​Off the Record

​Firsthand conversations for entrepreneurs navigating the changes in AI

​Date: September 16, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM PDT

​Location: TiE Silicon Valley Palo Alto Office, Hybrid via live video conference

​About the Series

​The pace of change in AI is overwhelming, even for those living it daily. Staying competitive requires direct, honest access to the practitioners actively building, deploying, and wrestling with these technologies.

​Off the Record is a recurring series for entrepreneurs featuring candid, behind-the-scenes conversations with front-line practitioners—product leaders, engineering heads, founders, and enterprise operators. Rather than polished keynote speeches or corporate marketing, this series offers frank, practical insights on what is actually changing, what works, and how to navigate it.

​In each session, top practitioners share the unvarnished realities of their front-line AI transformations:

• ​Real-World Iterations: Moving past pitch decks and marketing to discuss what actually works and where teams got burned.

• ​Operational Hard Truths: Honest discussions on what strategies to double down on, what to abandon, and where the pitfalls lie.

• ​Practical Insights: Deep, candid conversations focused on actionable lessons rather than high-level hype.

​Format & Experience

​5:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Doors Open for Networking & Informal Mingling

​6:00 PM – 6:45 PM: Moderated Conversation — 2 Speakers + Moderator

​6:45 PM – 7:15 PM: Open Q&A — In-person & Interactive Remote

​7:15 PM – 7:30 PM: Post-session Networking

​Policy

​Unvarnished candor requires a safe space. Sessions follow the Chatham House Rule: no recording is permitted, and nothing said in the room is attributed to any speaker or participant by default. Nothing is recorded or posted by the organizers; remote attendees join by live video bridge. The curators may highlight a takeaway or two afterward — always with speaker approval on the specific content first. Everyone is learning — and honest, practical conversation is where the real value lives.

​Curators

​Curator: Smita Hashim
Co-Curator: Shivani Govil