Healthcare Access Hackathon: Social Entrepreneurship Challenge 2026

March 27
9am-5pm
44 West Fourth Street, New York, NY 10012

This Spring 2026, the NYU Stern Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship invites NYU students to tackle some of today’s most urgent challenges at the intersection of business and impact. In partnership with NYU’s School of Global Public Health, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the School of Law’s Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Program, the Healthcare Access Hackathon: Social Entrepreneurship Challenge 2026 brings real world healthcare challenges from industry and nonprofit partners directly to interdisciplinary NYU student teams. 

Through design thinking workshops, systems mapping, business model development, and mentorship from experts in healthcare, policy, and social innovation, teams will develop actionable, scalable solutions grounded in real world impact. 

Teams will choose from the following tracks:

  • (A) Public Health Access: Expanding equitable access to care and preventive services for rural populations and communities.
  • (B) Aging Population Care: Innovating aging-in-place solutions to support aging populations and the systems that care for them.
  • (C) Mental Health in the Digital Age: Addressing the impact of AI-driven tools, constant connectivity, and digital overload on the mental health, focus, and social connection of Gen Z and digitally native generations. 
  • (D) Mental Health & Climate Change: Addressing the impact on population mental health in the aftermath of disasters and exposure to climate change and solving for public health resilience.

 

Who Should Participate:

  • Current NYU undergraduate and graduate students from any school

  • Students passionate about sustainability, health equity, or social justice

  • Builders, analysts, and storytellers who want to collaborate on real-world impact solutions

Whether you’re a data scientist, policy thinker, designer, or entrepreneur, this challenge is your chance to collaborate across disciplines, learn from healthcare leaders, and pitch solutions that make a measurable impact.

Key Dates:

  • Application deadline: Friday, February 20, 2026

  • Challenge topics shared: 1-2 weeks in advance 

  • Hackathon Virtual Pre-Session: Friday, March 6, 2026

  • Hackathon In-person Day: Friday, March 27, 2026

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Berkley Center at entrepreneurship@stern.nyu.edu.
NYU School of Global Public Health
708 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

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