Grad2Growth Devpost Writeup
Inspiration We noticed that many students, including ourselves, face uncertainty after graduation, from landing their first jobs, to managing finances, to finding affordable housing. The lack of a clear, guided pathway creates stress and missed opportunities. We wanted to create a platform that doesn't just hand out random advice, but learns from user input and provides actionable, tailored resources for post-grad success.
What it does
Grad2Growth is a personalized career and life assistant for new graduates:
Users create a profile with their goals (career path, desired cities, financial targets).
Grad2Growth matches users with:
Job listings
Financial literacy resources
Housing options
Career advice based on real-time market trends.
We also integrated Firebase authentication, chat services, and profile tracking so users can return and update their journeys over time.
How we built it
Frontend: HTML, JavaScript, CSS
Backend: Flask API running with Gunicorn inside a Docker container
Database: Firestore (Firebase)
Authentication: Firebase Auth
Hosting/Deployment: Render.com
Other Tools: Tempfile for secure credential management, environment variables for API keys, WSL2/Docker for development environment standardization.
Challenges we ran into
Setting up Firebase admin SDK with dynamic credentials during deployment without exposing secrets was tricky.
Learning how to Dockerize and deploy to Render while managing temporary files safely.
Gunicorn worker issues when initializing Firestore without pre-initialized app.
Handling the difference between local dev and production environments without breaking the app.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We fully deployed a containerized Flask app with database integration within the hackathon window.
We handled sensitive keys and credentials securely without hardcoding secrets.
We created a user-first experience, not just a static app, with profile saving, encryption, email auth, and learning recommendations.
What we learned
How to properly use Docker for Flask projects and why containerization is critical for smooth deployment.
The nuances between firebase_admin credentials loading and environment management across platforms.
Best practices for scalable authentication and database use in lightweight web apps.
Importance of planning not just the app features, but the full pipeline from local testing ➔ CI/CD ➔ production deployment.
What's next for Grad2Growth
Improving AI-powered mentor bot to give graduates real-time advice based on their field and goals.
Adding more context fields to user profiles
Integrating LinkedIn or Google Sign-In for easier onboarding.
Implementing analytics dashboards for users to track their applications, housing searches, and financial milestones.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.