Innovate Hampton Roads

Late Night Builders
2026-04-02 21:00 - 2026-04-03 00:00 (America/Halifax) | Buffalo Wild Wings, 101 S Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462, US
Can’t sleep? Up late tinkering on a project? Or can’t make the usual meetups till the kids are in bed?
Late Night Builders is a monthly hangout for builders, tinkerers, and the generally curious. Developers, designers, AI enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, hobbyists — if you make things or want to start, you’ll fit in.
Bring something you’re working on, pick someone’s brain, or just show up for cheap wings and good conversation. No agenda, no presentations, no networking cringe.
Anyone is welcome at any experience level. Bring your laptop, bring a friend, or just bring yourself.

🧜‍♀️ AICHR | Late Night Builders
2026-04-02 21:00 - 2026-04-03 00:00 (America/Halifax) | Buffalo Wild Wings, 101 S Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462, US
Can’t sleep? Up late tinkering on a project? Or can’t make the usual meetups till the kids are in bed?
Late Night Builders is a monthly hangout for builders, tinkerers, and the generally curious. Developers, designers, AI enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, hobbyists — if you make things or want to start, you’ll fit in.
Bring something you’re working on, pick someone’s brain, or just show up for cheap wings and good conversation. No agenda, no presentations, no networking cringe.
Anyone is welcome at any experience level. Bring your laptop, bring a friend, or just bring yourself.
FAQs
Is there free parking? Yes. There is plenty of free parking available at the location.
Is this event free? Yes. Space is limited, so please RSVP and cancel if your plans change.
🤝 Organizers & partners
Organizers
The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​Platinum partners
TechArk
Regent University
ECPI University
Hampton Roads Chamber Foundation
Retail Alliance & Retail Alliance Foundation
Bronze partners
Assembly
757 Collab
🌍 ​Our parent org
The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 150,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.
All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct. Additionally, by registering for this event, you agree to The AI Collective Hampton Roads chapter photo & video policy.

First Fridays in Downtown Norfolk
2026-04-03 21:00 - 2026-04-04 00:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Get ready, Norfolk! DNC is excited to announce the return of First Fridays for this season! Come out for Downtown Norfolk’s favorite block party, bringing live music, local vendors, and good times to the heart of our city. – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-fridays-tickets-1364403600899?aff=oddtdtcreator

Women in Business Coffee Meetup
2026-04-07 08:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | The Legacy at Willow Pond, 4251 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, Virginia
Join us April 7th from 8-10 AM at The Legacy at Willow Pond in Suffolk for a morning of networking and real connection. This is an open-format event, so come whenever it works for you. No registration needed.
At 9 AM, we’ll do round-robin introductions so everyone has a chance to share what they’re working on and meet the room.

@womeninbusinesshr is a community-led support and networking group for women-owned businesses across Hampton Roads. And no, you don’t have to own a business to come. If you work for one, support one, or just want to be in the room with women building things, you’re welcome here.
We rotate locations each month to highlight incredible women-owned businesses across our area.
If you want to stay in the loop, fill out this form to be added to the email list. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aТАw7QFaE0y_GHynu0gL8Мх6С1V1cZjNGz8zX47РKkA/edit
Come as you are. Leave with connections.

Assembly Easter Egg Hunt
2026-04-08 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Let the hunt begin! Hidden eggs are tucked all around campus — filled with sweet treats, surprises, and a few special prizes. Step away from your desk, join the search, and enjoy a little friendly competition with your coworkers.

