Booz Allen Hamilton Employees Join Delmar Loop Social Impact Hackathon

A group of Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) employees joined data scientists, designers, engineers, students from Washington University and members of the Delmar Loop community in Saint Louis, MO for the Delmar Loop Social Impact Hackathon this month.  The hackathon, sponsored by Washington University’s Skandalaris Center and the Delmar Loop Innovation Neighborhood (DLIN), challenged participants to discover ways to bridge the gap between the disadvantaged and affluent sides of the famous Saint Louis neighborhood, and to “create an Innovation Neighborhood in the Loop that attracts and retains creative geniuses and accelerates socioeconomic growth.”

Team “BAH O’Fallon” was made up of Booz Allen employees Joe Meilinger, Kamy McCall, Joe Laurine, and Mark Pedigo, as well as Washington University students and a member of the local community. Their idea--to develop a local incubator that would provide an outlet for young artists in the community-- took second place in the competition. Booz Allen’s Mark Pedigo said, “The Delmar Loop Incubator would provide a nurturing and collaborative environment for local musicians while working to with small business increase business for the neighborhood under a non-profit umbrella foundation (FeedbackLoop).  In turn, local businesses would partner with the incubator, focusing revenue developed through the artistic output on social good projects in the area north of Delmar Blvd.”

The team donated their prize money back to their Washington University student teammates, who will now work to brand the incubator with local businesses in the Delmar Loop, find a physical space, set up the non-profit 501c3, and develop mentors and artistic assets to launch the incubator.  The team has already been contacted by local St Louis business owners on how to capitalize on their innovative work and bring the social good ideas to fruition in the Delmar Loop area.

Booz Allen’s Joe Meilinger said of the hackathon, "Competing in this non-traditional Hackathon really forced me to stretch away from focusing on purely-technical solutions." Colleague Joe Laurine added, “I was impressed by the excitement and commitment of the event coordinators, and am interested to see how the group moves forward with the ideas that were pitched.” Kamy McCall added, “Working with college students was inspiring-- they were so excited and determined to be a part of making a positive change.”

As a company, Booz Allen Hamilton makes it our mission to utilize cutting-edge innovation coupled with a 100 year legacy of consulting experience to solve our client’s toughest challenges. We also apply our experience and expertise to making a difference in our communities. The spirit of service is embedded in our culture, and Booz Allen employees are passionate about giving back. When we sign on to help ease some of the burdens in our communities, we’re helping our neighbors, our employees, and working to create a better environment for all of us. Learn more about Booz Allen’s spirit of service.