Industry Engagement in Action: Students Hack Homelessness with Support from Queensland State Government and Industry Leaders
Our focus at Ventures has always been on strengthening the connection between students and the real world, helping them take what they learn in class and turn it into real-world impact. Last month was a perfect example of how we work with faculty to drive meaningful learning experiences.
As part of Associate Professor Christoph Breidbach and Dr Alex Pudmenzky’s BISM3208 and BISM7208 'Hackathon on Homelessness', we were able to source real data, bring in industry working at the frontline of the issue, and connect students directly with the State Minister for Housing and Public Works of Queensland, The Honorable Sam O'Connor.
By building on the incredible work of Christoph, Alex, and their long-term partner Oracle, our focus was to help students engage deeply with one of Queensland’s most complex social challenges: homelessness.
We welcomed The Honourable Sam O’Connor, Minister for Housing and Public Works, whose office provided students with the most up-to-date homelessness data. This allowed teams to frame their problem statements with clarity and precision. The Minister’s contribution and genuine care for not only the issue but the ideas from each of the teams highlighted the power of informed innovation and the importance of designing solutions grounded in the realities faced by service providers and policymakers.
“What impressed me most was how well the students grounded their ideas in the real-world pressures frontline homelessness service workers face every single day. They used real data, engaged with providers and built solutions which could genuinely improve how people get support and how new homes are delivered.
That’s the kind of innovation we need across the housing and homelessness system, and it was exciting to see it come from our next generation of Queenslanders.” - The Honourable Sam O’Connor, Minister for Housing and Public Works
Students also benefited from the insights of Mr Dave Lyons, Director at ESG30, an organisation driving initiatives across social responsibility, environmental sustainability and governance. Dave’s guidance helped students understand how innovative solutions must align with broader systems thinking to create lasting change.
Innovative thinking across 3 key areas
The top 3 teams explored 3 distinct yet interconnected opportunities:
- Art As A Mental Health Support For People Experiencing Homelessness
One team proposed a creative platform that delivers therapeutic art programs directly to shelters and support services, using artistic expression as a pathway to emotional wellbeing and community connection.
- Converting Empty Commercial Property Into Accommodation Solutions
Another team focused on adaptive reuse: transforming inactive retail and office spaces into safe, temporary housing with smart-building technology and coordinated service access.
- AI Tools For Frontline Homelessness Workers
The winning team, Going Good, designed an AI-powered assistant to support frontline workers by improving triage, streamlining casework, and simplifying service coordination through real-time, data-informed decision-making.
‘Going Good’ Takes Top Spot
Going Good took first place for their thoughtful approach to augmenting, not replacing, the essential work of frontline staff. Their solution demonstrated how AI can reduce administrative burden, speed up response times and allow workers to dedicate more time to the people who need it most.
In an exciting next step, Oracle has offered to support Going Good in further developing the platform. Minister O’Connor has also committed to helping secure access to the datasets needed to train their model, a powerful example of industry, government and education working together.
A record-setting finale
Reflecting on the event, Associate Professor Christoph Breidbach shared:
“The best hackathon grand final that we've delivered across the 2,500 students who have been through the course.”
Our Focus: Strengthening industry connections through real-world challenges
This hackathon is a clear demonstration of our focus at Ventures: embedding meaningful industry partnerships into the student learning experience. By bringing government leaders, social impact organisations and global technology partners together in one challenge, students gain:
- Real data and insight into complex societal issues
- Exposure to industry tools, mindsets and best practices
- Mentorship from professionals working directly on these challenges; and
- A pathway to develop solutions that extend beyond the classroom.
The collaboration between the Queensland Government, ESG30, Oracle and our Ventures team reflects the inter-disciplinary partnerships needed to address society’s most urgent challenges and showcases the powerful role students can play when equipped with the right support.