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Comprehensive List of Vancouver AI Community Meetup Speakers (2024–2025)

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• Anthony Green – Co-Founder, OpenRep – Feb 2025 – Delivered an analysis of Vancouver’s AI ecosystem, including business and investment trends (straight from OpenAI Deep Research). Topic: “Vancouver’s AI Ecosystem – Pros, Cons & Recommendations”. Green broke down what’s working and what’s not in the local AI scene, sparking an interactive debate on the community’s trajectory. Additional Info: Green’s talk provided actionable insights for entrepreneurs and policymakers, bridging global AI perspectives with Vancouver’s unique context.
• Arshia Sobhan – Researcher, SFU’s Metacreation Lab for Creative AI – May 2024 – Co-presented the AutoLoom project alongside Philippe Pasquier, showcasing how AI can be harnessed for artistic expression. Topic: “AutoLoom: AI Tools for Artistic Expression”. Sobhan demonstrated AI-driven art tools blurring the lines between creator and creation, highlighting collaborative potentials in visual arts. Additional Info: The AutoLoom demo used prompt-based generation to explore creative workflows.
• Ashley Conery – Founder, CubeCommons – Aug 2024 – Presented her project CubeCommons, examining post-colonial principles in digital spaces. Topic: “Rethinking Digital Interaction in Spatial Computing”. Conery discussed ethical implications of our digital footprints and how to foster equity and inclusion in future online experiences​. Additional Info: Her talk emphasized using digital commons to create meaningful connections and the importance of inclusive design in tech​.
• Brittney Smaila – Neuroscientist & Poet, UBC Cognitive Science – Aug 2024; Feb 2025 – Known for thought-provoking spoken-word performances blending neuroscience insights and poetic reflection. Topics: “(Re)Alignment – Balancing Tech & Humanity” & AI Spoken Word. In Aug 2024, her piece “(Re)Alignment” explored finding equilibrium in tech-driven lives. In Feb 2025, she returned with a spoken-word set intertwining human connection and AI’s emotional layers. Additional Info: Brittney invites audiences to breathe and reflect on how AI can support rather than disrupt well-being. Her community spotlight highlighted the tension between ambition and humility in the AI era.
• Bryce Musil – AI Researcher (Neuroscience & AI) – Jan 2025 – Introduced a project training AI on human consciousness to aid self-awareness. Topic: “AI & Consciousness: Bridging Neuroscience and Self-Discovery”. Musil’s research fuses neuroscience with machine learning, opening avenues for introspection via AI. Additional Info: His teaser of using AI for deeper self-awareness generated excitement about potential personal growth applications.
• Carole Anne Hilton – Founder, Indigenomics Institute – Dec 2024 – Spoke about Indigenomics, integrating Indigenous economic reconciliation into AI and tech​. Topic: “Embedding Indigenous Values in AI & Economics”. Hilton emphasized empowering Indigenous communities through AI, highlighting how culturally respectful tech initiatives can rewrite economic narratives​. Additional Info: Her vision calls for AI projects to foreground Indigenous knowledge and ethics, ensuring marginalized voices lead in shaping tech for the future​.
• Caroline Running Wolf – Co-Founder, FLAIR (First Languages AI Reality) – Dec 2024; May 2024 – Alongside Michael Running Wolf, introduced FLAIR, an initiative to revitalize Indigenous languages through speech recognition and culturally oriented AI. Topic: “AI for Indigenous Language Revitalization”. Inspired by Te Hiku Media’s success in Māori language AI, Caroline showcased how co-design and community data sovereignty can preserve linguistic heritage. Additional Info: Earlier, in May 2024, Caroline and Michael’s insights on AI ethics and data sovereignty at the meetup challenged attendees to consider societal implications beyond algorithms.
• Charlene Joseph – Squamish Nation Language & Cultural Teacher – Jan 2024 – Opened the inaugural meetup with a traditional song and welcome, setting an inclusive tone. Topic: “Cultural Welcome & Song (Squamish Nation)”. Joseph’s opening reminded participants of the land’s cultural richness, emphasizing respect and community as foundations for the AI dialogue. Additional Info: Her involvement underscored the meetup’s commitment to diversity and grounding technology discussions in local Indigenous culture.
• Cian Whalley – CTO, Cognitive Technology @ Exponential Studios – Feb 2025 – A Zen priest-turned-tech innovator, Cian shared how ancient wisdom can inform cutting-edge AI​. Topic: “Bridging Zen & AI: Future of Human Potential”. He explored the role of mindfulness and ethics in AI development, questioning how spiritual principles can guide the design of intelligent systems​. Additional Info: Whalley’s unique background invited attendees to consider holistic approaches to AI that maximize human agency and well-being.
