One Week of #MicrosoftLife

Microsoft employees and interns will come together to learn, share, and create during One Week, July 24–28, 2017. We’re already gearing up for the main event—our global Hackathon. Plus, Expo, Give Fest, and Science Fair will certainly keep us busy. It’s one of the greatest yearly culminations of #MicrosoftLife and our culture at the company.

Now in its fourth year, this annual worldwide event brings us together to drum up new ideas, create change, and make a difference—for the world and even within our own company.

Take our global Hackathon as an example: deemed the largest private hacking event on the planet, Hackathon has proven to be one of the company’s most talked about events, and rightfully so. In 2016 alone, more than 3,800 projects were created by 16,000 employees from 139 cities across 74 countries. During Hackathon, we step away from our day jobs and use this time to dream big, tackle problems, and pursue our passions.

And we’re not just talking about engineers. All our employees and interns can hack—and they do. Hackathon teams come together across groups, expertise, and geographical borders to make a difference in the lives of people and organizations everywhere.

This year, we’re opening up our Hackathon to even more perspectives and passions. For the first time, select nonprofit organizations will hack alongside our employees to address some of the biggest challenges facing the world.   

After three days of innovating, those eyes and fingers are going to need a break. As our “hackletes” wrap up their projects, it’s Science Fair that will let them showcase their creations. Held in locations around the world, Science Fair is the place where fellow employees and our executives can get a look at what hundreds of teams have cooked up. Don’t expect that timeworn volcano or mouse maze. This is the real deal, people. Twenty-three projects have shipped for customer download through the Microsoft Garage, and even more ideas have made it into our products and apps, including the newly released Seeing AI.

In addition to Hackathon and Science Fair, we’ll get a chance to check out the best of Microsoft under one roof at our annual Expo in Redmond. At Expo, we get a sneak peek at our upcoming products, services, devices, and technologies. And it’s not just tech: there will also be plenty of entertainment, cold beer, and good food, including the Byte of Microsoft where we get to sample the best treats from our campus cafes. 

Right next door to Expo is Give Fest, where those of us who are looking to give back can meet local and global nonprofits and find new avenues to help others.  

Expo and Give Fest will be held in Redmond, and local Hackathons will take place in 83 countries and counting.

Are you curious what it’s like to take part in One Week? We’ve got you covered. You can follow all the hacking, giving, playing, and eating during One Week at Microsoft Life.