The AI Collective, San Francisco, CA (2026)

07/21/2025

What happens when a giant like OpenAI enters your domain?

Most founders would be worried. But when I asked Manus AI's co-founder and CPO, Tao Zhang, this question on stage last night, his response set the tone for the entire evening: "We were happy. It's validation."

It was an honor to host the Manus AI team and sit down with Tao for a fireside chat that felt truly on the frontier. With 200+ people tuning into our global livestream, the energy was uniquely gripping as we explored their theme of "AI for Everybody."

We dove into the questions that define the agentic AI space right now:

🌏 Their Edge: Instead of chasing Silicon Valley consensus, Manus has a global-first strategy, building for idiosyncratic use cases in markets like Brazil and Japan.

💡 Their Strategy: By remaining LLM-agnostic and focusing on the application layer, they can move faster and integrate the best tech for the job.

💫 Their Vision: A future where work is democratized by agents, empowering a new wave of smaller, more agile companies.

This is the human side of AI – moving beyond hype and into practical, daily empowerment. It’s a mission we share deeply at The AI Collective.

These are the conversations that push the frontier forward. A huge thank you to Tao Zhang and the entire Manus AI team for sharing their vision with our community!

If you want to be in the room for discussions like these, you know where to find us!!

07/21/2025

The AI Collective is growing fast! In the past month we've opened 20+ chapters across the world. Don't see your city on the map? Let's change that.

If you're thinking about getting more involved, or just want to understand what we’re building, we’re hosting our very first virtual Open House on Monday!

We'll be walking through:
- Our mission and vision for The AI Collective
- How we’re organizing to steer AI toward trust, openness, and human flourishing
- The open roles and ways to get involved right now (from partnerships and media to local chapters and programs)

Whether you're a builder, creative, policy thinker, or community organizer, there’s a place for you here ❤️

Come for the mission, stay for the people! (looking at you AJ Green Alex Barnes Noah Frank Liel Zino, MPP Chappy Asel Elizabeth Farrell and so many more)

Link to register is in the comments. Share with someone you think should be in the room!

07/21/2025

I have a confession to make: I don’t have enough ideas. 😢

That’s why I’m delighted to announce Victor Mijal, the Man of 1000ideas, as our new Regional Director (EMEA) at The AI Collective!

Victor has a strong background in IT, running 1000ideas, a software development company and digital agency, for over 16 years. He is now leveraging the network and relationships he has built to spotlight Poland as one of the world’s most exciting hubs for digital technology and AI.

As Chapter Lead, he successfully launched the Polish chapter of AI Collective, bringing together an engaged, multidisciplinary team and committed local partners to support a range of impactful community-driven initiatives.

What excites him about the role?
“What excites me most is connecting the right people. I genuinely enjoy building relationships and creating spaces where ideas and people thrive - and I keep hearing this is something I do quite well 😉. AI Collective feels like the perfect platform to amplify that skill.”

🔦 Initial focus area
He plans to start by strengthening regional collaboration across EMEA, supporting new chapters and helping them to quickly and effectively activate high-impact local initiatives. At the same time, he wants to connect these communities with more established ecosystems to encourage meaningful cross-border exchange. He is also eager to use his EdTech and Educational background - especially his collaborations with Universities - to get academic institutions more actively involved in building and shaping the AI Collective community.

Vision as Regional Director
His goal is to establish a thriving, well-connected community across EMEA that operates strongly at the local level, but also collaborates across borders to co-create international initiatives, share knowledge, and amplify AI Collective impact.

🎉 Congratulations Victor!
I said he had 1000ideas... and here are just the first two:

1️⃣ Help Wanted!
Victor is swamped with interest from across Europe, Middle East and Africa. To meet the momentum, we'll post opportunities for a Regional Director (Africa) ASAP and likely a Regional Director (Middle East) shortly after.
Both will be unpaid volunteer roles, brimming with possibility to build AI Community.

2️⃣ Nourishment vs Growth
Victor wants to focus on helping chapters thrive, not just launch.
So we'll also be looking for an Assistant Director (EMEA - Growth) to lead Launch Event Support, while Victor focuses on Chapter Nourishment. His goal will be to help chapters reach a sustainable rhythm of at least one event per month and build a flourishing long-term community.

💥 BOOM. Ideas 💡
We'll be posting for these roles shortly.

In the meantime, please congratulate Victor and ask him to help you nourish more ideas too. 🌱

07/21/2025

🚀 Costa del Sol Chapter Kickoff – The AI Collective

It’s officially happening! The kickoff event for The AI Collective - Costa del Sol Chapter will take place in Marbella on July 29th from 18:00 to 22:00 CET.

Whether you're working with AI, exploring how to use it in your field, or simply curious about its potential, you're more than welcome to join us. It's going to be a relaxed and inspiring evening full of great conversations, networking, and meeting others who are passionate about AI.
🔗 Spots are limited, so please register soon:
https://lu.ma/es-29-7

📱 We’ve also created a WhatsApp group for the Costa del Sol AI Collective. If you're based in the area and want to stay connected, you can join here:
https://lnkd.in/dEAF3ev8

Everyone who joins the event will also get exclusive access to the AI Collective’s international community, connecting with AI professionals and enthusiasts from around the world.

