San Diego | Claude Impact Lab
Real civic problems. Real city data. One day to build something that matters.
Join us for Anthropic's first Claude Impact Lab — a one-day hackathon where engineers build AI tools that solve real problems for the City of San Diego, using real city data!
San Diego generates massive amounts of public data — permitting records, parking systems, public safety incidents, short-term rental compliance, municipal code, council meeting transcripts. This data shapes how the city operates and how 1.4 million residents interact with their government. But most of it is locked behind clunky portals, buried in PDFs, or scattered across systems that don't talk to each other. The people who need this information most — residents, city staff, small business owners — can't actually use it.
AI agents and intelligent tooling can fundamentally change that:
A permitting assistant that walks a homeowner through the process in plain language
An MCP server that gives any AI assistant structured access to city datasets in real time
An agent that monitors council meetings and surfaces decisions relevant to your neighborhood
A public safety tool that helps the city allocate resources based on real patterns instead of spreadsheets
These aren't hypotheticals — they're buildable right now.
Come build them. Anthropic is providing API credits, swag, and prizes. City staff and domain experts will be in the room. The Claude Code team will be on hand. A panel of AI leaders and city officials will judge final demos. All attendees will receive $50 in API credits from Anthropic and the top place team will receive $500 in credits.
If you're a builder who wants to point your skills at something that actually matters — grab a spot. Space is limited.
What to Bring
Your laptop (fully charged) and charger
A GitHub account and Anthropic API/subscription access set up beforehand
A teammate or two (or come solo — we'll help you find a team)
Familiarity with Claude, Claude Code, or MCP is a plus but not required
Ideas! Browse the data sources before the event to get inspired
Agenda
10:00 AM — Doors Open & Check-in Coffee, breakfast, and team formation for solo attendees
10:30 AM — Kickoff & Problem Briefings. Overview of datasets, challenge tracks, and judging criteria.
11:00 AM — Hacking Begins Build time. Claude Code team and domain experts available for support.
12:30 PM — Lunch & Lightning Talks. Grab food and hear quick demos of Claude Code from the organizer.
5:00 PM — Submission Deadline
6:00 PM — Final Demos & Judging. Teams present to a panel of AI leaders and city officials.
6:00 PM — Awards & Closing Prizes, next steps for promising projects, and networking.
6:30 PM — Wrap
What is the Claude Impact Lab?
The Claude Impact Lab is the Claude Communities new hackathon brand focused on supporting local governments and nonprofits. Claude Impact Labs will happen around the world. This is the very first one!
Who is organizing this?
The event is organized by San Diego's Claude Community Ambassador, Max Krueger and sponsored by Anthropic.
Who should attend?
Software engineers, data scientists, designers, domain experts, civic domain experts, and anyone who builds with AI. Whether you're deep into Claude Code, just getting started with LLMs, or bring expertise in areas like urban planning, public policy, permitting, or city operations — if you want to use your skills on something that actually matters, this event is for you.
Do I need to know how to code to participate?
No! You don't need to be a software engineer to contribute. Hackathon teams benefit from a mix of skills — domain knowledge, design thinking, user research, project scoping, and presentation skills are all valuable. If you care about civic problems and want to help shape a solution, there's a place for you on a team.
Do I need to be an AI expert?
No. Familiarity with Claude, Claude Code, or MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a plus, but it's not required.
Will food be provided?
Yes. Coffee will be available at check-in, and lunch is provided at 12:00 PM.
What are the judging criteria?
Specific criteria will be shared during the Kickoff at 10:30 AM. Generally, expect emphasis on real-world impact, technical execution, creativity, and usability.
Is there parking?
Yes, there is paid parking onsite and on the surrounding streets. Additionally, this is walking distance from Santa Fe Depot.
About the Organizer
Max Krueger is an AI consultant and Tech Lead at Casper Studios, where he helps companies adopt and implement AI across their business processes. He organizes AI engineer events in Southern California bringing together 100+ engineers and practitioners, and serves as San Diego's Claude Community Ambassador. With a background spanning enterprise AI deployment, search and rescue operations, and community building, Max is passionate about connecting builders with problems worth solving. Connect on LinkedIn!