Innovation Exchange

Where industry, startups, and students come together to solve infrastructure’s hardest problems.

What’s Ahead in the Next 12 Months

We’re creating more opportunities to test ideas, tackle real industry challenges,
and turn promising solutions into progress.

Hackathons targeted

Pitch competitions targeted

Startup accelerator spots (Explore + Validate)

Thought-leadership calls planned

Ways to Get Involved

Innovation Impact

Events

Insights

Four Ways to Get Involved

Hackathons

Four cycles targeted over the next 12 months. Student teams tackle contributor-submitted challenges, supported by contributor mentors and judges on site.

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Pitch Competitions

Two cycles targeted over the next 12 months, each spanning six months. Startups pitch solutions to contributor-submitted challenges before an industry judging panel.

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Startup Accelerator

Twenty spots across the Explore and Validate tracks give startups opportunities to showcase their work and connect directly with industry members and mentors.

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Member Activities

Join working groups focused on Thought Leadership, AI-to-Grid, and Startup Assessment, plus thought-leadership calls and the iMasons podcast.

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Innovation Impact

Every Hackathon Puts Talent to Work for a Greater Good

Every Hackathon includes a nonprofit-led challenge, taking infrastructure talent beyond the industry to tackle a real problem in the wider world.

INAUGURAL CHALLENGE · SMU · APRIL 2026

Could machine learning help protect elephants? 220+ students had 24 hours to find out.

Student teams built machine-learning models to separate elephant calls from ambient noise, supporting conservation research and anti-poaching work in Kenya.

25+ solutions in 24 hours
220+ students
27 universities
52 students ready to apply for infrastructure jobs

Nonprofit Partner: ElephantVoices
Technology Contributor: Open Compute Project

Upcoming Events

Innovation Sponsors

Provides support for Hackathons, Pitch Competitions, and Startup Accelerator.

Innovation Events

September 2026
Innovation Incubator: Meet the Startups

September 22 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Meet the Startups is a recurring incubator-led forum, designed to give iMasons members direct access to early-stage companies shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
October 2026
Innovation Exchange: Thought Leadership Sessions by iMasons

October 13 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Innovation Exchange is a bi-monthly, members-only forum designed to spark bold thinking and meaningful discussion across the iMasons community.
November 2026
Innovation Incubator: Meet the Startups

November 3 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am

Meet the Startups is a recurring incubator-led forum, designed to give iMasons members direct access to early-stage companies shaping the future of digital infrastructure.