Humanity Innovation Labs

04/28/2026

I’m incredibly proud of our first cohort of the XI Discovery Accelerator — Idea to MVP.

A sincere thank you to Exponential Impact for the opportunity to design and build this program from the ground up—and for the continued support from Max Cupp, Coral Laski, Jon-Michael Horst, and Rachel Maxwell. This vision came to life through collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to helping founders build what’s next.

In just four weeks, these founders moved from early concept through problem definition → user validation → MVP development → testing & pitch—emerging with real, working vibe-coded applications, clear product stories, brand direction, company foundations, and live websites. All powered by an AI-first approach to product development.

Cohort Highlights

Sabrina Lynn (RestUPP)
A human-centered support platform combining services + AI to help individuals navigate complex life moments
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinahepler/
Website: https://restupp.com/ | App: https://app.restupp.com

Elisha Niebuhr (Project Ready / Modern Interior Company)
An interior design logistics and fulfillment platform streamlining procurement, tracking, and ex*****on at scale
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisha-niebuhr-a6b5194a/
Website: https://www.projectready.app/

Eliot Ferstl (Pando Core)
A runtime security platform delivering a zero-configuration ex*****on layer to protect production environments
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eaferstl/
Website: https://pandocore.xyz | Portal: https://portal.pandocore.xyz

Jarrod Stewart (BlackBear AI)
A secure AI marketing infrastructure enabling privacy-first, compliant customer engagement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrod-stewart/
Website: https://blackbear-ai.com

Huge congratulations to each founder for the focus, speed, and intentionality you brought to this process. Building at this level in four weeks is no small feat.

A special thank you to our industry experts—Dr. Shawn Murray, Jenna Price, David Silva, Evyn White, Trevor Hile, and Mago Lauritzen—for engaging deeply, listening closely, and providing critical feedback at such a pivotal stage in these journeys.

This is why the program exists—to turn ideas into real, testable products with clarity, intention, and momentum.

On to the next cohort.

04/09/2026

This discovery accelerator that we are leading with Exponential Impact encapsulates the essence of how ideas need to be developed in order to evolve over time to mature a product solution. It takes effort, experimentation, and desire. If you have been sitting on an idea bank in your mind - come join our next accelerator in June… let us help you create your first product.

04/09/2026

We recently cohosted a session with exponential impact to vibe code our way back to the 80’s with a modern twist on pacman, space invaders, and frogger. All of the participants exceeded expectations… stay tuned for more playful opportunities to upskill with cutting edge technologies….

03/31/2026

Last night, the Pikes Peak Business & Education Alliance (PPBEA) hosted its 8th Regional Career Pathway Summit for the Pikes Peak region at Sand Creek High School in Colorado Springs—bringing together over 300 educators, industry leaders, and community partners committed to building the future workforce.

This year’s summit reflected the strength and momentum of PPBEA’s mission—aligning education and industry through career-connected learning. With more than a dozen breakout advisory boards, conversations focused on actionable pathways across sectors, all centered on workforce readiness and real-world application.

Stephanie Hubbard proudly serves as Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Advisory Board, where our work is deeply aligned with the Colorado Department of Education and the state’s “Big Three” framework for postsecondary and workforce readiness:

12 college credits
Industry credential or apprenticeship
Work-based learning (30+ hours, internships, or industry-sponsored projects)

The goal is clear: every student graduates with at least one of these experiences, ensuring they are prepared for both career and continued education.

The impact across the region is already tangible:

1,780 students enrolled in pathway programs
5,219 career-connected learning interactions
4,431 unique job postings in 2025
Strong participation from over 40 industry representatives

This is what a homegrown talent pipeline looks like for El Paso and Teller Counties.

The summit and specifically the advanced manufacturing & engineering advisory showcased powerful collaboration between education and industry:

*Student-led insights, including a compelling CTE testimonial
*Industry-sponsored projects tackling real manufacturing challenges
*Internship pathways focused on automation, programming, and entry-level skills
*Engineering lab tours highlighting hands-on learning in CNC, 3D printing, and advanced fabrication
*Special Recognition: Board & Presenters

A sincere thank you to our Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Advisory Board—a dedicated group of 11 members spanning education and industry—who continuously put in the work to move this ecosystem forward. Your leadership, alignment, and commitment are what make this pathway real and scalable.