VBMBC + The HIVE: Spring Small Business Roundtable
2026-04-09 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | The HIVE by City of Virginia Beach, 140 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462, US
Working Smarter, Not Harder: Scaling Your Business in the Digital World
​Running a small business today means wearing many hats. The good news is you do not have to do everything the hard way.
​Join the Virginia Beach Minority Business Council and The HIVE Small Business Resource Center for an interactive session designed to help entrepreneurs understand how AI and modern digital tools can simplify operations, save time, and support sustainable growth.
​This session will introduce practical ways small business owners can use AI today. You will learn how automation and digital tools can reduce repetitive work, improve decision making, and help you focus more energy on growing your business.
​Required registration
​Registration is required to attend this event.
​Please sign up here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-mbc-spring-small-business-roundtable-tickets-1981794826675)
​Attendees who have not registered may be turned away at the event if capacity is reached.
​What you will learn
​• What AI actually means for small businesses today
​• Practical digital tools you can begin using immediately
​• How automation can reduce manual work and free up your time
​• How to take advantage of resources already available to entrepreneurs in Hampton Roads
​
Whether you are just beginning to explore digital tools or looking for smarter ways to scale your business, this event focuses on practical strategies that work in today’s fast moving business environment.
​Featured speaker
​Erin Marie
​Co-Founder & Director @ The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​AI Modernization, Automation & Strategy Consultant | Former Microsoft Technical Program Manager
​Erin Marie is a co-founder of AI Collective Hampton Roads, a regional community that brings together builders, leaders, and practitioners to explore practical and responsible applications of AI. Through workshops, hackathons, and community events, the organization helps people learn how to apply AI in ways that are useful, accessible, and human centered.
​
Prior to this work, Erin spent five years at Microsoft as a Technical Program Manager leading modernization efforts for the Windows servicing pipeline. Her work focused on system design, distributed computing, and helping organizations modernize workflows through thoughtful adoption of automation and AI.
​She is known for helping technical and non technical teams work together effectively while building systems that support both business outcomes and the people behind them.
Partnership
​This event is hosted by Virginia Beach Minority Business Council & The HIVE Small Business Resource Center of Virginia Beach, which provides education, mentoring, and resources to help entrepreneurs launch and grow successful businesses.
Parking
​Parking is available in the Red Garage. Enter on Market Street, walk around the building to 140 Independence Blvd, and enter through the front entrance.

Claude Code: From Setup to Agentic Workflows | AICHR
2026-04-09 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Online event
Claude Code: From Setup to Agentic Workflows
Hands-on with the tool that’s turning developers and power users into one-person engineering teams.
This is a live, digital-only event. No in-person attendance. Join from anywhere.
April 9, 2026 · 6:30 PM EST
AI coding assistants have been around for a while now. Most of them autocomplete your lines and call it a day. Claude Code is something different — it’s an agentic system that lives in your terminal, reads your entire codebase, executes multi-file operations, and coordinates work across sessions and sub-agents.
This session is a live, demo-driven walkthrough of Claude Code and Anthropic’s expanding agentic toolkit. We’re not talking theory. We’re opening terminals, pairing devices, and building things in real time.
Whether you’re a developer looking to 10x your workflow or a technical professional who wants to understand what agentic coding actually looks like in practice, this is the session to attend.
Join Andrew Stafford for a hands-on tour of how Claude’s tools work together to turn a single prompt into a coordinated, multi-step workflow.
🔍 What We’ll Cover
Claude Code: Setup & Core Concepts Installation, configuration, and your first agentic session. How Claude Code reads your codebase, plans changes, and executes across files — not just autocomplete, but autonomous multi-step workflows.
Tasks: From To-Dos to Orchestration How Claude Code’s Task system manages complex work with dependency graphs, filesystem persistence, and cross-session coordination. Break down big projects into parallelizable work that survives session restarts.
Cowork: Agentic Power Beyond Code Claude Code’s capabilities applied to knowledge work on your desktop. Local file access, connectors to Slack, Notion, Google Drive, and more — all running in a sandboxed VM on your machine. Live demo of real workflow automation.
Dispatch: Your Phone as a Remote Control The newest feature in the toolkit. Pair your phone to your desktop Cowork session, fire off tasks from anywhere, and come back to finished work. We’ll set it up live and put it through its paces.
The Agentic Stack: How It All Fits Together Claude Code in the terminal. Cowork on the desktop. Dispatch from your phone. Tasks coordinating across sessions. Sub-agents working in parallel. We’ll map out how these pieces connect into a unified workflow and where they’re heading.
🎙️ Your Speaker
Andrew Stafford Co-Lead of The AI Collective Hampton Roads 25+ years across technology, cloud architecture, and AI — including work with Amazon, NASA, healthcare platforms, and enterprise systems. Author of AI for Business. Currently building at the intersection of AI tooling, agentic workflows, and practical business automation.
Who should attend?

