Innovate Hampton Roads

2026 AFCEA Hampton Roads Maritime Operations & Information Warfare Summit
2026-05-11 - 2026-05-14 | Hilton Norfolk The Main, 100 East Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510, Norfolk, VA, 23510, US
Reach decision‑makers who own the problem.

Senior leaders from Fleet and type commands, Naval Information Forces, systems commands, and program offices attend to discuss their toughest IW and maritime operations challenges and future requirements.
Align with published Navy technology priorities.
Sponsoring demonstrates your commitment to the DON CIO PTA missions and puts your experts in the conversation early.
Build relationships that outlast the conference.
AFCEA forums are specifically valued by Government leaders for the chance to have frank, technically informed discussions with industry and academia that shape future initiatives and acquisitions.

Entrepreneur Essentials: Cybersecurity for Startup Healthcare Companies
2026-05-12 12:00 - 13:00 (Africa/Abidjan) | Bloom Coworking, 739 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704, Portsmouth, VA, 23704, US
Protect your healthcare startup from cyber threats, stay compliant & learn practical strategies to safeguard patient data and build trust.

Our monthly Entrepreneur Essentials series, powered by TMoblile, delivers the practical and technical skills startup companies need—right at your fingertips. Join us for lunch and insights from industry-leading professionals. This month’s session, “Cybersecurity for Startup Healthcare Companies,” will explore strategies to protect sensitive data, manage risk, strengthen compliance, and build a secure foundation for growth, with a particular focus on companies neavigating the healthcare sector.

Connecting Claude to Everything: The MCP Deep Dive | AICHR
2026-05-12 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Halifax) | Online event
Notice: This meeting will be recorded. By joining and remaining in this meeting, you consent to being recorded. If you do not consent, please do not join.
This event is capped at 500 attendees. Register now to secure your spot.
Connecting Claude to Everything: The MCP Deep Dive
Claude is smart. But right now, it’s smart in a room with no doors.
It can’t check your Slack. It can’t read your database. It can’t update your Notion. It can’t file your GitHub issues. It can’t query your Stripe data. Every time you want Claude to work with your actual tools, you’re copying and pasting between windows like it’s 2019.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the fix. It’s the universal adapter that connects Claude to Gmail, Slack, Google Drive, Notion, Asana, GitHub, Stripe, databases, and 3,000+ other services — through a single standard protocol. Think of it like USB-C for AI.
This session shows you how to connect Claude to the tools you actually use, with live demos at two levels: Cowork Connectors for everyone (click-to-connect, no code) and Claude Code MCP Servers for developers (install any server from the ecosystem, connect to databases and APIs).
What we’ll cover:
🔌 What Is MCP and Why It Matters The universal adapter that lets Claude talk to any external service. One protocol, thousands of connections.
⚡ 10 Connections We’ll Build Live:
For Everyone (Cowork Connectors — no code):

Gmail + Calendar — cross-referencing email and meetings in a single prompt
Slack — summarize channels, find un-responded messages, draft replies
Google Drive — search, read, and create files across your Drive
Notion — query databases, create pages, search your workspace
Asana — check overdue tasks, create tasks, update status

For Developers (Claude Code MCP Servers):
6. GitHub — review PRs, create issues, check CI status
7. Stripe — query customers, invoices, MRR trends
8. Databases — connect to Postgres/Supabase, run queries in English
9. Custom APIs — connect Claude to any REST API (live demo: URL shortener)
10. Stacking Connections — one prompt that touches 4+ services simultaneously
🔍 Finding and Installing MCP Servers Where to discover the 3,000+ MCP servers available, how to install them, and how to evaluate which ones are worth adding.
Who this is for: Two tracks in one event. If you’ve attended any of our previous events and want to connect Claude to the services you use every day — this is for you. Developers will learn how to install MCP servers and connect Claude to databases and APIs. Non-technical attendees will learn how to use Cowork Connectors to connect Claude to Gmail, Slack, Drive, Notion, and Asana with zero code.
Who this is NOT for: If you haven’t installed Claude Desktop yet, start with our free setup guide first. We’re spending our time connecting services, not installing.
What you’ll leave with: ✅ At least 2-3 new services connected to Claude ✅ A free homework doc with all 10 connection prompts and an MCP installation guide ✅ The framework for finding and evaluating MCP servers ✅ An understanding of how to stack multiple connections in a single prompt
Prerequisites: — Claude Desktop installed (claude.com/download) — Claude Pro ($20/month) or Max ($100+/month) subscription — Cowork mode accessible — Have login credentials ready for services you want to connect (Gmail, Slack, Notion, Asana, etc.) — Developers: Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
🎙️ 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.
🏢 For Businesses Want to bring AI automation training to your team? We offer private workshops (lunch and learn, half-day, full-day bootcamp), conference speaking, and technical consulting. Book a discovery call

