Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s College of Business Administration brought together creativity, technical skill, and applied problem-solving at the 2026 AI Fair & Hackathon, highlighting the university’s commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving digital economy.
Held April 16 at the Bronco Student Center, the event marked the culmination of weeks of collaboration, training, and competition. Students from across disciplines presented artificial intelligence-powered solutions addressing challenges in cybersecurity, market research, career development, accessibility, and the future of work. Participation was open to all majors, reinforcing the idea that innovation in AI extends far beyond technical fields.
Event sponsors included Avanade (Platinum), Splunk (a Cisco company) (Gold), Amazon Web Services (Silver), Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ College of Business Administration, Singelyn Graduate School of Business (Silver), SHI (Silver), and Northrop Grumman (Green). Competition sponsors included aytm, ISACA Orange County, Neo Smart Living, Agile Consumer Insights, and OpenAI.
A Platform for Applied Solutions
The hackathon featured five tracks aligned with sponsor challenges: Avanade, Neo Smart Living/aytm, ISACA Orange County, Insights Association, and Creative. Teams had six minutes to present their concepts, which were evaluated by industry judges based on innovation and problem framing, impact, technical feasibility, execution potential, and storytelling.
Sponsors served as judges and mentors, offering guidance and framing real industry challenges throughout the competition. The results reflected strong alignment between student ideas and industry needs.
“We had the tough job of selecting first, second, and third place—but honestly, every solution felt market-ready. The level of creativity, usability focus, and understanding of real-world risk was outstanding,” said Jason James, CISA, CDPSE, CCISO, partner, Regents and Park & vCISO, ISACA Orange County chapter.
Standout Innovations
Several team projects stood out for their originality and execution:
- In the cybersecurity track, the winning solution, , helps users identify phishing attempts and suspicious content while preserving privacy through local analysis and multi-model AI validation.
- In the Neo Smart Living and aytm-sponsored track, the first-place team developed a “ an AI-driven system that simulates consumer insights at a fraction of traditional research costs by leveraging multiple large language models.
- In the Creative Track, the first-place project, introduced a real-time communication tool for nonverbal and deaf users, converting gestures, facial expressions, and speech into two-way communication.
- Another notable project, , an offline AI-powered learning companion designed for students in low-connectivity environments, earned second place in the Creative Track.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Distinguished alumna and advisory board member for the California Center for Cyber Risk at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Diane Miller (BSBA ’81) highlighted the university’s “Become By Doing” approach. “One thing Cal Poly does especially well is teach students how to learn,” Miller says. “The school takes a unique approach to addressing opportunities and challenges, and AI is a great example of that. You can see collaboration across all colleges and strong partnerships with industry. This is the right way to approach AI—and really any emerging technology.”
Beyond the competition, the AI Fair created opportunities for learning and networking. Student organizations hosted demonstrations in machine learning, computer vision, and AI ethics, while industry professionals led sessions on responsible AI and high-performance computing.
A keynote presentation by Michael Brent, director of Responsible AI at Boston Consulting Group, explored ethical considerations shaping the future of artificial intelligence. “This moment is as significant as the Industrial Revolution,” cautioned Brent. “We need collaboration across disciplines—technology, social sciences, and humanities—to ensure we build AI responsibly.”
Brent also discussed emerging developments in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), world models, on-device AI, and agentic AI. “We’re moving extremely fast—faster than regulation can keep up.” The keynote was complemented by a panel discussion examining both opportunities and risks associated with AI adoption in business and society.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration at the Core
A defining feature of the hackathon was its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. Teams included students from business, engineering, computer science, and design, creating an environment where diverse perspectives shaped solutions. Participants developed not only technical and analytical skills, but also experience in communication, storytelling, and translating complex ideas into actionable outcomes.
Janice Lachan (CS, ’27), an Avanade STEM Scholar and member of the first-place team in the Insights Association West Chapter track, helped develop a smart-matching system connecting students with career events, volunteer opportunities, and professional associations. “The opportunity to present to industry judges and receive direct feedback was both challenging and rewarding,” Lachan explained on LinkedIn. “My team and I got a chance to meet with them, and they gave honest and crucial feedback that left a deep impression on me for how to improve for next time.”
Strong Industry Engagement
The event was made possible through support from corporate and organizational partners, who engaged directly with students while exploring fresh perspectives on challenges in cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital transformation.
Lev Mazin, CEO and co-founder of aytm, emphasized the value of exposing students to business challenges. “Consumer insights have always been about asking the right questions to the right audience,” he said. “What’s changing is the speed, the scale, and the stakes. We want students to grapple with those realities firsthand.”
Building the Future of AI Leaders
The AI Fair & Hackathon is organized by the Mitchell C. Hill Center for Digital Innovation, a hub within the College of Business Administration focused on hands-on learning in emerging technologies. Indira Guzman, assistant professor of cybersecurity in computer information systems, serves as the center’s director and the event’s lead organizer.
By combining experiential learning with industry collaboration, the event challenges students to apply emerging technologies to meaningful societal and business needs.
Looking Ahead
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, events like the AI Fair & Hackathon play a critical role in preparing students for the future.
“In my field, they’re trying to use more AI tools, so I wanted to focus on learning those tools and what they can provide, but also hearing different perspectives on AI, especially around responsibility and safety, I am starting to think more about how AI impacts other people outside of projects,” said student attendee Kelly Cornejo-Garcia (GIS ’26).
The event underscored the growing role of AI across disciplines, offering a glimpse into how the next generation of leaders will shape its application in business and society.