Successful finale of Hack Your Future: 300 students present innovative solutions for companies in North Holland

Successful finale of Hack Your Future: 300 students present innovative solutions for companies in North Holland

Thursday saw the first edition of Hack Your Future took place at H20 in Purmerend. Three hundred students from six schools across North Holland competed for the prize by presenting creative and future-oriented solutions to real business cases submitted by regional companies. 

Hack Your Future – Design the company of the future is a unique challenge in which students—individually and in teams—develop working methods, visions, and concepts about what companies and workplaces might look like in 10, 25, or even 50 years. Participants used tools such as Minecraft, Canva, and other digital resources to present their ideas in innovative, visual, and practical ways. 

During the finals, which were broadcast live on YouTube, students gave their presentations to a professional jury and audience on the impressive stage of the H20 event location. The cases came from companies in the North Holland region, ranging from housing and education to sustainable product concepts and gamified workplaces.

Winners and recognition

The jury selected the following 10 teams as winners:

    • Coornhert Lyceum – 3 groups 
    • PSG technasium – 3 groups 
    • Lely Lyceum – 3 groups 
  • Ben van der Leeden – independent participation

The overall victory among the more than 50 cases submitted, including the audience award and first prize for concept presentation, went to Ben van der Leeden— a participant who visualized the E|sports tech campus case in an exceptional way with a Minecraft presentation. His design was praised for its innovative integration of gaming and work concepts and received special attention from the jury.

Reactions and future prospects

The final of Hack Your Future marks an important moment in connecting education, entrepreneurship, and regional labor market development. Young talent was given the opportunity to connect with companies, demonstrate valuable presentation skills, and gain practical experience with real-world business challenges.

Client ST.AN (Stichting Arbeidsmarktstrategie Noord-West Holland), organizer Nederlandse Zaken, and H20 Esports look back with pride on the first edition and emphasize the importance of such collaborations to inspire young people and prepare them for tomorrow's labor market. 

Thanks to the participating schools: Coornhert Lyceum Haarlem, PSG Technasium Purmerend, Lely Lyceum Amsterdam, Don Bosco College Volendam, Da Vinci College Purmerend, Vonk Lyceum Noord-Holland. 

On to a new edition in the fall of 2026! You can register via https://h20.gg/hack-your-future