Hack the Globe

HerMarket - Empowering rural women to sell globally using AI and simple mobile tools

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💡 Inspiration

Millions of rural women around the world already produce high-quality handmade goods such as textiles, jewelry, and food products. However, they often rely on local middlemen who purchase these products at extremely low prices and resell them for significantly higher value.

We were inspired by this gap, not a lack of skill, but a lack of access. Women like Meera spend hours creating products by hand, yet have no control over pricing or market reach. We wanted to build a solution that removes these barriers and allows them to directly participate in the global economy.

⚙️ What it does

HerMarket is an AI-powered cooperative marketplace that allows rural women to sell their products globally using simple tools like WhatsApp.

Users can:

Send a photo and description of their product via WhatsApp Receive an AI-generated product listing with pricing and tags Reach global buyers through an online marketplace Sell through coordinated logistics supported by partners

The platform removes the need for digital literacy, making e-commerce accessible to underserved communities.

🛠️ How we built it

We built HerMarket as a full-stack application focused on accessibility and scalability.

Tech Stack: TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS

Frontend: React, Vite, Tailwind CSS

Backend: Node.js, Express

APIs / Integrations: Twilio WhatsApp API (user input via messaging) OpenRouter API (Gemini 2.0 Flash for AI-generated listings and pricing)

Hosting: Vercel (frontend), Railway (backend)

Storage: JSON-based product listing system

Architecture: Users submit products via WhatsApp → Twilio webhook receives input → AI generates listing → stored as pending → admin approves → product goes live on marketplace

⚠️ Challenges we ran into

Designing a system for users with low digital literacy Simplifying AI interaction into a photo + message flow Integrating WhatsApp with backend services in real time Simulating real-world logistics within a hackathon scope Balancing technical complexity with usability

🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully functional end-to-end pipeline from WhatsApp to marketplace Integrated AI in a way that directly reduces real-world barriers Created a scalable system using existing tools and behaviors Designed a solution with real global impact potential

📚 What we learned

Accessibility is more important than complexity when designing real-world solutions AI is most powerful when used to remove friction for users Building impactful tech requires understanding social and economic systems Rapid prototyping while maintaining clarity of vision

🚀 What's next for HerMarket

Expand to a mobile-first experience Add multi-language and voice support Partner with NGOs to pilot the platform in real communities Integrate real logistics and payment systems Improve AI pricing using real market data Scale to multiple regions globally

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