docs: add organization README

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+# Welcome, Apes!
+
+We are [ApeWorX LTD](https://apeworx.io), a collective of infrastructure engineers, smart-contract devs, and Web3-curious folks,
+building the next generation of Python tooling and infrastructure to support your next great idea.
+Our suite of open source projects and developer tools, educational content, and hosted services aims to guide you along your
+journey from idea to production, supporting you beyond the launch to ensure you build the highest quality projects.
+
+Come chat with us online on Discord or X (twitter) to stay up to date on new releases, plugins, and tutorials!
+
+[![Discord chat][discord-badge]][discord-url]
+[![Twitter][twitter-badge]][twitter-url]
+
+## Our Projects
+
+### Ape
+
+[Ape Framework](https://apeworx.io/framework) is an easy-to-use Web3 development tool.
+Users can compile, test, and interact with smart contracts all in one command line session.
+With our [modular plugin system](https://docs.apeworx.io/ape/stable/userguides/quickstart.html#plugin-system),
+Ape supports multiple smart contract languages, chains, developer tools/services, and more!
+
+### Silverback
+
+[Silverback](https://apeworx.io/silverback) lets you create and deploy your own Python bots that respond to on-chain events.
+The Silverback library leverages Ape Framework as well as its ecosystem of plugins and packages to enable you to develop
+simple-yet-sophisticated automated applications that can listen and respond to live chain data in real time.
+To get started developing with Silverback, check out our [Quickstart Userguide](https://docs.apeworx.io/silverback/stable/userguides/quickstart)
+or visit [https://silverback.apeworx.io](https://silverback.apeworx.io) to sign up for the Silverback cloud-hosted application platform.
+
+## Resources
+
+Visit our [technical documentation hub](https://docs.apeworx.io) to get a deeper understanding of Ape, Silverback and our other OSS packages.
+
+<!-- Read our [academic platform](https://academy.apeworx.io/) will help you master Ape Framework with tutorials and challenges. -->
+
+## Contributing
+
+To get started with working on our codebases, use the following steps to prepare your local environment:
+
+```bash
+# clone the GitHub repo and navigate into the folder
+git clone https://github.com/ApeWorX/[project name].git
+cd [project name]
+
+# create and load a virtual environment
+python3 -m venv venv
+source venv/bin/activate
+
+# install the developer dependencies (-e is interactive mode)
+pip install -e .'[dev]'
+```
+
+```{note}
+You might run into issues where you have a local install and are trying to work with a plugin pinned to a specific version.
+```
+
+[The easiest solution](https://github.com/ApeWorX/ape/issues/90) to this is to fetch the tags via `git fetch upstream --tags` and reinstall via `pip install .`.
+You will then have the correct version.
+
+### Pre-Commit Hooks
+
+We use [`pre-commit`](https://pre-commit.com/) hooks to simplify linting and ensure consistent formatting among contributors.
+Use of `pre-commit` is not a requirement, but is highly recommended.
+
+Install `pre-commit` locally from the root folder:
+
+```bash
+pip install pre-commit
+pre-commit install
+```
+
+Committing will now automatically run the local hooks and ensure that your commit passes all lint checks.
+
+### GitHub Access Token
+
+If you are a member of ApeWorX and would like to install private plugins,
+[create a GitHub access token](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/creating-a-personal-access-token).
+
+Once you have your token, export it to your terminal session:
+
+```bash
+export GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN=<your-token>
+```
+
+It is also useful to have this token for local development as some features of Ape communicate with GitHub, and may rate limit you otherwise without it.
+
+### Displaying the Docs
+First, make sure you have the docs-related tooling installed:
+
+```bash
+pip install -e .'[doc]'
+```
+
+Then, run the following from the root project directory:
+
+```bash
+python build_docs.py
+```
+
+For the best viewing experience, use a local server:
+
+```bash
+python -m http.server --directory "docs/_build/" --bind 127.0.0.1 1337
+```
+
+Then, open your browser to `127.0.0.1:1337` and click the `ape` directory link.
+
+```{note}
+Serving from `"docs/_build/"` rather than `"docs/_build/ape"` is necessary to make routing work.
+```
+
+### Submitting Pull Requests
+
+Pull requests are welcomed! Please adhere to the following:
+
+- Ensure your pull request passes our linting checks
+- Include test cases for any new functionality
+- Include any relevant documentation updates
+
+It's a good idea to make pull requests early on.
+A pull request represents the start of a discussion, and doesn't necessarily need to be the final, finished submission.
+
+If you are opening a work-in-progress pull request to verify that it passes CI tests, please consider
+[marking it as a draft](https://help.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-issues-and-pull-requests/about-pull-requests#draft-pull-requests).
+
+Join the ApeWorX [Discord][discord-url] if you have any questions.
+
+
+[discord-badge]: https://img.shields.io/discord/922917176040640612.svg?logo=discord&style=flat-square
+[discord-url]: https://discord.gg/apeworx
+[twitter-badge]: https://img.shields.io/twitter/follow/ApeFramework
+[twitter-url]: https://x.com/ApeFramework