Hackathon 2026 at WellSky: A focused mini-sprint toward new ways of AI-enabled development
Each year, the WellSky Hackathon creates space to step away from day-to-day delivery and focus on how we build software together. Hackathon 2026 continued that tradition, while also raising the bar on experimentation and real outcomes. Held Feb. 4–6, the event brought WellSky’s technology organization together for a dedicated two-day sprint focused on building with AI-enabled tools.
This year’s Hackathon goal was clear: solve real problems, collaborate openly with peers, test new tools in realistic settings, and come away with progress that can be carried forward after the event.
A clear theme and a shared approach
This year’s theme emphasized a structured way of working with AI. Teams followed a consistent workflow that moved from research to planning, implementation, and validation, treating those steps as a connected process. That shared approach aligned teams across solutions, roles, and experience levels, bringing participants together to compare notes, share lessons, and develop a common language around how AI-enabled tools fit into their everyday development work.
Solving real problems with real teams
Participation spanned the entire WellSky technology organization, and projects ranged from improving reliability to building brand new processes and enhanced solutions. The common thread in the work was its foundation in actual, not hypothetical, use cases.
Showing the work, not the slides
Demos were the highlight of the week, and they followed one simple rule: show working software. Per Hackathon rules, there were no slide decks and no prerecorded videos. Teams demonstrated live code and running solutions, which allowed peers to see how ideas held up once they were put into practice.
The demo format reinforced the practical nature of the Hackathon. Rather than focusing on polish, teams focused on showing their progress, explaining their process, and discussing the decisions they made along the way.
What success looked like
The Hackathon 2026 judging criteria reflected the event’s goals. Teams were recognized for how effectively they used new tools, the real-world impact of their work, the technical ambition of their projects, and the overall quality of the working solutions they delivered. The criteria kept the spotlight on meaningful work but still appreciated teams who found clever ways through hard problems.
Carrying momentum forward
Hackathon 2026 was designed to serve as a starting point, not a box to check. Creating space for focused work and shared learning helped reinforce WellSky’s commitment to improving how we build together. Back in the flow of regular work, the results of Hackathon 2026 serve as a reminder that focus, curiosity, and hands-on experimentation can go a long way.
