kood/Garage48 Empowering Women- explore coding, develop your business idea and build your future!
Are you interested in tech and entrepreneurship? If the answer is yes, we have a perfect program for you- completely free of charge. You don’t have to have a prior experience in coding or entrepreneurship- just the curiosity to learn more and the willpower to set your own course in life 😎
About kood/Garage48 Empowering Women Program
kood/Garage48 Empowering Women is a collaboration between kood/Jõhvi and Garage48. It is designed for women in the Ida-Viru region, aimed at boosting their confidence by polishing their tech skills and giving them hands-on experience in starting their own businesses. This truly practical program kicks off with a beginner-friendly introduction to coding, followed by a hackathon focused on developing your first business idea into a working prototype, and an acceleration program that supports the implementation of those ideas in real life.
The program consists of three key parts, and it can be enjoyed individually (pick the parts you like) or as a whole.
❣️ kood/Empower at kood/Jõhvi (17-20 February 2026) Registration is closed!
4-day coding bootcamp designed for beginners, offering a practical, supportive introduction to coding. Participants will experiment with creating small solutions and game-like prototypes, gaining hands-on experience, and get a first insight into what it means to work as a developer.kood/Empower bootcamp is part of the kood/Women program, supported by Swedbank.
❣️Garage48 Empowering Women Hackathon (20-22 March 2026)
3-day hackathon aimed to help the participants to develop their first business idea to a working prototype. Participants can come either solo or with a team, with or without an idea. Participants are welcomed with all sorts of ideas as long as it has a tech component to it:)Registration is open - register HERE!
❣️ Garage48 Empowering Women Accelerator (April-June 2026)
Best hackathon teams are invited to apply for the acceleration program, which offers workshops, mentoring, and expert support in product development, marketing, funding, and other essential entrepreneurial and tech skills. The goal is to take the hackathon idea to the next level. The acceleration program will end with a Demo Day, where all participants will present their progress, pitch their ideas, and meet potential investors interested in supporting the next steps of their product development.
PS! You can join the hackathon even if you did not attend the coding bootcamp, and attending the bootcamp does not obligate you to join the activities later. Each activity is voluntary and can be joined independently.
The entire program is free for all selected participants.
Why join?
Develop your tech-curiosity! Learn the basics of coding in a supportive, beginner‑friendly environment
Get a real feel for what working in tech and building digital products is like
Who is invited to apply?
The whole program will be carried out in English.
This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Just Transition Fund.
Additional support to organize the kood/Empower bootcamp is provided by Swedbank.
Garage48 Empowering Women Hackathon
Day #1 - Friday, 20 March
17:30 Doors open & registration. Light refreshments.
18:15 Opening of the event: Welcoming words & inspirational speeches
19:00 Introduction to the hackathon: agenda and mentors
19:15 Ideas presentations: 90 seconds, one slide per pitch max
20:15 Team formation
20:45 Assigning workstations
21:00 Dinner
22:00 Teamwork begins
Day #2 - Saturday, 21 March
09:00 Breakfast
10:00 Checkpoint #1: goals, team roles, plan for the hackathon
11:30 Teams continue working. Mentoring
14:00 Lunch
15:00 Teams continue working. Mentoring
16:00 Checkpoint #2: PPP
17:00 Coffee & snacks
17:30 Pitch training for the finals
18:00 Teams continue working. Mentoring
19:00 Dinner
20:00 Teamwork continues
Day #3 - Sunday, 22 March
09:00 Breakfast
10:00 Checkpoint #3: PPP
11:00 Pitch drill #1
12:00 Teams continue working. Mentoring
13:00 Lunch
13:30 Pitch drill #2 (with demo)
15:00 Final pitches and demos
16:00 Feedback & networking & cake
16:30 End of the Hackathon
kood/Empower for Ida-Viru women
As part of the joint kood/Garage48 Empowering Women program, the kood/Empower bootcamp supports women
as they take their first steps into coding, offering a focused and inclusive space to learn, grow, and connect. Program kicks off with a 4-day kood/Empower bootcamp in kood/Jõhvi where women take their first steps into coding in a focused and inclusive space to learn, grow, and connect. Bootcamp graduates are encouraged to move on to the next stage of the program, but participation remains optional.
Free of charge!
Next bootcamp: 17.-20.02.2026
Location: kood/Jõhvi.
Registration is closed!
What you’ll get in kood/Empower?
- Hands-on programming in a supportive environment – no prior experience needed.
- Gain an overview of the various roles and opportunities in the tech field.
- Get a taste of the unique, self-driven learning method practiced at our coding schools.
- Meet like-minded people and gain valuable connections.
- Collaborate with others, share roles, and learn together.
- Estonian and Russian-speaking tutors on-site
- Not just coding, we also have fun – think board games, discovering Jõhvi, Just Dance sessions, and much more.
Accommodation, lunches, and one dinner are included.
Discover if tech is for you!
This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Just Transition Fund. Additional support to organize the kood/Empower bootcamp is provided by Swedbank.
Garage48 Empowering Women Hackathon
When? 20-22 March 2026
Where? At kood/Jõhvi
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/zaf2vc9m
Garage48 Empowering Women Hackathon is a 3-day event for women living in Ida-Viru County who are curious about starting a business. It’s aimed to help the participants to develop their first business idea into a working prototype. You don’t need to have a team or a full idea, just the motivation to learn and explore. It’s a fun, supportive environment where you can try something new, meet inspiring people, and take the first steps toward entrepreneurship.
What happens during the hackathon?
During one energising weekend, you’ll work side by side with other inspiring women like you who want to build something meaningful. Together, you’ll explore real problems and brainstorm ideas that could grow into future products or services. You don’t need to be a developer; you just need curiosity and the willingness to dream a little bigger.
With the help of mentors and experts, you’ll turn your idea into something real and tangible - a simple prototype or first version you can actually show. At the end of the event, the jury will give you feedback to help you understand your next steps and the potential of your idea. And the most promising teams will be invited to join our accelerator program running from April to June 2026, where mentors and experts will help you take your idea even further and move closer to your first real customers
Why join?
Who is invited to apply?
We’re looking for women who feel that spark- the curiosity to build something of their own. Whether you dream of becoming an entrepreneur full‑time or want to explore a business idea alongside your current job or studies, this is your place to start.
What happens next?
The best hackathon teams are invited to apply for the acceleration program, which offers workshops, mentoring, and expert support in product development, marketing, funding, and other essential entrepreneurial and tech skills. The goal is to take the hackathon idea to the next level. The acceleration program will be held from April to June 2026.
The whole program will be carried out in English.
More information: laura@garage48.org
This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Just Transition Fund.
Additional support to organize the kood/Empower bootcamp is provided by Swedbank.