Developers and engineers who want to go beyond copilot-style autocomplete
Technical professionals curious about agentic AI workflows
Founders and operators looking to understand the productivity shift
Anyone who builds, ships, or manages software and wants to see what’s possible now

Why this matters
The gap between “AI assistant” and “AI agent” is closing fast. Claude Code doesn’t just suggest code — it plans, executes, verifies, and coordinates. Cowork extends that to knowledge work. Dispatch makes it mobile. Tasks make it persistent.
This isn’t a future roadmap talk. These tools are live, shipping, and available today. The question isn’t whether agentic workflows will change how you work — it’s how fast you’ll adopt them.
Come see what it looks like when you stop chatting with AI and start delegating to it.

Our parent org The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 210,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.
All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective are subject to our Code of Conduct.

BizConnect Member Weekly Coffee Hosted by Istoria
2026-04-10 12:30 - 13:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Join BizConnect members, one of the area’s best networking groups for building quality relationships, for weekly coffee hosted by Istoria this week. Come for advice from other business owners, bring guests to connect with BizConnect members, and bring ideas for partnership opportunities. It’s a great way to end the busy work week and start the weekend. – https://tockify.com/bizconnect/detail/94/1775824200000

Cybersecurity - Chesapeake Weekend Afternoon Networking (WAN)
2026-04-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | neat bird chicken, 565 Belaire Avenue, Chesapeake, 23320, United States
Attention Information Security and Cybersecurity Professionals!
Are you looking to meet new people who share your interests? Whether you’re thinking about entering cybersecurity, have recently entered the field, or are a seasoned professional, we welcome all to join us for an evening of networking, learning, and fun.
Why Attend?
Enjoy a night out at the cozy and welcoming Neat Bird in Chesapeake, where you can connect with like-minded individuals. We love bringing people together to share insights and build lasting connections. Join us for some beers—or not, if that’s your preference. Our goal is to help you forge meaningful relationships in the cybersecurity community.
About ISSA-HR
The Information Systems Security Association of Hampton Roads (ISSA-HR) hosts social events throughout the region, providing a space for cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts to get together, share stories, learn new information, and meet new people. With years of cybersecurity expertise, ISSA-HR is committed to promoting the industry and nurturing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
RSVP now and bring a friend! We look forward to seeing you there!

Peninsula Developers Study Group
2026-04-14 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, US
New AI tools dropping every week. Bookmarks piling up. “To-be-studied” lists growing faster than we can read them.
Sound familiar?
Peninsula Developers Study Group is a local initiative for students and developers in the Newport News / Hampton Roads area who want to stop meaning to learn and actually do it — together.
No pressure to be an expert. No bootcamp intensity. Just a consistent habit, a room full of curious people, and the accountability that comes from showing up.
How it works
We meet every two weeks on Tuesdays from 6:00–7:30 PM at CNU. Sessions are a mix of focused study and group discussion. Topic, format, and pace adjust based on what the group needs.
Session Details
📅 Start Date: April 14th, 2026
🕚 Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Christopher Newport University (room details via Slack)
🔃 Frequency: Bi-weekly (Tuesdays)
📚 First Topic: Claude 101 — AI tools, no prior experience needed
You are welcome to study something else too. The goal is the habit, not the syllabus.
To join
Fill out the form and you will receive a Slack invite with the exact room details before the session: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7mmR0I0dlreopNJNgL7mRWz5m4oZz7Ixc1g7xSrsyR_kcag/viewform?usp=dialog

Connect Coastal Virginia's Sip&Socialize Business Networking
2026-04-15 17:00 - 19:00 (Africa/Abidjan) | Jimmy G’s Chop House & Bistro Bar, 3333 Virginia Beach Boulevard #UNIT 17, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, Virginia Beach, VA, 23452, US
Join Connect Coastal Virginia for our Sip & Socialize Networking Event where GovCon leaders, tech innovators and creative minds meet!

