home prize dreamboard bounties speakers events

YCC Innovation Prize · Spring 2026

$1,000

For the best tool built for Yale.

Eight winners. Judged on impact, usability, and openness. Demo day Friday, May 1 at 4pm · CEID.

Submit entry Criteria

1st place · $400
2nd place · $250
3rd place · $100
5 runners-up · $50 each
Plus catering for everyone at the demo day.

Community impact. Something Yalies can play with
Usability. Shipped, not a demo.
Openness. Open-source, extensible.
Technical quality. Clean, not complex for its own sake.

This year's panel includes a recent Yale alumnus from IBM, alongside YCC Tech leadership.

Apr 4

Launch

May 1 · 4pm

Submission deadline

Apr 4 – May 1

Rolling judging

Fri May 1 · 4pm

Demo day · CEID

Started during this academic year (since Aug 2025).
Solo or teams up to three Yale College students.
Public GitHub repo (totally optional).
Serves the Yale community.
Demo video (totally optional).
Short problem write-up.