Henok Ademtew, 22

Hacker, Mentor, MLH Fellow
Henok Ademtew
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Henok Ademtew is a rising star in the hacker community, known for his passion for coding, hackathons, and mentorship. He is a Computer Science student at Kotebe Metropolitan University in Ethiopia, and has already made a name for himself both as a mentor and as a back-to-back hackathon winner.

Henok's love for solving puzzles and unlocking complex secrets began at an early age. He was always fascinated by the night sky and intrigued by the mysteries of the cosmos, but he was also an avid detective-novel reader. He remembers always “trying to solve the mysteries before the protagonist did.” These logic and problem-solving skills shared with the heroes of detective novels became a natural pathway that Henok followed into coding and programming.

In high school, Henok was inspired by a love of video games to teach himself C++ and Python. He also joined AddisCoder, an intensive four-week summer program that introduces high schoolers to programming. “If it wasn’t for the program,” he says, “I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Henok was able to support the AddisCoders community in turn by serving as a TA.

Henok discovered his love for hackathons in the fall of 2020 when he participated in the NASA Space Apps Challenge. Although he was inexperienced with the hackathon format and felt a little hesitant, he and his team still won the competition’s people’s choice award, igniting his passion for hackathons. Since then, he has taken part in more than 40 hackathons, developing his programming skills while learning valuable problem-solving strategies. He says, “These events have given me the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals who share my passion for technology.”

Henok has also benefited from the Major League Hacking (MLH) community’s supportive and collaborative environment. Through MLH hackathons and the MLH Fellowship Prep program, he has been introduced to a variety of partner organizations, such as Cohere AI, which awarded him the title of Cohere Champion and where he currently serves as a Discord moderator. Through this organization, he has teamed up with engineers, fellow hackers, AI researchers, and more, giving him unparalleled opportunities—including speaking at Devopsdays Chattanooga about open source and hacking.

Henok has been inspired to give back to the technology community by volunteering as a mentor and judge for international hackathons. He has taken on the role of Regional Manager for CodeDay Ethiopia, organizing the country's first CodeDay hackathons. Henok is used to being one of the only Ethiopian hackers at an event, and he represents his home country with courage, independence, and ambition.

Henok's success in the technology community is a testament to his dedication, passion, and hard work. He has a promising future ahead of him, and his contributions to the community motivate others to pursue their own bright futures.

Quick Facts

Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
School: Kotebe Metropolitan University
Graduation Date:
First Hackathon: NASA Space Apps Challenge, Fall 2020
Favorite Coding Language: Python, Go
Henok helping students at CodeDay Addis 2023.
Henok and other AddisCoder teaching staff.

Henok Ademtew, 22

Hacker, Mentor, MLH Fellow
Henok Ademtew
Share this profile

Henok Ademtew is a rising star in the hacker community, known for his passion for coding, hackathons, and mentorship. He is a Computer Science student at Kotebe Metropolitan University in Ethiopia, and has already made a name for himself both as a mentor and as a back-to-back hackathon winner.

Henok's love for solving puzzles and unlocking complex secrets began at an early age. He was always fascinated by the night sky and intrigued by the mysteries of the cosmos, but he was also an avid detective-novel reader. He remembers always “trying to solve the mysteries before the protagonist did.” These logic and problem-solving skills shared with the heroes of detective novels became a natural pathway that Henok followed into coding and programming.

In high school, Henok was inspired by a love of video games to teach himself C++ and Python. He also joined AddisCoder, an intensive four-week summer program that introduces high schoolers to programming. “If it wasn’t for the program,” he says, “I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Henok was able to support the AddisCoders community in turn by serving as a TA.

Henok discovered his love for hackathons in the fall of 2020 when he participated in the NASA Space Apps Challenge. Although he was inexperienced with the hackathon format and felt a little hesitant, he and his team still won the competition’s people’s choice award, igniting his passion for hackathons. Since then, he has taken part in more than 40 hackathons, developing his programming skills while learning valuable problem-solving strategies. He says, “These events have given me the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals who share my passion for technology.”

Henok has also benefited from the Major League Hacking (MLH) community’s supportive and collaborative environment. Through MLH hackathons and the MLH Fellowship Prep program, he has been introduced to a variety of partner organizations, such as Cohere AI, which awarded him the title of Cohere Champion and where he currently serves as a Discord moderator. Through this organization, he has teamed up with engineers, fellow hackers, AI researchers, and more, giving him unparalleled opportunities—including speaking at Devopsdays Chattanooga about open source and hacking.

Henok has been inspired to give back to the technology community by volunteering as a mentor and judge for international hackathons. He has taken on the role of Regional Manager for CodeDay Ethiopia, organizing the country's first CodeDay hackathons. Henok is used to being one of the only Ethiopian hackers at an event, and he represents his home country with courage, independence, and ambition.

Henok's success in the technology community is a testament to his dedication, passion, and hard work. He has a promising future ahead of him, and his contributions to the community motivate others to pursue their own bright futures.

Quick Facts

Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
School: Kotebe Metropolitan University
Graduation Date:
First Hackathon: NASA Space Apps Challenge, Fall 2020
Favorite Coding Language: Python, Go
Share this profile
Henok helping students at CodeDay Addis 2023.
Henok and other AddisCoder teaching staff.