PechaKucha (PKN) Night
2026-04-15 21:30 - 23:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Get ready for a high-energy evening of storytelling, creativity, and rapid-fire inspiration! At PKN Night, presenters have just 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to share their ideas, passions, or projects—no fluff, just the good stuff. Whether you’re here to speak, listen, or just soak in the vibes, come hang out and get inspired. RSVP & sign up to present on the community portal. – https://community.assemblynfk.com/en/events/view/1415671252/pechakucha-pkn-night

Brotherhood & Trust with I SEE YOU BRO
2026-04-15 23:00 - 2026-04-16 01:00 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Come out for candid conversations and real talk — it’s more than just a round table, it’s a community coming together to share. This month, they’ll be discussing brotherhood and trust led by Dr. Fred Scott, PHD, LPC, NCC. – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-see-you-bro-presents-the-lab-tickets-1586608491709?aff=erelexpmlt

Who's On Your B.A.I.L. Team? Your Trusted Business Advisors!
2026-04-16 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Chesapeake Economic Development, 555 Belaire Avenue, Chesapeake, Virginia
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a team in place that would help you avoid troubles or assist with challenges in your business?

You Can Build the Right Team – Your B.A.I.L. Team!
Every successful business owner needs trusted advisors. Your B.A.I.L. Team includes a Banker, Accountant, Insurance Broker, and Lawyer—each playing a vital role in helping you make smart decisions as you launch or grow your business.
Banker
Your banker can guide you on the right types of business bank accounts and introduce tools and services that simplify managing your company’s finances.
Presented by Joey Barnes – Fulton Bank
Accountant
Before you even form your business, an accountant can help you evaluate projected revenue and determine the most appropriate business structure. This decision directly affects how your business is taxed.
Presented by Chelsea Torres – SBDC
Insurance Broker
An insurance broker takes the time to understand your business model, daily operations, team structure, and sales approach. They assess potential risks and identify areas where your business could face liability—ensuring you’re properly protected.
Presented by COVA Insurance
Lawyer
A lawyer advises you on business activities and potential liabilities. They help you choose the right legal structure and provide guidance on essential contracts with clients, employees, and vendors.
Presented by Savvas Daginis – Davis, Burch, Abrams Law Firm
In partnership with the City of Chesapeake Economic Development
Important Details:
• This is a live, in-person workshop and will not be recorded.
• Attendance is free; however, RSVP is required.
• Registered participants will receive a reminder prior to the event.

Startup Strategies
2026-04-16 10:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Topic: Start-up Assistance

Key motivations for entrepreneurship include creative freedom, control over one’s career path, the pursuit of wealth creation, and personal development.
*Evaluate your entrepreneurial abilities
*Marketing strategies
*Financial resources
*Legal form of organization
*Tips to prepare & present your business plan
*Cybersecurity Tips
Ensure a strong foundation and entrepreneurial success by starting with a well-defined strategy.

Speaker(s): Lin Hite, Longwood SBDC Western Region Director
Co-Sponsor(s): LSBDC, VASBDC, GMU, SBA, GoVA
Fee: No Cost

