2026 FALL WORKSHOP
Contents
01
About
02
Hackathon
03
Agenda
01
About
Our purpose is to develop effective solutions that address real user challenges. We're setting out to understand the core mental models and workflows of our user base, explore the most significant pain points, and develop solutions connected to clearly defined problems. At the end of our workshop, Vulcan teams will have built solutions to
02
Hackathon
Our goal is to develop effective solutions that address current user pain points. We're setting out to understand the core mental models and workflows of our gov partners and empathize with their journeys. Next, Vulcan teams will break away to rapidly build relevant solutions connected to clearly defined problems. At the end of the Hackathon, Vulcan teams will brief their prototypes and their path to full implementation in Vulcan.
03
Agenda
scroll for more
MON • AUG 31
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Welcome + Keynote
CEO opens the event with our national security mission, the goals of the workshop, and rationale for the hackathon missions.
0930
Icebreaker
Everyone introduces themselves and shares their perspective.
1000
Break!
Leadership and product present our roadmap and open up the floor for questions.
1100
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1100
Engage with Guests
Design team leads us through a session to conduct meaningful user interviews with our guests to help shape our Hackathon projects.
1130
User Research Preparation
Vulcan teams refine their user research approach for the interview and rotational user feedback session.
1200
Lunch
Enjoy a taco bar and refreshments catered by Mission!
1300
User Research Interview
Vulcan teams interview one gov partners to learn more about their programs, objectives, and pain points.
1400
Rotational User Feedback Session
Guests rotate between Vulcan teams to provide insights and learn about each mission.
1500
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1515
Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Presentation
Engineering will share a practical overview of available hackathon resources and toolbox for the Vulcan teams
1530
JTBD and Solution Brainstorming
Vulcan teams brainstorm JTBD and potential solutions for their hackathon missions.
1600
Wrap-up
In this session, teams will bridge the gap between user insights and tangible solutions through rapid ideation and collaborative sketching. By iterating on low-fidelity prototypes with direct input from our guest users, we will refine our concepts and build a blueprint for tomorrow’s sessions.
TUE • SEP 01
0900
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Scoping your MVP
Clear problems leads to focused solutions. This session should build upon the JTBD and initial ideas that were outlined on Day 1. Product Team will discuss how to strip solutions down to a core MVP.
1030
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1045
Team Share and Feedback
Teams will share about their plan of attack and get feedback from everyone. Rapid fire style, each team sharing in 5 minutes or less.
1145
Lunch
Enjoy sandwiches & chips.
1300
Hackathon Begins
1700
End of Day 2
Clean up before you clear out.
1715
Dinner + Social
In this session, teams will bridge the gap between user insights and tangible solutions through rapid ideation and collaborative sketching. By iterating on low-fidelity prototypes with direct input from our guest users, we will refine our concepts and build a blueprint for tomorrow’s sessions.
0915
MVP working session
Teams have time to scope their MVPs and JTBD.
WED • SEP 02
Internal Team Only
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0930
Hackathon Time
Attendees join their groups and continue building their projects.
1230
Lunch
Lunch catered by Nandos-Peri Peri (veggie options available)!
1330
Hackathon Time
1700
End of Day 3
Close up and roll out!
1715
Dinner & Social
In this session, teams will bridge the gap between user insights and tangible solutions through rapid ideation and collaborative sketching. By iterating on low-fidelity prototypes with direct input from our guest users, we will refine our concepts and build a blueprint for tomorrow’s sessions.
0830
Announcements
THUR • SEP 03
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Announcements
Today is the final day of the hackathon. Teams will submit their solutions by 12 noon.
1140
Lunch
Enjoy sandwiches & chips. Teams celebrate the completion of the hackathon!
1100
Hackathon Submission Due
1100
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
Hackathon Groups 1 and 2 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1430
Cylitix Team Building Outing
A huge round of applause to the Vulcan teams and a thank you to our partners for your invaluable collaboration! The Cylitix team heads to their team building activity.
Escape Room (exact one TBD)Address TBD
1225
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
Hackathon Groups 3 and 4 will discuss their projects, demo their work, share their findings, and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1305
Break
1315
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
Hackathon Groups 5 and 6 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
0930
Hackathon Time
1355
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
All participants will have time to assess each hackathon project.
1420
Wrap up
FRI • SEP 04
Internal Team Only
0900
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Workshop Debrief
Join Jawad in a discussion and debrief of the workshop and hackathon.
1030
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1015
Spotlight Sessions
Operations Director facilitates a session on operational excellence and collaboration.
1130
Workshop Concludes
Safe travels to all of those who traveled in!
© 2026 CYLITIX LLC. All rights reserved.
