Fireside Chat with Rye Smith, Claude Australia Ambassador
Come and discuss AI for social impact with Rye Smith, a Claude Community Ambassador based in Melbourne (an Anthropic community role).
The format will be an in-person conversation between Rye and Stephen Johnston, founder of Fordcastle and a moderated discussion and Q&A with attendees, facilitated by Adam Jay of Cocreate Catalyst.
It's designed for people working in the social-impact sector: charities and not-for-profits, community and government services, social enterprises, philanthropy and impact investors, and anyone working to serve communities. You don't need any AI background, but should be at least AI-curious.
This is a two-way conversation. Hear what the Claude community in Australia is working on, and share your sector's real questions and priorities. We want to hear what you wish AI could do for your work, and what worries you.
In three parts:
1. The Claude community in Australia, and what it is building.
2. Inside the May 2026 Claude Impact Lab - the first in the Southern Hemisphere, and second globally - that Rye recently hosted in Melbourne, and generated 10+ novel ideas for impact using AI.
3. An open Q&A on the questions the people in the room most want to put to AI.
Event Prep: Come with one idea for what you wish AI could do for your work. When you register, tell us what part of the sector you work in and any questions or topics you'd like to explore. You're welcome to skip that and just turn up.
This session is not sponsored, and Fordcastle is not paid by or affiliated with Anthropic. Future sessions will feature guests from across the AI field, not only Anthropic.
About Impact Vibes
What it is: Impact Vibes is an occasional event series that explores the opportunities and challenges of AI for the social-impact sector.
Takeaways: We'll use a note-taking tool to capture notes, and will share a short anonymised recap back to everyone who came. Your registration details and form submissions won't be shared outside Fordcastle.
Collaborative Curiosity: Attendees are asked to come with a spirit of collaborative curiosity - open-minded, positive sum mindset, generative, and openly questioning assumptions.
Chatham House rules: Guests are asked to follow Chatham House rules - so you're welcome and encouraged to share ideas and insights that came up, but not attribute them to individual speakers.
Accessibility: Sanders Place has step-free, wheelchair-accessible entry from street level and an accessible bathroom
When Tuesday 28 July 2026, 2:30 to 3:30pm. Please submit this form to apply to attend.
Where: Sanders Place, 11-15 Albert St, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia.
Getting here: About 5 minutes from East Richmond Station and the Swan St trams (#70). 2 minutes from the Church St trams (#78). Limited street parking available.
Acknowledgement of Country: Impact Vibes is held at Sanders Place, on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waters and community, that sovereignty was never ceded, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining the conversation.