FOCI 101 Briefing Overview for Government Contractors WEBINAR
2026-04-16 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
This webinar is a fast, founder- and investor-oriented introduction to how strategic competition, foreign influence, and U.S. government scrutiny increasingly intersect with advanced technology development.
The session places Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) in its operational context: how states pursue access, how influence is exercised indirectly, and how early signals shape outcomes long before any formal review or enforcement action occurs.
Topics include:
-How foreign state and state-aligned actors engage U.S. innovators today, including current collection trends, indirect access strategies, and soft-power engagement across research, startup, investment, and scaling environments. This includes the periods where vulnerabilities spike.
-How FOCI is interpreted across the U.S. government, where thresholds differ between agencies (DoD, DOE, NIH, NSF, etc.), and how those interpretations continue to evolve.
-What actually draws attention in practice, funding structures, partnerships, personnel, data access, and commercial behavior, often years before companies realize they are being evaluated.
-Practical mitigation options teams can consider if and when FOCI-related issues arise.
The discussion draws on real-world patterns from intelligence collection, influence operations, and technology competition. It’s designed to sharpen judgment, challenge assumptions, and help teams understand the terrain they’re operating in, so innovation can proceed faster and with fewer strategic surprises.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
PRESENTER: Cyrus Miryekta, CEO, Ravelin US LLC
DATE: April 16, 2026
TIME: 1-2PM Eastern WEBINAR
COST: Virginia Based Co’s & Virginia University FREE; All Others $20

Hub Topic Talks: Truly Listening as the Ultimate Entrepreneurial Unlock
2026-04-17 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Tribe Square Entrepreneurship Hub, 249 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, US
Entrepreneurs are taught to pitch, persuade, and push forward. But the skill that transformed Paige Edward’s career — and made her the #1 producer for seven straight years — was learning how to truly listen. After earning a Master’s in Counseling, she discovered that understanding what people aren’t saying often matters more than what they are. In this session, we’ll explore how deep listening sharpens product-market fit, uncovers real objections, strengthens teams, and builds the kind of trust that fuels sustainable growth.
Hub Topic Talks is a platform where entrepreneurs share their remarkable journeys and their acquired industry expertise. These thought-provoking talks delve into specific industry-level topics, offering not only deep insights and wisdom but also tangible action steps. Be inspired by the stories of those who have navigated the entrepreneurial landscape with degrees of failure and success. Don’t miss your chance to connect with industry experts and uncover the keys to success at Hub Talks! Attend in person at the Hub or virtually via Zoom!

Claude Code Agent Teams Workshop | AICHR
2026-04-18 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Halifax) | Online event
This event is capped at 500 attendees. Register now to secure your spot.
You’ve set up Claude Code. You’ve built your first automations. Now it’s time to scale.
Agent Teams is Claude Code’s most powerful feature — multiple AI instances working in parallel, sharing task lists, and coordinating directly with each other. Instead of one agent handling everything sequentially, you spin up a team: frontend, backend, QA — each working independently while a team lead orchestrates the whole operation.
This session is a live, demo-driven deep dive into Agent Teams. We’re not talking theory. We’re spinning up a real multi-agent team on stage and building a project in parallel — live.
If you attended our April 9 event (or watched the recording), this is the next step. If you didn’t, you can still follow along — but having Claude Code installed will help.
Join Andrew Stafford for a hands-on look at how to go from “one AI assistant” to “an AI workforce.”
🔍 What We’ll Cover
Agent Teams Setup The one-line configuration that unlocks multi-agent orchestration. tmux for split-pane visibility. Display modes. Permission management.
Live Demo: Multi-Agent Build We’ll spin up a 3-agent team — two builders and a reviewer — and build a real feature in parallel. You’ll watch the agents claim tasks, communicate with each other, and coordinate their work in real time.
Prompt Engineering for Teams How to define roles, assign file ownership, set communication protocols, and prevent the #1 failure mode (agents overwriting each other’s work).
Plan-Then-Execute at Scale The pattern that makes Agent Teams reliable: every agent drafts a plan, gets approval, then executes. No wasted tokens, no wrong-direction builds.
When to Use Teams vs Sub-Agents vs Solo Agent Teams aren’t always the answer. We’ll cover the decision framework for choosing the right approach based on your task complexity and budget.
Token Economics Agent Teams use 3-5x the tokens of a single session. We’ll break down the real costs and show you how to optimize for value.
🎙️ Your Speaker
Andrew Stafford Co-Lead of The AI Collective Hampton Roads 25+ years across technology, cloud architecture, and AI — including work with Amazon, NASA, healthcare platforms, and enterprise systems. Author of AI for Business. Currently building at the intersection of AI tooling, agentic workflows, and practical business automation.
Also runs Claude Code for Business Group
And AI Consulting Group
Who should attend?

