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Artificial Intelligence is evolving quickly, and at Ingage Partners we believe the best way to understand it is through hands-on experience. Building meaningful capability with AI means exploring new tools individually. We learn together, experimenting in real environments, and sharing knowledge across teams and communities.
On top of augmented and agentic AI client work, members of our team have been participating in events, hackathons, and community initiatives focused on exploring how AI can be applied responsibly and effectively. These experiences help our teams stay curious, build practical familiarity with emerging tools, and strengthen the culture of learning that defines Ingage.
Below are a few recent ways our teams have been expanding their knowledge and contributing to the broader technology community.
C3 Meet Up Event
Our team continues to grow through C3 (Code, Craft, and Community) - a developer meetup focused on practicing our craft, mentoring one another, and creating space for engineers at different experience levels to learn together.
While C3 is centered on building strong engineering habits and community, the most recent February meetup included an opportunity for teams to experiment with AI-augmented development practices. By getting hands on the keyboard and exploring the tools collaboratively, participants were able to move beyond the surrounding hype and gain practical insight into how AI can support real development workflows.
The session reinforced an important balance: AI can expand what developers feel confident attempting and accelerate experimentation, but strong planning, thoughtful oversight, and collaboration remain essential. Sharing both successes and challenges helped the group build collective knowledge while staying grounded in the core purpose of C3, learning together and growing as developers.
Projects/ experiments explored:
Teams experimented with small development projects, including a text-based adventure game and an AI-assisted workflow tool, using them as practical ways to explore how AI can support development tasks.
Tools/ AI agents tested:
Participants experimented with several AI-enabled development tools and models, including Claude and Gemini, along with agent-based workflows designed to assist with coding, reviewing, and navigating codebases.
Team reflections or lessons learned:
Many participants noted that AI can make it easier to experiment with ideas that might otherwise feel too time-consuming to attempt. At the same time, clear direction, strong engineering practices, and careful review remain critical to producing reliable results.
Ingage AI Hackathon
Hands-on experimentation is one of the most effective ways to learn new technology. During our recent Ingage Hackathon, team members came together to explore ideas, test AI tools, and build prototypes in a collaborative environment.
The event encouraged creativity, problem solving, and knowledge sharing across teams. By experimenting with new tools in a low-risk setting, our developers and technologists were able to gain practical insight into how AI can enhance workflows, improve development processes, and support innovative solutions.
Project ideas/ prototypes built:
Teams focused on rebuilding and reimagining Contributr, an app that allows us to celebrate the achievements of our fellow Ingagers at the end of year using it as a shared foundation to explore different approaches to AI-assisted development and product thinking.
Tools/ AI platforms explored:
Claude Code was a primary tool, alongside platforms like VS Code and Miro for wireframing and product design. Teams also experimented with multi-agent workflows and assigning specialized roles to AI to support development.
Team collaboration moments/ outcomes:
The hackathon emphasized learning through shared experience, with sessions led by Jason and Jim (External SMEs) on multi-agent development and more environmentally conscious use of LLMs. Teams approached problems in different ways, then came together to share insights, compare workflows, and expand their understanding of how AI can be applied in practice.
Southwest Ohio GiveCamp
Our participation in Southwest Ohio GiveCamp reflects another important part of our culture: using technology to support our communities.
GiveCamp brings developers, designers, and technologists together to build technology solutions for nonprofit organizations. Events like this create an opportunity to apply technical skills while learning alongside peers who share a passion for meaningful impact.
This year also highlighted how quickly the technology landscape is evolving. AI-enabled development tools are changing how teams approach problem solving, allowing ideas to move from concept to working solution faster than ever. At the same time, the experience reinforced that strong collaboration, thoughtful planning with nonprofit partners, and clear communication remain just as important as the tools themselves.
For our team, the weekend was an opportunity not only to contribute technical expertise, but also to experiment with new approaches, exchange ideas with other technologists, and continue building familiarity with emerging technologies such as AI-augmented development and new optimization techniques for AI-driven search.
Nonprofits supported and solutions worked on:
Teams partnered with several nonprofit organizations to deliver a range of digital solutions. Projects included website rebuilding, platform enhancements, and custom web applications designed to support operational needs.
Organizations supported included Wood Hudson Cancer Research Center (website rebuild), Discover Classical (addition of a streaming player), National Commission for Black Art & Entertainment (WordPress site updates), Super Heroines, Etc. (custom web-based “quest board” application), Autism Connections (custom call-center tracking application), and Giving Voice Foundation (website refresh).
Team reflections or lessons learned:
One of the biggest takeaways from the weekend was how AI-augmented development accelerated what teams were able to deliver. In several cases, building custom solutions with AI support allowed teams to move faster and implement more features than if they had focused on enhancing an existing WordPress site. At the same time, the experience highlighted that many CMS platforms still have room to evolve to better support modern, AI-assisted development workflows.
Our Culture is Embedded in Learning and Exploration
Building AI fluency for Ingage is about staying curious, experimenting responsibly, and continuing to grow our collective understanding of how technology can be used to create meaningful impact for our clients and community.
Through events, hackathons, and community initiatives, our teams are building the knowledge and experience needed to apply AI thoughtfully and effectively in the work we do every day.
And as these experiences continue, so will the conversations, experimentation, and collaboration that help us learn together.
