dsmHack

08/24/2026

What happens when you bring volunteers with tech skills together to collaborate on issues impacting our community?

Find out at Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge! 🍎💻

If you are a student, mentor, developer, designer, data expert, problem-solver, or just a community member interested in using your tech skills for the common good, this is your opportunity to dive in and make a meaningful difference.

A huge thank you to Corteva Agriscience for presenting Hack Away Hunger and to the DMARC Food Pantry Network for partnering with us to host our informational kickoff event.

📅 September 10: Informational Kickoff
💻 September 24–26: Accelerator Hackathon
🏆 October 10: Awards Ceremony

Present your final solution for a chance to win up to $5,000!

Hunger doesn’t stop. Technology doesn’t sleep. Let’s see what we can build together.

👉 join.hackawayhunger.org

08/12/2026

Andrew Miller is the principal engineer at 84EM, a one-engineer practice based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he integrates AI from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google into software that businesses actually run on.

He has been building for the web since 1995, long enough to be skeptical of solutions that look finished but don't hold up. He cares less about what AI can generate than about whether it solves the real problem, and how that solution affects the people who use it.

Andrew brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective on both the possibilities and limitations of AI. Important perspectives to consider as we head into our September 10 kickoff event.

Whether you're a tech pro like Andrew or just someone who is interested in vibe coding, we invite you to come learn about the issues impacting food insecurity in our community and discover how YOU can help! join.hackawayhunger.org

08/06/2026

Members of the dsmHack Board of Directors visited Corteva Agriscience today to tour the collaborative spaces our presenting sponsor has generously offered to provide for the Sept. 24–26 Accelerator Hackathon.

We're incredibly excited about this partnership and can't wait to host Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge in Johnston, Iowa!

Learn More & Sign Up to Make a Difference:
join.hackawayhunger.org

07/29/2026

More than 402,000 Iowans experience food insecurity, and 1 in 4 Des Moines residents rely on food pantries to meet their basic human needs. We can do better.

It starts by listening.

Join us for the Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge Kickoff Event on Sept 10 to learn from community leaders on the front lines of food insecurity and discover how your tech skills can help build enduring solutions for common problems.

Then, put your ideas into action during the 48-hour Accelerator Hack, presented by Corteva Agriscience, on Sept 24–26. Collaborate with fellow innovators, receive guidance from experienced mentors, build a solution with real community impact, and compete for up to $5,000 in prizes!

Learn more and get involved:

Presented by Corteva Agriscience, a charity hackathon focused on overcoming issues impacting food insecurity in our community.

07/23/2026

After years working to address food insecurity, Matt Unger is no stranger to the challenges facing our community and the importance of bringing people together to solve issues that impact us all.

After a dozen years in politics and government, Matt spent the next twelve years focused on food insecurity, building partnerships among nonprofits, businesses, government, and community leaders to strengthen systems of support and improve access to resources. He most recently served as CEO of the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), following more than six years with the Food Bank of Iowa, where he concluded his tenure as Chief Operating Officer.

Throughout his career, Matt has helped bring organizations and community leaders together around shared goals, including through his work as a founding board member of the Iowa Hunger Coalition and Iowa Nonprofit Alliance. His recent sabbatical has provided time and space to reflect on what’s working, what needs to change, and how we can continue creating more effective solutions.

We’re grateful to have Matt’s experience, perspective, and collaborative spirit as part of the Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge.

Join him and other community leaders on September 10th for the kickoff event as we explore the challenges facing our community and how we can work together to create solutions. 👉 join.hackawayhunger.org

07/22/2026

For Zuli Garcia, language should never be a barrier to accessing the resources and support a family needs.

As the Founder and CEO of KADI – Knock and Drop Iowa, Zuli works every day to connect families with food, health education, essential resources, and community support. She knows that finding help can be difficult enough without having to navigate language barriers, multiple systems, and disconnected resources.

How can technology more effectively help families overcome these barriers?

Join Zuli and other food insecurity panelists at the Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge Kickoff Event on September 10 at 5 p.m. to learn about the technology challenges facing our community and discover how your skills and ideas can help.

Register at join.hackawayhunger.org!

07/21/2026

Imagine working a 9-to-5 job and finally getting off work. Your paycheck is barely enough to cover your family’s basic living expenses. The food pantries are closed, and you need to find food for the evening. Your only option is to visit one of the community fridges scattered across town.

One of your children has a gluten intolerance, so you need to find food they can safely eat. But the first, second, and third fridges you visit are picked clean of anything that meets your child's dietary needs. Tired, defeated, and hungry, you make the difficult decision to spend money that was supposed to be reserved for your utility bills.

“It would be amazing if there were an online inventory and tracking system for the 24-hour refrigerators around the community, allowing people to check what’s available before walking, driving, or biking to a location.” – Audrey Kennis, Director of Human Services, City of West Des Moines

If this sounds like a tech challenge you’d be interested in helping us tackle, join us at the Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge Kickoff Event on September 10 at 5 p.m. to learn how you can help make a difference! join.hackawayhunger.org

07/20/2026

“Our volunteer needs are specific and ongoing. Every off-the-shelf volunteer management software solution we’ve invested our limited resources into has ended up being an administrative burden.”
— Patty Sneddon-Kisting, CEO of the Urbandale Food Pantry

Patty is no stranger to innovation and collaboration. Under her leadership, the Urbandale Food Pantry launched a Community Hub that brings multiple services under one roof. In conversations with food pantry leaders across the Greater Des Moines Metro, we've heard that most face similar challenges when it comes to scheduling and managing volunteers. Could your Hack Away Hunger project be the solution they've been searching for?

Join us at the kickoff event on Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. to learn how you can help! join.hackawayhunger.org

07/19/2026

“I can’t help but view the world through the lens of possibilities. When I hear about issues impacting our community, I find myself pondering all the ways technology could help. Hack Away Hunger is our attempt at bringing these ideas to life."

– Dellen Burk-Flores, dsmHack Board President

Join us at the Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge Kickoff Event on September 10 at 5 p.m. to learn about the complex factors contributing to 1 in 8 Iowans experiencing food insecurity, explore opportunities for technology to make a difference, and discover how YOU personally can help!

Register at join.hackawayhunger.org!

💻✨

07/10/2026

Cheer to Community Support Advocates' new Momentum Arts hub! The online portal built by dsmHackers is a space where artists can schedule studio time, access resources, stay informed about upcoming opportunities/events, and engage with other creators in the community.

A huge thank you to our incredible volunteers for donating their time and talents to help make this vision a reality. Here's to empowering artists, strengthening community, and ensuring technology is never a barrier to doing good. 💙