Chick-fil-A’s Ignite Program and Me: A Love Story
At Chick-fil-A, planning for change is integral to innovation and a core element of any process in the company. It’s how we safeguard against challenges and create opportunities for new ideas. It’s also why Chick-fil-A created Ignite, a company program that encourages employees to take ideas and change them into a reality. As an Engineering Fellow involved in Chick-fil-A’s technology development, this program had me at hello.
What is Ignite?
Ignite is a twice-a-year 24-hour hack-a-thon that acts as the premiere outlet for Chick-fil-A Staff to turn ‘pet project’ ideas into fully functioning prototypes. Throughout the year, Staff are known to excitedly await the next Ignite where they can put their full attention towards pursuing new projects.
During Ignite, teams of 2–8 Staff members take on the challenge of completing a body of work in addition to the responsibilities of their day job. Projects can take shape in an infinite number of ways, ranging from full-stack apps, proof-of-concept demos, and even interfacing with real-time data and analytics from the restaurant.
Each event has a theme, such as Generative AI or Team Member Care, to help feed not only participant inspiration but also the greater body of Chick-fil-A employees who have the ingenuity to think of a game-changing idea but lack the agency or scope to make it a reality. Often an idea doesn’t center on technology, but how the organization can better serve customers, employees, and communities.
At the closing of the event, teams present their ideas science-fair style at the Ignite Expo, and a variety of awards are voted on by both Staff and Chick-fil-A Operators. Some of these awards include ‘Best in Show’, ‘Most Production Ready’, and ‘Most on Theme.’ Beyond the event, teams are encouraged to loop their products into their everyday work if possible or continue pursuing the idea at the next Ignite.
Ignite and Me
I first fell for Ignite when I was a student majoring in Industrial Engineering/Computer Science working with Chick-fil-A while I completed my undergraduate degree. I was enamored by the idea that employees were encouraged to think outside the box 24/6 (Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays!) and put theory into practice hack-a-thon style. The gritty, messy, and fast-paced nature of hack-a-thon work does not always lead to production-ready results, but the process is always inspiring.
During my first Ignite project, I fondly remember a 7pm idea that became one of the selling points for our demo the next morning. Even in the eleventh hour, innovation can show up and make a pivotal impact.
Since I’ve become a full-time employee at Chick-fil-A, I have been an attendee, participant, and member of the steering committee for Ignite. Each role has given me a unique perspective. Seeing the people, projects, teams, and ideas participate to improve or change things for the better makes my day-to-day work responsibilities feel more meaningful.
Igniting Chick-fil-A’s Future
The Ignite program truly is the intersection between new ideas and core values at Chick-fil-A. Even if a project is not fully adopted, the technology and innovation shown at the event is still useful as education, and as inspiration for other projects.
In last fall’s Ignite, the theme was generative AI, a technology that has permeated articles, videos, and presentations over the past two years. Because Gen AI is being heralded as the future of technology, all Chick-fil-A Staff (whether they participated in the Ignite event or not) were encouraged to become acquainted with it through the Ignite projects.
My team used Chat GPT and Dall-E to generate Chick-fil-A fusion menus and images from countries across the world. The implications for using AI in this context are enormous. We made the case that as Chick-fil-A looks to expand globally in the next 10 years, holding both market research and AI insights hand in hand can allow us to better serve new cultures and communities. Without an event like Ignite and a paradigm like innovation, leveraging opportunities like these can become lost to enterprise-level technology.
A Committed Relationship
Ignite and I are going to be together for a long time. As things around us constantly change, I choose to look at the world through the Chick-fil-A Ignite lens; build a solid foundation, regularly consider new possibilities, and above all, learn from fellow employees’ great work. After all, change is what leads to innovation. Whether it’s a sign of the times (gen AI) or a pillar of purpose (care), all it takes is a spark to ignite!