Developers and engineers who want to go beyond copilot-style autocomplete
Technical professionals curious about agentic AI workflows
Founders and operators looking to understand the productivity shift
Anyone who builds, ships, or manages software and wants to see what’s possible now

Why this matters
The gap between “AI assistant” and “AI agent” is closing fast. Claude Code doesn’t just suggest code — it plans, executes, verifies, and coordinates. Cowork extends that to knowledge work. Dispatch makes it mobile. Tasks make it persistent.
This isn’t a future roadmap talk. These tools are live, shipping, and available today. The question isn’t whether agentic workflows will change how you work — it’s how fast you’ll adopt them.
Come see what it looks like when you stop chatting with AI and start delegating to it.
Attendees will receive a comprehensive homework resource guide and access to our AI Workflow Starter Kit for those who want done-for-you templates and video walkthroughs.

🤝 Organizers & partners
​
Organizers
The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​Platinum partners
TechArk
Regent University
ECPI University
Hampton Roads Chamber Foundation
Retail Alliance & Retail Alliance Foundation
Bronze partners
Assembly
757 Collab
🌍 ​Our parent org
The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 215,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.
All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct. Additionally, by registering for this event, you agree to The AI Collective Hampton Roads chapter photo & video policy.

"Inside Out Culture" Leading People Through Strategic Culture Change
2026-04-21 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, 11850 Merchants Walk Suite 110, Newport News, VA 23606, Newport News, VA, 23606, US
ABOUT THE STRATEGIES, PURPOSE, PROGRESS SERIES A monthly seminar series featuring local business experts sharing insights on key topics. Typically held on the third Tuesday at the Virginia Peninsula Chamber Regional Conference Center.
Members: Free | Non-Members: $15

INNOVATE Cyber Virtual Student Showcase & Pitch Event
2026-04-21 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
We’re excited to invite you to the upcoming INNOVATE Cyber Virtual Student Showcase & Pitch Event on Tuesday, April 21 at 5:00 PM (ET) via Zoom.
This high-impact, experiential learning event highlights the innovative work of undergraduate student teams across the Commonwealth of Virginia who have spent the semester tackling real-world cybersecurity challenges using a design thinking mindset and a human-centered approach.
Join us to:

Hear student pitches and innovative cybersecurity solutions with a human-centered approach
Learn about their journeys and experiences
Explore emerging talent and opportunities for deeper collaboration

Date: Tuesday, April 21
Time: 5:00 PM (ET)
Location: Zoom Webinar – Join from anywhere
Register at this link to join us!

Norfolk Cybersecurity Networking & Happy Hour
2026-04-21 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The OV Beach Tavern, 9659 1st View St, Norfolk, VA, 23503, United States
From 6-9pm for a night of networking and fun at The OV Beach Tavern located in Ocean View, Norfolk. Happy hour is till 8pm with fantastic deals, check the 2nd image for details.
Connect with fellow tech enthusiasts, Information Security, and Cybersecurity professionals in a relaxed atmosphere. Share ideas, make new friends, and enjoy delicious drinks and snacks. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand your professional circle and have a great time!
Free tickets and further details are available at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1980179496178

Locating the Missing Middle Roundtable
2026-04-21 21:30 - 23:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Come out for a session led by AIA CoVA and hear from architecture firms WPA, Dills, and GARC about the barriers to missing middle housing — and how to overcome them. Explore why this walkable, human-scale solution is still hard to build and the opportunities to bring it back. Tenants & members, see the community portal for a special discount. – https://aiahr.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=517&ts=1773927228

