More than 170 entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors gathered earlier this month for an innovation competition to workshop ideas for the city of Phoenix to manufacture more shade.

It was the second “hackathon” hosted by the city of Phoenix Office of Innovation in partnership with the nonprofit Venture Café Phoenix earlier this month.

A contestant in a city of Phoenix innovation challenge earlier this month displays his group’s prototype to an audience. (Courtesy city of Phoenix)

Five teams presented their ideas to an audience and panel of judges highlighting unique ideas to increase shade in the city, including developing an app so residents can share where shade is needed; using solar panels on shade structures; using compost and recycled materials to build shade; adaptable, mobile and modular designs, and much more. ​​
The judges selected two winning teams for cash prizes and the audience selected their choice for bragging rights.

• First Place: Team Five won a $3500 prize
• Second Place: Team Two won a $1500 prize
• Audience Choice: Team Three received bragging rights

Bill Bergen, on the winning Team Five, said his group’s idea was carbon-fiber canopies with an integrated hyperbolic chimney, also known as a cooling tower.

Innovation is currently working with the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation to review ideas for potential pilot projects.

“Whatever people come up with, we’re going to look at and say, ‘Hey, is this something we could prototype here in the city of Phoenix?’ No promises, but we’re really enthusiastic to see what could come of this and what it could move forward for the city,” Michael Hammett, director of Phoenix’s Office of Innovation, said in a video about the event.

The Innovate PHX Challenge @ Venture Café Phoenix takes place twice a year with a mission to bring community innovators from all over Phoenix together to help solve some of the city's most pressing challenges. To stay in the loop on future hackathon events, visit phoenix.gov/innovation and sign up for the Venture Café Phoenix newsletter. 

Editor's note: The above information was republished from a city of Phoenix news release.