Ruchi Kumari, 22
Ruchi Kumari: The Extroverted Engineer Turning Hackathons into Impact
If you’ve ever met Ruchi Kumari at a hackathon, chances are you remember her. She’s probably the one bouncing between mentoring a team of first-time coders, judging final pitches, and making fast friends with just about everyone in the room. “I’m a really extroverted person who can literally talk to anyone and build friendships quickly,” she says and that social spark has powered her journey through tech in more ways than one.
Growing up in a small town in Bihar, Ruchi didn’t have access to tech clubs or coding bootcamps. In a region where literacy rates were low and resources were limited, she took her first coding exam entirely on her phone. “I had to learn things on my own, read articles, solve problems just to catch up with everyone,” she remembers. But catching up was only the beginning. Once she got to college, she dove into the world of technology headfirst.
Her passion for hackathons began when a senior at her college told her how they’d won Amazon HackOn with a clever idea that used mouse movements to detect unauthorized logins. “I thought it was the coolest thing,” Ruchi says. Soon enough, she found herself at the Open Source Hackfest, pitching a Streamlit-powered chatbot. They won Best Use of Streamlit—at her first hackathon. That weekend sealed the deal. “Even if we don’t win, we make memories,” she told her team. And she’s been making them ever since.
Ruchi has racked up wins at events like TechTogether and the Climate Change 2024 Challenge, but she’ll be the first to tell you that hackathons mean more to her than trophies. “Hackathon is more than just a competition for me. It’s about collaborating and solving real-world problems while having a good time.” One of her proudest moments was organizing Opportunity Hacks 2024, a global event backed by Arizona State University, Meta, and Spotify, where hackers built tools for NGOs tackling real community challenges.
Her journey into tech wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering guidance of her mentor, Shubham Aggarwal. He was the one who first opened her eyes to the possibilities in technology, sharing ideas, offering constant encouragement, and giving her the confidence to pursue this path. That same spirit of mentorship is something she now strives to embody. Like Shubham did for her, she has worked to guide others—more than 500 students so far, including many first-time hackers and young girls just stepping into tech. She has mentored at events like Western Digital’s All Girls Hackathon and SSF x AMD’s All Girls Hackathon, leading sessions where the passion in the room was contagious. As she explains, “It reminds me why this community is so special. It’s not just coding. It’s about creating a space where everyone can create impact and support each other, regardless of their background.” Each time, she is reminded that this work is about far more than technology, it’s about building a community where everyone has the chance to belong and thrive.
Outside of hackathons, she leads a tech newsletter with 3,000+ female subscribers, taught 250 underprivileged children, and helped grow Women in Tech-IIIT Delhi, a 100+ member community supporting women engineers. Add it all up, and she’s made a positive impact on nearly 9,000 people and counting.
Still, one of her most treasured memories is surprisingly simple. After organizing Opportunity Hacks, she received a t-shirt and some Meta stickers. “I still appreciate them. They represent my milestones as a hackathon organizer.” For Ruchi, that’s what it’s all about.Turning ideas into action, and strangers into teammates.
“Making an impact, no matter how big or small, is what truly drives me.”
Quick Facts
Ruchi Kumari, 22
Ruchi Kumari: The Extroverted Engineer Turning Hackathons into Impact
If you’ve ever met Ruchi Kumari at a hackathon, chances are you remember her. She’s probably the one bouncing between mentoring a team of first-time coders, judging final pitches, and making fast friends with just about everyone in the room. “I’m a really extroverted person who can literally talk to anyone and build friendships quickly,” she says and that social spark has powered her journey through tech in more ways than one.
Growing up in a small town in Bihar, Ruchi didn’t have access to tech clubs or coding bootcamps. In a region where literacy rates were low and resources were limited, she took her first coding exam entirely on her phone. “I had to learn things on my own, read articles, solve problems just to catch up with everyone,” she remembers. But catching up was only the beginning. Once she got to college, she dove into the world of technology headfirst.
Her passion for hackathons began when a senior at her college told her how they’d won Amazon HackOn with a clever idea that used mouse movements to detect unauthorized logins. “I thought it was the coolest thing,” Ruchi says. Soon enough, she found herself at the Open Source Hackfest, pitching a Streamlit-powered chatbot. They won Best Use of Streamlit—at her first hackathon. That weekend sealed the deal. “Even if we don’t win, we make memories,” she told her team. And she’s been making them ever since.
Ruchi has racked up wins at events like TechTogether and the Climate Change 2024 Challenge, but she’ll be the first to tell you that hackathons mean more to her than trophies. “Hackathon is more than just a competition for me. It’s about collaborating and solving real-world problems while having a good time.” One of her proudest moments was organizing Opportunity Hacks 2024, a global event backed by Arizona State University, Meta, and Spotify, where hackers built tools for NGOs tackling real community challenges.
Her journey into tech wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering guidance of her mentor, Shubham Aggarwal. He was the one who first opened her eyes to the possibilities in technology, sharing ideas, offering constant encouragement, and giving her the confidence to pursue this path. That same spirit of mentorship is something she now strives to embody. Like Shubham did for her, she has worked to guide others—more than 500 students so far, including many first-time hackers and young girls just stepping into tech. She has mentored at events like Western Digital’s All Girls Hackathon and SSF x AMD’s All Girls Hackathon, leading sessions where the passion in the room was contagious. As she explains, “It reminds me why this community is so special. It’s not just coding. It’s about creating a space where everyone can create impact and support each other, regardless of their background.” Each time, she is reminded that this work is about far more than technology, it’s about building a community where everyone has the chance to belong and thrive.
Outside of hackathons, she leads a tech newsletter with 3,000+ female subscribers, taught 250 underprivileged children, and helped grow Women in Tech-IIIT Delhi, a 100+ member community supporting women engineers. Add it all up, and she’s made a positive impact on nearly 9,000 people and counting.
Still, one of her most treasured memories is surprisingly simple. After organizing Opportunity Hacks, she received a t-shirt and some Meta stickers. “I still appreciate them. They represent my milestones as a hackathon organizer.” For Ruchi, that’s what it’s all about.Turning ideas into action, and strangers into teammates.
“Making an impact, no matter how big or small, is what truly drives me.”
