The hackathon unfolds over six weeks, divided into three main developmental phases:

1. First Phase – Regenerative Exploration: Understanding the problem through place; mapping community essence and potential.
2. Second Phase–Emergent Learning: Collaborative work of meaning making. This is when teams form and take all the collective knowledge of the communities to come up with problem statements, themes that they will work on.
3. Third Phase – Action Iteration: Cardano Skills Training: Learning by doing; building technical capacity and translating insights into early-stage solutions. Prototyping and refinement; developing working prototypes and preparing for submission.

Each phase builds upon the previous one, ensuring that solutions emerge organically from community insight and practical learning rather than abstract ideation.

Learning Arcs as Developmental Pathways

The hackathon follows three interconnected learning arcs:

1. Sense of Place Learning Arc – Deep connection with the stories, dynamics, and essence of the local context.
2. Emergent Learning Arc – Collective sensemaking and pattern recognition; understanding challenges and opportunities.
3. Aligned Action Learning Arc – Translating insight into tangible action through design, coding, and prototyping.

These arcs reflect the natural rhythm of regenerative learning—beginning with observation, moving into interpretation, and culminating in action. Hub leads should help participants stay aware of where they are in the arc and what developmental shift is being invited at each stage.

Each Stage is accompanied by a Prisma tooling that will help participants during these processes.

Holding the Field

To lead a regenerative hackathon effectively, you must hold both structure and openness. The goal is to create an environment where participants can safely explore uncertainty while maintaining focus and momentum.

Core capacities to cultivate:

• Presence: Be fully attentive. Listen deeply to participants and to what is emerging in the group.
• Pattern Recognition: Notice shifts in energy, collaboration, and engagement. These patterns reveal where support or redirection may be needed.
• Balance: Hold the tension between creativity and delivery, between inquiry and execution.
• Care: Pay attention to the well-being of participants. Regeneration begins with relationship and respect.

Practically, this means:

• Opening and closing each week with reflection circles.
• Encouraging dialogue instead of instruction.
• Using mapping, storytelling, and co-creation tools to visualize ideas.
• Celebrating both small wins and meaningful learning moments.