Name: SoCo AI Solutions Challenge Sprint
Start: 2026-08-24T09:00:00.000-06:00
End: 2026-08-24T16:00:00.000-06:00
Location: Exponential Impact

Southern Colorado Startup Week (August 24–28) brings entrepreneurs, innovators, and community together in Colorado Springs, Florence, and Penrose.

SoCo Startup Week 2026

Monday, August 24th | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Exponential Impact HQ | Colorado Springs, CO

Forget theoretical AI demos. This is a hands-on working session where you'll use today's leading AI tools to tackle a real challenge facing our community.

Led by the team at BoodleBox, this immersive AI Innovation Sprint will focus on the theme of 

Community Revitalization for the City of Colorado Springs

. Participants will work together to explore real opportunities, develop creative ideas, and build AI-powered solutions that could help strengthen and revitalize our city.

Building on the theme of strengthening the community we live in, this event invites participants to explore one of three challenge tracks: Infrastructure, Public Safety, or Community Activation.

 Each track represents a key pillar of community revitalization in Colorado Springs and reflects priorities identified in the 

This workshop will help you move beyond simply using AI to 

thinking strategically about how to solve meaningful problems with it

Lowrance Curve — Define, Design, Create, Validate

 — a practical operating model for AI-enabled problem solving.

You'll start by defining the problem before choosing a tool. From there, you'll design an AI-enabled workflow, compare tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, BoodleBox, and other leading AI platforms, build a solution with your team, and validate your work through presentations and feedback.

After the morning sessions, participants will break into teams and take on a challenge within one of the three community revitalization tracks:

Each team will combine its members' unique perspectives and strengths to identify opportunities and develop creative, AI-powered solutions, with coaching and support from the BoodleBox team throughout the sprint.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, creator, founder, technology leader, educator, student, community leader, or professional from any industry, you'll leave with practical AI skills, new connections, and firsthand experience using AI to tackle a real-world challenge that matters to our community.

You don't need to be an AI expert or a civic policy expert to participate.

 Bring your perspective, creativity, curiosity, and willingness to collaborate. The sprint is designed to bring people from different backgrounds together to explore what's possible when local knowledge, human ingenuity, and AI come together.

The day concludes with team presentations, shared lessons learned, and an awards ceremony. Teams will showcase their solutions and demonstrate how AI can be applied thoughtfully and creatively to community revitalization in Colorado Springs.

 for demonstrating the most creative, effective, and impactful solution.

Anyone curious about applying AI to real work - founders, small business owners, developers, educators, technology leaders, creatives, students, and professionals from any industry.

9:00–9:45 AM — Define: Problem Solving with AI

Manual-first exercise, problem framing, and identifying where AI creates value.

9:45–10:30 AM — Design: AI Tools & Bot Stacking

Compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, BoodleBox, and other leading tools.

10:30–11:30 AM — Team Strategy Sessions

Form teams, choose challenges, and design AI-enabled workflows.

12:00–2:30 PM — Create: Team AI Build Time

Collaborate with your team and use AI tools to build a practical solution.

2:30–4:00 PM — Validate: Team Showcase, Awards & $500 Grand Prize

Present solutions, share lessons learned, and compete for the grand prize.

, pioneers in collaborative AI workflows and AI education.

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Please register only if you can commit to attending from 

, as each session builds on the previous one.

Come ready to collaborate, compete, and build. The winning team will receive a 

 for the most creative, effective, and impactful solution.

Join us for a full day of learning, building, and friendly competition, and leave with practical AI skills, new connections, and a real solution you helped create.

Use the doors on the south east side of the building where the Exponential Impact sign is on the building.