Formerly HiDef, Cheesman Park-based
CauseLabs is a design and development firm specializing in one- to four-day "rapid solutions workshops," hackathon-style client collaborations to solve a defined problem.
"We get together and rapidly prototype solutions to your problem," says CEO T.J. Cook. Many workshops result in finished code and apps.
Cook says the new name and strategy stemmed from an internal program at HiDef. Every two months, the company would choose a problem, and staffers would divide into six teams for a day-long lab to solve it.
Several of these labs resulted in successes and products for the company, such as My Story, a storytelling app for kids, and PeakFoods.org, a website that identifies foods that are in season.
"Constrained time, constrained budget and constrained team size worked really well for us," says Cook. "It was really a heartbeat for us and a better reflection of who we are. We'd been hiding it and keeping it for ourselves."
In August, Cook and company took the big leap, rebranded the company to CauseLabs and moved the strategy out of the shadows and on to the front burner. Virtual labs start at about $3,000, but more involved labs typically take place face-to-face with clients and run $15,000 to $25,000.
The first CauseLab took place in September 2013 with Faith Comes By Hearing. "It was a very positive experience," says Cook of the two-day workshop.
CauseLabs continues to offer app and website design and development with a focus on clients involved with social, environmental and faith-based causes."
Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Eric Peterson with tips and leads for future stories at eric@confluence-denver.com.
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