This project was part of the course "Leadership Internships in Social Impact Organizations (BUS 297C)", where students were selected and matched with nonprofit partners based on their background and experience. I was assigned to work with the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation (CRMII) to define a high-impact challenge for the DeisHacks 2026 competition.

DeisHacks is an annual social impact hackathon at Brandeis University that brings together students and community partners to address real-world challenges faced by local nonprofits. Over a 48-hour period, interdisciplinary teams collaborate to develop practical solutions that improve visibility, visitor experience, and community engagement.

The project began with research and interviews to understand CRMII's mission, audience, and key challenges. Based on this process, I defined three core problem areas to guide the competition: 1. Finding the Museum & First Impressions, 2. Big Story, Hidden Museum, and 3. Interactive MakerSpace in the Galleries. I structured these challenges to be both meaningful for the organization and engaging for students, ensuring they were realistic, actionable, and compelling within the hackathon format.

I translated these insights into clear and focused problem statements (pinpoints), taking ownership of shaping the challenge and aligning the nonprofit's needs with the competition structure. To deepen engagement, I coordinated an on-site museum experience, where museum staff led the tour, allowing participants to better understand CRMII's context, audience, and challenges.

During the 48-hour hackathon, I represented CRMII among multiple nonprofit challenges and worked to attract and engage student participants in a highly competitive environment (9 nonprofit partners, ~145 participants), even under challenging winter conditions. I then led and mentored a student team, guiding their problem-solving approach, maintaining focus under time constraints, and ensuring alignment with the organization's goals. The team developed a strong, practical solution and was recognized with the Best Non-Technical Solution award.

Overall, this project demonstrated my ability to lead through ambiguity, define meaningful problems, and drive engagement in competitive environments. It also reinforced the importance of combining research, structured thinking, and leadership to guide teams toward impactful, real-world solutions.