Who knew attending one meetup could eventually help spark an entire nonprofit?

Did you know CharlestonHacks started with a meetup?

One person chose to organize, created a signal, and invited people to gather. Others followed the light and showed up.

That is how I met Dave Ingram.

Dave had been hosting local meetups for years, creating spaces where people could show up curious, ask questions, meet new people, and feel like they belonged, even if they did not fit the traditional “tech person” box.

Dave opened the room. People walked in. Conversations turned into friendships. Friendships turned into momentum. Somewhere in that momentum, I met Doug, and CharlestonHacks began to take shape.

That was four years ago.

Looking back, it is wild to think about how much can come from one person deciding to organize, one person deciding to attend, and one room full of people willing to go a little outside of their comfort zone.

Last week, we shared what CharlestonHacks believes in: people matter most, trust beats hype, and community is built through real relationships.

This week, we’re pulling back the curtain and honoring two of the people who helped shape that foundation: Dave Ingram and Doug Hamilton.

Dave is the founder of Querri, a Charleston-based AI company helping teams get answers from their data faster. He is also one of those rare community builders who knows how to make a room feel open before anyone ever picks up a microphone.

I first met Dave through one of his meetups. What stood out immediately was his welcoming energy. He created the kind of space where people could show up, be curious, and not feel like they had to prove they belonged.

So when a hackathon was introduced in 2022, before CharlestonHacks was even official, I decided to attend. Partly to support Dave and because I had always heard of hackathons but had never actually tried one.

And honestly, I did not know what to expect. I did not have a coding background. I was just getting into real estate and thought I was leaving the tech world behind, or so I thought.

But that hackathon changed something. The process pulled me in. The people made me feel welcome. The room gave me permission to contribute, even though I did not fit the traditional mold.

Looking back, that hackathon did exactly what it needed to do. It proved there was something here.

That is also where I was introduced to Doug.

Doug is the Co-Founder of CharlestonHacks and Program Architect for MUSC’s Human-Centered Design program. He brings a big-picture lens to this work: how do we build community, support innovation, and create spaces where ideas can move from conversation to action?

Many months after that first hackathon, Doug and I connected more deeply and realized we shared a similar vision for what CharlestonHacks could become.

Not just another tech event.

A real community.

A place where builders, creatives, founders, students, operators, designers, developers, and curious people could meet, share, test ideas, and find support.

That is what I appreciate about both Doug and Dave.

Dave brings the builder energy and Doug brings the community architecture. Together, they helped create the conditions for CharlestonHacks to become what it is today.

And the bigger lesson is simple:

Show up.

Go to the meetup.

Ask the question.

Introduce yourself.

Support the person sharing something before it is polished.

Push a little outside of your comfort zone.

Not every room will be your room. Not every meetup will be the place where everything clicks. But you will not know until you try.

And sometimes, the room you almost talked yourself out of walking into becomes the room that changes everything.

At CharlestonHacks, we like to think we have some of the best people in the world in our community, and we hope you will come find out for yourself.

Join us for our next event:

CharlestonHacks Hacker Theater

We’ll be watching short clips from movies about tech, hacking, and AI, followed by a panel conversation about what’s real, what’s possible, and what’s next.

Whether you are a developer, designer, founder, student, creative, operator, technologist, or someone who is simply curious — you are welcome here.

RSVP through the link below.

Until then, let’s keep collaborating, supporting each other, making the intro, showing up, and creating cool things together.

From Aya Hojadova's Desk

CharlestonHacks Board Member

On behalf of the CharlestonHacks Team

Sign up for CharlestonHacks Weekly Newsletter and if you want to hear more from me, join my Inner Circle where I write weekly reflections about my life as a creative entrepreneur.