Innovation

We invite you to an in-person session in Seattle exploring the real impact of AI on knowledge-driven industries — from shifting economics and the disruption of traditional SaaS and consulting models to where organizations can still build lasting competitive advantage. As AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini continue to redefine how work gets done, organizations face a critical question: how can they adapt, remain competitive, and create lasting value? We’ll discuss practical strategies for integrating AI while preserving human expertise, along with actionable approaches to upskilling teams for an AI-driven workplace. Drawing on real-world experience from training thousands of professionals and deploying AI solutions, this session will provide clear, applicable insights for today’s evolving landscape. Following a short presentation, the session will open into an interactive discussion where attendees can share perspectives and explore key questions around the evolving role of humans, organizational adaptation, and staying competitive in an AI-first world. **Who should attend:** • Executives and managers in SaaS, consulting, and knowledge-driven organizations • Professionals exploring AI upskilling and workforce transformation • Anyone interested in the future of AI and knowledge work 📍 **Location:** Data Science Dojo, 5010 148th Ave NE, Suite 200A, Redmond, WA, United States 🔗 **Google Maps:** [https://lnkd.in/d8WA-yNc](https://lnkd.in/d8WA-yNc) **💻 Online Access:** A livestream will be available for those unable to attend in person; however, the full interactive experience is reserved for in-person participants.

Important: Register on [AICamp website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026043014) is required for admission. **Description:** Join us for a community-led developer event focused on AI-assisted coding with GitHub Copilot. This event brings together developers to explore practical workflows, real-world use cases, and hands-on experiences using GitHub Copilot. Whether you are new to GitHub Copilot or already using it, this event will help you better understand how to apply AI-assisted coding techniques in everyday development. **Speakers/Topics:** \- Reynald Adolphe\, Microsoft\. Stay tuned as we are updating speakers and schedules. If you have a keen interest in speaking to our community, we invite you to submit topics for consideration: [Submit Topics](https://forms.gle/JkMt91CZRtoJBSFUA) **Sponsors:** We are actively seeking sponsors to support AI developers community. Whether it is by offering venue spaces, providing food, or cash sponsorship. Sponsors will not only speak at the meetups, receive prominent recognition, but also gain exposure to our extensive membership base of 5,000+ AI developers in D.C and 500K+ worldwide.

**Meet Shannon Eastwood and Paul Maguire - Product Design & Launch** Interested in product inventions? Do you have a concept in mind, one that needs to be prototyped? Should you create a new venture, or license it for another firm to commercialize it? Join the conversation... **Shannon Eastwood** is a human-centered strategist with more than 20 years of industry experience, including Corporate Strategy, Brand Management, Product Development, UXUI Design, Product Strategy, Technical Design, Global Sourcing & Project Management. Shannon holds a Master's of Product Innovation from the da Vinci Center at Virginia Commonwealth University alongside a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from VCU School of the Arts. Shannon is a relentless advocate for Social Justice and Human Rights. She believes in the power of change for good and believes that each of us as individuals has the ability to design our collective future. Beyond the boardroom, Shannon is a Yoga teacher and is the CEO and Founder of [Our Lotus Society](https://www.ourlotussociety.com/), a lifestyle brand dedicated to making Yoga accessible to everyone. Shannon is a mother, an auntie, an animal lover, and is never afraid to take bold leaps for the sake of progress and creativity. She has studied in Italy, Romania, England, and Nicaragua and is a lifelong world traveler. [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-eastwood-4b48b48a/) **Paul Maguire** is a product development engineer and innovation leader, with manufacturing and supply chain experience. He explains, “I am an Open Innovation advocate, and I am passionate about helping product developers of all sizes along the path to their success with new products and businesses. I use my foundation in Plastics Engineering and manufacturing as a springboard to turn dreams into reality.” Maguire has spent over twenty years working directly with factories in U.S. and Asia. “Products that I have worked on have sold in excess of 100 Million units.” Maguire holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Massachusetts and attended Design Thinking and Master of Management courses at Cambridge College and Harvard University. At Adept Product Solutions, Maguire has shared his passion and experience in product development and manufacturing to help entrepreneurs create prototypes. He leverages deep expertise in Product Development, Manufacturing, Quality Management and, Supply Chain. Magurie also served on the Board of Directors of VINE, the Virginia Innovators Network, promoting small innovators in central Virginia. [LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldmaguire "https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldmaguire") **The Discussion.** This series of hybrid events is perfect for budding entrepreneurs, experienced executive mentors cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, early-stage investors, and students exploring innovative product design. At each session, business founders serve as guest speakers share about their career, their firm's business model, as well as the successes and challenges in the product development process. Participants learn from the speakers’ experiences, discuss valuable insights, and connect with other entrepreneurs, students, faculty, and investors. **Logistics.** A light lunch is served, as entrepreneurs connect with one another, learn from peers, and contribute to the conversation: * Friday, April 24, 2026 * 11:30am EST - Coffee & Connection * 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST - Presentation & Discussion No pre-registration is required. Join us: Robins School of Business 102 UR Drive, iLab Room 123 University of Richmond, VA 23173 **Parking.** Free parking is available in the U5 and U6 lots immediately adjacent to the Robins School. Please enter the main foyer, turn to the left and proceed to room 123 (EY Innovation Lab) on the ground floor. Please note that visitors have a two-hour parking window. Please sign in when you enter the room, providing your license plate number. **On Zoom Webinar:** https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89608419334?pwd=am0F9r85xPfh7aBaxtdUDILYsvNAwJ.1

