AWS GenAI Trailblazer Portfolio Challenge

Build a portfolio-ready AI project in 90 minutes.

At HUMANBULB, we believe access to emerging technology should come with real practice, not just lectures. The GenAI Trailblazer Portfolio Challenge gives learners an on-ramp to AI product building, digital confidence, and portfolio-ready proof of skills—all in a format that’s collaborative, supportive, and high-energy. In this fast-paced, hands-on challenge, participants work in teams to create a professional PR/FAQ, build a working PartyRock GenAI application, document their work, and practice presenting—everything needed for a first AI portfolio piece.

Who this is for?

This challenge is designed for:

  • Students and early-career learners who want a real GenAI project for their portfolio

  • Anyone curious about product thinking + AI building, even if it’s your first time

  • Builders who want structured practice: idea → PR/FAQ → app → demo

What you build:

Teams choose from a set of student success app use cases and turn one into:

  • a PR/FAQ (the “working backwards” customer story)

  • a PartyRock application that takes inputs and generates helpful outputs

Examples of app types include: campus resource navigator, event discovery assistant, study environment generator, career pathway planner, student budget helper, internship finder, scholarship matcher, and more.

What happens during the challenge?

90-minute, team-based build sprint where each participant has a role and your team moves through:

  1. Collaboration & Build (build the first version together)

  2. Testing & Validation (test, refine, improve)

  3. Final Prep (get ready to present)

Team presentations are 5 minutes total:

  • Team intro (1 min)

  • PR/FAQ (2 min)

  • Live app demo (3 min)

How teams are structured

Participants work in a 6-role team model, such as:

  • PartyRock Developer

  • Business Case Lead

  • Presentation Creator

  • App Demonstrator

  • Application Tester

  • Technical Doc Lead

This makes the experience feel like a real product team: build, test, document, and present.

What you’ll leave with:

  • A PR/FAQ written using Amazon’s “Working Backwards” method

  • A functioning AWS PartyRock app

  • Basic technical documentation for your build

  • A short presentation experience (practice telling the story + demo)

Career keywords you can use on your resume/LinkedIn:
Amazon Working Backwards • GenAI Development • Product Management • AI/ML Solutions • Technical Presentation

How projects are evaluated:

Projects are evaluated using a rubric that looks at:

  • Business Impact (40%) – PR/FAQ quality, clarity, presentation

  • Technical Excellence (40%) – PartyRock feature use, implementation, working demo

  • Innovation (20%) – unique approach, creativity, original thinking

We use an AI judge to score provide feedback on each team's app and pitch!