This event is brought to you by Wildfire Labs in partnership with Elevate Rapid City.

 You don't need a technical co-founder, a funded engineering team, or six months of runway to get an idea off the ground. With the right tools and the right approach, you can go from a rough concept to a working app in a weekend, but only if you know which tools to use and how to scope the build so it's actually usable. 

In this session, we'll get hands-on with the fastest paths from idea to MVP: the AI tools reshaping rapid prototyping, the no-code and low-code platforms that let you skip months of development, and the scoping discipline that keeps a weekend build from turning into a never-ending project.

Key Takeaways

• Prototype at AI Speed: See how founders are using AI tools to go from sketch to working prototype in hours, not weeks.
• Build Without Code: Learn which no-code and low-code platforms can actually support a real MVP, and how to pick the right one.
• Scope to Ship: Learn how to define a minimum viable version of your idea, and ship something real by Monday.

About the Speaker:

Mason Grimshaw

Mason Grimshaw is a Sicangu Lakota data scientist and AI engineer based in Rapid City, South Dakota. He builds tools at the intersection of technology, the environment, and Indigenous communities, with experience spanning mission-driven organizations including The Earth Genome and Ode Partners, where he serves as a Partner in Data Science. Mason earned his bachelor’s degree from MIT and a Master of Business Analytics from MIT Sloan. Alongside his professional work, he co-founded the Lakota AI Code Camp, serves as Vice President of IndigiGenius, and has helped teach Python, data science, and AI concepts to Lakota youth. His work and community efforts have been featured by The New York Times, Forbes, Teen Vogue, and NBC News, and he has spoken at venues including TEDx Boston, NeurIPS, and the Axios +AI Summit. Mason’s work is guided by a commitment to building technology that serves communities rather than extracts from them.

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