Project Description

Erie Hack Speaking Summit
Erie Hack
Cleveland Water Alliance
Smart City Project overview

Erie Hack is an innovation challenge that activates techies, creative thinkers, and entrepreneurs from the U.S. and Canada to tackle Lake Erie’s key challenges with creative tech solutions. Over the course of five months, local organizers across the Lake Erie Basin work with teams of innovators to craft their solutions and prepare for the series of pitch competitions that determine their shot at the Grand Prize.

The result has been the creation of over 100 innovative solutions to water challenges and the activation of a movement for water tech innovation. Many of the highest performing teams in Erie Hack have integrated IoT, big data analytics, blockchain and other Smart Cities tools. Cleveland Water Alliance and an ecosystem of partners support the execution of this project biennially across the Lake Erie region.

Organization's mission and/or purpose

Build upon the Lake Erie region's assets and resources to create a clean water innovation ecosystem that harnesses technology, spurs the economy, enhances education and drives research.

Collaborating organizations involved
  • Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
  • Xylem
  • Digital C
  • Oatey
  • Kintetico
  • Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR)
  • Valor Water Analytics
  • OHM
  • AT&T
  • TechTown Detroit
Project Links
Impact Statement

Erie Hack is an innovation challenge that accelerates technology solutions to Lake Erie’s most pressing problems. Erie Hack empowers researchers, designers, engineers, developers and creatives around the region to build teams, develop innovations, and compete for more than $100,000 in prizes. Launched in 2017, the program is led by the Cleveland Water Alliance in collaboration with partners in Detroit, MI, Toledo, OH, Erie, Pa., Buffalo, N.Y. and Windsor, Ontario. Together, these partners help engage the region’s best minds to work for our most precious resource.

Project Contact

Max Herzog
[email protected]

Erie Hack Speaking Summit

Project Status

Organization Type