Chicago's weekly event to build, share & learn about civic tech
Next Chi Hack Night All events »
Online: Open Hack #655
There will be no presentation this week. Instead, we're going to have an Open Hack. Join our 7pm open Zoom call for introductions, socializing, announcements and breakout groups.
Last Chi Hack Night All events »
Online: Namesake - Simplifying legal name and gender marker changes for trans people in the U.S. #654
Namesake was founded in 2021 to help trans people in Massachusetts navigate the legal name change process. Namesake's open source web application is built to securely guide people through the steps required to update identity documents, keep track of progress, and answer common questions. Namesake partners with organizations like the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition to provide financial assistance and host name change clinics. Our hope for Namesake is to build a resource by and for trans people, to share knowledge, offer communal support, and fight for policies to ensure that everyone can be seen for who they are.
More Upcoming Events All events »
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 7:00pm Online: Open Hack
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 7:00pm Online: Designing Dashboards that Deliver
Latest blog post All posts »

Meet Chi Hack Night's New Co-Presidents!
Apr 6, 2025 by
Sean Watland, Sneha Jalukar & Samantha Goodman
After serving as Chi Hack Night’s second President, Sean Watland is stepping down after two years. Congratulate Sneha Jalukar & Samanatha Goodman Chi Hack Night’s new Co-Presidents!
Read more »
2025 Board Election Results
Feb 18, 2025 by
Elections Committee - Michael Chladek, Sean Watland, Cameron Sow, Viktor Köves
On Feb 18th, we held our sixth election for our Board of Directors. Congrats to our elected and appointed Board Members Derek Eder, Katie O’Shea, Josh Kalov, Adam Hecktman, and Vien Nguyen!
Read more »Welcome!
Join us remotely every Tuesday from 7-10pm on our YouTube livestream and Slack channel to hear from amazing speakers, and learn by doing! Everyone is welcome!
We are a group of thousands of designers, academic researchers, data journalists, activists, policy wonks, web developers and curious citizens who want to make our city more just, equitable, transparent and delightful to live in through data, design and technology. More about us »
Have a talk you'd like to give at Chi Hack Night? Learn more about speaker submissions »
Join our community
Chi Hack Night is a central hub for Chicago's civic tech community. Here's the three best ways to get involved:
1. Go to Chi Hack Night. We meet every Tuesday at 7pm
2. Subscribe to updates on upcoming speakers and events
3. Browse our weekly breakouts to find your group
Sponsors
Chi Hack Night is a non-profit organization, run by our Board of Directors and supported by our amazing sponsors and donors.