🤝 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 225,000+ 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.

Peninsula Builders Study Group
2026-05-12 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, US
New AI tools are dropping every week. Bookmarks are piling up. “To-be-studied” lists are growing faster than we can keep up with.
Sound familiar?
Peninsula Builders Study Group is a local initiative for builders of the Peninsula area who want to stop meaning to learn and start actually doing it—together.
There’s no pressure to be an expert, and 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.
Things to bring:

Laptop
Earphones/headphones

Session details:
🕕 Study time: 6:05 PM – 7:05 PM
🤝 Networking time: 7:05 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Christopher Newport University (Luter 170)
🔁 Frequency: Bi-weekly (Tuesdays)
💬 Join Slack: Fill Google Form
Directions:
Park in the visitor spots in front of Trible Library. From there, take the first right onto the brick path (on your right if you’re facing the library), walk past the Freeman Center, and take the first left. Luter 170 is in the rightmost wing of the Luter Hall building, you’ll see a sign on the door.
Roadmap (optional structure we’re following):

AI Fluency + Claude 101 (start here)
Building with the Claude API
Intro to MCP + MCP Advanced
Claude Code in Action + Coursera module
Practice questions + scenario walkthroughs
Anti-patterns review

Based on: “The Claude Certified Architect is Here!”
You are welcome to study on anything else too. The goal is the habit, not the syllabus.

🧜‍♀️ AICHR | Peninsula Builders Study Group
2026-05-12 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, US
New AI tools are dropping every week. Bookmarks are piling up. “To-be-studied” lists are growing faster than we can keep up with.
Sound familiar?
Peninsula Builders Study Group is a local initiative for students and developers of the Peninsula area who want to stop meaning to learn and start actually doing it—together.
There’s no pressure to be an expert, and 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.
Things to bring:

Laptop
Earphones/headphones

Session details:
🕕 Study time: 6:05 PM – 7:05 PM
🤝 Networking time: 7:05 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Christopher Newport University (Luter 170)
🔁 Frequency: Bi-weekly (Tuesdays)
💬 Join Slack: Fill Google Form
Directions:
Park in the visitor spots in front of Trible Library. From there, take the first right onto the brick path (on your right if you’re facing the library), walk past the Freeman Center, and take the first left. Luter 170 is in the rightmost wing of the Luter Hall building, you’ll see a sign on the door.
Roadmap (optional structure we’re following):

AI Fluency + Claude 101 (start here)
Building with the Claude API
Intro to MCP + MCP Advanced
Claude Code in Action + Coursera module
Practice questions + scenario walkthroughs
Anti-patterns review

Based on: “The Claude Certified Architect is Here!”
You are welcome to study on anything else too. The goal is the habit, not the syllabus.
🤝 Organizers & partners
​
Organizers
The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​Platinum partners
TechArk
Regent University
ECPI University
Hampton Roads Chamber Foundation
Retail Alliance & Retail Alliance Foundation
The HIVE + City of Virginia Beach
Bronze partners
Assembly
757 Collab
🌍 ​Our parent org
The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 200,000+ 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.

