A Reverse Hackathon for Workforce Solutions in Eastern Kentucky

Hosted by: SOAR EKY Runway Social Enterprise Accelerator and SOAR Innovation

Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Time: 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM (Check-in begins at 8:30 AM)

Location: First Federal Center, Room 123, Hazard Community and Technical College

Address: One Community College Drive, Hazard, KY 41701

Lunch Provided

Register Here: https://share.hsforms.com/1J7DjFDXnTlyANTPSSs0nKQntn96

Child Care | Housing | Transportation 

What is a Reverse Hackathon?

A reverse hackathon is a hands-on community event focused on solving real problems together. Unlike a traditional hackathon where teams build tech prototypes, this event invites people from all backgrounds to co-create practical, people-first solutions to major barriers facing Eastern Kentucky’s workforce.

Instead of pitching big ideas to judges, participants work together to explore real-world challenges and present their team’s best ideas for community-led solutions.

You do not need technical experience or business expertise to attend. You just need to care about your community and be willing to collaborate.

Who Should Attend?

Everyone is welcome. This event is open to all community members and anyone committed to solving workforce challenges in Eastern Kentucky. We especially encourage participation from:

• Parents and caregivers
  
• Educators and child care providers
  
• Developers, contractors, and tradespeople
  
• Housing advocates and planning staff
  
• Transportation coordinators and mobility innovators
  
• Entrepreneurs and small business owners
  
• Nonprofit leaders and community organizers
  
• Students and young professionals
  
• Employers and workforce development staff
  
• Local officials, regional leaders, and policymakers

No special expertise is required. If you care about creating solutions that support families, workers, and communities, you belong in the room.

Event Agenda

8:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Check-In and Networking
Arrive early to get settled, grab coffee, and connect with others before we begin.

9:00 AM to 9:15 AM
Welcome and Introduction
We will provide an overview of the day, introduce the reverse hackathon format, and share goals and expectations.

9:15 AM to 9:45 AM
Exploring Our Challenges
Participants will learn about the key barriers we are working to address: child care, housing, and transportation.

9:45 AM to 10:00 AM
Team Formation
Participants will choose a challenge track and form small, collaborative teams.

10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Collaborative Problem-Solving Session
Each team will dive into their track’s challenge, working together to generate bold, community-rooted ideas and build out a solution they can present.

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Lunch and Networking
A chance to refuel, connect, and continue conversations informally.

1:00 PM to 2:15 PM
Team Presentations and Group Discussions
Teams will share their solutions with the full group. Presentations will be followed by time for shared discussion, feedback, and reflection.

2:15 PM to 2:30 PM
Closing Remarks and Call to Action
We will wrap up by highlighting key takeaways and outlining next steps for continued engagement, collaboration, and action.

Challenges We Are Brainstorming to Solve

Child Care Track

This track centers on expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care that supports both families and the workforce. Participants will explore:

• Gaps in availability and access across rural communities
  
• Flexible scheduling models that serve nontraditional work hours and split-shift families
  
• Facility development and infrastructure improvements for licensed and home-based care
  
• Business models that make small or mobile centers financially viable
  
• Strategies for strengthening the early childhood education workforce and creating long-term career pathways
  
• Opportunities to support parents as educators through mixed-delivery and hybrid models
  
• Regional partnerships that promote shared services and cost-saving collaboratives
  
• Creative uses of technology to simplify access, scheduling, and payment for working families

This track is a great fit for community members, educators, providers, parents, economic developers, and employers looking to co-create solutions that truly support families in Eastern Kentucky.

Housing Track

This track focuses on identifying and developing solutions to housing challenges that impact workforce participation in Eastern Kentucky. Participants will explore:

• Affordable housing development models
  
• Creative financing or ownership pathways such as rent-to-own or co-housing
  
• Workforce housing for educators, healthcare workers, and other essential roles
  
• Adaptive reuse of buildings for residential use
  
• Net-zero housing and energy-efficient designs that reduce long-term utility costs
  
• Integration of solar and other renewable energy options in rural construction
  
• Strategies for building on higher ground to address flood risk and resilience
  
• Land development approaches including parcel aggregation, utility planning, and zoning solutions for rural housing growth

This track is ideal for community members, developers, tradespeople, designers, housing advocates, and leaders working to meet local housing needs with innovative and sustainable models.

Transportation Track

This track addresses the transportation barriers that limit access to jobs, education, and daily needs throughout the region. Participants will explore:

• Micro-transit and on-demand ride services designed for rural geography
  
• Shared vehicle or employer-based ride programs for workers without reliable transportation
  
• Transportation options that help people get to job sites, child care, school, or services
  
• Solutions for residents without licenses or personal vehicles
  
• Route coordination and regional transit partnerships to reduce inefficiencies
  
• Technology-enabled platforms for ride scheduling, route optimization, and fare sharing
  
• Mobile access points that bring workforce or health services directly to neighborhoods
  
• Community-owned car-share, vanpool, or even rural bike and scooter programs tailored to local infrastructure
  

This track invites community members, mobility experts, entrepreneurs, local officials, and residents to help design smart, scalable transportation models for rural Kentucky.