Hacks with Friends 2026
The 12th Hacks with Friends (HWF) event took place on March 5 and 6, 2026, at the Ross School of Business. It was the first time this Michigan Technology Community event had come back to Ross since the 2020 event, just days prior to the pandemic.
Co-chairs Joseph Lubomirski (UM-Dearborn) and Kenny Moore (ITS) marked their sixth year leading HWF, welcoming 70 members of the Michigan Technology Community to Robertson Auditorium. Over two days, participants tackled nine proposed hacks accepted for the event over a two-day period.
After lunch on the second day, each team delivered a three-minute presentation of their hack, hoping to secure votes from their peers and the public. The top five teams (with a tie for fourth place) earned the chance to present a 10-minute, in-depth presentation to a panel of judges. Awards were given for first, second, and third place, and the People’s Choice award honored the team with the greatest public support.
2026 Hacks with Friends Judges Awards
- 1st place - Pitch 7: The Legacy Loop: AI Powered Knowledge Transfer System
- 2nd place - Pitch 10: Accessible Mail: GenAI‑Powered Email Accessibility
- 3rd place - Pitch 11: TDX Context Learner (Weekly Ticket Insights → KBA Drafts → AI-Ready Context)
- 4th place - Pitch 6: Dynamic Org Charts
- 5th place - Pitch 5: GrantLens – Researcher’s Command Center
2026 Hacks with Friends People’s Choice Award
2026 Hacks With Friends Judges
- Harrison Bacon, Network Operations Manager, UM-Flint
- Erik Taipalus, Assistant Director of IT Programs, School of Dentistry, UM-Ann Arbor
- Brian LaGoe, Director of Applications, UM-Dearborn
Photos from the 2026 Hacks With Friends
View a library of photos from the 2026 Hacks with Friends event.
Consider joining Hacks with Friends next year.
Hacks with Friends is a great opportunity to meet new people, build something new, and strengthen the Michigan Technology Community. Whoever you are... Whatever your passion… brainstormers, visionaries, developers, project managers, analysts, UX designers, service center specialists, security specialists, trainers, desktop support, designers, or cheerleaders… Be a part of it! Pick up new skills, make new connections, and explore new technologies and find innovative ways to resolve problems. The only limit is your imagination.
Hacks with Friends is sponsored by the U-M office of the vice president for IT and CIO. See the past Hacks with Friends events to discover how the event has evolved over the years.
2026 Hacks with Friends Planning Team
- Joseph Lubomirski, UM-Dearborn ITS (Co-Chair)
- Kenny Moore, ITS (Co-Chair)
- John Walsh, MM HITS
- Michael Kovach, UM-Dearborn ITS
- Louise Tamres, MM HITS
- Joel Iverson, ITS
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