1. What I Did
Role: Program Manager at RISE
Program: Internal Hackathon (4-month semi-bootcamp)
Level of Ownership: Program Owner
Last year, I joined RISE as a Program Manager, taking on the role of Program Owner for the internal hackathon. Designed as a four-month semi-bootcamp, the program integrated design thinking and AI workshops with company visits, equipping participants with the skills and insights needed for the final hackathon pitch.
The primary goal of the program was to spark employees’ creativity and encourage the development of innovative ideas that could be applied to real work contexts and organizational improvement. The program emphasized team collaboration and hands-on problem-solving to ensure practical learning and impact.
I led the end-to-end planning and execution of the program, coordinating 15 team members and supporting 74 participants throughout the full hackathon lifecycle. My responsibilities included post-program design in collaboration with the content planner, stakeholder coordination, timeline management, and organizing and facilitating workshop activities to ensure strong participant engagement and meaningful learning outcomes.
2. What I Learned
Bridge experience → insight
One of the most important lessons I learned was the value of starting with real problems. The hackathon problem statements were defined by board-level leaders who could also become future project sponsors. Involving them early helped ensure the challenges were grounded in real organizational needs. It also made the program feel more meaningful, as teams knew their ideas had a real chance of being taken forward after the hackathon.
Through managing the program, I also realized that structure doesn’t limit creativity, it enables it. When goals were clear and activities were well designed, teams collaborated more effectively, even under tight timelines. A clear structure gave participants confidence and allowed them to focus their energy on solving problems rather than figuring out what to do next.
I gained a deeper appreciation for program management beyond logistics, especially in terms of participant learning design. By connecting workshops, mentoring sessions, and company visits into one continuous learning journey, participants were better able to see how ideas could work in the real world and prepare for the final pitch. Visits to SCBX helped participants understand large scale banking transformation, while sessions with Finnomena offered a startup and fintech perspective, including growth and IPO readiness. These experiences noticeably increased both engagement and the strategic depth of team ideas.
I also learned how critical stakeholder coordination is to a program’s success. Working closely with mentors, judges, content planners, and partner companies required constant alignment on expectations, timing, and objectives. Managing these relationships taught me how to balance different viewpoints while keeping everyone focused on the same overall goal.
Finally, I developed practical experience in resource and budget management. I learned how to make trade offs, prioritize high-impact activities, and adjust program elements when constraints arose while still protecting the quality of the learning experience and outcomes for participants.
3. What Challenged Me
Experience first, then framework thinking
One of the main challenges I faced was working with participants from diverse backgrounds and skill levels, particularly in terms of prior knowledge. While the program content was designed to introduce AI through a Design Thinking lens, we discovered after the first workshop that many participants were not familiar with Design Thinking concepts and struggled to connect the framework with the AI.
This gap affected participant confidence and engagement in the early stage of the program. In response, I needed to quickly reassess the learning approach rather than strictly follow the original plan. I worked with the content planner to rearrange the second workshop, shifting the focus toward building a clearer foundation in Design Thinking before progressing to Design Thinking × AI applications.
This experience challenged me to adapt my facilitation style and program design in real time, balancing time constraints with participant learning needs. It reinforced the importance of iterative program design, learner-centered thinking, and flexibility when delivering fast-paced programs like hackathons.
4. How I Grew
This is where frameworks & tools shine
Through this experience, I gained a much clearer understanding of how innovation actually happens in practice, especially through hackathon-style programs. I learned how ideas evolve step by step from defining the right problem at the beginning, to developing, refining, and finally pitching solutions and how important it is to support teams differently at each stage.
I also grew significantly in my role as a facilitator. Over time, I became more comfortable switching between being an instructor when teams needed structure and stepping back as a facilitator when teams needed space to think and collaborate. Designing and organizing workshops, as well as coordinating site visits, helped me see how learning experiences can shape the way participants think and approach problems.
One of the most important lessons for me was the value of getting the problem right from the start (ติดกระดุมเม็ดแรก). By guiding teams to clearly define their problem before moving into solution development, I saw noticeable improvements in the quality of ideas presented during semi pitching and final pitching sessions.
From a leadership perspective, I became more confident in supporting teams throughout the journey. Regular team check-ins allowed me to stay close to their progress, understand challenges early, and provide timely support. I also learned how crucial internal sponsors are in driving momentum, while external mentors helped teams step back and see their ideas from a broader perspective.
During the hackathon judging sessions, I gained valuable insight into how decisions are made from a board-level perspective. Observing how judges evaluated each team against strategic criteria helped me better understand what it takes for a team to progress to the internal final round.
Overall, this experience helped me shift from simply managing tasks to guiding people and processes, using feedback from check-ins and pitching sessions to continuously improve both the teams’ outcomes and the program itself.
5. How This Experience Will Help Me in the Future
Translate experience into value
This experience prepared me to take on end-to-end program management roles with greater confidence, from early planning and design through execution, iteration, and final delivery. Managing the hackathon allowed me to see the full innovation journey, from idea generation and problem scoping to prototyping and pitching, rather than working on isolated activities.
I now have a stronger understanding of how structured processes can drive innovation. Seeing how the right frameworks, timelines, and support systems help teams move from ideas to tangible outcomes has shaped how I approach future programs and projects.
The role also deepened my interest in learning design and continuous improvement. I realized that effective program management is not only about applying existing skills, but also about staying curious, updating my understanding of innovation and creation processes, and learning alongside the teams I support. When teams need guidance, I want to be able to offer informed recommendations or know when to bring in the right expertise.
Most importantly, this experience reinforced that strong program leadership draws on the full range of skills I have built over time facilitation, strategic thinking, communication, and collaboration. Going forward, I am better equipped to support teams as a trusted partner, helping them navigate uncertainty, make informed decisions, and turn ideas into meaningful impact.
be. design lab 