San José State Hosts AI Hackathon to Tackle Real-World Challenges with the City of San José and Tech Industry Leaders

By the College of Information, Data and Society

San José State University’s College of Information, Data and Society hosted a dynamic, full-day AI Hackathon on May 8 at the SJSU campus through its Silicon Valley Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. The event, held in the Digital Humanities Center at San José State’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, was led by Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca, faculty member and program co-director.

The hackathon was co-organized in collaboration with the City of San José, Microsoft, Slalom and Spektra Systems — each bringing unique expertise and support.

San José City Manager Jannifer Maguire praised the initiative, saying, “Events like the AI Hackathon unlock new ways of thinking and bring fresh ideas to enhance how the city provides services. This One Team effort with city staff, students and technologists builds the future of public service through collaboration, curiosity and a commitment to serving San José residents better every day.”

Participants at the 2025 AI Hackathon hosted by San José State University. Photo: Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca.

Fifty participants — 25 SJSU students and 25 City of San José employees — were selected from hundreds of applicants to participate in this hands-on innovation challenge. Participants worked in teams throughout the day, applying AI tools to real use cases submitted by the city. These included multilingual public service chatbots, policy automation bots and data-driven solutions for civic engagement and urban planning.

“By collaborating with municipal and industry leaders, this hackathon created an ecosystem where students could engage in hands-on, applied AI development,” said San Nicolas-Rocca. “It also demonstrated how academic institutions can serve as catalysts for innovation and workforce development.”

Throughout the event, participants were supported by mentors and experts from Microsoft, Slalom and the city. Tom Miller, major growth account lead for the U.S., state and local government team at Microsoft, led the planning effort across all partners. He emphasized the significance of this collaboration.

“The San Jose Hackathon was a showcase of what’s possible when students, city employees and technologists come together with purpose,” said Miller. “From multilingual chatbots to data security solutions, the ideas generated here have real potential to shape the future of civic tech.”

Women in GovTech Panel, left to right: Kratika Mittal (Microsoft), Priyanshi Singh (Microsoft), Anita Newman (Microsoft), Arti Tangri (City of San José), and Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca (SJSU). Photo: Tom Miller.

A highlight of the day was the Women in GovTech panel, a conversation that brought together voices from government and the private sector to share experiences and insights on leadership, equity and innovation in AI and cybersecurity. 

The panel was moderated by Microsoft cybersecurity leader Vidhu Shekhar, a government strategy leader for the U.S., state and  local government worldwide public sector at Microsoft.

Speakers included:

• Kratika Mittal, security and privacy for governance, risk and compliance on the US, state and local government at Microsoft
• Priyanshi Singh, chief data scientist, for the U.S., state and local government team, Pinnacle Award Winner 2024 at Microsoft
• Anita Newman, technical sales director, U.S. SLG security specialist at Microsoft
• Arti Tangri, City of San José
• Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca, associate professor, San José State University

“The Women in GovTech panel was a highlight of the day,” said Shekhar. “Hearing stories of resilience and leadership from women across sectors was not only inspiring — it was a powerful reminder of the importance of representation in AI and government.”

Mitta stated: “At the Hackathon, it was inspiring to see such a diverse group come together with a shared goal: building a more secure future. From policymakers and city security leaders working on strong digital defenses to SJSU students — the next generation of tech and AI innovators — everyone brought something valuable to the table. Teaming up with my Microsoft colleagues, we helped spark creative solutions and showed how powerful collaboration can be in making the world safer and smarter.”

The hackathon also served as a platform for strengthening public-private-academic relationships. David Luper, senior director at Slalom, emphasized the significance of the day’s outcomes.

“It was an incredible opportunity to partner with Microsoft, the City of San José, and the SJSU community to deliver a truly impactful experience,” Luper said. “Watching teams rapidly prototype real AI solutions that could serve the public was inspiring. Slalom is all in for the next one — and the next one after that.”

Organizers say the event has already sparked plans for two more hackathons in the upcoming academic year — one in fall 2025 and another in spring 2026.

“This collaboration brought together the best of public, private, and academic sectors,” added San Nicolas-Rocca. “The energy, innovation, and commitment to community-centered AI solutions were palpable. I’m so proud of what we accomplished together—and even more excited for what’s next.”

At the heart of this event was the student experience and exposure collaborating with faculty, industry professionals and city leaders. 

“My experience at the AI Hackathon was fantastic,” said Jesse Olufade, ’26 Information Science and Data Analytics. “I learned how to build AI agents and gained hands-on experience collaborating with others to solve real-world problems and I will be applying what I learned in my projects. As a student in the iSchool at SJSU, it was refreshing connecting with and learning from people from different sectors. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in AI. It’s a fun, fast-paced way to learn, connect and grow your skills.”

Tarunjot Chahal, ’27 MS Informatics, stated, “The AI Hackathon was an amazing experience, especially because it was my first hackathon! I got the opportunity to meet with highly qualified and knowledgeable individuals who provided me with valuable knowledge to apply in my field. I especially enjoyed the Women in GovTech panel discussion because it pushed women like me, who are underrepresented in the field and South Asian, to keep striving for our goals.”

The 2025 AI Hackathon at San José State University was more than just a one-day event — it was a vibrant demonstration of the power of collaboration, innovation and inclusive engagement in shaping the future of civic technology. By bringing together students, city employees and industry leaders to solve real-world challenges with AI tools, the event not only fostered technical skill-building, but also the importance of vital community partnerships. As plans for future hackathons take shape, the momentum and impact of such collaborations promise to drive meaningful progress in AI-driven education and engagement.

Top photo: AI Hackathon 2025 event coordinators. Photo: Chelsea Palacio.

Learn more about the Silicon Valley Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity.