Cville AI Explorers (CvAIEx) - Meeting #19
Details
# 🎤 Cville AI Explorers: Show & Share
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
For our November meetup, we're turning the mic over to the community!
We're hosting a Show & Share with up to 8 speakers, each getting 15 minutes to share something they've been working on, experimenting with, or just thinking about.
No polished presentations required. Bring a demo, a work in progress, an interesting tool, an open-source project, a crazy idea, or something you'd love to get feedback on.
### 🚀 Show & Share Lineup
1. 🏭 Owen Zanzal — Build an AI Software Factory in 15 Minutes or Less!
Can you build an AI software factory in just 15 minutes? Owen is going to show us how!
2. 🛠️ Travis Eden — TBA
3. 🧠 Nish Tahir — TBA
4. ☎️ Connor T. — An Offline AI-Powered Rotary Phone
Connor is putting a Raspberry Pi inside a vintage rotary telephone, combining small local language models with speech-to-text and text-to-speech to create a completely offline conversational AI. He'll discuss the work in progress and related embedded AI projects, including interactive art installations.
5. 🏗️ Eric Pugh — Self-Hosted LLM Infrastructure
Eric is considering a demo of self-hosted LLM infrastructure using technologies from the Apache Software Foundation (ASF).
6. 🎤 OPEN SLOT — This Could Be You!
7. 🎤 OPEN SLOT — Your Idea Here!
8. 🎤 OPEN SLOT — Who's Next?
### 💡 Want to Share Something?
We still have 3 open slots, assuming our current interested speakers all participate!
It doesn't have to be finished, groundbreaking, or even particularly technical. Some of the best conversations start with "Here's something I've been playing around with..."
This is about sharing ideas, learning from each other, and seeing what people in our local AI community are exploring.
Interested in taking the mic? Drop a message in the thread below or DM me if you'd rather keep it private for now.
Come ready to share, learn, ask questions, and leave with a few new ideas.
The floor is yours for 15 minutes! 🎤
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## Event Details
Date: Wednesday, November 18th
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Studio IX – 969 2nd St SE, Charlottesville, VA
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## Schedule
5:30 PM – Setup begins
5:45 PM – Book club
6:00 PM – Doors open
6:30 PM – Start Presentations
Organizers
Owen Zanzal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenzanzal/
Mike Powers - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-powers-4262033/
Chat with us on Cville Slack #cvilleaiexplorers
If you aren't a member of Cville Slack, DM me your email, and I'll send you an invite.
Sponsors
Studio IX
Coworking space in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, designed for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and remote workers.
Studio IX offers a flexible shared office environment with options for open workspaces, dedicated desks, and private offices. The space fosters a collaborative community through weekly events and mixers, featuring a 'warm industrial' atmosphere with ample natural light.
Amenities include high-speed internet, soundproof phone booths, conference rooms, and premium coffee. Studio IX is staffed by a community manager on weekdays and provides 24/7 access for members.
Tours of the space are available; interested individuals can contact them via:
- Email: COWORK@STUDIOIX.CO
- Phone: 434.260.3803
- Website: https://www.studioix.co/