NJ students tackle affordability at statewide AI hackathon

The basics:

• 175+ students compete in statewide AI hackathon at Skillman’s Montgomery Innovation Hub
• 42 teams use generative AI to develop solutions focused on New Jersey affordability
• Six winning concepts address housing, transit, student costs, municipal efficiency
• Event backed by 1435 Capital, Jersey Tech & Innovation, TiE New Jersey, NetElixir, mTap

More than 175 students from across New Jersey – ranging from middle schoolers to college graduate students – gathered Jan. 24 for a statewide AI Hackathon at the Montgomery Innovation Hub.

The hybrid, daylong event brought together 42 student teams working both in person and online. Participants focused on tackling one of the state’s most pressing issues: affordability.

1435 Capital, Jersey Tech & Innovation, TiE New Jersey, NetElixir and mTap sponsored the event, with support from local innovation ecosystem leaders.

It marks the latest example of the innovation ecosystem in action at Skillman’s Montgomery Innovation Hub, as NJBIZ has previously reported. The hackathon comes on the heels of an open house held earlier this month that 1435 hosted for its summer internship program as well as the NJx Venture Summit held in December.

These types of events continue to generate great momentum on the ground for the state’s innovation ecosystem.

“This event is exactly what ecosystem-building looks like,” said Ben Jen, managing partner at 1435 Capital Management.

Students were guided by the hackathon challenge prompt, “How can we make New Jersey more affordable?” The theme is a priority emphasized by the recently sworn-in Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Participants used generative AI tools to brainstorm, research, and refine solutions addressing rising costs faced by families, students and working professionals.

By the end of the event, six standout concepts earned recognition for their innovation, feasibility and potential impact:

• NJ Opportunity Cliff: Proposed an AI-powered tool to identify when upfront costs prevent students and workers from accessing long-term financial support, showing how small early microgrants could unlock substantial future aid
• FLUX (Freeing Land Use eXpansion): Introduced a comprehensive housing framework combining zoning reform, public land monetization, and AI-driven permitting to dramatically shorten approval timelines and address the state’s annual housing shortfall
• Transit-Housing Citizen Wealth Fund: Linked housing and transportation by capturing value created around transit hubs, enabling homeowners to build wealth while supporting NJ Transit through a self-sustaining affordability loop
• Garden State Coordination Project: A voluntary shared-services framework designed to reduce municipal administrative costs without forcing consolidation
• Universal Transit Reform: Proposed eliminating NJ Transit transfer fees to save commuters hundreds annually at no cost to taxpayers
• NJ LaunchPad: A two-year affordability bridge program supporting students and young workers during the critical point when high tuition, first apartments and transit costs collide simultaneously. Combines transit-accessible housing, reduced NJ Transit passes, and rent stabilization for these students and young workers

Harnessing ‘relentless curiosity’

Organizers and ecosystem leaders underscored the broader significance of student-driven innovation.

Jersey Tech & Innovation founder James Barrood challenged participants to keep experimenting. He charged them to run at least 100 experiments over the next 50 weeks.

“That’s just two experiments per week,” said Barrood. “Experimentation leads to innovation, and we’re standing in the state where Thomas Edison ran 10,000 experiments before finally succeeding. That relentless curiosity is in New Jersey’s DNA, and now it’s your turn to carry it forward.”

“When we bring students together across the state – and give them real challenges and modern tools – they don’t just learn. They build,” said Jen. “And New Jersey is stronger for it.”

When we bring students together across the state – and give them real challenges and modern tools – they don’t just learn. They build.
– Ben Jen, managing partner, 1435 Capital Management

Roopak Gupta, founder of mTap, echoed that sentiment.

“When you give young people AI tools and a meaningful challenge, you’re not just teaching innovation – you’re witnessing it,” said Gupta. “The ideas presented today could genuinely reshape how New Jersey approaches affordability.”

Professor Mukesh Patel teaches innovation and tech-entrepreneurship at the Rutgers Business School. He said that this hackathon reflects the kind of ecosystem that New Jersey is building — one where state leaders come together to give students meaningful challenges and modern tools.

“By learning to work with AI responsibly and collaborating across age groups, students aren’t just developing technical skills, they’re building networks, confidence, and a mindset for solving real problems that matter to our state’s future,” said Patel.