More than logo placement
Southwest MN Hacks connects your organization directly with motivated students from across the region. This is more than an advertising buy. Sponsors meet students in person, over a networking meal, at a booth, while mentoring teams, and while judging projects.
Run by the Southwest MN Hacks nonprofit in partnership with Aulden, hosted at SMSU.
Why sponsor
College and graduate students are exploring internships and early-career roles now. High school students are the regional STEM pipeline, the next wave of local talent in software, cybersecurity, data, and AI. Your sponsorship reaches both.
Student interaction
Face-to-face conversations with students over meals, at your booth, and through mentoring, rather than a name on a banner.
Workforce pipeline
Recruit college and graduate participants today, and build relationships with younger students entering the field.
Community and STEM impact
Invest in regional technical talent that too often leaves the area, and help keep it here.
How sponsors interact with students
- A reserved table at a structured student networking meal, where students are seated or rotated by interest so you can talk about projects, internships, and local careers.
- A sponsor booth or table during the event.
- The option to mentor teams or serve on the judging panel.
- The option to sponsor a prize category or pose a real-world challenge for students.
- Access to an opt-in student interest list (college and graduate participants), shared only where students choose to share it.
Student safety. Information sharing and any follow-up involving participants under 18 requires explicit parent or guardian permission and follows our event safety guidelines.
At our previous event, the winning team was offered a paid engagement to continue developing their project after the hackathon. Our goal is to create more of those real connections between students and regional organizations.
Sponsorship levels
Choose a level that works for your organization
Bronze
Community Supporter
$500
- Logo on the event website
- Recognition during opening remarks
- Listed as a community supporter
Silver
Event Presence Sponsor
$1,000
- Everything in Bronze
- Logo on the event t-shirt
- A sponsor booth or table
- 2 sponsor representatives
Gold
Student Engagement Sponsor
$2,000
- Everything in Silver
- Reserved table at the student networking meal
- A short speaking slot
- Option to mentor teams
- Logo on event materials
- Option to offer a challenge prompt or prize category
- 4 sponsor representatives
Platinum
Premier Innovation Partner
$5,000
- Everything in Gold
- Named sponsor recognition
- Priority table and booth placement
- A seat on the judging panel
- Option to host a sponsor challenge or named prize category
- Priority access to the opt-in student interest list
- 8 sponsor representatives
In-Kind
Choose what you provide
Flexible
- Meal, prizes, or t-shirts
- Snacks and beverages
- Cloud or software credits
- Equipment
- Recognition matched to the value contributed
Ready to sponsor?
To sponsor, or to talk through which level fits your organization, email us.
Email sponsors@southwestmnhacks.orgSponsor FAQ
Common questions from our partners