14th Annual Tom Tom Festival
2026-04-22 - 2026-04-26 | Charlottesville, Charlottesville, Virginia
A Festival About the Future of Community.
Ideas by Day
Communities need big ideas and passionate people willing to step and bring them to life. Tom Tom connects these engaged citizens and leaders across backgrounds and sectors to dream big. Talks, workshops, and keynotes facilitate connections, build trust, and inspire action.
Celebration by Night
We believe in having fun, and the Festival is a testament to it. Some of Charlottesville’s biggest and most memorable celebrations happen here. Whether it’s a massive Downtown Mall Block Party, multi-genre concerts, or fabulous dance events, it’s all about bringing the community together to build friendship and trust.

April BizConnect Networking/Coffee - KROC Center
2026-04-22 08:30 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | The Salvation Army Kroc Center Hampton Roads, 1401 Ballentine Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23504, Norfolk, VA, 23504, US
Join us for our larger monthly networking coffee to connect with other members of the business community and meet new people.
Members attend at no charge. Non-members $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Click here to purchase ticket: https://form.jotform.com/60153655736963

Secure Energy Future Center (SEFC) Grand Opening
2026-04-22 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Virginia Tech Newport News
The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center is pleased to invite you to the Grand Opening of the Secure Energy Future Center (SEFC) at Tech Center Research Park, a new regional hub advancing next-generation energy innovation.

Join us for a dynamic and engaging program featuring regional and state leadership, an inside look at SEFC, and the opportunity to connect with those shaping the future of energy in the Commonwealth and beyond.

Check-in and registration will open at 9:45 AM, with the program beginning promptly at 10:00 AM.
The event will feature brief remarks, followed by guided tours of the center and networking opportunities. Light refreshments will be served.

About SEFC:
SEFC is a hub for next-generation energy solutions in a highly strategic coastal location, leveraging Hampton Roads’ unique assets to drive innovation, solve complex energy challenges, and enable strategic growth for the region, the Commonwealth, and beyond. Leveraging Virginia’s most valuable assets— world-class university research, unmatched defense and maritime infrastructure, proximity to famed Jefferson Lab and NASA facilities and world-class programming from Virginia Tech and VTCRC—SEFC serves as a market-driven platform for accelerating energy innovation into scalable commercial solutions.

Learn more about the Secure Energy Future Center HERE.

Extracurricular | The Power Of Creative Business IV
2026-04-22 18:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Assembly, 400 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510, Norfolk, VA, 23510, US
Come engage in lively discussions, build meaningful connections, and uncover the transformative power of creative thinking in today’s ever-evolving marketplace. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, artist, or simply curious about the synergy between art and commerce, this event is for you.
Event Highlights: Panel Discussion featuring innovative business leaders and creatives
Sounds by Diósa | Light refreshments provided | Cash bar | Free with RSVP

The Giving Exchange: Clothing & Home Goods Swap
2026-04-22 21:30 - 23:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Clear out your closet and refresh your style — all for a great cause! Enjoy a fashion forecast by Foster Beauty, a fashion show, mocktails by FreeLife, and find a few fresh finds for the spring and summer while also supporting the Urban Renewal Center. All adult sizes and genders welcome. RSVP to get more event details, and bring a friend! Free for Assembly tenants & members; $5 for non-members. – https://community.assemblynfk.com/events/1415692432/the-giving-exchange-clothing-and-home-goods-swap?&v=4.0.901

Extracurricular: The Power of Creative Business | Session IV
2026-04-22 22:00 - 2026-04-23 01:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Come out for a dynamic networking event that explores the intersection of creativity and business. Presented by Antidote Agency, this event brings together a panel of visionary business owners and creatives to share stories, insights, and strategies on harnessing creativity as a driving force for success in the business world. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, artist, or simply curious about the synergy between art and commerce, this event is for you! – https://posh.vip/e/extracurricular-the-power-of-creative-business

