About the challenge

Communication used to mean one thing: pick up the phone, talk to another person. DIALED IN asks you to redefine who gets to communicate — and how.

The Dialed In Builder Challenge, presented by CreateHER Fest in partnership with Vonage, invites builders, creators, developers, designers, and emerging technologists to explore what becomes possible when immersive technology meets real-time communication. 

Extending the five-city Dialed In WebXR Workshop Series, this challenge gives participants an opportunity to take what they have learned - or jump in from wherever they are - and transform an idea into their own unique interactive experience. Every DIALED IN workshop ends with builders creating a live WebXR experience wired to Vonage's Voice API. The Builder Challenge expands that moment into a connected, multi-city ingenuity competition with one shared showcase across Miami, Atlanta, Durham, Washington DC, and New York.

The ask:

Redefine communication and build your own experience leveraging the Vonage Voice API.

Get started

Step 1 — Get DIALED IN! Attend a DIALED IN workshop in person or join a livestream

These are hands-on, in-person build nights. DC and New York are also livestreamed for virtual builders.

• 📍 Miami — August 4th → Register
• 📍 Atlanta — August 11th → Register
• 📍 Durham — August 18th → Register
• 📍 Washington DC — August 20th (in person + livestream) → Register
• 📍 New York — August 25th (in person + livestream) → Register

Step 2 — Build with the starter kit

Use the tutorial and codespace provided at your session — it already includes a working call-connect flow, so you're not starting from zero.

Step 3 — You've got the basics down, now Freestyle 

Use the challenge period to experiment, learn, collaborate, and further develop your project through the inspiration of four lenses: Connection, Play, Access, and Real-World Use.

Step 4 — Get support during your 14-day build window

Join our Discord at discord.gg/createherfest — that's where challenge support, feedback, and your fellow builders live after the workshop.

Step 5 — Watch the clock! Submit before your city's deadline

Each city has its own 14-day submission window starting from workshop night. Submit your project here on Devpost before your city's deadline closes.

• Technical Execution
  Does your build work? Judges evaluate whether the Voice API is meaningfully integrated and functional — not just present. Craft over complexity; a clean demo that does one thing well outscores an ambitious build that breaks.
• Creativity & Originality
  Did you use the Voice API in a way that surprises us? Judges want an unexpected use case or a fresh combination of voice and something else. Don't just build what the tutorial taught you — build what only you would think to build.
• Real-World Potential
  Who is this for and why does it matter? Judges want a clear problem, a real user, and a believable path to impact. Your build doesn't need to be polished — but the idea should feel like it could actually live in the world.
• Presentation Quality
  Your demo video is your submission — max 5 minutes. Judges should watch it and understand what you built, why, and how it works. Show the Voice API in action. Narrate what's happening (or use AI to create a voice over).