Jun Bin Cheng, 22
Building Without Limits: How Jun Bin Cheng Empowers Developers Across Regional Campuses
Jun Bin Cheng’s path into software engineering began not with code, but with an instinct to imagine and prototype new digital experiences. “I was obsessed with the game Animal Jam. I would dream up new features and prototype mockups using Photoshop, teaching myself design without realizing it.” When his parents enrolled him in a coding camp where he learned Java, his perspective shifted entirely. As Jun Bin reflected, “Growing up with engineer parents, I'd always been surrounded by technical thinking, and now I was starting to understand it firsthand.” That early exposure ignited a passion for computing, leading him to pursue software engineering at Ontario Tech University.
Jun Bin’s initial hackathon experiences were marked by unexpected setbacks, including back-to-back team dropouts. Refusing to walk away, he attended Hack the North 2024 with a quiet determination to push past his comfort zone. Jun Bin’s initial hackathon experiences were marked by unexpected setbacks, including back-to-back team dropouts. Refusing to walk away, he attended Hack the North 2024 with a quiet determination to push past his comfort zone. Walking into the bustling sponsor bay, the collective energy of hundreds of students collaborating instantly reshaped his perspective. “It made me realize hackathons weren’t about being the best coder, but rather about collaboration, creativity, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.”When presenting his team’s project, the self-described quiet listener discovered a confidence he didn't know he possessed, articulating their vision to judges with striking clarity. This unlocked a realization that hackathons offered complete freedom of expression - a space to build, experiment, and learn purely for the joy of creation, free from the bounds of grades, syllabi, or academic requirements. As Jun Bin reflected, “I can build those mind-blowing projects right now. The resources, tools, and APIs are all available to me and I didn’t need to wait or be a genius to start building impactful projects. If you can dream it, you really can build it!”
Channeling this creative mindset into action proved to be a winning combination, propelling Jun Bin through a wave of hackathon successes. His team won Best Use of Streamlit at DeltaHacks XI with his drawing application TuringSketch - a twist on the game skribbl.io. Then at GenAI Genesis 2025, his team built LabelLens - an AI-powered ingredient literacy platform. They took home the win in the Best AI Safety & Responsible AI Hack track. No longer an outsider looking in, Jun Bin had officially found his place within the hacker community.
While competing helped Jun Bin grow, stepping into leadership as a hackathon organizer truly defined his path. He joined the organizing team for HackHive 2026 as their Hackathon Specialist. “I brought firsthand knowledge of what makes a great hacker experience to the team for their first ever MLH-affiliated hackathon,” remarks Jun Bin. “I went from building my own projects to building the systems that supported everyone else’s.” Stepping into event management forced him to operate beyond individual software architectures to master the broader operational mechanics of real-time event delivery. As Jun Bin noted, “Organizing hackathons taught me a completely different set of skills: systems thinking, leadership, and the ability to manage complexity under pressure.”
Later serving as a logistics organizer for Hack Canada, Jun Bin refined the leadership and communication skills that directly helped him land his software co-op position. “These experiences didn’t just improve my ability to work with others; they gave me the confidence and skills to network, pitch myself, and articulate my value.” By stepping up as an organizer, Jun Bin transformed his own trajectory while building the infrastructure for future generations of hackers to thrive.
Jun Bin remains dedicated to expanding the reach of the hacker ecosystem and creating inclusive spaces. He founded and directed Ontario Tech Blueprint, connecting student developers with local organizations to engineer high-impact digital solutions, while also co-founding the Ontario Tech East Asian Students Association. By opening doors for students across regional campuses, Jun Bin is proving that transformative tech opportunities belong wherever passionate builders gather. Reflecting on his journey, Jun Bin shared, “my impact lies in sharing knowledge and proving that elite-level hacker experiences don’t have to be restricted to big-name schools in major cities.” Whether architecting software or organizing regional events, Jun Bin continues to design the scalable systems that empower emerging developers to build without limits.
