Grindr Employee Hackathon

At Grindr, you not only get to work on creating a best-in-class experience for the LGBTQ+ community, but you also work for a company where creativity and innovation flourish. Ideas that you develop have a real impact for users of the largest LGBTQ+ dating app in the market. Recently, Grindr hosted our annual Hackathon (AKA HackDay, Datathon, or Codefest) which brought together teams throughout the organization in the spirit of collaboration and innovation as they set out to solve challenges, introduce new ideas, and reimagine what Grindr is capable of in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

We sat down with some folks involved in the Hackathon and here is what they had to say about the impact of the event:

Alice Hunsberger, Senior Director & Global Head of Customer Experience, judged our “For Love” category, which centered on ideas around user safety, health, accessibility, or connection. We asked Alice to explain hackathons and what was the goal for them. Here is how she thinks about it:

“If you haven’t worked for a tech company before then you may be confused! During a hackathon, teams have to come up with a technical idea for their company and then build it as best they can, over a day or a long weekend. It’s called a “hackathon” because developers will just hack together code super-fast to build the thing, but not everything has to be code-based. The goal is to generate innovative ideas for the company, encourage cross-functional teamwork, and just have fun.”

At Grindr, the safety and security of the community we serve is always top-of-mind in the work we do, and this Hackathon reflects that same ethos. Teams competed in two categories: The first centered around business growth and impact while the second category focused on ideas that improved user safety, health, accessibility, or connection. All of the presentations showcased exceptional ideas around ways that Grindr can continue to support the global LQBTQ+ community.

Jack Harrison-Quintana, Director of Grindr for Equality, also served as one of the judges for the Hackathon and provided deeper insight into what makes Hackathons so impactful for companies:

“One of the things that I love about Hackathons is that it creates a space where people’s creativity is not restricted by existing priorities. It allows teams to incubate and build on ideas that could potentially go on to become future features of the actual app. I have been able to judge Hackathon presentations where we have gone on to implement all or parts of a project that were presented or even sparked ideas that we were not even considering yet.”

It is truly rewarding to work for a place that allows people to innovate in their fields while uplifting the queer community. This year’s Hackathon showcased the collaborative spirit of Grindr’s employees and their diverse talents. If you are looking for a culture that allows you to work at the intersection of technology and supporting the LGBTQ+ community, consider applying for a role with Grindr here. Hope to see you at the next Hackathon!

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