Chris Chan, a self-described hackathon addict, has won the most number of hackathons in Yahoo’s history. In this talk, Chris recounts his rapid climb to the top and his equally rapid descent down. He reflects on lessons he learned in the wilderness and explains how he and his team mounted a comeback. Chris learned that diversity and meritocracy were critical to building a team that continuously innovates in hackathons.
Chris Chan is a hacker at Yahoo. He is best known for driving innovation through the company’s hackathon competitions, of which he holds the record for the most wins. He also sits on the Yahoo For Good council, where he helps develop technology for good as well as promoting STEM to students from underserved communities. Chris holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Victoria, Canada with a focus in software engineering and open source software.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at