Keanu Czirjak, 20
The Global Builder, Connecting Communities Across Borders
For Keanu Czirjak, software development is not merely an academic exercise - it is a borderless catalyst for global community empowerment.
Growing up in Liverpool, Keanu was used to feeling like the only tech enthusiast in his orbit. His curiosity for software ignited at seven years old when he opened Roblox Studio to tear apart Lua scripts. That exploration continued with Minecraft modpacks. “I loved that just by writing lines of code I could interact with the game world in such a cool way,” Keanu recounts. Driven by a desire to understand systems from the inside out, Keanu took the initiative to teach himself Python, JavaScript, and systems administration. Yet, operating in isolation only fueled his hunger to connect with like-minded peers - igniting a lifelong quest to build alongside collaborators who shared his passions.
When Keanu attended his first hackathon, HackSheffield 9, he discovered the transformative power of rapid prototyping alongside a global network of builders. “I had heard of hackathons, but initially I thought there were only hackathons going on in America,” remarks Keanu. Collaborating with newfound teammates, Keanu helped engineer ASL Buddy - an accessible American Sign Language (ASL) learning application. Embracing the true hackathon spirit, Keanu and his teammates dove into unfamiliar technologies like TensorFlow, MediaPipe, and Apple CoreML. Their perseverance and collaboration paid off with two track victories - the Frasers Group, Think Without Limits award and the SWICS, Most Inclusive Hack award - an incredible achievement and start to Keanu’s hackathon journey.
Since then, Keanu has established himself as a familiar face throughout the community, participating in over 40 hackathons. Recognizing that many university students in the UK lacked central access to information on local developer circles and travel funding, Keanu set out to remove barriers for the next generation of builders. “I launched a central resource on Discord called Hack Radar, aggregating travel grants, hackathon listings, and tech community links for aspiring software engineers.” Keanu explains. “What started off as a tiny resource group chat exploded into a thriving network of over 1,800 active members, helping developers across the UK and Europe find travel grants, form teams, and discover international hackathons." Keanu’s mission is clear: ensure every computer science student, regardless of their background or institution, can experience the empowering environment of a high-energy hackathon.
Keanu continues to traverse the globe, attending events like Hack the North in Canada and HackUPC 2026 in Barcelona. At TreeHacks 2026, Keanu travelled to the USA - expanding an international journey spanning seven countries, including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, and Finland. There he and his team built Detour - an edge-first, autonomous decision-support system for satellite debris avoidance that gave them a win in the NVIDIA Edge AI track.
Across every international event, Keanu exchanges ideas with cross-disciplinary builders - immersing himself in the vibrant global hacker culture. These gatherings represent far more than technical competitions - they are dynamic sandboxes where audacious ideas come to life, long-term international friendships are forged, and young engineers discover their capacity to solve complex global problems.
Keanu’s narrative represents a profound evolution. Where he once struggled to find local collaborators, he now thrives within an international ecosystem of mentors, teammates, and lifelong friends spanning multiple continents. “I keep thinking back to my first-year self who literally had no clue where to find hackathons, and I want to help as many CS students in the UK as possible...” Keanu reflects. Driven by this transformative journey, Keanu remains dedicated to lifting up the underdog, proving that genuine curiosity and shared community can unlock limitless potential for builders everywhere.
Quick Facts
Keanu Czirjak, 20
The Global Builder, Connecting Communities Across Borders
For Keanu Czirjak, software development is not merely an academic exercise - it is a borderless catalyst for global community empowerment.
Growing up in Liverpool, Keanu was used to feeling like the only tech enthusiast in his orbit. His curiosity for software ignited at seven years old when he opened Roblox Studio to tear apart Lua scripts. That exploration continued with Minecraft modpacks. “I loved that just by writing lines of code I could interact with the game world in such a cool way,” Keanu recounts. Driven by a desire to understand systems from the inside out, Keanu took the initiative to teach himself Python, JavaScript, and systems administration. Yet, operating in isolation only fueled his hunger to connect with like-minded peers - igniting a lifelong quest to build alongside collaborators who shared his passions.
When Keanu attended his first hackathon, HackSheffield 9, he discovered the transformative power of rapid prototyping alongside a global network of builders. “I had heard of hackathons, but initially I thought there were only hackathons going on in America,” remarks Keanu. Collaborating with newfound teammates, Keanu helped engineer ASL Buddy - an accessible American Sign Language (ASL) learning application. Embracing the true hackathon spirit, Keanu and his teammates dove into unfamiliar technologies like TensorFlow, MediaPipe, and Apple CoreML. Their perseverance and collaboration paid off with two track victories - the Frasers Group, Think Without Limits award and the SWICS, Most Inclusive Hack award - an incredible achievement and start to Keanu’s hackathon journey.
Since then, Keanu has established himself as a familiar face throughout the community, participating in over 40 hackathons. Recognizing that many university students in the UK lacked central access to information on local developer circles and travel funding, Keanu set out to remove barriers for the next generation of builders. “I launched a central resource on Discord called Hack Radar, aggregating travel grants, hackathon listings, and tech community links for aspiring software engineers.” Keanu explains. “What started off as a tiny resource group chat exploded into a thriving network of over 1,800 active members, helping developers across the UK and Europe find travel grants, form teams, and discover international hackathons." Keanu’s mission is clear: ensure every computer science student, regardless of their background or institution, can experience the empowering environment of a high-energy hackathon.
Keanu continues to traverse the globe, attending events like Hack the North in Canada and HackUPC 2026 in Barcelona. At TreeHacks 2026, Keanu travelled to the USA - expanding an international journey spanning seven countries, including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, and Finland. There he and his team built Detour - an edge-first, autonomous decision-support system for satellite debris avoidance that gave them a win in the NVIDIA Edge AI track.
Across every international event, Keanu exchanges ideas with cross-disciplinary builders - immersing himself in the vibrant global hacker culture. These gatherings represent far more than technical competitions - they are dynamic sandboxes where audacious ideas come to life, long-term international friendships are forged, and young engineers discover their capacity to solve complex global problems.
Keanu’s narrative represents a profound evolution. Where he once struggled to find local collaborators, he now thrives within an international ecosystem of mentors, teammates, and lifelong friends spanning multiple continents. “I keep thinking back to my first-year self who literally had no clue where to find hackathons, and I want to help as many CS students in the UK as possible...” Keanu reflects. Driven by this transformative journey, Keanu remains dedicated to lifting up the underdog, proving that genuine curiosity and shared community can unlock limitless potential for builders everywhere.
