# Summer AI Summit **Accord Network | August 25–27, 2026 | Ignatius House · Atlanta, GA** *Tools for Mission Impact: Building AI Solutions to Transform Your Organization* --- ## The Premise A year ago, only organizations with budgets over $50 million could afford to develop custom software solutions. That is no longer true. Current AI coding tools make it possible for an organization of any size to build the same caliber of internal systems that previously required six- and seven-figure development contracts. **The only friction is having one or two people willing to learn how to direct the build.** This three-day intensive proves that thesis — and sends every participant home with working software they built themselves. --- ## Schedule ### Tuesday, August 25 — Opening & The AI Question | Time | Session | | --- | --- | | 4:00 PM | Arrival and check-in at Ignatius House | | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | **Opening Keynote — Bill Simmons:** The case for owned infrastructure and what's possible for organizations of any size | | 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Dinner | | 7:00 – 8:30 PM | **Panel Discussion:** The theology, philosophy, and ethics of AI adoption in Christian mission organizations | | 8:30 PM | Wine, cheese, and informal conversation | ### Wednesday, August 26 — Learn & Build Day | Time | Session | | --- | --- | | 8:30 – 10:00 AM | **Keynote — Albert Chen:** AI strategy and roadmap design for resource-constrained organizations | | 10:00 – 10:30 AM | Break | | 10:30 AM – Noon | **Spec Document Workshop** — Participants build development plans from their pre-prepared organizational challenges. Facilitators circulate to help shape each plan. | | Noon – 1:00 PM | Lunch | | 1:00 – 6:00 PM | **Build Session** — Plans go into implementation with Claude Code. Facilitators present built tools throughout the afternoon and provide hands-on help as participants work through the architect–builder cycle. By dinner, participants have working software. | | 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Dinner | | Evening | Downtime — continued build time, troubleshooting, and casual discussion (optional) | ### Thursday, August 27 — Workshop & Departure | Time | Session | | --- | --- | | 9:00 – 11:00 AM | **Live Tool Solution Creation Workshop** — Facilitators take audience-driven challenges and build solutions in real time. Participants surface accumulated questions, edge cases, and opportunities from the build day. | | 11:00 AM | Departure | --- ## What Makes This Different **This is not a conference talk about AI. It is a construction site.** The playing field has been leveled. An organization with a $500,000 budget and one person willing to learn Claude Code can now build the same custom solutions that were previously available only to organizations with $50–100 million budgets and dedicated IT departments. The intensive proves this thesis by having every participant do it in two days. **Hope Rises International** (17 staff, Greenville, SC) has used Claude Code to build a portfolio of production systems — an autonomous inbox agent, a fundraising intelligence dashboard suite, Salesforce data pipelines, financial reporting tools, and an internal tools portal — representing development value well over $1 million. No developers were hired. No new software licenses were required beyond Claude. The CEO built the systems himself. **Anago** (Cambridge, MA) partners with resource-constrained teams across the nonprofit sector to design and implement AI roadmaps. Albert Chen has trained nonprofit teams through TechSoup, the Murdock Trust Leadership Now conference, and Accord's own OneAccord conference. --- ## Participant Requirements 1. **Pre-identified organizational challenges.** Arrive with at least three described opportunities — systems that could be automated, platforms that could be linked, reporting tools that don't exist, workflows that are currently manual. Include enough context that a facilitator unfamiliar with your organization can understand the problem. 2. **A laptop capable of running Claude Code.** This is a terminal-based tool that requires a modern laptop (Mac, Windows, or Linux). Chromebooks and tablets will not work. 3. **A paid Claude subscription.** Participants will need a Claude Pro subscription (minimum) that includes Claude Code access. Specific plan details and setup instructions will be provided in advance. Facilitators will provide guidance on configuring Claude Code permissions to maximize build velocity. Pre-event instructions will cover setup details. --- ## Pricing Includes accommodations and meals at Ignatius House. Final pricing to be confirmed by Accord Network. | Option | Price | | --- | --- | | Full event (Aug 25–27) | $525 – $625 | --- ## About the Venue **Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center** sits on 20 wooded acres overlooking the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs, Georgia — minutes north of Atlanta. The facility includes meeting spaces, private rooms with bathrooms, communal dining, and 1.5 miles of trail. The retreat setting is intentional: the opening discussions about theology, vocation, and AI warrant a reflective environment, and the build day benefits from the focused isolation that a retreat center provides over a hotel conference room. **Address:** Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center 6700 Riverside Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30328 [ignatiushouse.org](https://www.ignatiushouse.org) --- ## Facilitators **Bill Simmons** *President & CEO, Hope Rises International · Chair, Accord Network Board* Pioneering the use of cloud coding tools that transform organizations for mission impact. Over the past year, Bill has built a portfolio of owned, production-grade systems using Claude Code — with no prior software development experience and no hired developers — representing over $1 million in development value. His approach treats AI as a power tool that builds owned institutional infrastructure: the intelligence lives in the systems, not in the AI. **Albert Chen** *Co-founder & CEO, Anago* 19 years across startups, corporations, and nonprofits. Five years scaling an NGO in Mexico City through technology solutions. Regular conference speaker who has delivered AI workshops for TechSoup, the Murdock Trust, and Accord's OneAccord conference. His research on 240 nonprofit professionals revealed that 63% haven't begun AI adoption and 86% rely on personal, ungoverned AI accounts. --- ## Register [**Register Now →**](https://accordnetwork.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F38008) For questions, contact the Accord Network office. --- *© 2026 Accord Network · Serving the global poor together.*