James Liang, 21
James Liang: The Business-Minded Organizer Bridging Tech and Collaboration
James Liang (Class of ’26) is a Business Administration student from York University who has impressively carved out a significant role in the hacker community by organizing and connecting numerous hackathons. Inspired in elementary school by Linus Tech Tips, James’s fascination with the complexity of networking and distributed computing led them to dive headfirst into enterprise servers and virtualization in high school. Their first hackathon, Hack the Valley V, was initially a way to build a portfolio, but as they attended more in-person events like Hack the Valley VII, they discovered the vibrant community, the joy of collaboration, and the excitement of creating with others.
James’s journey is unique as they pivoted from initial computer science aspirations to a business major after being deferred from their top CS program choices. This experience taught them that passion and initiative, not a specific academic program, are key to making an impact. They have since attended over 50 hackathons and become a prolific organizer, contributing to CTRL+HACK+DEL, Hack the Valley (where they now serve as sponsorship co-director), GeeseHacks (lead event coordinator), Hack Canada, ElleHacks, Hack the 6ix (finance director), and SpurHacks. They are passionate about fostering collaboration between hackathons, exemplified by their work with GeeseHacks to co-host workshops and share resources with six other events, helping foster a collaborative and sustainable hacker ecosystem across Canada.
Python is James’s favorite language due to its versatility and simple syntax, making it ideal for collaborative hackathon projects. They rely on BusyCal, their go-to calendar app, to manage their packed schedule of academics and extracurriculars. A memorable experience for them was a pre-QHacks stroll where they and fellow hackers learned to skip rocks from an older couple, a simple moment that captured the community spirit they value. When they’re not organizing or attending hackathons, James enjoys 3D printing, a hobby that evolved into a passion for building and modding custom Voron printers. Their story is a powerful reminder that anyone, regardless of their major, can shape, support, and thrive within the hacker community—no matter their academic path.
Quick Facts
James Liang, 21
James Liang: The Business-Minded Organizer Bridging Tech and Collaboration
James Liang (Class of ’26) is a Business Administration student from York University who has impressively carved out a significant role in the hacker community by organizing and connecting numerous hackathons. Inspired in elementary school by Linus Tech Tips, James’s fascination with the complexity of networking and distributed computing led them to dive headfirst into enterprise servers and virtualization in high school. Their first hackathon, Hack the Valley V, was initially a way to build a portfolio, but as they attended more in-person events like Hack the Valley VII, they discovered the vibrant community, the joy of collaboration, and the excitement of creating with others.
James’s journey is unique as they pivoted from initial computer science aspirations to a business major after being deferred from their top CS program choices. This experience taught them that passion and initiative, not a specific academic program, are key to making an impact. They have since attended over 50 hackathons and become a prolific organizer, contributing to CTRL+HACK+DEL, Hack the Valley (where they now serve as sponsorship co-director), GeeseHacks (lead event coordinator), Hack Canada, ElleHacks, Hack the 6ix (finance director), and SpurHacks. They are passionate about fostering collaboration between hackathons, exemplified by their work with GeeseHacks to co-host workshops and share resources with six other events, helping foster a collaborative and sustainable hacker ecosystem across Canada.
Python is James’s favorite language due to its versatility and simple syntax, making it ideal for collaborative hackathon projects. They rely on BusyCal, their go-to calendar app, to manage their packed schedule of academics and extracurriculars. A memorable experience for them was a pre-QHacks stroll where they and fellow hackers learned to skip rocks from an older couple, a simple moment that captured the community spirit they value. When they’re not organizing or attending hackathons, James enjoys 3D printing, a hobby that evolved into a passion for building and modding custom Voron printers. Their story is a powerful reminder that anyone, regardless of their major, can shape, support, and thrive within the hacker community—no matter their academic path.
