CV + AI Community Meetup #0
AI is everywhere. It's in your phone, your work, your news feed. Some people are all-in, building with it every day. Others are worried…. about jobs, about privacy, about what happens when we automate everything.
Here's what we think: both positions make sense. The concerns are real. The possibilities are real. We need spaces where we can hold both at the same time.
The tools are powerful. They're changing how we work, how we create, how we learn. But they're also being built by companies that see us as data sources, not people.
We walk forward holding both.
That's why we're starting Comox Valley AI… a space where we can be curious AND critical.
Where we ask the bigger questions: How do we stay authentic? How do we build better community? What does it mean to be human when AI can do so many things we used to do?
What This Is
This is CV + AI Meetup #0… the first informal gathering of people in the Comox Valley who care about these questions.
We're gathering the people who are interested in this space and want to meet face-to-face to figure out where we go from here.
What we'll do:
Meet each other IRL
Share what brought you here
Talk about what we want to explore together
Decide when and how often to meet
Figure out what format makes sense for us
That's it. No agenda beyond that. No exercises. No formal structure. Just real people, real conversation, and figuring it out together.
Who Should Come
Anyone in the Comox Valley area who's thinking about AI.
Whether you're:
Excited about the possibilities and building with these tools
Concerned about the risks and want to talk about them
Just curious and trying to make sense of it all
Working with AI in your job and figuring it out
An artist, educator, entrepreneur, or just someone who gives a damn
You don't need to be technical. You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to care about where this is going and want to explore it with other people in your community.
Why Comox Valley?
The BC + AI community started in Vancouver and has grown to 250+ people gathering monthly, with regional meetups in Surrey, Squamish, and beyond. But Vancouver Island and specifically the Valley has its own vibe, its own people, its own perspective.
We're building this chapter to bring that conversation here. To connect people in Courtney, Comox, Cumberland who are thinking about these questions. To build relationships face-to-face, which is the foundation of any real community.
What's Next
After Meetup #0, we'll have clarity on:
Who's in the room and what they care about
What format works best for us (discussion, speakers, hands-on, mix?)
How often to meet?
What topics matter most to this community
Who wants to help organize future meetups
This is how movements start. Not with a manifesto. With coffee and conversation.
About BC + AI
Comox Valley AI is a regional chapter of the BC + AI Ecosystem Association... a registered Canadian nonprofit building community-driven AI spaces across British Columbia.
What makes BC AI different:
37% women members (not your typical tech crowd)
Diverse voices beyond Silicon Valley hype
Human-centered focus — education, fulfillment, better society
Space for both enthusiasm AND critique
Real conversations, not sales pitches
Learn more: bc-ai.ca
Get Involved
Want to help organize? Have ideas for topics? Know a great venue in the valley?
Contact: Kris Krüg, Executive Director
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Lourdes Gant, Regional Lead
Email: [email protected]