A special callout to our presenters and contributors who brought the session to life:

*CTE student voice (LUNA), grounding the work in real experience and impact
*Education leaders (Annie Peterschick and Ken Cox D49) who shared the latest on the Big Three framework and how it translates into opportunity
*Industry partners advancing internships, automation, and entry-level skill development (Joel Orn - Entegris)
*Manufacturing leaders showcasing Industry-Sponsored Projects (ISP), including real-world design challenges like wafer handling solutions (Batina Alosis - Comp2026)
*Regional collaborators creating competitions and hands-on challenges that connect students directly to industry needs
*Engineering educators who opened their labs, demonstrating the next generation of talent working across CNC, 3D printing, and advanced manufacturing technologies (Samantha Baumgartner - Microchip)

This level of collaboration—across board members, presenters, and partners—is exactly what makes PPBEA’s model so impactful.

Call to Action
If you’re a local manufacturer or industry partner in the Colorado Springs region and want to play a role in shaping the next generation workforce, now is the time to get involved. Whether through internships, industry-sponsored projects, or advisory participation—there’s a clear path to engage and make an impact.

Let’s continue creating a workforce ecosystem that is not only responsive—but future-ready.

Check Out The Latest News: https://www.fox21news.com/news/local/summit-aligns-education-with-workforce-needs-in-pikes-peak-region/

03/20/2026

This educators that vibe design challenge was phenomenal and the collaboration between the teachers using generative ai tools to create solutions to challenges they face every day in the classroom, was practical and forward leaning. Thank you for partnering together and bringing this to the educators.

03/19/2026

Partnering with Babcock High School on this generative ai initiative has been incredibly valuable for the educators and the students in exposing them to a variety of tools, methods, and best practices to drive innovation and foster creative learning and development. Thank you for pioneering this effort and exposing students to what’s possible to keep them engaged and excited about the future.

02/26/2026

Great being part of the Colorado gathering with Plug and Play Tech Center focused on the AI Center of Excellence conversations. The room was full of builders, operators, and innovators — and it showed.

Strong signals of progress across AI in physical industries, from early R&D to real-world scale. Lots of practical insight, open collaboration, and the kind of dialogue that helps move ideas forward faster. Colorado’s innovation community is clearly stepping up.

Big thanks to Connor Dugan for bringing such a strong group together — really enjoyed contributing to the conversation and energy in the room.

About Plug and Play:Plug and Play is a global innovation platform based in Silicon Valley, connecting startups, corporations, VCs, universities, and governme...

02/25/2026

AI Crafts recap -

We participated in an incredible evening with our software partner Bobcats Coding (Budapest) for their 10th Craft event here in Colorado!

Highlights:
• Panel with Bobcats Coding: Real-world insights on AI-native product development and team design — featuring their AI Team Augmentation Guide.
• Speed Networking with Humanity Innovation Labs: Our high-energy speed networking AI Exchange designed for founders, CTOs, and product leaders to share:

• What they’re building with AI
• Where they’re stuck
• What would accelerate progress

Connections, conversations, and AI ideas sparked all night — exactly what AI ex*****on looks like when hype is left at the door.

Thank you to Fazekas and Dora Papp-Gyuris for inviting us to be a part of this event with you - you all are amazing dev partners... And for everyone who joined us in Boulder! Let’s keep innovating what’s next.

Bobcats Coding

02/24/2026

We hosted an incredible evening with Humanity Innovation Labs™ and our software partner Bobcats Coding (Budapest) for their 10th hashtag Craft event here in Colorado!

Highlights:

• Panel with Bobcats Coding: Real-world insights on AI-native product development and team design — featuring their AI Team Augmentation Guide.

• Speed Networking with Humanity Innovation Labs: Our high-energy speed networking AI Exchange designed for founders, CTOs, and product leaders to share:

• What they’re building with AI
• Where they’re stuck
• What would accelerate progress

Connections, conversations, and AI ideas sparked all night — exactly what AI ex*****on looks like when hype is left at the door.

Thank you to Barbara Fazekas and Dora Papp-Gyuris for inviting us to be a part of this event with you - you all are amazing dev partners... And for everyone who joined us in Boulder! Let’s keep innovating what’s next.

01/29/2026

THE “PILOT PURGATORY” TRAP

A pilot dazzles leadership. Early metrics look good. Then… it stalls. Months pass. Teams shrink. That breakthrough quietly dies.
It’s not a tech problem. It’s a design problem.

Industrial R&D stalls when:
• Users aren’t involved early
• Workflows are idealized, not real
• Adoption is assumed, not designed
• Scaling is treated as “just” a technical issue

The fix? Design for scale from day one:
1. Assess readiness—technical, operational, human
2. Build adoption into workflows, interfaces, and trust
3. Align IT, operations, R&D, and business before scaling
4. Create operational processes that sustain growth

R&D doesn’t fail because the idea isn’t good.
It fails when it isn’t ready to scale.

Start with an R&D Readiness Assessment before your next pilot.
hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag Humanity Innovation Labs

Read More: https://lnkd.in/eckQZqPQ