A big thank you to Catherine, Alex, Victor, and many more for building this amazing and growing community. I'm really proud to help grow it here on the Costa del Sol.

Special kudos to Bartek and the team at createIT.com for the support, and to everyone helping bring this new chapter to life - VALENTINA, Irina, Łukasz, Joshua.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me directly.

And if you're interested in collaborating, partnering, or sponsoring future events, I’d love to connect.

Looking forward to seeing many of you in Marbella on the 29th! 🌞

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

07/21/2025

🌟 I’m thrilled to announce Mary Grygleski as our new Regional Director (East) for The AI Collective!

Mary is a passionate technologist, community builder, and speaker. As one of the organizers of the Chicago Chapter, she’s hit the ground running — helping put together and co-host several meetups in just the first six months. From deep dives on AI Agents and International Women’s Day brunches, to founders’ pitch sessions and expert data center panels, Mary has made the Chicago chapter a model of diverse, high-impact programming.
She’s also forged strong partnerships with the local AI and tech ecosystem, connecting with 1871 (Chicago’s premier entrepreneurial hub), TechWalk, CrewAI, and the Building AI Agents newsletter.

Thanks to Mary, I've been talking to Rupa Bhagwat and the TechWalk team about introducing their amazing event format to more of our Chapters!

What excites her about this role?
“Even though I’m in Chicago now, I have close ties to New England from my 15 years in Massachusetts. I love that area so much, especially Boston. Now I’ll be helping with the US-East region, and I can’t wait to share my tech community experiences and insights to help new folks jumpstart their chapters!”

As Regional Director, Mary’s initial focus will be working closely with new chapter leads to help them build up thriving local communities.

Her goal is to see new chapters take shape and grow positively into vibrant communities, where people will feel safe and energized to share and learn about things that are evolving rapidly in the AI space, and to be able to build practical things that can leverage AI technology safely and responsibly.

I've tasked Mary with the following:
🦀 Boston
🔹Re-build the Chapter, after the previous organizers (were students) graduated and moved to the West Coast.
🔸Focus on establishing strong University & Alumni Chapters at MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern, Tufts, UMass Boston and beyond (with Aksshatt Bariar and Joel Piels)
🔹Leverage Boston’s powerhouse health ecosystem — from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham to Dana-Farber and Boston Children's Hospital to drive responsible health AI.

🎯 Southeastern US Roadmap
🔹Charlotte
🔸Raleigh
🔹Atlanta
🔸...and more!

Congratulations Mary!

07/21/2025

🎉 I'm happy to announce David D. as our new Regional Director (Central) for The AI Collective!

David is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Voxify Inc. - the Heartbeat of small business communications. As Chapter Lead in Austin, he's hosted six events and brought over 400 people together around thoughtful innovation and community.

What excites him about this role?
"I believe AI is the one of the last major innovation humanity will create—everything after it will be built with it. That excites me, but what drives me is making sure it’s not just monopolized by big tech. This role is a chance to help shape how AI is introduced, discussed, and adopted at the ground level—through community, education, and real-world application. It’s about making sure the future isn’t just smart—it’s equitable, accessible, and deeply human."

As Regional Director, his initial focus will be on:
1️⃣ Standardizing ops across chapters
2️⃣ Taking day-to-day lift off the Global team
3️⃣ Increasing strategic partnerships
4️⃣ Driving spend efficiency.
He's here to scale what’s working—and cut what’s not—while keeping the culture strong and rooted in community.

He hopes to:
✅ Establish chapter playbooks and systems to reduce chaos and create repeatable excellence
✅ Secure more meaningful partnerships that unlock local growth
✅ Reduce operational overhead
✅ Cultivate a regional team known for ex*****on, culture, and consistent event-driven engagement

I'm so impressed with David's commitment to community, culture and results. He will be pioneering our AI Collective Central Roadmap: from the heart of Texas to the soul of the Midwest.

🌟 AI Collective Texas - David is taking his success in Austin statewide, working with local teams:
🔹 Dallas - launch event tomorrow! ( see: https://lnkd.in/g7h4w9A2 )
🔹 Houston (with Montre D.) 🚀
🔹 San Antonio
🔹 Fort Worth
🔹 El Paso

🌾 Expanding in the Midwest (with Mary Grygleski and the Chicago Chapter)
🔸 Columbus
🔸 Indianapolis
🔸 Milwaukee
🔸 St Paul / Minneapolis (with Wanda W.)
🔸 KC (with Daniel Green, Kelly Byrnes, Maria S.)
🔸 St Louis
🔸 Omaha, Madison, Des Moines and beyond!

🎓 Plus universities throughout the region (with Aksshatt Bariar and Joel Piels of our University and Alumni initiative).

