AI Alliance x InnerSource Commons Pre-Summit Meetup
Details
Accelerating Open Innovation at the Intersection of AI and Collaborative Development
Join us for an exclusive evening bringing together visionary leaders from the AI Alliance, InnerSource Commons, IBM, Neo4j, EY, and other pioneering organizations as we explore the convergence of open AI innovation and collaborative development practices.
As the AI revolution transforms how we build, share, and scale technology, the principles of open collaboration have never been more critical. This pre-summit gathering unites two powerful movements: the AI Alliance's mission to advance open, safe, and responsible AI through community-driven innovation, and InnerSource Commons' decade-long leadership in establishing collaborative development as a strategic advantage for global enterprises.
This gathering represents a unique convergence of communities working to ensure AI technology remains accessible, transparent, and beneficial to all. Whether you're implementing InnerSource practices, building AI systems, or leading digital transformation initiatives, join us to discover how open collaboration is reshaping the future of technology development.
# 📆 Agenda
- 5:00 pm - Check-In and Light Refreshments
- 5:10 pm - Welcome & Introductions
- 5:15 pm - Talk #1: Phil Gilbert, creator of the framework of "Irresistible Change"
- 6:00 pm - Talk #2: How to Structure Context to Make Your Agents Smarter with Nyah Macklin, Senior Developer Advocate at Neo4j
- 6:30 pm - Networking Reception
Speaker Bios:
Speaker #1 - Phil Gilbert is a recognized leader in design, culture, and organizational transformation, known for driving innovation at scale. In 2012, he was tasked with revitalizing IBM’s legendary design program, spearheading a bold effort to transform how the company approaches and solves complex challenges. By integrating formally-trained designers across the organization and reskilling thousands of employees in design thinking and agile practices, Phil helped establish a sustainable culture of creativity and collaboration. This transformation set a new global standard for the role of design in business and was featured in The New York Times, Fortune, and the acclaimed documentary The Loop.
During his tenure at IBM, Phil also co-chaired the company’s Global Women’s Executive Council and founded the Racial Equity in Design team—both initiatives reflecting his commitment to diversity, empathy, and systemic innovation as essential drivers of business success. His contributions earned him induction into the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Hall of Fame in 2018, as well as recognition as an Oklahoma Creativity Ambassador in 2019 for advancing creative thinking and innovation globally.
Speaker #2 - Nyah Macklin is a seasoned researcher and speaker on topics around AI, ML, Ethics, Governance, and Responsibility. Nyah serves as a Senior Developer Advocate for Artificial Intelligence at Neo4j, specializing in GraphRAG, knowledge graphs, and AI-driven developer tooling where Nyah has built high-impact technical communities and led initiatives that advance a critical understanding of AI and its use cases. They are also the Founder & CTO of Afros in AI, a technical community dedicated to showcasing the multifaceted nature of artificial intelligence. Beyond Nyah's technical expertise, Nyah has a background in government leadership and technology policy, having served as Chief of Staff in the U.S. state government, where they helped shape tech-driven legislative initiatives and equity-driven legislation. When not immersed in their work, Nyah cares about empowering, teaching, and tutoring engineers, live-streaming technical deep dives, and building open-source tools that make software more accessible, explainable, and community-driven.
Don't miss this opportunity to connect with the leaders defining how open innovation will power the next decade of AI advancement.
Light refreshments and networking reception to follow the program.
This AI Alliance event is sponsored by Neo4J.
Why join?
This is your chance to dive deep into the world of AI agents, connect with a new and emerging developer community. This event is designed for experienced developers, and those who are curious about agents.
Please be advised: Unfortunately, space is very limited at these community events and we can not always accept everyone we would like to. We appreciate your application and are looking forward to seeing you at a future even!
*Code of Conduct: We expect our members to treat each other like family, so please click here to read our Code of Conduct. If you see someone violating it, please speak with your event organizer or reach out to dnielsen@thealliance.ai.*
The AI Alliance is a non-profit, grassroots community of 150+ companies, startups, researchers, and individuals. Through world-class events, online events, and workshops, members leverage their diverse perspectives and innovative minds to foster meaningful relationships, solve challenging problems, and define the future of AI.