Quick Facts
Jun Bin Cheng, 22
Building Without Limits: How Jun Bin Cheng Empowers Developers Across Regional Campuses
Jun Bin Cheng’s path into software engineering began not with code, but with an instinct to imagine and prototype new digital experiences. “I was obsessed with the game Animal Jam. I would dream up new features and prototype mockups using Photoshop, teaching myself design without realizing it.” When his parents enrolled him in a coding camp where he learned Java, his perspective shifted entirely. As Jun Bin reflected, “Growing up with engineer parents, I'd always been surrounded by technical thinking, and now I was starting to understand it firsthand.” That early exposure ignited a passion for computing, leading him to pursue software engineering at Ontario Tech University.
Jun Bin’s initial hackathon experiences were marked by unexpected setbacks, including back-to-back team dropouts. Refusing to walk away, he attended Hack the North 2024 with a quiet determination to push past his comfort zone. Jun Bin’s initial hackathon experiences were marked by unexpected setbacks, including back-to-back team dropouts. Refusing to walk away, he attended Hack the North 2024 with a quiet determination to push past his comfort zone. Walking into the bustling sponsor bay, the collective energy of hundreds of students collaborating instantly reshaped his perspective. “It made me realize hackathons weren’t about being the best coder, but rather about collaboration, creativity, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.”When presenting his team’s project, the self-described quiet listener discovered a confidence he didn't know he possessed, articulating their vision to judges with striking clarity. This unlocked a realization that hackathons offered complete freedom of expression - a space to build, experiment, and learn purely for the joy of creation, free from the bounds of grades, syllabi, or academic requirements. As Jun Bin reflected, “I can build those mind-blowing projects right now. The resources, tools, and APIs are all available to me and I didn’t need to wait or be a genius to start building impactful projects. If you can dream it, you really can build it!”
Channeling this creative mindset into action proved to be a winning combination, propelling Jun Bin through a wave of hackathon successes. His team won Best Use of Streamlit at DeltaHacks XI with his drawing application TuringSketch - a twist on the game skribbl.io. Then at GenAI Genesis 2025, his team built LabelLens - an AI-powered ingredient literacy platform. They took home the win in the Best AI Safety & Responsible AI Hack track. No longer an outsider looking in, Jun Bin had officially found his place within the hacker community.
While competing helped Jun Bin grow, stepping into leadership as a hackathon organizer truly defined his path. He joined the organizing team for HackHive 2026 as their Hackathon Specialist. “I brought firsthand knowledge of what makes a great hacker experience to the team for their first ever MLH-affiliated hackathon,” remarks Jun Bin. “I went from building my own projects to building the systems that supported everyone else’s.” Stepping into event management forced him to operate beyond individual software architectures to master the broader operational mechanics of real-time event delivery. As Jun Bin noted, “Organizing hackathons taught me a completely different set of skills: systems thinking, leadership, and the ability to manage complexity under pressure.”
Later serving as a logistics organizer for Hack Canada, Jun Bin refined the leadership and communication skills that directly helped him land his software co-op position. “These experiences didn’t just improve my ability to work with others; they gave me the confidence and skills to network, pitch myself, and articulate my value.” By stepping up as an organizer, Jun Bin transformed his own trajectory while building the infrastructure for future generations of hackers to thrive.
Jun Bin remains dedicated to expanding the reach of the hacker ecosystem and creating inclusive spaces. He founded and directed Ontario Tech Blueprint, connecting student developers with local organizations to engineer high-impact digital solutions, while also co-founding the Ontario Tech East Asian Students Association. By opening doors for students across regional campuses, Jun Bin is proving that transformative tech opportunities belong wherever passionate builders gather. Reflecting on his journey, Jun Bin shared, “my impact lies in sharing knowledge and proving that elite-level hacker experiences don’t have to be restricted to big-name schools in major cities.” Whether architecting software or organizing regional events, Jun Bin continues to design the scalable systems that empower emerging developers to build without limits.
