Have you ever sat in a coffee shop, cold emailing professors on mass, hoping that one would respond but get inevitably ghosted or rejected? As undergrads, we've all been there, and it sucks. But, professors are also receiving hundreds of emails everyday in their mailbox, making it a hassle to parse through all the well-familiar "give-me-a-position" emails.

To streamline & centralize this process, our team came up with Bito: a service that allows for researchers to connect across the globe by applying and looking for collaborative research opportunities. The name is derived by the Japanese word 糸 (ito), meaning thread or string. We also like to use it as a verb to go find, establish, and foster meaningful collaborative connections; hence, breakthrough itos. To go bito or to go bitoing!

For a first-time designathon, I'm really proud of what our team made in the 24 hours we had. The problem Bito addresses really hit close to me, because I know too well the experience of being constantly ghosted or rejected while everyone around me seemingly finds research experience left and right. There's comfort to know that many students experience the same stress, but I sincerely believe that a centralized, democratic platform should exist for equal opportunity to all.