Impact That Matters: Coming Together at Optiv Kick Off

At Optiv, we talk a lot about helping communities reach their full potential. From providing meals for our neighbors to inspiring tomorrow’s cyber leaders, our goal is to make an enduring impact through Optiv Chips In. That commitment comes to life each year during our annual volunteer events at Optiv Kick Off (OKO).

What started as an ambitious idea has grown to become one of the most meaningful parts of our year — something our employees look forward to. Since 2022, more than 3,000 volunteers have given nearly 7,000 hours in service to students, families and our nonprofit partners. But the real story isn’t just in the hours logged at OKO. It’s what is possible when we come together as One Optiv.

2022-2025: Where We Started

In 2022, we packed 100,000 meals during OKO for families facing food insecurity. It was our largest volunteer event at the time, uniting our team around one shared cause.

The following year, we leaned into that momentum to set a world record for the world’s largest basketball sentence. Using hand and foot pumps, we inflated 1,145 basketballs for youth at local Boys & Girls Clubs. By the end of the volunteer event, every Boys & Girls Club across Colorado received new equipment to enjoy.

We invited students from Kearney Middle School, home to our Denver Optiv STEAM Lab, to step onto the stage and join our Giveback Gameshow at OKO 2024. Attendees were split into teams to make a straightforward donation more competitive and collaborative. By answering trivia questions correctly, our people helped equip the STEAM lab with state-of-the-art technology, including a laser cutter, 3D printers, iPads and Lego coding sets. These tools immediately went into students’ hands, supporting hands-on learning, creativity and problem-solving.

We believe that empowering the next generation doesn’t begin with technology. By supporting the whole student, we help open doors so more young minds can see a future for themselves in cyber. In 2025, we returned to fighting food insecurity by packing 120,000 meals across North America and India, ending with a dunk tank fundraiser with our executives that brought the final total to 150,000 meals.

Image

2026: Showing Up in Nashville

At OKO 2026, more than 800 employees gave 1,650 hours in partnership with Sleep In Heavenly Peace and Hands On Nashville. At McGavock High School, Hattie Cotton Elementary and the McNeilly Center, more than 40 offsite projects enhanced campus spaces serving 2,373 students. Volunteers painted murals to brighten hallways, refreshed playgrounds, stocked classrooms and transformed shared spaces. At the same time, our onsite volunteers built and donated 75 new beds, complete with a new bed frame, bedding, mattress and a stuffed animal.

Image

What’s Next for Optiv Chips In

OKO might be a highlight of our year, but it isn’t the finish line:

• We’re already looking forward to our third-annual Volunteer Week in April (follow Optiv on LinkedIn for updates and additional insights)
• At each OptivCon event this year, attendees will help decide which STEAM kits are donated in their community (see where we’re headed and register)
• Lastly, our team will come together in person and virtually on Giving Tuesday in December to extend our impact with local nonprofits

Helping communities secure their full potential is an ongoing commitment. Every meal packed, every basketball inflated, every bed built and every STEAM kit donated moves our communities forward, and together, we are creating a tangible difference in the lives of tomorrow’s cyber leaders and their families.