## Inspiration

Relationships between mentees and mentors are very important for career success. People want to connect with others in a professional manner to give and receive career advice. While many professional mentoring relationships form naturally, it can be particularly difficult for people in minority groups, such as women and people of color, to find mentors who can relate to their personal challenges and offer genuine advice. This website can provide a platform for those people to find mentors that can help them in their professional career.

## What it does

This web application is a platform that connects mentors and mentees online.

## How we built it

Our team used a MongoDB Atlas database in the backend for users. In addition, the team used jQuery (JavaScript) and Flask (Python) to increase the functionality of the site.

## Challenges we ran into

There were many challenges that we ran into. Some of the biggest ones include authenticating the MongoDB server and connecting jQuery to Python.

## Accomplishments that I'm proud of

We are proud of our ability to create many different aspects of the project in parallel. In addition, we are proud of setting up a cloud database, organizing a multi-page frontend, designing a searching algorithm, and much of the stitching completed in Flask.

## What we learned

We learned a lot about Python, JavaScript, MongoDB, and GET/POST requests.

## What's next for Mentors In Tech

More mentors and advanced searching could further optimize our platform.
## Inspiration 💡

The push behind EcoCart is the pressing call to weave sustainability into our everyday actions. I've envisioned a tool that makes it easy for people to opt for green choices when shopping.

## What it does 📑

EcoCart is your AI-guided Sustainable Shopping Assistant, designed to help shoppers minimize their carbon impact. It comes with a user-centric dashboard and a browser add-on for streamlined purchase monitoring.

By integrating EcoCart's browser add-on with favorite online shopping sites, users can easily oversee their carbon emissions. The AI functionality dives deep into the data, offering granular insights on the ecological implications of every transaction.

Our dashboard is crafted to help users see their sustainable journey and make educated choices. Engaging charts and a gamified approach nudge users towards greener options and aware buying behaviors.

EcoCart fosters an eco-friendly lifestyle, fusing AI, an accessible dashboard, and a purchase-monitoring add-on. Collectively, our choices can echo a positive note for the planet.

## How it's built 🏗️

EcoCart is carved out using avant-garde AI tools and a strong backend setup. While our AI digs into product specifics, the backend ensures smooth data workflow and user engagement. A pivotal feature is the inclusion of SGID to ward off bots and uphold genuine user interaction, delivering an uninterrupted user journey and trustworthy eco metrics.

## Challenges and hurdles along the way 🧱

* Regular hiccups with Chrome add-on's hot reloading during development
* Sparse online guides on meshing Supabase Google Auth with a Chrome add-on
* Encountered glitches when using Vite for bundling our Chrome extension

## Accomplishments that I'am proud of 🦚

* Striking user interface
* Working prototype
* Successful integration of Supabase in our Chrome add-on
* Advocacy for sustainability through #techforpublicgood

## What I've learned 🏫

* Integrating SGID into a NextJS CSR web platform
* Deploying Supabase in a Chrome add-on
* Crafting aesthetically appealing and practical charts via Chart.js

## What's next for EcoCart ⌛

* Expanding to more e-commerce giants like Carousell, Taobao, etc.
* Introducing a rewards mechanism linked with our gamified setup
* Launching a SaaS subscription model for our user base.
## Inspiration

As a team of 4 female tech enthusiasts, we have witnessed firsthand the gender disparities in the tech industry, not just from our campus experiences, but also through events like hackathons, networking, and career fairs.

Women are under-represented in the tech industry: 1) Only 20% of tech roles are held by women; 2) The attrition/retention rate of women is 41% as compared to 17% for men; 3) Only 12% of tech-related patents are held by women. These are happening as a result of systemic barriers to entry to women in this industry, including a lack of robust support system and mentorship, unequal growth opportunities, and workplace culture.

Therefore, we share this vision of creating a platform where **women and non-binary** individuals are not just participating but are also being heard and thriving. We want to build a **more equitable and inclusive tech culture**.

## What it does

1. Niche Focus: Women and non-binary community so that they feel safe and comfortable sharing and participating.
2. Personal Touch & Engagement: More than just ‘coffee chats’ and ‘networking’, we provide the platform for people to build common experiences, share their personal stories and connect with individuals on a more personal level.
3. Personalized Support: We care about individual interests and career goals instead of mass feeding the content. Events and mentorship programs that suit one’s interests, as well as experience levels will be prioritized by our recommendation system.
4. Global Access: We aim to reach a wide demographics and provide a greater network for people to connect to

## How we built it

* UI/UX Design & Prototyping: Figma
* Front-end: Typescript, React, Tailwind CSS Next.JS, Next.JS, Nested Layout, Zustand for state management, context provider
* Back-end: Typescript, Next.js, Next.js Server Actions, Mongodb, socket.io server for real time chatting, Zod for validation
* API: authentication integration- Clerk and webhook; TinyMCE Rich Text editor react integration

## Challenges we ran into

User privacy: How to verify a user’s identity? Should we limit our audience to women and non-binary only or should it be open to everyone? What if users prefer not to share that personal information?