Ignite Rapid City
Schedule
Fri, 24 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm to Sun, 26 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
18 E. Main St., Rapid City, SD, United States, South Dakota 57701 | Rapid City, SD
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What if you could turn a real business idea into a working product in a single weekend?Elevate Rapid City is proud to co-host Ignite Rapid City alongside Wildfire Labs, South Dakota Mines, and IndigiGenius, sponsored by OpenAI Academy. This three-day event is open to founders, students, and community members who want to build something real; no coding experience required!
Here's how it works: the top 8 ideas will be selected to move forward. Teams form around those ideas and spend the weekend building working app prototypes using AI-powered tools through a process called "vibecoding": describing what you want in plain English and letting AI do the heavy lifting. We'll kick things off Friday, April 24 with a Vibecoding 101 session hosted by OpenAI, then build all day Saturday and into Sunday before pitching to a panel of judges. A total of $1,750 in prizes will be awarded, with $1,000 going to the top team.
Whether you're a founder with an idea ready to prototype, a student looking to put your skills to work, or a community member with a problem worth solving, there's a place for you on the team.
Registration is free, all meals are provided, and spots close April 20.
Who Should Apply?
// Founders: Have an idea you want prototyped? Bring it along and lead a team to build it!
// Community Members: Have skills to contribute or problems you need help solving? Join a team!
// South Dakota Mines Students: Any major, any skill level.
For more details, the full schedule, and registration: https://ignite-rc.wildfirelabs.io/
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Where is it happening?
18 E. Main St., Rapid City, SD, United States, South Dakota 57701Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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