If you want to bring AI Collective to your town/college in Central USA, please tag me and David.

Congratulations again David -- lots of growth for Central USA coming!

07/21/2025

❇️ Get ready, Bay Area interns and newcomers!
You're Invited: SF Newcomer Night - Demo Night Edition!🤘🏾

⭐️ On Wednesday, July 30th, we're shaking things up in San Francisco with a special Demo Night just for you! If you're an intern or new to the Bay Area tech scene, this is your golden ticket to an evening packed with good vibes, fresh faces, and networking that actually feels fun.

😎 The AI Collective is bringing 6-8 innovative startups to the stage to showcase their groundbreaking platforms. Whether you're a seasoned AI enthusiast or just dipping your toes into the world of artificial intelligence, this night is designed to inspire, connect, and entertain.

🚀Want to demo your startup?
This is your chance to get invaluable feedback from the vibrant San Francisco and Bay Area tech community! Reach out directly to Christopher O'Dore
or shoot him an email at [email protected] to secure your spot.

ℹ️ Event Details
🗓️Date: Wednesday, July 30th
📍Location: San Francisco, CA
🕕Time: 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

🤝 Join us as we gather the brightest builders, visionary researchers, and savvy investors who are actively shaping the future of AI. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to expand your network and dive deep into the heart of innovation.

😍 Ready to join the fun?
RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gnpJy8ZW
See you there!

07/21/2025

I'm pleased to introduce Bhola Chhetri as our new The AI Collective Regional Director (West)

Bhola has accelerated the Seattle AI Collective chapter, growing it into one of the most active AI communities on the West Coast through sold-out events, summits, and strong local partnerships. Now, as Regional Director (West Coast), Bhola will expand our mission to connect and accelerate the AI startup ecosystem across the region.

When asked what excites him about the role, Bhola said:
"What truly excites me about the role is the sheer volume at which we are growing, and the passionate community driving it. Ironically, in an era of artificial intelligence, real human connection matters more than ever. And there’s no better place for it than the West Coast!"

His initial focus will be to Scale with excellence. In his words,
"AI Collective isn’t just another club — it’s something special. My focus will be to scale it across the region, ensuring everyone has a seat at the table and that the communities we build are world-class and advance the broader AI ecosystem."

Finally, the results he wants to achieve:
"As regional director I am excited to see the continued growth, the amazing people that will join, and the change/impact we can make in this beautiful world we share."

Congratulations Bhola!

We've discussed this new role and what impressed me the most is Bhola's commitment to meet individually with every Chapter in the West to understand their goals, challenges and how he can support them.

I've also tasked him with bold expansion goals in the West:
🏒 San Jose and surrounding areas such as Los Altos, Los Gatos and Saratoga
🌊 Santa Cruz
🌺 Hawaii
🍁 Calgary and Edmonton
🧂 Salt Lake City
🌵 Arizona (with Anisia Corona, MPH)

Universities (with help from Aksshatt Bariar and Joel Piels)
🎓 Stanford
🎓 University of California

He wants to expand even further:
🐻 Alaska
🥔 Boise
🎰 Reno / Vegas
🌞 San Diego

Let's hear it for Bhola!!! 🎉🎉

07/21/2025

[Chapter 5: THE News App] kills every newsletter in your inbox.

We can all agree that AI is moving faster than anyone can keep up.

50,000+ AI headlines drop daily.

99% are noise. 1% is signal.

You don’t need more news. You need the right news.

We built THE News App to fix the signal crisis.

Hyper-personalized. Trained on your digital footprint.

Impact-ranked. Our AI Richter Scale flags what matters most.

Fast AF. Five minutes daily learn. Zero fluff. Total clarity.

Beta testers loved it so much, they begged for a Kill Switch.

So we built one. One tap. Every other newsletter? Gone.

This isn’t a news feed. It’s your competitive edge in the AI race.

Ready to kill the noise AND stay two steps ahead?
1️⃣ Comment "Product" and we’ll DM the waitlist.
2️⃣ Comment "Code" to get 50 invites for your crew.

The future doesn’t wait.

Neither should you.

07/21/2025

[Chapter 4: Singularity Fest] Singularity Fest is a new kind of AI gathering. This one is built for people.

Hosted by The AI Collective this November in San Francisco, it will bring together 2,000+ people from across research, policy, art, infrastructure, product, and community.

There will be hands-on labs. Community led tracks. Cross-domain collaborations. And space for the questions that don’t fit neatly into anyone’s roadmap.

Most events in this space are either investor-forward, vendor-driven, or closed-door. This isn’t that. Singularity Fest is open by design and focused on making sure AI’s future reflects more of us.

It’s also just one part of something bigger.

Chapters in 100+ cities around the world are forming now to support ongoing work and bring the festival’s energy home.

If you’re trying to make sense of this moment – or shape what comes next – you should be there.

Tomorrow: Chapter 5

The AI Collective

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