**💻 Reimagine Your Second Half of Life – AI Vision Board Immersive Experience (Ashburn)** ✨ **Early Access Rate: $35 (5-Hour Immersive Experience — Lunch, Coffee & Snacks Included)** 🗓 Saturday\, April 25 \| 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM 👥 Limited to 10 participants **“This was such an awesome event! … Once you see that you can’t unsee it. It’s in the making and you will start to discover ways to make that dream materialize.” – Tracy J.** (Comment from January 2026 AI Vision Board session) *** **☀️ Not Just a Vision Board — A Mirror** Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s your comeback story. This immersive is built around the **R.I.C.H. Quadrant™**: • Relationships — who you let in • Ideal Life — what you actually want • Career/Finance — how you show up • Health — the energy that fuels it all If you’d like a deeper look at the framework, you can preview it here: 🔗 [https://midlifereinvention.co/blog/f/the-rich-quadrant%E2%84%A2-living-with-clarity-in-every-part-of-life](https://midlifereinvention.co/blog/f/the-rich-quadrant%E2%84%A2-living-with-clarity-in-every-part-of-life) **In under 5 minutes, you’ll uncover your values.** And when your vision board is aligned with that truth? It stops being decorative — and starts becoming directional. People often have multiple “aha” moments during this session. Not because it’s dramatic — but because something quietly clicks. *** **🕐 What the Day Feels Like** This isn’t a lecture. It’s structured, but human. It’s focused, but energizing. **Morning —** Identify your core values + 2 priority quadrants. **Midday —** Lunch + intentional networking. **Afternoon —** Complete the remaining 2 quadrants + short coffee reset. *** **💻 Laptop Required — Please Ensure ChatGPT Is Logged In Before Arrival 💻** This workshop moves quickly and works best on a laptop. • **Laptop required** (phones will not work well for this experience. **iPads** may be used, but the experience is significantly smoother on a laptop.) • **ChatGPT account created and fully logged in before arrival** (please bring your login credentials with you; free version is fine) To protect everyone’s experience and keep the session on schedule, ***we cannot pause for account setup***. Please arrive fully prepared. If you need help setting up ChatGPT in advance, message me after RSVP. *** **🧠 What You’ll Walk Away With** • Clarity on which area of life needs alignment • A personalized AI-powered vision board • Defined 3, 6, and 12-month direction • Better prompts to use AI intentionally • Real conversations with people who are building, not drifting *** **🥗 What’s Included** • Full 5-hour guided immersive • Pizza + salad lunch • Coffee + curated snacks • All prompts and digital templates • Small-group collaboration *** **👥 Who This Is For** • Divorced/Separated professionals rebuilding intentionally • Entrepreneurs mapping their next chapter • Adults in a season of reset • People who prefer clarity over vague motivation This is thoughtful work — done in community. *** 📍 Ashburn area (exact address shared after RSVP) 💵 $35 Early Access Rate 👩‍💻 Bring laptop + ChatGPT ready 🔔 These are early-access rates as we expand the format. Future sessions will be priced higher. Space is intentionally limited to 10 to keep this interactive and meaningful. Come design what’s next — with structure, clarity, and a little help from AI. 🌐 [https://midlifereinvention.co](https://midlifereinvention.co)

Hello everyone! Who doesn't love discussing AI over mini-golf! We'll be meeting at Starr Hill Tysons Biergarten at the top of the Capital One Building. There's mini-golf, corn-hole, and beer on tap. Come have some fun! Guaranteed fun time, or else your first putt is free :) **Location:** Starr Hill Tysons Biergarten, 1805 Capital One Dr S Suite 1100, Tysons, VA 22102 **\*\* We're on the Roof! \*\*** **Overview:** Join us at AI Innovators Network for our upcoming meetup in Tysons dedicated to exploring the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a professional, or someone curious about the intersection of technology and AI, this event is perfect for networking, learning, and sharing insights. Connect with like-minded individuals from DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland as we dive deep into the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation driving innovation and progress in Artificial Intelligence.

Spec-driven development flips the traditional workflow on its head: instead of code being the source of truth, the specification becomes the backbone of design, collaboration, and delivery. In this session, we’ll explore how GitHub Spec-Kit enables teams to treat specifications as first-class artifacts—living documents that drive architecture, implementation, and verification. You’ll learn how Spec-Kit helps teams clearly express intent using structured, version-controlled specs that live alongside code. We’ll walk through a practical workflow that starts with defining system behavior and constraints, then progressively refines those specs into testable, automatable outcomes. Along the way, we’ll show how specs can reduce ambiguity, improve cross-functional collaboration, and make design decisions explicit before a single line of production code is written. This talk will cover: --What spec-driven development is (and what it isn’t) --How GitHub Spec-Kit fits into modern developer workflows --Using specs to align product, engineering, and AI-assisted development --Real-world examples of turning specs into implementations with confidence Whether you’re building greenfield systems, integrating AI into your stack, or trying to reduce costly rework, spec-driven development offers a scalable way to move faster without sacrificing clarity. Attendees will leave with concrete patterns and a clear mental model for adopting GitHub Spec-Kit in their own projects.