Peninsula Developers Study Group
2026-05-12 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, US
New AI tools are dropping every week. Bookmarks are piling up. “To-be-studied” lists are growing faster than we can keep up with.
Sound familiar?
Peninsula Developers Study Group is a local initiative for students and developers in the Peninsula area who want to stop meaning to learn and start actually doing it—together.
There’s no pressure to be an expert, and 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.
Session details:
🕕 Study time: 6:05 PM – 7:05 PM
🤝 Networking time: 7:05 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Christopher Newport University (Luter 170)
🔁 Frequency: Bi-weekly (Tuesdays)
💬 Join Slack: Fill Google Form
Things to bring:

Laptop
Earphones/headphones

Roadmap (optional structure we’re following):

AI Fluency + Claude 101 (start here)
Building with the Claude API
Intro to MCP + MCP Advanced
Claude Code in Action + Coursera module
Practice questions + scenario walkthroughs
Anti-patterns review

Based on: “The Claude Certified Architect is Here!”
You are welcome to study on anything else too. The goal is the habit, not the syllabus.

YCSD Pitch Night 2026
2026-05-13 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Bruton High School, 185 E Rochambeau Dr, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23188
You’re invited to YCSD Pitch Night 2026, a shark tank–style event where talented high school entrepreneurs will take the stage to present their ideas, share their passions, and compete for funding. This is your chance to witness the next generation of innovators in action, and cheer them on as they bring their visions to life.

Mid-Day Fresh Fruit Reset
2026-05-14 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Follow the crowd to the fruit bar! We’re serving up a fresh spread of seasonal fruits and fun toppings so you can build your perfect cup while connecting with fellow members. Drop in, grab a cup, mix and match your favorites, add a little something on top, and enjoy a refreshing moment of flavor and community.

Bike to Work Day
2026-05-15 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Join Norfolk and goCommute for Bike to Work Day! The event will feature various pit stops with snacks and swag for Norfolk bike riders and commuters. Pedal your ride along the route and make Assembly’s station, run by WPA and RISE, and fueled by Three Ships, your last stop before you head into the building! – https://www.gocommute.org/events/bike-to-work-day-2026

Code + Coffee | Pale Horse Coffee
2026-05-16 09:30 - 11:30 (America/Halifax) | Pale Horse Coffee – Battlefield, 1296 S Battlefield Blvd, Chesapeake, VA, 23322, US
Join us for a relaxed morning meetup where developers, designers, founders, and tech enthusiasts gather over great coffee to talk shop, share ideas, and connect with others in the local tech community.
Code + Coffee has no formal agenda—just bring your laptop, a project you’re working on, a question you’ve been thinking about, or simply come to meet other people building interesting things. Whether you’re coding, designing, experimenting with AI, launching a startup, or just curious about technology, you’ll find friendly conversations and plenty of inspiration.
Expect:

Good coffee
Interesting technical conversations
People sharing projects and ideas
Occasional spontaneous whiteboard sessions

Drop in anytime during the meetup window.
Stay for 10 minutes or the whole time.
If you’ve been looking for a low-key way to meet other developers in the area, this is it.

How to Do Business With GSA
2026-05-19 11:00 - 12:00 (Africa/Abidjan) | Online Event
Learn the ins and outs of doing business with GSA in this online event – don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity!

Have you ever wondered how to do business with the government? Do you know GSA provides this information free of charge? Please join us for a comprehensive overview of GSA, which includes an Agency Overview of how the Public Buildings Service (PBS) and the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) do business, how to access and find GSA requirements, Small Business Search (SBS), Multiple Award Schedules, and more.
Join here: https://odu.zoom.us/j/93457081170

Meeting ID: 934 5708 1170

—

One tap mobile
+13017158592,,93457081170# US (Washington DC)
+13052241968,,93457081170# US

