NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cloudforce, a Maryland-based leader in Cloud and AI technology, in collaboration with strategic partner Microsoft, proudly set the stage to ignite young minds at the 2024 Bitcamp Hackathon co-hosted by the University of Maryland (UMD) on April 19th to the 21st. The largest collegiate hackathon on the East Coast, the event challenged students to create technology solutions that address some of the nation’s toughest problems.
Bitcamp 2024 attracted a record 2,000+ registered hackers to engage in the immersive 36-hour experience. In addition to its AI focus, Bitcamp offered diverse learning paths across Quantum, Cybersecurity, and App Development.
A Shared Vision for Empowering Students
Bitcamp’s dynamic environment, coupled with Cloudforce and Microsoft’s support, offered an unprecedented experience for participants to build solutions with cutting-edge AI technologies—an opportunity not yet possible at most higher education institutions nationwide.
“Bitcamp is near and dear to Cloudforce as it not only attracts exceptional talent to our hometown but also aligns with our mission of leveraging the power of the cloud to make lives better,” said Cloudforce Founder and CEO Husein Sharaf. “Our collaboration with Microsoft aims to expose young people to the transformative power of AI and cloud technologies crucial for their career success.”
Addressing Real-World Challenges
Dedicated to harnessing ingenuity to address real-world challenges and contribute to the betterment of the community, Cloudforce focused its prize category on the “Best use of AI/ML innovation for the Francis Scott Key Bridge recovery efforts.” Through workshops and interactive sessions—including an innovative prompt-a-thon—Cloudforce and Microsoft team members provided hands-on mentorship to demonstrate industry-leading AI services, including the Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft Copilot.
Cloudforce’s 1st place awardee Kaushik Reddy Kanumuru earned a Microsoft Surface device for his winning project, “BuildKey AI,” which leveraged GPT-based technology to assist emergency responders in data retrieval and making informed decisions efficiently. “A heartfelt thank you to the entire Cloudforce team for their incredible support. I’m also grateful to their talented tech team for patiently guiding me through Microsoft’s AI services like Azure OpenAI and Copilot Studio,” said Kaushik. “Their warmth and assistance were truly appreciated. This certainly reflects their company’s culture and talent.”
Cloudforce also recognized the 2nd place winning team of Preethi Narayanan, Anuraag Tripathy, Swastik Agrawal and Priyadarshan Narayanasamy; and 3rd place winners, Arman Mahjoor and Joshua Cancio, for building impressive AI-powered solutions to tackle unique aspects of the bridge recovery effort.
Rounding out the event, Microsoft’s Chief Innovation Officer for Education, MJ Jabbour, took to the stage to deliver a catalyzing closing speech and to congratulate hackers for their perseverance over the weekend. Cloudforce joined in to thank University President Darryll J. Pines; Bitcamp leadership Veda Singireddy, Beatrice Chung, and Anjali Samavedam; and Cloudforce’s own volunteers Aylin Alptekin, Aniya Young, Arija Rahman, Carlos Miletti, Garrett Broady, James Poindexter, Jesse Kellner, Jonathan Segars, Kamal Cunningham, Ryan Wessling, Ryland DeGregory, and Yayoi Vanzego for contributing significantly towards the success of the weekend.
Bitcamp is Cloudforce’s fourth co-sponsored hackathon effort with Microsoft in 2024. Previous successful events include Georgetown University’s Hoya Hacks, Howard University’s BisonBytes, and Duke University’s Critical Care Datathon.
About Cloudforce
Cloudforce is a nationally acclaimed consultancy dedicated to revolutionizing the learning experience through the transformative power of AI. As a Microsoft “Supplier of the Year” awardee, Cloudforce stands as a leader in navigating the complexities of bleeding-edge technologies, serving some of the world’s most notable educational institutions. For more information about Cloudforce and its initiatives in Higher Education, please visit www.gocloudforce.com.
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