About
We build AI tools and put them to work.
Retrofit Labs builds AI tools and implements AI for businesses. We're based in Irvine, California, and were founded by Ethan Wood. We've been in tech since 2017. Read our history.
Today we focus on one kind of client: mid-sized businesses, roughly 20 to 500 employees, that want to use AI and modern software but don't have a technology team to lead the work. Mostly we build: custom AI tools, automations and integrations, implemented inside the software they already use and kept running after launch. We also consult on the side, with assessments, team training and a fractional AI lead, for teams that want a plan first.
Why "Retrofit"
To retrofit something is to add new technology to something that already exists. That is how we work. Most businesses don't need to throw out their systems to benefit from AI. They need the right improvements, added to the tools and processes they already rely on.
What we build
Building is the main job.
Building is most of what we do. Beyond the tools we implement for clients, we build and run products of our own, including LoanWick, an AI texting assistant for mortgage loan officers (calling is rolling out), PipeDrop and LineSignal.
See our products Sites we've built See the dated record Visit loanwick.com
Who you'll work with
Built by an operator, not an agency.
Ethan Wood started the business as Cedarwood Communications, building websites, video and social content for small businesses and nonprofits. Today he builds AI and automation software from inside a real operation: he also works in mortgage lending operations in Irvine, where he has managed a loan-inquiry call team.
Most of the software on this site started as a fix for a problem he saw every day: leads waiting too long for a reply, notes stuck in one system, reports rebuilt by hand. When you work with Retrofit Labs, you work with him directly.
- Education
- B.S. Business Administration, Finance emphasis, The Master's University (2026)
- Mortgage
- NMLS 20-hour pre-licensing education · BSA & CML in Mortgage (Colibri)
- Marketing
- Google: Foundations of Digital Marketing and E-commerce
- Builds with
- TypeScript, Node.js, React, Postgres and Supabase, Railway, and AI coding agents
Track record
Receipts, not logos.
We don't post client logos, testimonials or results we haven't been cleared to share. What we can show you is the record: dated invoices, and a count of the software we've actually shipped.
- 2,000+commits shippedto main branches since April 17, 2026
- 12code repositoriesAI agents, integrations, dashboards and internal tools
- 131days with shipped codeout of 165 since the first commit
- 2023first client invoiceNovember 2023, paid the next morning
Source: the main branch of every repository on founder Ethan Wood's GitHub account (one is a personal project), counted September 28, 2026. Merge commits are excluded. The counts include work written with AI coding assistants, because that's how we build. Most repositories are private because they hold product and client code. The first invoice was issued through Stripe as Cedarwood Communications.
How we work
What you can expect from us.
Plain language
No jargon and no hype. We explain what we recommend and why.
Scope and price in writing
You get a fixed-scope quote before any work begins.
Start small, prove value
We begin with the changes that save the most time, then build from there.
We build it ourselves
The people who scope your project write the code.
Use what you have
We improve your existing systems first and only suggest new software when it's clearly worth it.
Your team stays in control
We train your people so the tools keep working for you after we're done.
Honest answers
If AI isn't the right fix for a problem, we'll say so.
Contact
Get in touch.
- Phone
- (949) 691-0086
- Location
- Irvine, California
Free 30-minute call
Let's build something for your business.
Tell us what's eating your team's time. We'll tell you plainly what we'd build, what we wouldn't, and what it would cost, in writing.
Prefer the phone? Call (949) 691-0086