Students Across New Jersey Tackle Affordability in AI Hackathon

A statewide group of 175+ students ranging from middle school through postgraduates convened on Saturday, January 24th for an AI Hackathon at the Montgomery Innovation Hub, focused on developing innovative solutions to one of New Jersey's most urgent challenges: affordability. The event was hosted with support from local ecosystem leaders, in collaboration with James Barrood, Ben Jen, Roopak Gupta and Mukesh Patel, bringing together students from across New Jersey to ideate, design, and pitch proposals using AI tools and rapid innovation methods.

The hackathon challenge prompt "How can we make New Jersey more affordable?” aligned with a vital issue championed by Governor Mikie Sherrill, reflecting growing statewide attention to the pressures facing families, students, and working professionals across the Garden State.

Over the course of the event which was offered in hybrid format, in person and online, students worked in 42 teams, both in-person and remotely, using generative AI tools to brainstorm, research, analyze, and refine ideas into actionable solutions. The event was powered by mTap, the digital business card and event platform, which served as the central hub for participant registration, submissions, and engagement throughout the hackathon. 

At the end of the daylong event, six finalist teams presented concepts designed to improve economic mobility, expand access to affordable housing, reduce transportation burdens, and modernize system-level coordination across communities.

Throughout the day, student teams demonstrated not only technical creativity, but also deep awareness of the lived realities behind affordability. Their presentations reflected human-centered design, data-informed reasoning, and a strong interest in solutions that could be piloted, tested, and scaled.

The event reinforced the strength of New Jersey's growing innovation ecosystem and the importance of investing in entrepreneurial pathways early- supporting students and founders from idea to investment, while building a culture of problem-solving, leadership, and civic innovation.

The hackathon concluded with six standout concepts recognized for their innovation, feasibility, and potential impact:

What It's About: An AI-powered tool that maps the timing gap between when costs are due versus when financial support arrives - identifying the exact "cliff point" where talented students, athletes, and workers drop out before they even begin.

Why It's Unique: Instead of measuring affordability after people enter programs, this project exposes the "invisible" population who never start because upfront costs hit before aid arrives. A $200 microgrant at Month 0 can unlock a $40,000 scholarship at Month 12.

What It's About: A three-part platform tackling NJ's 32,000-unit annual housing gap through zoning modernization, public land monetization, and an AI-native permitting system that cuts approval timelines from 18 months to 90 days.

Why It's Unique: This team built a comprehensive $36B housing framework combining AI-powered zoning intelligence, ML-based permitting, and blockchain deed restrictions; modeled on Minneapolis's successful reform but designed for 2-3x the impact.

What It's About: A self-sustaining system that automatically upzones land near transit stations, enables homeowners to add units through state-backed  micro-developer loans, and funds NJ Transit through a luxury home surcharge - creating a permanent affordability loop.

Why It's Unique: While others treat housing and transit as separate problems, this team discovered they're economically linked - NJ Transit generates $13B in value that's currently captured by nobody. Their "Citizen Developer" model lets homeowners build wealth instead of institutional investors.

What It's About: A strategic coordination framework addressing NJ's 564-municipality fragmentation through opt-in shared services for infrastructure, procurement, and tax standards - projecting 15-25% administrative cost reductions without forced mandates.

Why It's Unique: Rather than forcing municipal consolidation, this project adds a voluntary coordination layer that preserves local control while enabling economies of scale. It's framed as "aligning the system so it stops fighting itself"- appealing across political ideologies.

What It's About: A proposal to abolish all NJ Transit transfer fees, saving multi-leg commuters up to $720 annually. Funded entirely by corporate taxes on companies with $10M+ profits - zero cost to taxpayers.

Why It's Unique: This project exposes a hidden "transfer tax" on working families - every time ALICE households switch from bus to train, they pay extra. The solution uses 2026's new Corporate Transit Fee revenue, requiring just 5% allocation to fund the entire program.

What It's About: A 2-year affordability bridge combining transit-accessible housing, reduced NJ Transit passes, and rent stabilization for students and young workers - with landlord incentives including tax credits and guaranteed occupancy.

Why It's Unique: The first program designed specifically for the 17-22 year old "breaking point" when high tuition, first apartments, and transit costs collide simultaneously. It recognizes that most housing programs target established adults, leaving young people unsupported at their most vulnerable moment.

Organizers and sponsors 1435 Capital Management, NeElixir, TiE New Jersey and Jersey Tech + Innovation emphasized that the hackathon represents a broader effort to strengthen the state's innovation pipeline by connecting students with mentorship, tools, and real-world challenges - helping the next generation gain confidence and experience in turning ideas into solutions.

James Barrood left students with a challenge that echoed New Jersey's rich legacy of invention: run at least 100 experiments over the next 50 weeks. "That's just two experiments per week," Barrood explained. "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."

"This event is exactly what ecosystem-building looks like," said Ben Jen, Managing Partner, 1435 Capital Management and the event host. "When we bring students together across the state - and give them real challenges and modern tools - they don't just learn. They build. And New Jersey is stronger for it."

"When you give young people AI tools and a meaningful challenge, you're not just teaching innovation - you're witnessing it. The ideas presented today could genuinely reshape how New Jersey approaches affordability," added Roopak Gupta, Founder of mTap.

“This hackathon reflects the kind of ecosystem New Jersey is building, 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,” noted Prof. Mukesh Patel, Professor of Innovation and Tech-Entrepreneurship, Rutgers Business School.

Looking ahead: There will be one more invite-only Winter Social in February in Madison. Then, the next major event for INNOVATE100 is the 3^rd annual awards celebration on May 13, 2026, an event that will honor the individuals and teams shaping New Jersey’s future of innovation across startups, universities, corporations and government. Nominations will open soon so stay tuned.