Build for Canada

About the Event The Theme: AI for Canadian Economic Resilience The Challenge: Build an AI tool that solves a problem created or worsened by the current trade environment. You don't necessarily need to be a trade expert or an economist to join. We will form teams for you and ensure that each team has a strong mix of skills. This isn’t your typical hackathon - it’s a structured, supportive experience where everyone can contribute, whatever their background. There will also be mentors to support you throughout. Co-hosted by NovaForge AI Venture Lab and My Creative Break, you’ll pair cutting-edge AI tools with expert facilitation so your team is supported every step of the way, from icebreakers, to brainstorming, to the final pitch. Why are we doing this? This event is about: • ​Turning a national economic disruption into something people can work on together. • Putting technical builders in the same room as people who understand trade, industry, and policy - because neither group solves this alone. • Producing work that outlives the day: Open tools, research, and analysis that Canadian businesses and communities can actually use. • ​Building meaningful connections while creating solutions that address real human needs. You’ll leave with new skills, new connections, and a real sense that you can contribute to the AI ecosystem in Canada. The problem we’ll tackle: Canada is in the middle of a trade dispute that's reshaping how goods cross the border. New counter-tariffs took effect this September on roughly $27.6 billion of imports, hitting steel and aluminum, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, plastics, and electronics. Businesses across the Greater Toronto Area are re-pricing products, hunting for new suppliers, and rewriting customs paperwork - many without the tools, time, or extra resources to do it well. We think AI can help. Not as a demo, but as something a business owner, a worker, or a policymaker could actually use. Ideas you could work on: • Trade & tariff intelligence • Supply chain resilience • Industry deep dives (e.g. steel and aluminum, agri-food and dairy, manufacturing, construction materials, or retail) • Small business survival • Workers, regions & communities • Macro, policy & public insight What makes this hackathon different? • Guided team formation - come solo or with a team, no one gets left behind • ​Facilitated icebreakers and connection activities • ​Structured build sprints with mentor support throughout • ​Pitch-prep mentoring before your final presentation • ​Access to mentors, judges, and ecosystem leaders • ​Exposure to AI community tools and platforms • ​Food, coffee, and energy resets built in • ​A low-pressure, encouraging environment • ​Networking with builders, founders, and creatives • ​Prizes across multiple categories Who is this for? This event is built for mixed teams. Every one of these backgrounds has something the others need: • Software engineers, data scientists, and AI builders • Supply chain, logistics, procurement, and trade professionals • Consultants, strategists, and business analysts • Economists, policy professionals, and public sector staff • Founders and small business owners living this problem directly • Researchers, journalists, and graduate students • Designers and product people You do not need to be an AI expert. You just need to be curious and willing to dig into a hard problem with people who think differently than you do. What you’ll walk out with: • New connections across Toronto's AI startup and industry community • Hands-on experience applying AI to a real economic problem • Access to mentors, judges, and ecosystem leaders • A real project you helped create with real data • Prizes across multiple categories The Judges (TBA) The Organizers ​NovaForge AI Venture Lab: A non-profit AI hub on a zero-equity model, dedicated to supporting AI founders. ​My Creative Break: A team-building and event organization that specializes in connection, play-based experiences, and creativity workshops across Toronto and Montreal. ​ The Venue ForgeVenue, ​Office146: Located in Etobicoke at 146 Thirtieth Street, is a modern coworking and event space that doubles as the home campus of NovaForge AI Venture Lab. Just 15 minutes from downtown Toronto and 10 minutes from Pearson Airport, with free on-site parking and easy access via the Gardiner, Highway 427, Long Branch GO, and TTC. ​Built for builders, it offers high-speed Bell Fibre WiFi, presentation screens with a sound system, and a variety of meeting spaces, including; seven boardrooms, breakout areas, and a full kitchen/bar with unlimited coffee, tea, and kombucha. Everything a full day of building needs. The space, ForgeVenue, comfortably hosts up to 200 attendees, making it an ideal setting for an inclusive, energetic hackathon.