Build Your Own Claude Skills: Teach Claude How You Work | AICHR
2026-05-19 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Halifax) | Online event
Notice: This meeting will be recorded. By joining and remaining in this meeting, you consent to being recorded. If you do not consent, please do not join.
Build Your Own Claude Skills: Teach Claude How You Work
Every session, you explain the same things. Your coding standards. Your review process. Your preferred format. Your tone of voice. Your deployment steps.
Claude doesn’t remember between sessions. CLAUDE.md helps — it tells Claude who you are and what you prefer. But a preference list isn’t a playbook. You need something that says: “When you encounter THIS situation, follow THESE steps, use THESE templates, and produce THIS output.”
That’s a Skill. You teach Claude once. It follows the process forever. And it can auto-invoke — Claude detects when to use a skill without you even asking.
This session is a live, demo-driven workshop. We’ll build 10 real skills from scratch, covering everything from daily standups and code reviews to meeting notes and project scaffolding. By the end, you’ll have a personal skill library that makes Claude work the way you work.
What we’ll cover:
🧠 Why Skills Matter CLAUDE.md tells Claude who you are. Skills tell Claude how you work. The difference between explaining something every session and teaching it once.
⚡ Built-In Skills You Might Not Know /review, /simplify, /plan, /loop, /batch, /anthropic — what ships with Claude Code and how to use each one.
🔧 Anatomy of a Skill SKILL.md frontmatter, the markdown body, supporting files (templates, scripts, examples), auto-invocation, and the $ARGUMENTS system.
🛠️ 10 Skills We’ll Build Live:

Daily Standup Report — auto-generated from git history and calendar
Code Review Checklist — your team’s standards, enforced every time
Meeting Notes Formatter — messy notes in, structured summary out
PR Description Generator — Claude writes the PR description from the diff
Bug Report Creator — plain language to structured report with GitHub issue
Email Drafter — with voice matching from a style guide file
Competitive Quick Look — one company name in, structured brief out
Project Scaffolder — /scaffold react-app and everything is set up
Weekly Reflection — end-of-week self-assessment that builds an archive
Documentation Updater — catches stale docs before your users do

📁 Organizing and Sharing Skills Global vs project skills, sharing via git, keeping SKILL.md lean, and building a team-wide skill library.
Who this is for: Developers and technical professionals who use Claude Code and want to stop repeating themselves. If you’ve attended any of our previous events, this is the session where you turn everything you’ve learned into reusable, persistent workflows. Non-technical Cowork users will benefit from skills 3, 6, 7, and 9 (meeting notes, email drafting, competitive research, weekly reflection).
Who this is NOT for: If you haven’t used Claude Code or Cowork yet, start with our earlier events and free setup guides. This session assumes you’re comfortable with Claude and want to go deeper.
What you’ll leave with: ✅ At least 2-3 working skills installed and tested ✅ A free homework doc with all 10 skill templates ready to copy ✅ Understanding of SKILL.md anatomy, auto-invocation, and supporting files ✅ A framework for building and sharing skills across your team
Prerequisites: — Claude Desktop installed with Cowork, OR Claude Code CLI installed — Claude Pro ($20/month) or Max ($100+/month) subscription — Basic familiarity with Claude from a previous event or self-study — Developers: a terminal open and a project folder ready to work in
🎙️ 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.
🏢 For Businesses Want to bring AI automation training to your team? We offer private workshops (lunch and learn, half-day, full-day bootcamp), conference speaking, and technical consulting. Book a discovery call

🤝 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 225,000+ 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.

Cyber Bytes Networking Event
2026-05-20 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | 3500 Tejo Lane, 3500 Tejo Lane, Chesapeake, Virginia
We’re excited to bring together innovators, small businesses, and industry leaders for a powerful evening of connection and collaboration at the Cyber Bytes Networking Event.
This impactful event is hosted by RFK Solutionz and proudly sponsored by CGI Federal, supporting the advancement of Phase III SBIR opportunities and partnerships.
Connect with key stakeholders across government, industry, and emerging tech, explore pathways to transition SBIR innovations into real-world impact and build relationships that drive growth, funding, and mission success.

