policymaking, AI, and public sector communities to build solutions. Teams may create and demo their own AI/software OR propose a novel policy/cooperation solution.
Event Details
This unique event gives AI practitioners and early stage startup teams the chance to work side by side with supply chain and procurement professionals to help develop tools and strategies for addressing supply chain disruptions caused by extreme weather. With a panel of expert judges from industry, policymakers and nonprofits, the AI Supply Chain Hackathon is a terrific opportunity for people excited and concerned about the impact of AI on accelerating both supply chain decisions and supply chain disruptions.
Sign up for free to get more info.
Our panel of expert AI Supply Chain Hackathon judges include:
- Sheryl Root, Associate Professor of the Practice for the M.S. in Software Management at Carnegie Mellon University
- Tim Scott, frmr. SVP & CSCO at Grocery Outlet
- Marc Carlson, Chief Revenue Officer - Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Perdue
- Charlotte De Brabandt, ex-JJ & Amazon, supply chain thought leader
- Ben Roome, PhD, Founder - Ethical Resolve
- Frederik Bohn, Director, Supply Chain - Plug & Play Ventures
- Dr. Elouise Epstein, Procurement Futurist - Kearney
- Dr. Arash Azadegan, Professor of Supply Chain and Director of Supply Chain Disruption Lab, Rutgers University
- Amy Fong, Partner, Everest Group
- Clark Bernier, Vice President of Data Science, Arkestro
- Susan Marty, Chief Product Officer, Institute for Supply Management
- Jim Fleming, Innovation Leader, Institute for Supply Management
- Carlos Marques, AI Engineer at Nortech AI
AI Supply Chain Hackathon is both online and in-person at Plug & Play Tech Center
440 N Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94085 - Come to Room #EL303