• Dean Shev – Founder & CEO, VHT.ai; Fraser Health Innovator – Oct 2024; Aug 2024; Feb 2025 – A healthcare AI advocate focusing on medical innovation and accessibility​. Topics: “AI’s Medical Revolution & Mental Health Chatbots”. In Oct 2024, Shev highlighted AI’s promise in diagnostics and systemic healthcare innovation​. In Aug 2024, he called for dismantling barriers stifling healthcare innovation, citing Canada’s looming 2045 health crisis. By Dec 2024, he presented Spectre.ai, a mental health chatbot developed with MötleyKrüg Media to serve underserved communities. Additional Info: Dean’s consistent message is empowering change: “When the system falls short, we have the tools to create solutions ourselves”.
• Dennis Chenard – Director, Northeastern University Vancouver – May 2024 – Provided academia’s perspective on bridging theory and real-world AI applications. Topic: “Academia Meets Industry: AI Impact & CSR”. Chenard discussed Northeastern’s role in aligning AI research with industry needs and community impact, focusing on AI’s role in social responsibility and corporate innovation. Additional Info: His talk at the May 30, 2024 meetup was part of a broader narrative that connected academic insight with tangible AI deployments in Vancouver’s tech ecosystem.
• Donald Jukes – AI Community Organizer (Minimal Viable Demos) – May 2024 – Shared news of the upcoming “Minimal Viable Demos” event and community initiatives. Topic: “Building AI Community through Minimal Viable Demos”. Jukes introduced a new event series to encourage practical AI experimentation and collaboration, tying together local Novus and Atelier communities. Additional Info: His announcement highlighted cross-community networking, inviting Vancouver AI members to engage with hands-on demo nights and broaden their collaborations.
• Ed Kennedy – Artist & Experimental AI Technologist (Run Diffusion) – June 2024; Aug 2024; Oct 2024; Feb 2025 – A recurring creative voice demonstrating generative AI in art and music. Topics: Circuit Bending & Glitch Art (Aug ’24); RunDiffusion AI Workflows (May ’24); Audiovisual Synth Art (Oct ’24); “Latent Sculptures” AI Art Process (Feb ’25). In May 2024, Kennedy described RunDiffusion’s AI workflows with private GPU hosting. In Aug 2024, he electrified the crowd with a live circuit bending demo, repurposing electronics to create chaotic sounds and glitch art. His message: “Experiment often and early… anyone can make a breakthrough”. By Oct 2024, he showcased the Gieskes HSSB3j audiovisual synthesizer, blending unique audio-visual creations and provoking synesthetic experiences. In Feb 2025, his “Latent Sculptures” series used ControlNets in Stable Diffusion to turn batch-processed images into evolving AI art narratives. Additional Info: Kennedy’s work, often collaborating with Vancouver AI’s creative team, epitomizes the fusion of art and AI, encouraging playful exploration of technology’s “chaotic” side.
• Fergus Linley-Mota – AI Governance Researcher (SFU Wosk Centre for Dialogue) – Oct 2024; Nov 2024 – Spoke on the future of AI governance and public empowerment​. Topics: “Interdisciplinary Approaches to AI Policy”. Fergus emphasized including diverse voices in AI policy, drawing on his Oxford background and SFU’s Designing Our Tomorrow (DoT) project​. In Oct 2024, his talk stressed transparent, accountable AI ecosystems and advocated for public participation to shape AI ethics and regulations​. Additional Info: Linley-Mota’s insights reinforced that “the way we talk about technology shapes the future”, urging the community to actively engage in dialogue about AI’s societal impact.
• Gabriel George Sr. – Cultural Advisor, Tsleil-Waututh Nation – Oct 2024; Jan 2025 – Opened events with traditional welcomes, sharing songs and wisdom at the Space Centre. Topic: “Traditional Welcome & Song – Paddling Together”. In Oct 2024 (Mission #10), he performed a welcome song emphasizing collective purpose: “Our culture, our language, our songs—they’re an echo of this land”. He reminded attendees of the importance of paddling together toward the future, grounding tech discussions in respect for Indigenous culture. Additional Info: Gabriel’s contributions, often at the start of meetups, set a collaborative, inclusive tone and underscore the event’s respect for Indigenous hosts and knowledge.
• Gabriela Arno – Community Builder, Cofounder’s Hub – May 2024 – Facilitated startup networking and entrepreneurial connections at the meetup​. Topic: “Connecting Founders – The Cofounder’s Hub”. Arno discussed her role in events like Meet Your Cofounder series, helping founders find collaborators and navigate the startup landscape​​. Additional Info: Featured in the June 2024 recap, she symbolized the meetup’s spirit of community-building beyond just technical talks​.