Claude as Your AI Coworker | AICHR
2026-04-23 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Online event
This event is capped at 500 attendees. Register now to secure your spot.
Everyone thinks Claude Code is for developers. It’s not.
Claude Code and Cowork are the closest things we have to a true AI coworker — one that connects to your email, your calendar, your files, and your apps, then actually does the work instead of just answering questions about it.
This session shows you 10 practical things Claude can do for you right now — no coding required. Every example follows the same pattern: you provide the idea and make the final call, the AI handles the grunt work, and you review before anything goes live. Human in the loop, every step.
This is our most accessible event yet. If you’ve been curious about AI but felt like everything was aimed at developers — this one’s for you.
🔍 What We’ll Cover
10 Live Demonstrations (or as many as we can get done in the hour)

Daily Morning Briefing — Calendar + email + priorities, generated before you wake up
Meeting Prep Researcher — Topic research + one-page briefing, ready before you walk in
Email Triage Assistant — Scan inbox, flag priorities, draft replies for your review
File Organizer — 500 messy files → sorted, renamed, organized in minutes
Data Cleanup Specialist — Messy spreadsheets → clean, standardized, formatted
Competitive Research Analyst — 5 competitors → structured landscape document
Weekly Status Report Generator — Compile your week’s work into a summary
Travel Planner — Budget + dates + preferences → complete itinerary
Subscription Audit — Find and flag every unused recurring charge
Presentation Generator — Notes or a topic → branded slide deck

The Human-in-the-Loop Pattern Every demo follows the same principle: you bring the starting ideas and judgment. The AI does the heavy lifting. You review and approve before anything is final. The AI is the intern — you’re the boss.
Setup for Non-Technical People We’ll show you how to get Cowork running on your machine — no terminal, no code, no developer tools. Just the Claude Desktop app and your existing accounts.
🎙️ Your Speaker
Andrew Stafford Co-Lead of The AI Collective Hampton Roads 25+ years across technology, cloud architecture, and AI — including work with Amazon, NASA, healthcare platforms, and enterprise systems. Author of AI for Business. Currently building at the intersection of AI tooling, agentic workflows, and practical business automation.
Also runs Claude Code for Business Group
And AI Consulting Group
Who should attend?

Developers and engineers who want to go beyond copilot-style autocomplete
Technical professionals curious about agentic AI workflows
Founders and operators looking to understand the productivity shift
Anyone who builds, ships, or manages software and wants to see what’s possible now

Why this matters
The gap between “AI assistant” and “AI agent” is closing fast. Claude Code doesn’t just suggest code — it plans, executes, verifies, and coordinates. Cowork extends that to knowledge work. Dispatch makes it mobile. Tasks make it persistent.
This isn’t a future roadmap talk. These tools are live, shipping, and available today. The question isn’t whether agentic workflows will change how you work — it’s how fast you’ll adopt them.
Come see what it looks like when you stop chatting with AI and start delegating to it.
Attendees will receive a comprehensive homework resource guide and access to our AI Workflow Starter Kit for those who want done-for-you templates and video walkthroughs.

🤝 Organizers & partners
​
Organizers
The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​Platinum partners
TechArk
Regent University
ECPI University
Hampton Roads Chamber Foundation
Retail Alliance & Retail Alliance Foundation
Bronze partners
Assembly
757 Collab
🌍 ​Our parent org
The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 150,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.
All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct. Additionally, by registering for this event, you agree to The AI Collective Hampton Roads chapter photo & video policy.

Beginners Yoga Class by ISYB Collective
2026-04-23 23:15 - 2026-04-24 00:15 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Roll out your mat and unwind at this laid-back beginner yoga class led by Brenten. This donation-based session (“pay what you want”) supports I SEE YOU BRO’s 501(c) nonprofit fundraiser and is limited to 20 spots (10 BYO mat, 10 with mats provided). Perfect for newbies or anyone looking to stretch, relax, and enjoy good vibes together. – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beginners-yoga-class-by-isyb-collective-tickets-1986078209388?aff=erelexpmlt
