Hosting an UNLEASH Hack FAQ

Expression of Interest

How can I express my interest in hosting an UNLEASH Hack?

On our Community Platform, you will find more information in the UNLEASH Hacks Organizing Team Booklet, and the link to Expression of Interest form.

To host a Hack in 2025, express your interest by March 31.

What happens after I express my interest in hosting an UNLEASH Hack?

UNLEASH will invite you, and your team to participate in a series of “Build-Your-Hack” workshops to flesh out your Hack’s concept.

Each workshop will focus on specific parts of your Hack’s concept, and have some deliverables/outcomes linked to them.

Workshop 1: The Basics
Workshop 2: Setting Up for Success
Workshop 3: Mobilizing Participants
Workshop 4: Creating Visibility

Read more about each workshop in the Expression of Interest Form.

How do I access the Community Platform?

If you are an UNLEASH Alumni, you received an invitation to join the UNLEASH Community Platform at the e-mail address you used to sign up for the program. This email would have been sent within a month of the end of the first UNLEASH program you took part in. If you can’t find it, check your spam inbox, sometimes it ends up there. If you are unable to locate that invitation, please write to hacks@unleash.org from the email address you used to sign up for your first UNLEASH program to ask for support.

The Program

What are UNLEASH Hacks?

UNLEASH Hacks are two-day localized, scalable, and cost-efficient innovation processes designed to address sustainability challenges in specific contexts around the world. During an UNLEASH Hack participants work in teams to come up with innovative ideas that can create a real positive impact in their local communities while gaining relevant skills and knowledge on how to address sustainability challenges of the future. UNLEASH Hacks can be run online, in-person, or in a hybrid format with some participants connecting online to an in-person venue.

Who can host an UNLEASH Hack?

Any UNLEASH Alumni who have participated in previous UNLEASH Innovation Labs, UNLEASH Hacks, or previously organized a Hack, are eligible to become Hack Organizers.

What is an Organizing Team (OT)?

An Organizing Team is a group of 4 to 6 individuals with varied experiences and skills responsible for planning and executing an UNLEASH Hack. If you are the person initiating setting up an Organizing Team for a Hack, you are also considered part of the OT.

Organizing Teams can consist of UNLEASH Alumni and non-UNLEASH Alumni. The Lead OT member must ideally be an UNLEASH Alumni. Organizing an UNLEASH Hack should not be undertaken by a single individual.

I want to organize an UNLEASH Hack but I’m not an Alumni. What can I do?

If you’re not an UNLEASH Alumni, reach out to any UNLEASH Alumni in your region who can support or connect you to other members of our Community.

What’s the difference between UNLEASH Hacks and UNLEASH Innovation Labs?

UNLEASH Innovation Labs and UNLEASH Hacks share a lot of similarities in that they both drive innovation towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), upskill Talents with human-centered design-thinking tools, and build a Community of passionate individuals. Below you will see some ways in which UNLEASH Innovation Labs and UNLEASH Hacks differ.

Duration: UNLEASH Hacks take place over 2 days, whereas UNLEASH Innovation Labs run over 5 to 7 days.
Scope: UNLEASH Hacks focuses on a specific challenge faced by local communities, whereas UNLEASH Innovation Labs address multiple SDGs.
Scale: UNLEASH Hacks typically have between 30-60 Talents, whereas UNLEASH Innovation Labs gather at least 200 Talents.
Content: UNLEASH Hacks use a condensed version of the UNLEASH Innovation Lab Activity Cards to accommodate the two-day schedule.

Leadership: UNLEASH Hacks are completely community-driven. You and your OT will decide when an UNLEASH Hack will take place, what issues it will address, and how it will take place. You will also be responsible for sourcing Facilitators, finding participants, and executing the Hack.

If I host an UNLEASH Hack will I have any support from UNLEASH?

The Organizing Team is responsible for planning and executing an UNLEASH Hack. UNLEASH Secretariat will provide support through digital resources and materials, including, communications templates, Miro templates, and UNLEASH Activity Cards. Access to these resources will be shared with the Organizing Team when they sign a Memorandum of Understanding with UNLEASH to host the Hack. UNLEASH does not provide financial support to OTs to organize UNLEASH Hacks.

How long does it take to plan an UNLEASH Hack?

By leveraging the digital resources and support provided by UNLEASH, it takes 2 to 3 months to plan an UNLEASH Hack. Make sure to plan for this commitment in deciding to host an UNLEASH Hack.

When can UNLEASH Hacks take place?

In 2025, UNLEASH Hacks can take place from July to November. You can organize your Hack 2 to 3 months after formalizing your engagement (by singing an MoU).

Can I host an UNLEASH Hack with my organization?

Absolutely! The Innovation Methodology behind UNLEASH Hacks is the perfect way to inspire your team to think creatively and approach an organizational challenge from a user-centric perspective. However, the standard Intellectual Property shared with Organizing Teams does not allow them to use the UNLEASH Methodology for commercial purposes, which includes restricting UNLEASH Hack participants to within an organization. If you plan to host an UNLEASH Hack with your organization please indicate so in your application. The Secretariat will contact you to discuss potential options.