YELLOW Bright Sparks: Unlocking Minds: A Vibrant Journey in Cultural Mental Health + The Future of Wellness
2026-05-20 22:30 - 2026-05-21 00:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Join us as YELLOW offers an insightful discussion on cultural mental health and the future of wellness, followed by a mix + mingle with small bites. Guest speakers include Tiffany Lauren Jones (Founder, The Sartori Agency), Loni Davis (Yoga Instructor & Herbalist), and Andrés Casablanca (MS-CMHC, Norton Therapeutic Solutions). Doors open at 5:45 pm for networking, and the conversation starts at 6:30 pm. This conversation is powered by YELLOW, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by Pharrell Williams. – https://airtable.com/app4Wg6ukB4u4fHr4/shrwFiNqWvtQ1B0yU

Code + Coffee + Beignets | Beignets & Brew
2026-05-21 09:30 - 11:30 (America/Halifax) | Beignets & Brew, 520 W 21st St, Norfolk, VA, 23517, US
Code + Coffee BONUS EDITION: Code + Coffee + Beignets
Join us for a relaxed morning meetup where developers, designers, founders, and tech enthusiasts gather over great coffee to talk shop, share ideas, and connect with others in the local tech community.
Code + Coffee has no formal agenda—just bring your laptop, a project you’re working on, a question you’ve been thinking about, or simply come to meet other people building interesting things. Whether you’re coding, designing, experimenting with AI, launching a startup, or just curious about technology, you’ll find friendly conversations and plenty of inspiration.
Expect:

Good coffee
Interesting technical conversations
People sharing projects and ideas
Occasional spontaneous whiteboard sessions

Drop in anytime during the meetup window.
Stay for 10 minutes or the whole time.
If you’ve been looking for a low-key way to meet other developers in the area, this is it.

NOODLE | The Thinkers Convention
2026-05-22 - 2026-05-23 | Victory Landing Park, 50 26th Street, Newport News, Virginia
On May 22-23, Some of the brightest, most driven minds in business, technology, music and media will gather alongside the brightest minds of the region to noodle.
Learn more about the event and lineup at: https://noodlecon.com/

Build Your Own AI Agent: The Claude Agent SDK | AICHR
2026-05-26 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Halifax) | Online event
Notice: This meeting will be recorded. By joining and remaining in this meeting, you consent to being recorded. If you do not consent, please do not join.
This event is capped at 500 attendees. Register now to secure your spot.
Build Your Own AI Agent: The Claude Agent SDK –
You’ve been using Claude Code interactively. Type a prompt, watch it work, review the output. That’s great for your workflow. But what happens when you need Claude running inside your application? Processing uploads at 3 AM? Reviewing PRs automatically? Analyzing logs as a service?
The Claude Agent SDK is Claude Code packaged as a Python and TypeScript library. One function call, one prompt, and you have a fully autonomous agent with 10+ built-in tools — file reading, code editing, shell commands, web search, MCP connections — all handled autonomously. No tool loop. No orchestration code. The SDK is free and open source. You pay for tokens only.
This is a live coding workshop. We’ll build 10 real agents from scratch, starting with a 10-line bug finder and ending with a multi-agent coordinator that spawns subagents for parallel work.
What we’ll cover:
🧠 Why the Agent SDK Changes Everything The difference between the Client SDK (you build the tool loop), Claude Code CLI (you interact manually), and the Agent SDK (Claude handles tools autonomously in your code).
⚡ 10 Agents We’ll Build Live:

Bug Finder & Fixer — reads code, finds bugs, fixes them. 10 lines of Python.
Code Documentation Generator — docstrings for every function in a directory
Test Writer — writes tests, runs them, fixes failures, iterates until green
File Processor Pipeline — watch a folder, process every new file automatically
API Health Monitor — hits endpoints, reports status, opens issues on failure
Log Analyzer — reads logs, groups errors by pattern, produces a digest
Security Auditor — scans for hardcoded secrets, SQL injection, missing validation
Data Report Generator — reads a database or CSV, produces formatted reports
PR Review Bot — triggered by webhook, reviews against your checklist, posts comments
Multi-Agent Coordinator — spawns subagents for parallel research + writing + review

