Innovative Thinking 2017 QuickBooks Connect Kicks Off With Hackathon Challenge Last weekend the Intuit Developer team hosted their annual #smallbizhack hackathon, officially kicking-off our 2017 QuickBooks Connect conference. Hosted for the first time on the Mountain View campus in Building 20, nearly 170 external developers came together for a round-the-clock session in the spirit of creating new innovations to help small businesses save time and Written by Intuit Blog Team Published Nov 15, 2017 - [Updated Nov 9, 2022] 2 min read Last weekend the Intuit Developer team hosted their annual #smallbizhack hackathon, officially kicking-off our 2017 QuickBooks Connect conference. Hosted for the first time on the Mountain View campus in Building 20, nearly 170 external developers came together for a round-the-clock session in the spirit of creating new innovations to help small businesses save time and money. Not mention the chance to win a grand prize of $5,000! To get started, the developers self-organized into teams to focus their energy and ideas into one hack project that would ultimately be entered into the judging process for prizes. Thirty-on teams entered the pitch contest and presented innovative ideas with proof-of-concept apps, many that were mobile. Twenty-two of these concepts integrated with QBO via our APIs. With so many awesome customer-centric ideas it was nearly impossible to land on a first-place winner. Ultimately the $5,000 grand prize was awarded to the team responsible for creating “Material Assist,” an app designed to serve as an inventory management system, creating an extension of sales people for small businesses who struggle to store and move their inventory. Material Assist also allows small businesses to connect with each other, while sharing resources and inventory transparently, ensuring their customers never leave their stores empty handed. This was also an amazing opportunity for these developers to have their ideas recognized by external judges comprised of major players in the space and create lasting solutions that allow small businesses to save time and money so they can get back to their passion of helping their customers. The judges included: Neal Coogler, senior partner at All About Business Services, Blair Frank, staff writer at VentureBeat and Jennifer Love, agent of abundance and visionary CEO of One More Woman. Other #smallbizhack events are planned throughout the global QuickBooks Connect events to promote innovation for small businesses worldwide. This is just the beginning of the magic that QuickBooks Connect will bring to our community of self-employed, small businesses, accountants and developers. Starting Wednesday, Nov. 15, QuickBooks Connect will take over the San Jose Convention Center, bringing three days of inspiration, education and connection. Be sure to follow along as we continue covering the #QBConnect experience on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Previous Post Management Strategies for the Always-Fluid Workforce of the Future Next Post Intuit Announces 2017 Global Firm Of The Future Winner Written by Intuit Blog Team More from Intuit Blog Team Browse Related Articles Social Responsibility Making a global impact Social Responsibility 40 years of powering prosperity: Highlights from Intuit’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report Social Responsibility Intuit’s New Food Truck Program Empowers Underserved Youth with Vital Financial, Technical, and Entrepreneurial Skills Social Responsibility Intuit for Education Innovative Thinking Responsible AI helps small businesses grow and do more. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Building Inclusion: setting a path to success for Latinos in tech Social Responsibility Women in Tech: Why We Need More Innovative Thinking Introducing Intuit Assist News Intuit Responds to U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Decision And Reaffirms its Commitment to Free Tax Preparation Intuit Experts Best Jobs for Seniors: Part Time Jobs in Tax Preparation and Bookkeeping