Miami Hack Week is cancelled, indefinitely.


To the Miami Hack Week Community,

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones well.

Today, I must share some difficult news regarding Miami Hack Week, and it comes with a heavy heart. Since its inception in 2021, Miami Hack Week has been a labor of love. What started as a small gathering of 400+ passionate innovators and quickly grew to a vibrant community of over 3000+ hackers — this community gathering allowed thousands to explore new ideas, build up their confidence, and find a tribe of people who collectively shape each others’ experience and innovative ideas.

From the very beginning, our journey has been fueled by the dedication, creativity, and unwavering spirit of everyone involved. Our early years were nothing short of magical, despite the challenges we faced.

Once you scale an event to a certain size, you need to have strategic partnerships with the government and corporate worlds to go on, who are committed to the same vision and willing to provide long-term support. This is something I have not been able to obtain in this state, no matter how hard I try.

Miami Hack Week has been a nonprofit organization since Day 1. My ambitions have always been to help create a platform for technical talent to find community, opportunities and belonging in Miami’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem.

Our 3 person team often operated out of my living room, pouring every ounce of energy into making each event better than the last. Delivering this major event with a small team plus supporting supplies was rough at times. But 2023 brought me a reality check. The market cooled, sponsorships became harder to secure, Miami was less “trendy” and even worst partners crushed by the market didn’t honor their commitments, leaving us short around $55,000.00.  

Despite these setbacks, we rallied with support from Founders Fund and our amazing community.

We were determined to make 2024 our best year yet. But fate had other plans. Our space in Wynwood was closed by the city in December due to a construction permit issue left unresolved by a prior tenant, despite our $100,000 investment.

And this year, we faced yet another financial hurdle with a budget shortfall of $28,000 and our struggles to recoup around $35,000 in sponsorships. Running Miami Hack Week has felt like building a startup from scratch every year, only to watch it dissolve and begin anew. Each cycle has been a mix of exhilarating highs and gut-wrenching lows.

I’ve poured my heart, soul, and personal resources into keeping this dream alive. But now, I find myself at a crossroads, unable to continue financially supporting this endeavor. After countless sleepless nights and heartfelt discussions, I’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to cancel Miami Hack Week indefinitely.

This was not a decision made lightly, but without the necessary strategic partnerships and support, we cannot continue to deliver the exceptional experience our community deserves.

To all the innovators, coders, designers, sponsors, and volunteers who have been a part of Miami Hack Week, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your contributions have been the lifeblood of this event and have helped build a vibrant and supportive tech community.I am deeply grateful for the love and support you have shown.

Until we meet again, keep dreaming, keep building, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

With heartfelt thanks,
Ja’dan