About this Event
Real Problems. Real Government. One Weekend to Build Solutions.
What if you could work directly on a challenge facing government—and build a solution in a single weekend?
1776 Labs is coming to Stanford, in collaboration with Stanford in Government (SIG), for a weekend of civic innovation.
Government leaders will bring real challenges facing their communities. Students will form teams, develop creative solutions, and pitch their ideas directly to public-sector leaders.
Whether you're interested in technology, AI, public policy, entrepreneurship, or design, this is an opportunity to put your skills to work on problems that matter.
How It Works
Friday, January 15 | 4:00–5:00 PM PT — Virtual Kickoff
Meet the participating government officials, hear their challenges firsthand, ask questions, and start developing ideas with your team.
Saturday, January 16 | All Day — Build Day
Work with your team to research, design, and prototype a solution. Build on your own schedule and prepare your final pitch.
Sunday, January 17 | 12:00–3:00 PM PT — In-Person Demo Day
Present your solution, receive feedback, and demonstrate how your idea could improve government services.
Why Participate?
- Solve real problems. Work on challenges identified by actual government leaders.
- Build something meaningful. Turn ideas into tangible solutions with a team.
- Connect with decision-makers. Get feedback from the people working on these problems.
- Compete nationally. The winning team advances to the 1776 Labs National Finals, currently planned for Amazon HQ2 in the Washington, D.C. area.
Event Details
Dates: January 15–17, 2027
Location: Stanford, California (Friday's kickoff is virtual; Sunday's Demo Day is in person)
Cost: Free
Who: Students interested in government, technology, policy, design, and entrepreneurship.
The virtual kickoff link and final event logistics will be shared with registered participants before the event.
Presented by 1776 Labs, powered by OnGov, in collaboration with Stanford in Government (SIG).
Build something that matters. Reserve your spot.
Event venue & nearby stays
Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.