Austin Christian University students earned $120,000 across two awards at Gloo's 2026 AI Hackathon, carrying forward a project whose leader could not attend. Jack Malouff was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident shortly before the competition, according to ChurchLeaders. His classmates arrived determined to represent his vision-and left with the event's grand prize.
Fosterly, the team's solution supporting people who have aged out of foster care, won the $100,000 Most Impactful Grand Prize. A second university team, Unify, earned $20,000 by winning the Agents Track. Together, the victories marked Austin Christian University's second consecutive year taking home the hackathon's grand prize.
The prize money recognizes the teams' projects; the supplied report does not describe it as a medical fundraiser for Malouff. The personal significance lay in his classmates continuing the work and preparing to share the news with him.
For Fosterly team member Maebry Magilke, a freshman, participating meant helping communicate a vision she attributed to God's work in Malouff's life. Speaking to ChurchLeaders after the announcement, she described feeling blessed to represent his message and to join a community exploring how AI might support human flourishing.
That purpose gives Fosterly a demanding test beyond the competition. People leaving foster care need dependable support, and an award-winning concept must eventually demonstrate how it serves them in practice. The report identifies the population Fosterly aims to help but does not explain its specific features, deployment plans, or results among users.
Those details will matter as the project moves forward. How will Fosterly connect young adults with useful assistance? What role will human relationships play alongside the technology? And how will the team determine whether its solution improves the lives of the people it hopes to reach?
The competition provided a substantial platform for that ambition. Held October 6-8 in Boulder, Colorado, Gloo's fourth annual hackathon drew more than 1,000 participants competing in person and remotely. More than 115 teams represented 12 countries, 34 states, and eight universities, working under the theme "Building Together: Humans, Agents and the Future of Flourishing."
Fosterly team member Mikki Carino told ChurchLeaders that the experience offered an encouraging response to fears surrounding AI. She welcomed the opportunity to see people exploring ways to use the technology for Christian service. That optimism now sits alongside the practical responsibility of turning a winning proposal into something people can trust.
Unify's Brynn Elzerman described the university's double victory as far beyond expectations. Her immediate priority was personal: returning to Malouff, checking on him, and telling him the good news.
The students' achievement carries both promise and poignancy. They brought their injured classmate's vision into a demanding competition and secured recognition for work aimed at helping others. The next chapter will concern how that vision develops-and how the community that rallied around Malouff continues to support him.
