2024 Datathon GenAI InnovateHER
The 2024 Women in Data Datathon, themed GenAI Playbook, has come to a remarkable close, leaving us with innovative projects and exciting breakthroughs in the world of generative AI. This year’s competition challenged participants to explore how generative AI (GenAI) systems can empower women and bring meaningful impact in various domains. With over 272 participants from 20+ countries, representing 90 teams, the 2024 Datathon saw incredible engagement and creativity.
Why Generative AI?
Generative AI has revolutionized how we interact with technology. However, research from the Oliver Wyman Forum shows that men are 15.7% more likely to use GenAI tools weekly than women. Moreover, Gen Z men are 25% more inclined to experiment with AI technologies than their female counterparts, according to a Slack Workforce Lab survey. Women in Data aimed to bridge this gap by providing a platform where women could explore, innovate, and create actionable insights using GenAI tools.
Participants embarked on a four-week journey, diving deep into GenAI systems to identify advantages, risks, use cases, and potential biases. The Datathon fostered global collaboration, with teams from LATAM, EMEA, APAC, and North America.
Judging Criteria
Teams were evaluated across four categories:
Depth of Analysis: How thoroughly did they explore GenAI systems and deliver meaningful insights?
Practical Application: How relevant and actionable were their recommendations?
Presentation Quality: Was the presentation clear, engaging, and creative?
Originality and Innovation: How unique and innovative were the team's solutions?
Congrats to everyone who participated in our 2024 Datathon! It's clear that generative AI offers vast opportunities to create a positive impact in both personal and professional contexts.
Meet the Winning Teams
The competition was fierce, but three teams stood out with their impactful solutions:
1st Place: Team Excellence
Project: Empowering the Visually Impaired with AI
Team Excellence, comprising Esther Bamidele, Deepthi Sudharsan, Vivien Siew, and Tajma Francis, took home the top prize with their groundbreaking solution to improve accessibility for the visually impaired. Their project tackled the limitations of human-generated alt text and audio descriptions by leveraging GenAI to provide more reliable, contextually relevant, and accurate descriptions. Their innovative approach aims to make the world more navigable and safer for visually impaired individuals.
2nd Place: Ctrl+Alt+Defeat
Project: Generative AI for Reproductive Health
This team—Dannele Ferreras, Emily Borawski, Karla Castillo-Guerra, Rivka Revivo, and Vanessa Nguyen—placed second with their project focused on using GenAI to support reproductive health decisions. Their work shines a light on how AI can help 1.8 billion menstruating people and 1.2 billion menopausal or postmenopausal people access unbiased, reliable information to make informed health decisions.
3rd Place: Insight Architects
Project: GenAI Playbook for C-Sections
Insight Architects—Lexi Jimenez, Idia Ihensekhien, Ana Pereira, Nooreen Ahmad, and Ritta Ezenwa—took third place with their innovative project exploring how GenAI can predict candidates for cesarean deliveries. Their project addressed both the technical and ethical challenges in using AI for maternal healthcare decision-making.
The winning projects demonstrated how AI can be used to support underrepresented communities, improve healthcare, and enhance decision-making.
Thank you to our fantastic judges for the Datathon! We could not have had a successful Datathon without all of you! Thank you for taking the time to review all the great projects we have received.
Women in Data will continue to foster innovation through upcoming programs and events. We invite you to stay connected by joining the WiD community for free here.
We look forward to more exciting innovations in the future!