I've been thinking about this for a while, not just the logistics of organizing a hackathon, but the why behind it. Why now? Why AI? And most importantly, why does Haiti need this?

The seed was planted in December 2022. I had just completed Le Wagon's data science bootcamp. ChatGPT had just launched, everyone was talking about this new wave of AI tools, and the entire tech landscape was shifting beneath our feet. I watched this revolution unfold from Port-au-Prince, seeing a familiar pattern: incredible technology emerging, global opportunities expanding, and Haiti once again absent from the conversation.

Not because we lack talent. I know better. I’ve seen it firsthand, from co-leading Meta Developer Circle Port-au-Prince (2017–2022), to co-founding Dev Expo (the largest gathering of local developers in Haiti, created to showcase their talent and drive innovation). The problem isn’t capability. It’s visibility. It’s access. It’s the infrastructure needed to turn talent into opportunity.

So we’re doing something about it.

The Spark

Ayiti AI Hackathon happens November 28-30, 2025. Two days. Ten teams. One goal: prove that Haitian developers can build AI solutions under pressure, with purpose.

This isn't about charity or feel-good moments. This is about creating a forcing function, a high-stakes environment where ideas become deployable prototypes in 48 hours. No hand-holding. No excuses. Just raw talent, tight deadlines, and the kind of pressure that separates those who talk from those who ship.

I learned this lesson the hard way at Le Wagon's data science bootcamp. Nine weeks of intensity that fundamentally changed how I approach AI and machine learning. That experience showed me what's possible when you combine structure, pressure, and community. It also made something clear: Haiti needed this. Not someday. Now.

Why AI? Why Now?

Haiti has pressing problems. Infrastructure. Education. Healthcare. Security. But here's what I've learned: we don't build our way out of chaos by waiting for things to get better. We build through it. People are still hoping. Still creating. Still dreaming. That's not naivety, that's resilience.

AI isn't some distant future technology. It's here. It's reshaping industries right now. Companies are desperate for AI talent. The demand is insane. And yet, when tech leaders scan the global landscape for that talent, Haiti doesn't even register.

Not because we lack the capability, but because we lack the proof.

This hackathon is that proof.

What We're Actually Building

We've designed six themes, each focused on practical AI applications for Haiti:

AI for Human Well-Being. Health information chatbots in Creole. Mental wellness tools. Maternal health guidance. These aren't abstract concepts, they're solutions that could impact thousands of people who can't access traditional healthcare.

The Power of Generative AI. Custom business chatbots for local enterprises. Translation tools that actually understand Creole's nuances. Content generators celebrating our culture. The same technology powering ChatGPT, but built for our context.

AI in Education & Learning. Trilingual learning platforms. Tutoring systems aligned with our curriculum. Tools that work offline because we know electricity isn't guaranteed. Education solutions designed for our reality.

AI for Entertainment & Creative Media. AI music generators inspired by kompa and rara. Interactive platforms preserving our folklore. Tools that help our artists and content creators reach global audiences while staying rooted in Caribbean heritage.

AI for Community Solutions. Event coordination platforms. Local marketplace optimization. Transportation planning for tap-taps. The everyday problems that better technology can actually solve.

Open Innovation: AI for Haiti's Future. Hurricane prediction systems. Agriculture assistants for crop optimization. Remittance tools helping diaspora connections. The big swings. The ambitious ideas. The stuff that makes you think "wait, we could actually build that?"

The Process

Here's how it works. Teams apply. We select ten. All selected participants get a month of pre-event AI training, every Saturday leading up to the hackathon. We're also hosting AI talks every Wednesday where we invite experts to discuss specific topics. These Wednesday sessions require a separate application, so if you're interested in joining those conversations even if you're not competing, you can apply for that too.

We're partnering with AI experts, friends in the field, and supporters who believe in this mission, people who've actually shipped AI solutions and want to see Haiti's developers level up. Real training from people who know what they're doing.

Then comes the hackathon weekend. November 28-30. Forty-eight hours to take an idea from concept to working solution. By Sunday afternoon, you need a deployed solution and a presentation that explains what you built, how it works, and why it matters.

The best teams win NVIDIA GPUs and other exciting prizes. But honestly? The real prize is the portfolio piece. The solution. The story. The proof that you can execute under pressure. In today's AI job market, that's priceless.

What This Really Means

I've spent enough time in tech to know that opportunities don't just appear. They're created. Someone has to build the platform, set the stage, and say "this matters."

That's what we're doing.

When I started Syntax Studio in 2020, it was about more than just building digital products. It was about crafting custom applications that transform industries and drive innovation. About showing what's possible when you combine technical skill with deep understanding of local context. This hackathon is an extension of that mission.

Five years from now, I want someone to trace their AI career back to this weekend. I want hiring managers to see "Ayiti AI Hackathon" on a resume and know that person can build fast and think big. I want international tech companies to start recruiting in Haiti because they've seen what we're capable of.

That's not naive optimism. That's pattern recognition. I've seen how a single event can catalyze an entire ecosystem. How one weekend can change trajectories.

The Invitation

If you're a Haitian developer living in Haiti, self-taught, university-trained, somewhere in between, this is for you. If you've been waiting for the perfect moment to prove what you can do, this is it.

We're building in public. We're competing with intention. We're showing up ready to deploy real solutions to real problems.

Teams of 2-3. November 28-30. Virtual event. Apply at hackathon.ayiti.ai.

Only ten teams. The selection will be competitive. But that's the point. We're not lowering standards, we're meeting the moment.

A Personal Note

I could have written a dry press release. Listed the facts. Kept it professional and safe.

But that's not why I started writing on this blog years ago. I write to document the journey. To share what matters. To build in public and invite others along.

This hackathon matters because it's not just about the code we write that weekend. It's about changing the narrative. About claiming our space in the AI revolution. About building the future we want to see, not waiting for someone else to build it for us.

Haiti has always been a country of firsts. First Black republic. First nation born from a successful slave revolt. A history of breaking boundaries when the world said we couldn't.

This is our next first. And I can't wait to see what we build.

The road won't be easy. Building something this ambitious in Haiti never is. There will be power outages. Internet will drop. Resources will be tight. But that's exactly why this matters. Because if we can build world-class AI solutions under these conditions, imagine what we're capable of when the infrastructure catches up to the talent.

Apply for Ayiti AI Hackathon: hackathon.ayiti.ai

Questions? Want to sponsor or partner: alo@ayiti.ai