FAQ

Our upcoming pitch competition will be held late February 2026. More details will be provided closer to the event. Registration is open to all undergraduate and graduate students in the surrounding Baltimore area. We are welcome to people of all majors, backgrounds, and skillsets. There is a place for you and your innovative ideas at GreenHacks. We hope to support you and your ideas at our event.

A sustainable pitch competition is where participants present for ~5-7 minutes on an attainable solution that is towards a specific environmental problem. To create some fun, each year, we create a theme and a set of tracks to focus the presentations on one aspect of sustainability. The ideas that participants create are targeted towards developing innovative technologies or strategies that promote environmental conservation, reduce carbon footprints, enhance resource efficiency, foster sustainability practices, etc.

This competitive forum is designed to support and motivate aspiring entrepreneurs and their startup ideas. We provide mentorship and resources to help participants refine their ideas, pitch their ventures, and gain resources or funding to launch their businesses. 

GreenHacks provides a nurturing environment for individuals and teams to ideate and innovate their idea. Through mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities, participants receive guidance and support to develop their ideas into actionable initiatives with real-world impact. We partner with the JHU initiative FastForwardU which works to support student entrepreneurship and innovation. 

Students work in teams to tackle targeted sustainability challenges head-on. At the culmination, they will be judged on the creativity, feasibility, and impact of their pitches. Embracing inclusivity and all skill levels, we encourage participants from all fields and areas of expertise. Solutions can come in any form ranging from strategic business proposals, cutting-edge mobile applications, functional prototypes, and so on. Our aim is to foster entrepreneurial ingenuity for impactful and sustainable solutions.

GreenHacks is always looking for people to be speakers, judges, or experts to be part of our events. This opportunity is not limited to people who are in the sustainability field, but rather those who have a passion for innovation and bettering the planet. 

In the past, GreenHacks has collaborated with:

• Ralph O'Connor Sustainable Energy Institute 

• JHU Environmental Health and Engineering

• JHU Department of Sustainability

• Bloomberg School of Public Health

• JHU Earth and Planetary Sciences

• JHU Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

• Institute for NanoBioTechnology

And our participants have come from many different JHU majors and departments!

The event is open to students of ALL backgrounds and skills from the Homewood campus, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Carey Business School, MICA, and other Hopkins-affiliated schools, undergraduate or graduate student, regardless of area of study! GreenHacks will also be open to the entire network of Baltimore-area universities! 

GreenHack's annual pitch competitions are a great opportunity to network with a diverse range of individuals, including investors, researchers, professionals, and prospering entrepreneurs, potentially leading to partnerships or future opportunities. They are a great way to create and showcase innovative ideas, valuable feedback, access support, and potential funding for critical resources.

We encourage individuals of all concentrations to sign up for our Spring 2026 event.