Explore. Build. Innovate:
Unleashing Innovation Through AI
Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada | July 6-8, 2026
The Liberty LaunchPad is a one-day Hackathon for college-aged students (ages 18+) ready to build, pitch, and innovate. Student teams will use cutting-edge AI tools to design tech-based solutions to educational challenges—grounded in the principles of entrepreneurship and free-market thinking.
- Connect with visionary entrepreneurs and thought leaders
- Develop tangible tech solutions to real-world problems
- Compete in a gamified format where your work earns you the tools to go further
- Join a community of passionate builders and future leaders
HOW IT WORKS
The Hackathon is structured around three key stages:
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Define an education-related challenge and pitch a market-based solution.
PROTOTYPE BUILDING
Create a functional tech demo using earned resources.
FINAL PITCH
Present your solution to a panel of judges and peers.
Teams will receive a gift card to choose the AI licenses they wish to use. During our hackathon, students will have the opportunity to receive project feedback from successful entrepreneurs in the tech industry to ensure the feasibility and innovation of the project.
Scholarships
Students can apply for a scholarship which fully covers the cost of tuition, shared room, and meal fees. Additionally, the scholarship will include a transportation reimbursement up to $500 (Total value of $2,249).
International participants are welcome, but they need to already have a valid visa or visa-free entry to the location country.
Scholarships are awarded based on the quality of your short written application essay responses. Recipients will be notified by email and are expected to complete a post-event survey or exit interview.
Attend FreedomFest
During your application process for the Hackathon, you will be asked if you want to apply for an opportunity to stay for the rest of the FreedomFest conference. Students who are accepted will get their lodging covered with an expected check-out of Saturday.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Hackathon is for builders, creators, and innovators ages 18–24, who are interested in exploring individual liberty, free societies, and market-based solutions by applying their technical skills in an entrepreneurial setting to solve a design challenge.
The Foundation for Economic Education and FreedomFest.
$500 per participant, which includes meals and full conference access.
All applications must be submitted by May 6, 2026.
Fully complete the application form and check the box requesting scholarship consideration.
Business casual for all participants.
After the event you will submit receipts to FEE staff.