Machine Learning Toronto (MLTO) - February 2026
Agenda
6:00-6:30 PM Arrivals and Networking
6:30-7:00 PM Tech Talk #1
7:00-7:30 PM Tech Talk #2
7:30-8:30 PM Networking & Wrap-up
8:30 PM Tear-down and Departures
Talk #1
I Built a $15/Month AI Advisory Board (And It Called Me Out) - Jacintha Kurniawan, Co-founder and AI Product Manager at Bridge AI Knowledge
Using commodity tools, I built a multi-agent AI system for <$20/month and created a "CEO-in-the-loop" architecture: agents collect data, detect patterns, then four RAG-based advisors to argue with each other in Discord threads. I read their debates, make decisions, and an executor agent builds my calendar. My key insight was that if advisory agents agree, the system is useless; disagreement is the feature.
This talk breaks down the full technical architecture, the cost model that will scales from $15/month to production, why I designed agents to argue instead of agree, and the counter-intuitive discoveries (why the first 15 minutes matter more than the next 4 hours).
Talk #2
Building Agents That Know: Knowledge-First Design for AI Systems - Andrew Berry, Sr. Data Scientist at Bell Media
Most AI agent projects start in the wrong place: with tools and architecture. This talk inverts that approach and shows how reliable agents emerge from well-designed knowledge and context, not bigger models. We'll explore simple patterns for structuring what an agent knows, what it needs right now, and what should persist over time, and why simpler context design often beats complex architectures.
About the Speakers:
Jacintha Kurniawan is a co-founder and AI Product Manager at Bridge AI Knowledge, where she designs and ships AI agent systems for regulated industries, creative agencies, and retail. Her work focuses on translating ambiguous, high-stakes requirements into production-ready AI in environments where trust, compliance, and adoption are critical. She is a TEDx speaker on the Economy of Trust and hosts The Deep Dive Lab, a podcast featuring 50+ conversations with AI leaders, ethicists, and operators on building pragmatic, responsible AI.
Jacintha holds an MBA and brings a cross-functional background spanning AI startups, data analytics at Canadian Tire, and supply chain logistics. Her recent work includes leading an automated conformity platform for a Canadian real estate regulator—processing 500K+ transactions across 200+ agencies while maintaining Law 25 compliance—and developing AI products that measurably reduce operational effort. She recently led product and technical development of Eterna, a voice AI agent for peri- and menopausal health that won first place at a hackathon by prioritizing empathy-driven conversational design.
Andrew Berry is a Senior Data Scientist II at Bell Canada, where he works on applied AI and agentic systems across conversational AI, intelligence platforms, and context-aware automation. His work focuses on building reliable, production-ready AI systems and exploring how knowledge, context, and system design shape trustworthy AI behavior in real-world enterprise environments.
Andrew is also an experienced podcast host and public speaker, having founded and hosted The Pandemic Job Hunt and The Little Big Ideas Show. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University with a major in Information Systems and a finance concentration, and has completed formal training in data science and product management, bringing a rare blend of technical depth, business context, and communication to his work in AI.
Many thanks to our supporters and sponsors!
We'd also like to acknowledge our venue partners, Highline Beta for generously providing their amazing space for the event, and PRAKTIKAI for making the event happen.
Speak or Support MLTO!
We are constantly looking for new speakers and sponsors to share their knowledge and help build the AI community in the GTA! If you are interested please get in touch directly or apply via one of the links below:
Speaker Application Form: mlto.ca/speak
Sponsor Inquiry Form: mlto.ca/sponsor
Volunteer Application Form: mlto.ca/volunteer