AI Build Day at Canva challenges women to prototype real-world AI solutions

Hands-on event in London challenges participants to build and pitch AI-powered solutions aligned to International Women’s Day 2026 theme.

Digital Women will host an AI Build Day on March 24, 2026, at Canva’s London office on Old Street, bringing together up to 40 participants for a full-day, hands-on hackathon focused on building AI-powered solutions.

The event, titled “AI Build Day! Give To Gain Digital Women @ Canva,” is positioned as a practical build session rather than a panel discussion. Participants will work in teams of six to create and pitch a tangible AI-driven product aligned with International Women’s Day 2026’s theme, Give To Gain. Focus areas include economic empowerment, leadership, education, health, access, and opportunity.

Organizers state that the goal is to move beyond discussion and into execution, emphasizing rapid prototyping using AI tools, no-code platforms, and Canva.

Hackathon format with live judging panel

The day begins with team allocation and a briefing outlining judging criteria, including clarity of problem, smart use of AI, tangible output, scalability, and strength of pitch.

Participants will attend short skill sessions covering AI tools, rapid prototyping, marketing collateral creation in Canva, and pitch structure. The build sprint then runs through the late morning and early afternoon, followed by three-minute team pitches to a live judging panel drawn from investment, entrepreneurship, marketing, and sales.

The event concludes with first, second, and third place awards. Digital Women states that participants will leave “having built something real,” with benefits including practical AI experience, cross-functional collaboration, CPD accreditation, and professional photography and video coverage.

Designed for non-technical professionals

The event is open to marketers, entrepreneurs, founders, strategists, creatives, operators, and others interested in AI experimentation. Technical experience is not required. Teams will be curated to include a mix of roles such as builder, marketer, creative, strategist, and sales.

Lucy Hall, Founder of Digital Women, will host the event and lead the panel discussion. Hannah Saycell, CEO & Founder of Social Folk, will deliver a session on structuring a three-minute pitch.

Organizers state that participants can use any AI tools during the hackathon, including ChatGPT, Canva’s AI features, no-code platforms, image generators, and coding assistants.

AI-themed events have proliferated over the past two years, often centered on keynotes and networking. This format shifts the emphasis toward rapid experimentation and deliverables within a single day.

Digital Women positions the event as a practical skills environment aimed at building confidence and capability rather than passive learning. With limited capacity and tiered pricing for members and non-members, the model blends community building with professional development and visible outcomes.

As AI tools lower technical barriers to entry, initiatives such as AI Build Day test whether non-technical professionals can move from prompt experimentation to structured product thinking within hours. The longer-term impact will depend on whether projects extend beyond the event into sustained implementation.

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