2026 FALL WORKSHOP
Contents
01
About
02
Hackathon
03
Agenda
01
About
Our purpose is to develop effective solutions that address real user challenges. We're setting out to understand the core mental models and workflows of our user base, explore the most significant pain points, and develop solutions connected to clearly defined problems. At the end of our workshop, Vulcan teams will have built solutions to
02
Hackathon
Our goal is to develop effective solutions that address current user pain points. We're setting out to understand the core mental models and workflows of our gov partners and empathize with their journeys. Next, Vulcan teams will break away to rapidly build relevant solutions connected to clearly defined problems. At the end of the Hackathon, Vulcan teams will brief their prototypes and their path to full implementation in Vulcan.
03
Agenda
scroll for more
MON • AUG 31
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Scoping your MVP
CEO opens the event with our national security mission, the goals of the workshop, and rationale for the hackathon missions.
0930
Icebreaker
Everyone introduces themselves and shares their perspective.
1000
Break!
Leadership and product present our roadmap and open up the floor for questions.
1100
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1100
Engage with Guests
Design team leads us through a session to conduct meaningful user interviews with our guests to help shape our Hackathon projects.
1130
User Research Preparation
Vulcan teams refine their user research approach for the interview and rotational user feedback session.
1200
Lunch
Enjoy a taco bar and refreshments catered by Mission!
1300
User Research Interview
Vulcan teams interview one gov partners to learn more about their programs, objectives, and pain points.
1400
Rotational User Feedback Session
Guests rotate between Vulcan teams to provide insights and learn about each mission.
1500
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1515
Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Presentation
Engineering will share a practical overview of available hackathon resources and toolbox for the Vulcan teams
1530
JTBD and Solution Brainstorming
Vulcan teams brainstorm JTBD and potential solutions for their hackathon missions.
1600
Wrap-up
In this session, teams will bridge the gap between user insights and tangible solutions through rapid ideation and collaborative sketching. By iterating on low-fidelity prototypes with direct input from our guest users, we will refine our concepts and build a blueprint for tomorrow’s sessions.
1600
Wrap up
Taberna Del Alabardero
1776 I St NWWashington, DC 20006
TUE • SEP 01
0900
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Scoping your MVP
Clear problems leads to focused solutions. This session should build upon the JTBD and initial ideas that were outlined on Day 1. Product Team will discuss how to strip solutions down to a core MVP.
1030
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1045
Team Share and Feedback
Teams will share about their plan of attack and get feedback from everyone. Rapid fire style, each team sharing in 5 minutes or less.
1145
Lunch
Enjoy sandwiches & chips.
1300
Hackathon Begins
1700
End of Day 2
Clean up before you clear out.
1715
Dinner + Social
In this session, teams will bridge the gap between user insights and tangible solutions through rapid ideation and collaborative sketching. By iterating on low-fidelity prototypes with direct input from our guest users, we will refine our concepts and build a blueprint for tomorrow’s sessions.
0915
MVP working session
Teams have time to scope their MVPs and JTBD.
WED • SEP 02
Internal Team Only
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0930
Hackathon Time
Attendees join their groups and continue building their projects.
1230
Lunch
Lunch catered by Nandos-Peri Peri (veggie options available)!
1330
Hackathon Time
1700
End of Day 3
Close up and roll out!
1715
Dinner & Social
In this session, teams will bridge the gap between user insights and tangible solutions through rapid ideation and collaborative sketching. By iterating on low-fidelity prototypes with direct input from our guest users, we will refine our concepts and build a blueprint for tomorrow’s sessions.
0830
Announcements
THUR • SEP 03
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Announcements
Today is the final day of the hackathon. Teams will submit their solutions by 12 noon.
1140
Lunch
Enjoy sandwiches & chips. Teams celebrate the completion of the hackathon!
1100
Hackathon Submission Due
1100
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
Hackathon Groups 1 and 2 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1430
Cylitix Team Building Outing
A huge round of applause to the Vulcan teams and a thank you to our partners for your invaluable collaboration! The Cylitix team heads to their team building activity.
Escape Room (exact one TBD)Address TBD
1225
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
Hackathon Groups 3 and 4 will discuss their projects, demo their work, share their findings, and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1305
Break
1315
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
Hackathon Groups 5 and 6 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
0930
Hackathon Time
1355
Team Presentations & Project Assessments
All participants will have time to assess each hackathon project.
1420
Wrap up
FRI • SEP 04
Internal Team Only
0900
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Workshop Debrief
Join Jawad in a discussion and debrief of the workshop and hackathon.
1030
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1015
Spotlight Sessions
Operations Director facilitates a session on operational excellence and collaboration.
1130
Workshop Concludes
Safe travels to all of those who traveled in!
© 2026 CYLITIX LLC. All rights reserved.
© 2026 CYLITIX LLC. All rights reserved.
2026 FALL WORKSHOP
Contents
01
About
02
Hackathon
03
Agenda
01
About
We are at a pivotal moment where a rapidly evolving threat landscape converges with an unprecedented pace of technological innovation. Our Joint Force must adapt faster than our adversaries can anticipate or counter. Winning on future battlefields depends on our ability to enable strategic surprise. Vulcan is designed to help enable that transformation, and we want to hear directly from the teams on the front lines of defense innovation, experimentation, and acquisition. Together, we’ll explore user challenges, map operational workflows, and rapidly prototype solutions that strengthen the SOF and defense innovation ecosystem.
