On April 12–13, Ethiopia hosted its first-ever Hospitality Hackathon, a landmark two-day event that brought together over 350 innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to solve real-world challenges in African hospitality. Hosted across two venues — ALX Lideta Hub and the Pan African Hall at Kuriftu African Village — the event marked a new chapter for collaborative problem-solving in tourism and service.
What made this hackathon unique? The problem statements were drawn directly from operational challenges at Kuriftu Resorts, ensuring that every idea generated was grounded in real need. The event was inspired by the Cornell University x Hilton Hackathon, but reimagined for the Ethiopian and broader African hospitality context — blending local insight with global ambition.
Day One focused on deep exploration of the four challenge areas, with workshops led by ALX Ethiopia and WeVenture guiding teams through ideation. By the end of the day, over 70 original solutions were developed — from tech-enabled guest services to sustainable resort operations. The day also featured a vibrant panel discussion moderated by Helinna Ayalew, featuring:
Yonaiel Tadiwos, Operations Director, Kuriftu Resorts
Yoadan Tilahun, Founder, Flawless Events
Misikir Adane, Co-founder, Muyalogy
Day Two was hosted at the Pan African Hall in Kuriftu African Village, where the top 9 teams pitched their solutions to an esteemed panel of judges. After a powerful round of presentations,
Team Genit was crowned the winner, receiving:
150,000 ETB cash prize
A Kuriftu holiday package
Access to WeVenture’s incubation program
Entrepreneurship support from ALX
The winning team was selected by an expert panel of judges:
Temesgen Gebrehiwot, CEO, ETA Solutions /Zmall
Tadios Tefera, CTO, MMCY Tech
Yasser Bagersh, Founder, Cactus Advertising
This was more than a competition — it was the launch of a movement to empower local talent, embrace innovation, and build solutions that can redefine African hospitality from the inside out.
Source: Yonaiel Tadiwos, Operations Director, Kuriftu Resorts