Cerebral Valley × Rosewood Hospitality 2030 Hackathon

First place at the Cerebral Valley × Rosewood Hospitality 2030 hackathon at Rosewood Sand Hill, Cerebral Valley convened Rosewood Hotel Group, Anthropic, ElevenLabs, and Greycroft.

Before I build, I research: sponsors, brand, tools, problem space. Even if it costs a third of my build time. That’s how I found the line from Sonia Cheng (Rosewood CEO):

“All our hotels are individual, but A Sense of Place is the red thread that runs throughout them all.”

The name and the thesis at once.

The setting shaped this build more than any hackathon before. It was impossible to default to the usual AI aesthetic: dark mode, neon accents. Rosewood doesn’t speak that language. So I spent real time on the brand. Cream and ink. Red Chinese endless knot 紅線, the thread of fate. Brand and craft were part of the build, not bolted on after the prototype worked.

The focus on design, brand, and tech paid off: 1st place, with the prize an extended stay at one of Rosewood’s properties.

Live at redthread.boutique. Event and winners gallery on Cerebral Valley.