Join us at the Midtown Center in DC to identify critical user challenges, map operational workflows, and transition to a hackathon to prototype solutions within Vulcan.
02
Hackathon
Our goal is to develop effective solutions that address current user pain points. We're setting out to understand the core mental models and workflows of our gov partners and empathize with their journeys. Next, Vulcan teams will break away to rapidly build relevant solutions connected to clearly defined problems. At the end of the Hackathon, Vulcan teams will brief their prototypes and their path to full implementation in Vulcan.
03
Agenda
MON • AUG 31
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Welcome and Keynote
CEO opens the event with our national security mission, the goals of the workshop, and rationale for the hackathon missions.
0945
Icebreaker
Everyone introduces themselves and shares their perspective.
1000
Roadmap Q&A
Leadership and product provide a preview of the upcoming roadmap, highlighting near-term features and planned improvements for the Vulcan platform. The floor is then open for questions.
1100
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1115
User Research Presentation
Design team leads us through a session to conduct meaningful user interviews that help shape our Hackathon missions.
1130
Preparation for User Interview and Rotational Session
Vulcan teams refine their user research approach for the interview and rotational user feedback session.
1200
Lunch
Enjoy a taco bar and refreshments catered by Mission!
1300
User Research Interview
Vulcan teams interview guests to learn more about their programs, objectives, and pain points.
1400
Rotational User Feedback Session
Guests rotate between Vulcan teams to provide insights and learn about each mission.
1500
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1515
Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) Presentation
Product team leads us through the JTBD framework and how it can be applied.
1530
JTBD and Solution Brainstorming
Vulcan teams brainstorm JTBD and potential solutions for their hackathon missions.
1600
Wrap-up and Q&A
CEO concludes the day and opens up the floor for additional Q&A.
A big thank you to our guests who were able to join us.
1730
Cylitix team dinner
Taberna Del Alabardero
1776 I St NWWashington, DC 20006
TUE • SEP 01
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Scoping Your MVP
Clear problems leads to focused solutions. This session should build upon the JTBD and initial ideas that were outlined on Day 1. Product Team will discuss how to strip solutions down to a core MVP.
0915
MVP working session
Teams have time to scope their MVPs and JTBD.
1030
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1045
Team Share and Feedback
Teams will share about their plan of attack and get feedback from everyone. Rapid fire style, each team sharing in 5 minutes or less.
1145
Lunch
Enjoy sandwiches & chips.
1300
Hackathon Begins
1700
End of Day 2
Clean up before you clear out.
1715
Dinner & Social
Optional: Coordinate with colleagues and find somewhere to eat or hang out if you want! (No sponsored events tonight)
WED • SEP 02
Today’s activities are in Rosslyn: WeWork 1201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22209
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Announcements
0930
Hackathon Time
Attendees join their groups and continue building their projects.
1230
Lunch
Lunch catered by Nandos-Peri Peri (veggie options available)!
1330
Hackathon Time
1700
End of Day 3
Close up and roll out!
1715
Dinner & Social
Optional: No company sponsored hangouts tonight
THUR • SEP 03
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Announcements
Today is the final day of the hackathon. Vulcan teams submit their solutions by 11am.
0930
Hackathon Time
1100
Hackathon Submission Due
1100
Team Presentations P1
Hackathon Groups 1 and 2 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1140
Lunch
Enjoy sandwiches & chips. Teams celebrate the completion of the hackathon!
1225
Team Presentations P2
Hackathon Groups 3 and 4 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1305
Break
1315
Team Presentations P3
Hackathon Groups 5 and 6 will present their work and field questions from everyone in attendance.
Guests are welcome to join us for the presentations.
1355
Hackathon Assessments
All attendees will are given time to assess each hackathon project based on the presentations.
1420
Wrap up
1430
Cylitix Team Building Outing
A huge round of applause to the Vulcan teams and a thank you to our partners for your invaluable collaboration! The Cylitix team heads to their team building activity.
Escape room groups are staggered with team members relaxing at Dirty Habit in-between.
The Escape Game DC950 F Street NW, Suite 106Washington, DC 20004
Dirty Habit555 8th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
FRI • SEP 04
Internal Team Only
0830
Breakfast
Join us for some light bites to start the day off right.
0900
Workshop Debrief
Join Jawad in a discussion and debrief of the workshop and hackathon.
1000
Break
Grab water, use the restroom, and stretch your legs.
1015
Spotlight Sessions
Operations Director facilitates a session on operational excellence and collaboration.
1130
Workshop Concludes
Safe travels to all of those who traveled in!
© 2026 CYLITIX LLC. All rights reserved.