🏗️ Managed Agents Preview The hosted version: sandboxed containers, persistent state, credential vaulting. $0.08/session-hour + tokens. Public beta since April 8, 2026. When to use Agent SDK (your infra) vs Managed Agents (Anthropic’s infra).
Who this is for: Python or TypeScript developers who want to build autonomous AI agents. If you’ve been using Claude Code and want to embed its capabilities into your own applications, services, or pipelines — this is the session. Prior experience with Claude Code is helpful but not required.
Who this is NOT for: Non-developers. This is a coding workshop. Every demo involves writing and running Python or TypeScript code. If you’re looking for no-code AI workflows, see our earlier events in the series.
What you’ll leave with: ✅ The Agent SDK installed and a working agent running on your machine ✅ A free homework doc with all 10 agent templates in Python and TypeScript ✅ Understanding of built-in tools, permission modes, MCP integration, and subagents ✅ The architecture for building production agent services
Prerequisites: — Python 3.10+ or Node.js 18+ — An Anthropic API key (sign up at console.anthropic.com) — A code editor and terminal — Basic Python or TypeScript proficiency
🎙️ 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.
🏢 For Businesses Want to bring AI automation training to your team? We offer private workshops (lunch and learn, half-day, full-day bootcamp), conference speaking, and technical consulting. Book a discovery call

🤝 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 225,000+ 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.

🧜‍♀️ AICHR | Connections & (grocery) carts
2026-05-28 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Wegmans Cafe, 4721 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462, US
Meet people and pick up your weekly groceries.
🤝 A casual networking hangout in the grocery store cafe
Chats, connections, & grocery carts is a relaxed, social-first networking event for curious, friendly people across Hampton Roads who enjoy good conversation and knocking out life errands at the same time.
This is not a lecture.
This is not a pitch night.
And you definitely do not need to “prepare” anything.
It is simply a low-pressure space to meet new people, have real conversations, and casually connect while wandering the aisles and picking up your weekly groceries.
Whether you are deeply into AI and automation, adjacent to tech and creativity, or just someone who enjoys thoughtful conversations with interesting humans, you belong here.
✨ What to expect
– Casual, open networking with a mix of builders, creatives, technologists, founders, students, and professionals
– Easy, organic conversations while shopping at your own pace
– Light, optional conversation prompts to help break the ice if you want them
– No presentations, no panels, no pressure to “network correctly”
– A friendly, welcoming environment for all backgrounds and experience levels
– Come as you are. Grab a cart or a basket. Pick up dinner for the week. – – Meet a few new people along the way.
👥 Who should attend
Chats, Connections, & Grocery Carts is for:
People who enjoy meeting others without forced networking vibes
Builders, creatives, technologists, and curious minds
AI, automation, no-code, and tech-adjacent folks
Students and career switchers exploring what is next
Founders, consultants, operators, and professionals
Anyone who likes good conversation and low-stakes socializing
If you enjoy thoughtful chats and meeting people in unexpected places, you will fit right in.
🏪 Why a grocery store
You were probably going to the store anyway.
Hosting this event in a grocery store keeps things human, practical, and approachable. It removes the pressure of traditional networking and turns it into something simple, efficient, and a little fun.
Two errands. One cart.
💡 Why this event exists
Community grows best in relaxed, everyday spaces.
Chats, Connections, & Grocery Carts exists to create an easy, human-centered way for people to connect without titles, talks, or expectations. It is about building relationships, sharing ideas naturally, and strengthening the local community one conversation at a time.
Come say hi. Leave with groceries. Make a few new connections along the way.
ℹ️ Other bits of info & FAQs

This is a free community event
Drinks or food are available for purchase depending on the venue
Photos or videos may be taken for community and marketing purposes
Come solo or bring a friend
​​​Is there free parking in the area? Yes. They’ve got lots of spots available in their parking lot.
​​​Is this free? Yes, but space is limited. Make sure to RSVP.

🤝 Organizers & partners
Organizers
The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​Platinum partners
TechArk
Regent University
ECPI University
Hampton Roads Chamber 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.

