Ryan Lahlou: How He Built a Hacker Community from Scratch

Ryan’s love for coding began at just 10 years old, when he discovered Lua and started building games. What started as a childhood fascination quickly blossomed into a lifelong passion for computer science, and a calling to share that passion with others.

Everything changed after Ryan’s first hackathon, HackTX 2021. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Ryan recalls. “But I left feeling like I’d finally found where I belonged.” That single event sparked a wave of momentum. 

Inspired by his first hackathon experience at UT Austin, Ryan decided to bring that same motivation to his own campus. In 2022, he revived HackUTA after a multi-year hiatus, assembling a team and rebuilding it into one of the largest student-run hackathons in Texas. Today, HackUTA draws over 500 students each year and has reignited the hacker culture at UT Arlington.

Almost every weekend after, Ryan hit the road with an evolving group of hackers, traveling from campus to campus every weekend for 3 months to compete, learn, and mentor. 

“We were like a traveling circus… showing up with backpacks for pillows, blankets, and fortitude for the sleepless days ahead. Those weekends shaped everything.”

But even the most passionate builders can burn out. After months of non-stop hackathon weekends, Ryan found himself drained. It wasn’t until a late-night walk at CodeRed: Odyssey with Ben Taylor and Trinh Le that he was reminded of why he started in the first place. “Hackathons aren’t purely for coding and networking, they’re also an opportunity to make friends and enjoy the time with the people around you.”

Now, as an MLH Coach, Ryan travels across North America supporting events, empowering hackers, assisting organizers, and reminding others they belong in tech. Whether it’s running a workshop, debugging someone’s code at 3 a.m., or offering career advice between judging sessions, Ryan shows up – because he remembers what it felt like to be new.

Outside of hackathons, Ryan enjoys traveling, playing musical instruments, and building automations for various games. When he’s at home, he’s a proud father of 3 Duolingo plushies (yes, he has three… and one is 18 inches tall).

From launching clubs to teaching and mentoring at hackathons, Ryan loves to help students find their footing in tech – hoping to inspire many more to lead communities of their own.

Reflecting on his journey, Ryan notes: “At first, I just wanted to build cool things. Now, I want to help others realize they can too.”