Prompt 01
Careers & Future of Work
A tool or product that helps people navigate or improve their careers in the age of AI.
Example angles
- Personalized career path agents
- Interview prep that adapts to the role
- Salary negotiation co-pilots
OPENS MAY 1
MLT20 AI Buildathon · MLT × WNCP AI
Anyone can AI.
Three prompts. One build weekend. Three finalists pitch live on the MLT20 stage.No coding background needed. Solo or team. New ideas only.
Sign-ups open
Friday, May 1
Kickoff
Fri, May 8 · 5 PM ET
Submissions
Tue, May 12 · 1 AM ET
Finals at MLT20
Thu, May 14 · 1 PM ET
At a glance
- FormatAsync build + live kickoff & finals
- Build windowMay 9 – 11 (weekend)
- Team sizeSolo or up to four
- Skill levelAny — non-technical welcome
- CostFree for the MLT community
Kickoff: Friday May 8 · Submissions due: Tuesday May 12 · Finals: Thursday May 14
What you get
Worth your weekend.
Network with peers
Meet MLT alumni and partner-network builders who are putting AI into their day jobs.
Ship something real
Working prototype hosted anywhere — Vercel, Lovable, your own server. Code optional, useful product mandatory.
Learn the modern toolchain
Hands-on with Google AI Studio, Lovable, Cursor, Claude Code, and v0 — the toolchain that flattened the build curve.
Be seen at MLT20
Top three teams pitch live at the MLT20 conference on Thursday May 14. Conference pass + hotel covered for in-person finalists.
The three prompts
Pick one. Make it real.
Every submission must address one of these three. Pick whichever pulls at you most.
House rule
Your project must have a plausible path to sustainability — funding, paying users, or measurable impact (people served or dollars saved).
Prompt 02
Equity & Access to AI
A tool that brings the benefits of AI to broader audiences or expands access to opportunity.
Example angles
- Plain-language access to public benefits
- Local resource finders for underserved zip codes
- AI translators for civic and legal documents
Prompt 03
Personal Security
A tool that protects individuals — their data, identity, finances, family, or wellbeing.
Example angles
- Scam detectors for text and voice
- Privacy audits for non-engineers
- Estate and emergency-doc walkthroughs
Ready to ship?
Got a prompt that's calling you?
Drop your name on the list. We send the prompt deep-dives, the Devpost link, and the Gather invite before kickoff.
Prizes
Cash, credits, and the MLT20 stage.
Top three teams pitch live during the MLT20 lunch block on Thursday May 14. The winner is announced that evening.
Cash + sponsor credits
Pool grows with confirmed sponsors. Vercel credits pending. More to come.
MLT20 conference pass + hotel
Covered for finalists who attend the live showcase in person.
Audience with John Rice
And MLT senior leadership. The room you don't get into otherwise.
Recognition + recap features
Featured in the MLT20 recap reel and on the showcase site.
How it works
Five steps from sign-up to MLT20 stage.
1
Sign up
Drop your name on the landing page. We send the prompt deep-dives.
2
Join Gather + Devpost
Both go live May 8. Personal invites land in your inbox.
3
Attend kickoff
Friday, May 8 evening. Virtual on Gather. Pick your prompt and team.
4
Build
Saturday through Monday. Solo or in teams. Use any AI tool you like.
5
Submit
Submit on Devpost by 1 AM Tuesday Eastern: repo, prototype, demo video, and writeup.
Submission requirements
The bar by 1 AM Tuesday May 12.
Every team submits the same six things on Devpost. No surprises.
Public GitHub repo
Code visible to judges. All API keys hidden.
Working prototype
Hosted anywhere — Vercel, Lovable, your own server.
Demo video
Two minutes or less. Show the working product.
Brief writeup
Problem · who it's for · tools used · what's next.
One of the three prompts
Pick one. Tell us which in your submission.
A path to sustainability
Funding, paying users, or measurable impact.
Judging
Two rounds. Public scoring.
Round 1
Async · Tuesday, May 12
Score every submission
Judges and volunteer support score every Devpost submission against the rubric. Two finalists are picked, plus one Viewers' Choice from participant voting in Devpost.
Round 2
Live · Thursday, May 14
Finalists pitch live at MLT20
Three finalists pitch on stage during the MLT20 lunch block. Judges deliberate. Winner announced Thursday evening.
Timeline
From sign-up to winner.
- 01Fri, May 1Sign-ups openLanding page goes live. Save your spot — prompt deep-dives go out by email next week.
- 02Fri, May 8 · 5 PM ETVirtual kickoffDevpost opens. Live kickoff on Gather. Mentors paired. Prompt-pick Q&A.
- 03May 9 – 11Build weekendSaturday through Monday. Async building, daily mentor office hours, tool clinics.
- 04Tue, May 12 · 1 AM ETSubmissions dueDevpost submission with GitHub repo, hosted prototype, demo video, and writeup. Hard deadline — 1 AM Eastern, end of day Monday Pacific.
- 05Tue, May 12 (day)Round 1 judgingJudges + volunteers score every submission. Two finalists + one Viewers' Choice.
- 06Thu, May 14 · 1 PM ETFinalist showcase at MLT20Live finalist pitches at the MLT20 conference during the lunch block.
- 07Fri, May 22Recap + showcase siteFinalist gallery, winner recap, and WNCP AI case-study lead capture go live.
Who it’s for
Built for the MLT community — ~1,500 conference attendees, 250+ executive-level — plus the partner network. Any skill level. Solo or team. New ideas only — not for already-funded ventures.
Sign up
Lock in your spot.
Free for the MLT community. Takes 30 seconds.
- ✓Prompt deep-dives by email
- ✓Devpost link the moment it opens
- ✓Personal Gather invite for kickoff
- ✓Mentor pairing if you go solo
FAQ
What teams ask.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. The whole point is that the modern AI toolchain has flattened the build curve. Lovable, Google AI Studio, and v0 let non-technical participants ship full applications. Engineers can go deeper with Cursor and Claude Code. Both win.
How much does it cost?
Free for the MLT community. Sponsor seats are available — see the Sponsors section.
Where does the building actually happen?
Async on your own machine, with live touchpoints (kickoff, mentor hours, demo day) on Gather. Submissions are managed on Devpost.
What gets judged?
Did it ship? Does it work for a real person? Does it answer one of the three prompts? Is there a plausible path to sustainability — funding, paying users, or measurable impact? Full rubric publishes at kickoff.
Can I submit an existing project?
No. New ideas only — not for already-funded ventures. Build something new during the build weekend.
What do finalists get?
Top 3 pitch live at MLT20 on May 14. Finalists who attend in person get a conference pass + hotel covered. Winner gets cash + credits + an audience with MLT senior leadership.
Last call
The toolchain is in your browser. Use it.
Sign up by Friday May 8 to get the kickoff invite. New ideas only — solo or team, any skill level.