The team behind the AI Hackathon in Lima

🚀 Organizing My First AI Hackathon in Lima – A Weekend to Remember

Just three months earlier, I was in Bogotá building an AI product at a hackathon.
I had no idea that the next time, I wouldn’t be a participant — I’d be one of the organizers.

This is the story of how an idea sparked in Colombia became a full weekend of building, connection, and community in Lima.

🌱 How the Idea Was Born

During the hackathon in Bogotá, I met Jhonatan and Soledad, founders of the community AI PlayGrounds.
Like me, they were inspired by the energy and organization of Colombia Tech Week.

Somewhere between conversations, workshops, and late-night coding, one question came up:

“Why don’t we bring something like this to Lima?”

And that was it.
A simple idea, but one that immediately felt right.

🧰 The Day Before – Late-Night Prep, Snacks & Excitement

On Friday, November 28, we visited the venue at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) to prepare everything.

We carried boxes, arranged tables, and stocked up on snacks.
It was my first time being on the other side — not coding until midnight, but setting up for the people who would.

It felt new.

Carrying snacks for the hackathon preparation — The night before — carrying snacks and setting up for the big day

We left late at night, tired but excited.
The next morning would be big.

📅 Saturday, November 29 – Let the Hackathon Begin

I slept about 3 hours.

At sunrise, I grabbed a taxi with four bags of healthy snacks from my friend’s brand Nutriera and headed to the venue.

Once the team gathered, I helped welcome the participants.

🍽️ Lunchtime – A Taste of Peru

Around 1:00 PM, lunch arrived:
arroz con pollo and papa a la huancaína.

We wanted our international guests — including Adrián Mastronardi (CTO at Habi) and Martín Peláez (founder of Plenti) — to try a classic Peruvian meal.

They loved it.

Peruvian lunch served at the hackathon — Sharing a Peruvian lunch with our guests — arroz con pollo & huancaína

As the hours passed, everyone stayed deeply focused, building and testing their ideas.

🤝 Helping a Team Overcome a Technical Block

In the afternoon, one team struggling with an ElevenLabs API approached me.
They couldn’t get their backend to work.

I suggested trying ElevenLabs Agents Platform, which simplifies the design and deployment of voice agents. This solution provides a ready-to-use conversational widget that can be embedded in your code.

They tried it.
It worked.

And honestly, it felt really good to help a team unlock progress and keep building.

🍕 7 PM – The “Hora Loca” with Pizza

At 7:00 PM, energy levels were dropping — perfect timing for our “hora loca”.

Thanks to Little Caesars, we had pizza for everyone, and someone even dressed up in the mascot costume.
There was dancing, laughter, and a short break from all the deep focus.

Participants enjoying pizza during the hackathon — A fun break — pizza, dancing, and a lot of laughs

After the quick celebration, people went back to building.
Some slept for a bit, others kept grinding.

I… drank a few cups of coffee and stayed awake listening to music.

🌅 Sunday, November 30 – Final Stretch

I was tired, but a splash of water and brushing my teeth gave me enough energy to keep going.

We started the morning with a classic: pan con chicharrón.
Perfect fuel for day two.

Throughout the morning, I helped the team evaluate projects and select the five finalists.
It was my first time judging pitches, and I genuinely enjoyed it.

One project stood out — an AI tool that personalized social media posts using each entrepreneur’s brand identity.
Simple, creative, and impactful.

🎤 Final Pitches & Closing Moments

Some hours later, the finalists were ready.
The jury arrived, the room filled up, and the vibe was perfect.

Presentations were sharp, demos were solid, and the atmosphere felt both tense and inspiring.

In the end, there were:

Photos 📸
Prizes 🎉
Smiles 😄
And a community that felt stronger than before 🤝

Everyone left with something valuable — new friends, new ideas, or simply the spark to keep building.

Final pitches and awards ceremony — Final pitches — an inspiring end to a special weekend

💡 What I Learned from the Other Side

In general, organizing an event is an excellent way to practice leadership and teamwork skills. You have to handle challenges, unexpected situations, and even the high expectations of participants. Key takeaways from this experience:

Small details can completely change the experience.
You just need motivated people who truly believe in building together.
Community is the real engine behind every event.
You don’t need a big company or budget to create impact.

🤝 Let’s Connect

Curious about the event?
Want to collaborate or build something together?

Reach out on LinkedIn — always happy to connect.

Also, stay connected with the communities behind the event: AI PlayGrounds, Crafter Station, and Makers Fellowship