175+ NJ Students Tackle Affordability with AI Solutions

When you hand students cutting-edge AI tools and ask them to fix a problem that affects every family in their state, something remarkable happens. They don't just complain about high costs; they build solutions.

On January 24, 2026, 175 students gathered at the Montgomery Innovation Hub in Skillman for New Jersey's first statewide AI Hackathon focused on affordability. The challenge was simple but urgent: How can we make New Jersey more affordable for families, students, and working professionals?

Students formed 42 teams, working both in person and remotely throughout the day. They used generative AI to research, analyze data, and refine their ideas into actual proposals that could be tested in real communities.

The timing mattered. Governor Mikie Sherrill has made affordability a top priority, and these students showed they're just as invested in solving it. Their presentations weren't theoretical exercises; they reflected genuine understanding of what affordability struggles look like for their neighbors.

Six finalist teams stood out with concepts that could actually work. They proposed ideas like the NJ Opportunity Cliff solution, FLUX (Freeing Land Use eXpansion) for housing reform, and a Transit-Housing Citizen Wealth Fund. Other teams tackled coordination between government systems, universal transit improvements, and a launch pad program for economic mobility.

"By learning to work with AI responsibly and collaborating across age groups, students aren't just developing technical skills," said Mukesh Patel, professor of innovation at Rutgers Business School. "They're building networks, confidence and a mindset for solving real problems that matter to our state's future."

The event was powered by mTap, a digital platform that handled registration and submissions. Support came from 1435 Capital Management, NeElixir, TiE New Jersey, and Jersey Tech + Innovation, all working to strengthen the state's innovation pipeline.

The Ripple Effect

This hackathon represents something bigger than one day of student projects. New Jersey is building an ecosystem where young people get access to real challenges, modern tools, and mentorship before they even enter the workforce.

These students aren't waiting until they're older to contribute. They're already thinking about housing density, transportation equity, and system-level coordination. They're forming teams across age groups, from eighth graders to graduate students, learning that good ideas can come from anywhere.

Ben Jen, Managing Partner at 1435 Capital Management and event host, put it perfectly: "When we bring students together across the state and give them real challenges and modern tools, they don't just learn. They build."

James Barrood reminded participants they're standing in Thomas Edison's state, where 10,000 experiments led to breakthrough innovations. That same relentless curiosity is now in the hands of New Jersey's next generation, and they're already putting it to work on problems that matter.

The future of New Jersey affordability just got a lot brighter.