# @valeriechapman on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DOtbFVPDhp0
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61113052-valeriechapman-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/47f91eed48.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-09-17T16:16:42.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** VALERIE CHAPMAN (@valeriechapman) — https://gondola.cc/valeriechapman

## Caption

Sometimes I go to hackathons for fun.

Why?

Because being boots on the ground is where you actually see the future getting built.

Last week, I stopped by the forumventures Hackathon in partnership with claudeai. 

The energy in the room was inspiring because prototypes were being built in real time.

Vibe coding tools like Claude Code have collapsed the gap between idea and execution.

And that changes EVERYTHING.

Hackathons used to be about who could code the fastest or stay awake the longest.

Now they’re becoming something bigger: live laboratories where investors can watch imagination turn into action.

That shift matters.

Particularly for women and diverse founders.

Because we can’t afford to ignore that women still receive just 2% of venture capital funding.

Not because the ideas aren’t there, but because venture has always run on closed networks and warm introductions.

Vibe coding hackathons can help flip that script.

✨ They lower the gatekeeping. A bold idea and a laptop are enough.
✨ They change the signals of value. Investors can see execution in real time.
✨ They can redistribute capital. When more women and outsiders are visible in these rooms, the excuses for not funding them disappear.

That’s why I love seeing Forum Ventures leading in this space because if more firms leaned into hackathons the way they are, the ripple effects could be enormous.

So what do we need next?

✨ More women walking into hackathons.
✨ More VC firms hosting them.
✨ More investors realizing the magic is happening here, not just in polished pitch decks.

Hackathons are no longer just competitions.

They’re incubators of possibility.

The only question now is: will investors pay attention?

And just as important: will women make sure they’re in the room?

💌 Follow me valeriechapman for the latest in AI, personal branding, and the future of work.

#VibeCoding #Hackathons #WomenInTech #AI #FutureOfWork #ForumVentures #Anthropic #ClaudeCode #NYC #Innovation

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## Tags

womenintech, nyc, vibecoding, claudecode, anthropic, innovation, forumventures, ai, hackathons, futureofwork

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