Therapists Who Build: India's (And The World's!) First Ever Hackathon For Therapists

A one-day hackathon where therapists build prototypes of the tools they wish existed.

You own what you make, you're credited for it, and nobody pitches you another AI therapy chatbot.

✦ a part of Basecamp by Elevation Capital, a free, community-powered tech week in Bengaluru✦

About this event

If you're a therapist, you've probably been here before. A founder wants an hour of your time for "feedback" on their AI chatbot, and offers a certificate in return. Someone asks you out for coffee and spends the whole time mining your intake protocol. You give your clinical judgment away for free, and you never see the product again, let alone get credit for shaping it.

You're absolutely valid for being wary of tech. Most mental health products still get built without you in the room, and it shows: low adoption, therapists who don't trust the tools, apps optimised for engagement metrics instead of anything you'd recognise as a real positive outcome.

But you also know something most builders don't. You have ideas about what should exist and how it should reach people. You just haven't been handed the tools to build it yourself, only asked to react to what someone else already made.

That's what this day is for. And unlike every other "come talk to us" invite you've gotten: what you build here stays yours.

What to expect

TherapistsWhoBuild is a full day where therapists, counsellors, psychiatrists, psych nurses, and trainees build their ideas into a working prototype.

Before the day: Every participating therapist or clinical team goes through a guided problem-finding process with us ahead of the hackathon. You'll come in with a problem statement you want to work on, even a rough one; we'll help you sharpen it. This is what lets you walk in on D-day ready to build instead of spending the day figuring out what to build.

On the day:

09:00 AM — Registration desk opens

10:00 AM — Kickoff: meet your team, tools walkthrough, intent setting

11:00 AM — Building begins

01:00 PM — Lunch break (on your own; there are plenty of options nearby)

05:00 PM — Teams present what they've made

07:00 PM — We wind down

Six hours, each team, one prototype. Unlike the standard engineering hackathon, here there's no overnight grind, no sleep-deprivation culture. This is meant to feel like play.

Who it's for

Therapists, counsellors, trainees, psychiatrists, and psych nurses lead this event. Apply solo or as a clinical team of up to three. Whatever you bring in as a problem statement is what your team builds toward.

Builders, designers, engineers, and operators are welcome too, but you're playing a supporting role. You'll be paired with an individual therapist or clinical team to help build out their idea, not your own.

Open to everyone in the field, whether you're a registered practitioner or still in training.

No pitching, ever. Nobody uses this room to sell therapists anything or extract free feedback. If someone tries, that's the one rule we hold firm on.

What you'll leave with

A working prototype you own. It'll be featured on the TiNT website credited to your name. If a startup ever wants to take your idea further, we make sure they come to you.

A published case study. Your project and your process will be featured in the TiNT newsletter and other TiNT publications, with full credit to you. If you're building a portfolio for product or consulting work, this becomes a citable piece of it.

A room full of people who work in mental health tech and get it, including a support team of design and engineering volunteers there specifically to help clinical teams build.

About Host

I'm Harshali, founder of TiNT – The Technology Informed Therapist. For over a year, TiNT has been building AI literacy for clinicians without the sales pitch attached. Through TiNT Academy, 30+ therapists have gone through our applied product thinking course. Two are now building their own products. Through TiNT Studio, our therapists have worked directly with startups on real product problems, and been paid for it. This hackathon is the next step toward tech education and opportunities for therapists.

Look me up · LinkedIn · harshali@thetint.co · https://thetint.co/

Logistics

Cost: None. You only cover your own lunch.

What to bring: Your glorious self, your problem statement, and your laptop. Stationery for sketching and prototyping is provided.

Registration deadline: 1 August (one week before the event)

How selection works: Applications are open with no fixed cap, but confirmed spots are limited by venue capacity. Apply early. If you're a therapist applying with a problem statement, your team gets priority.

Mandatory pre-event step: All confirmed therapists/clinical teams go through a guided problem-finding session before 8 August. You can't skip straight to the hackathon; this is what makes the day itself work.

CPD credit: Not applicable for this one; but we're working toward making all TiNT activities a part of Continuing Professional Development, promise ot have an update soon!

FAQ

I've never touched a tech tool in my life. Can I still come? Yes! That's who this is for. You bring the clinical insight, get to the drawing board and build your vision. We'll help you at every step.

Do I need to bring a team? No. Apply solo and we'll help you form or join a team. If you're a therapist, you can also apply with up to two other clinicians as a pre-formed team of three.

Will I meet product builders, founders of MhTech products? Will they steal my idea or try to sell me theirs? Yes you'll meet builders and no they won't pitch or steal. This event exists specifically to be the opposite what is currently happening in the industry.

Who owns what we build? You do. The therapist owns the prototype. It'll be credited to you on the TiNT website, and if a startup wants to develop it further, they'll be directed to talk to you.

What if I don't have a problem statement yet, or I'm not confident in it? That's expected. Everyone confirmed for the event goes through a prep process where we help you find and sharpen one. Rest assured you will feel prepared come D-day.

Will there be photos or videos? Yes, the event will be documented with photos and video, shared by TinT and Basecamp/ Elevation.

Is this open to trainees, or only licensed therapists? Open to all: registered practitioners and trainees alike.

Is there a cost? No entry fee. You only need to cover travel to the venue and your own lunch.

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This event is part of Basecamp, a community-powered tech week in Bengaluru bringing founders, builders, and operators together. Basecamp is free for the community and powered by the community.