Michelle Feng, 21
Michelle Feng: Championing Diversity and Design in the Hacker Community
Michelle Feng’s journey into technology began in her sophomore year of college when an upperclassman introduced her to UI/UX design. At first, she had no clue what she was doing and carried assumptions of what tech "should" look like. But the more she explored, the more she fell in love with combining research, prototyping, and code. “After going to one hackathon, I was hooked,” Michelle says. That first event sparked a passion that led her to participate in over ten hackathons at top universities like UC Berkeley, MIT, UPenn, and UCLA.
A big turning point was meeting Bill Zhang, a veteran hacker who mentored her through the chaos of learning new tools and frameworks. With a few hackathon community members, they started a global hackathon community for product builders called WeCracked with 3,000 active members. Michelle explains, “I am really grateful we crossed paths because it helped me connect hackers with one another and encourage conversations beyond events.”
Hackathons have been more than just technical challenges for Michelle. They changed her perspective on life. During some of her toughest moments, she started attending hackathons every weekend, completing intensive cohorts, and enrolling in UI/UX and frontend development classes. The friendships she made along the way have been invaluable. “These are not just people I teamed with but genuine friends who taught me how to ski, make pasta the Italian way, and love life even through its ugly parts,” she reflects warmly.
One of Michelle’s proudest achievements was organizing HackDavis in both 2024 and 2025. As a product designer, she took special pride in helping the hacker community build products from the ground up and supporting those breaking into tech. She built the HackerHub, a resource platform launched at HackDavis 2025, which helped over 800 participants navigate the event smoothly. “I am beyond excited and humbled to have brought everything I knew to solve this urgent problem and craft a memorable user experience,” she shares. Michelle is already planning to expand the project for future hackathons.
Being a female product designer in a predominantly male developer space sometimes brought imposter syndrome,yet, she chose to lean into the gaps. “I remind others that building great products takes more than developers. Designers, product managers, and marketers all play crucial roles,” Michelle explains. She has also pushed for more inclusive hackathon tracks such as Best Use of UI/UX and Best User Research, helping broaden the spotlight beyond code.
Michelle has also made quirky memories along the way. At LA Hacks 2025, she reunited with a mentor who gave her tough critiques months earlier. She jokes, “I asked him if he remembered critiquing an AR project and the girl who sounded like she wanted to cry. We both laughed knowing I’ve come so far, and he was there every step, whether he knew it or not.”
Outside of tech, Michelle loves pottery and making Spotify playlists. Her favorite tools include Figma, Next.js, Tailwind, and which help her turn ideas into polished products. Michelle Feng continues to inspire the hacker community by bringing design, diversity, and heart to every project she touches.
Quick Facts
Michelle Feng, 21
Michelle Feng: Championing Diversity and Design in the Hacker Community
Michelle Feng’s journey into technology began in her sophomore year of college when an upperclassman introduced her to UI/UX design. At first, she had no clue what she was doing and carried assumptions of what tech "should" look like. But the more she explored, the more she fell in love with combining research, prototyping, and code. “After going to one hackathon, I was hooked,” Michelle says. That first event sparked a passion that led her to participate in over ten hackathons at top universities like UC Berkeley, MIT, UPenn, and UCLA.
A big turning point was meeting Bill Zhang, a veteran hacker who mentored her through the chaos of learning new tools and frameworks. With a few hackathon community members, they started a global hackathon community for product builders called WeCracked with 3,000 active members. Michelle explains, “I am really grateful we crossed paths because it helped me connect hackers with one another and encourage conversations beyond events.”
Hackathons have been more than just technical challenges for Michelle. They changed her perspective on life. During some of her toughest moments, she started attending hackathons every weekend, completing intensive cohorts, and enrolling in UI/UX and frontend development classes. The friendships she made along the way have been invaluable. “These are not just people I teamed with but genuine friends who taught me how to ski, make pasta the Italian way, and love life even through its ugly parts,” she reflects warmly.
One of Michelle’s proudest achievements was organizing HackDavis in both 2024 and 2025. As a product designer, she took special pride in helping the hacker community build products from the ground up and supporting those breaking into tech. She built the HackerHub, a resource platform launched at HackDavis 2025, which helped over 800 participants navigate the event smoothly. “I am beyond excited and humbled to have brought everything I knew to solve this urgent problem and craft a memorable user experience,” she shares. Michelle is already planning to expand the project for future hackathons.
Being a female product designer in a predominantly male developer space sometimes brought imposter syndrome,yet, she chose to lean into the gaps. “I remind others that building great products takes more than developers. Designers, product managers, and marketers all play crucial roles,” Michelle explains. She has also pushed for more inclusive hackathon tracks such as Best Use of UI/UX and Best User Research, helping broaden the spotlight beyond code.
Michelle has also made quirky memories along the way. At LA Hacks 2025, she reunited with a mentor who gave her tough critiques months earlier. She jokes, “I asked him if he remembered critiquing an AR project and the girl who sounded like she wanted to cry. We both laughed knowing I’ve come so far, and he was there every step, whether he knew it or not.”
Outside of tech, Michelle loves pottery and making Spotify playlists. Her favorite tools include Figma, Next.js, Tailwind, and which help her turn ideas into polished products. Michelle Feng continues to inspire the hacker community by bringing design, diversity, and heart to every project she touches.