Peninsula Happy Hour
2026-05-28 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax) | Coastal Fermentory Uptown, 12515 Jefferson Ave,, Newport News, VA, 23602, US
A social event to network, or just talk about development

Bikes and Brews
2026-05-28 21:00 - 23:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Join us for a fun bike month ride to pedal into warmer weather! We’ll kick things off with a casual group bike ride led by Kelly, our Community and Operations Manager. We’ll head to the Elizabeth River Trail, make two pit stops along the way at Afterglow and Wasserhund, enjoy cold drinks and something tasty, and then cruise back downtown with good company. All levels welcome — come for the ride or just the good company! – https://community.assemblynfk.com/en/events/view/1415700222/bikes-and-brews

Storytelling That Sells
2026-05-29 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | REaKTOR, 1100 Exploration Way Room 315, Hampton, VA 23666, Hampton, VA, 23666, US
Learn how to translate your brand and founder story into a powerful sales tool and real revenue.
Many small businesses and startups struggle to explain what they do in a way that actually connects—and converts. In this workshop, we’ll cover the foundations of branding, how to craft your founder story, and how to turn that story into a powerful sales tool. You’ll learn how to communicate your mission clearly, connect with the right audience, and translate your brand into real revenue. We’ll also walk through the sales process, building a simple funnel, where to find your customers, and how to consistently make more sales.

What You’ll Learn
Part 1: Branding & Founder Story (Led by Christina Kimbrough)
Christina will guide you through the foundational elements of your brand, starting with your mission and vision, and moving into how to craft and clearly communicate your founder story.
You’ll learn:

Why your story is one of your most powerful business assets
How to articulate what you do in a way people actually understand
How to connect your lived experience to the problem you solve
How strong branding reduces friction in sales and builds trust before you ever pitch

This section sets the foundation for everything that follows. Because if people don’t understand you, they don’t buy from you.
Part 2: Storytelling That Sells (Led by Amber Hamilton)

Once your foundation is clear, Amber will take you into the mechanics of using storytelling as a strategic sales tool, not just a nice-to-have.
You’ll learn how to:
Use storytelling to reduce perceived risk and drive decisions
Adapt your message for investors, buyers, and marketing channels
Build clarity around your value using six powerful frameworks
Pitch transformation instead of just listing features

This is where your story becomes a system you can use across sales calls, pitch decks, emails, and marketing content.

Who This Is For
This workshop is designed for founders and small business owners who need to sharpen how they show up in:

Sales conversations
Marketing and messaging
Investor or partnership pitches

If you’ve ever felt like you “know what you do” but struggle to explain it in a way that connects and converts, this is for you.

What You’ll Walk Away With
You’ll leave with a clear, refined brand story and a practical storytelling toolkit you can immediately apply to your next:

Sales call
Pitch deck
Email or marketing campaign

Secure your spot! Seating is limited and lunch is included.

🧜‍♀️ AICHR | Humans in AI Week
2026-06-01 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | The HIVE by City of Virginia Beach, 140 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462, US
Join us for Humans in AI Week
From June 1 to 8, 2026, every AI Collective chapter in the world is hosting simultaneous public events — 200+ cities, 50+ countries, one week, the same conversation. It’s the largest coordinated civilian conversation about AI ever organized.
The AI era is being built right now and the humans behind it matter more than ever. Humans in AI Week is dedicated to the human layer of AI: trust, coordination, and shared understanding. The missing layer above the tech stack that lets humanity and technology advance in harmony.
This is the Hampton Roads edition, your chance to connect with the people shaping AI as part of a global moment happening in real time across the world.
​What to expect

Food, drinks, and an open, welcoming atmosphere
Conversations with builders, researchers, founders, and the AI-curious across New Jersey
A chance to meet your local AI Collective community and join a worldwide conversation about where AI is going and who it’s for

🤝 Organizers & partners
​
Organizers
The AI Collective Hampton Roads
​Platinum partners
TechArk
Regent University
ECPI University
Hampton Roads Chamber Foundation
Retail Alliance & Retail Alliance Foundation
The HIVE + City of Virginia Beach
Bronze partners
Assembly
757 Collab
TEKsystems
🌍 ​Our parent org
The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 200,000+ 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.

Claude + Social Media Pipelines: One Post → Every Platform | AICHR
2026-06-02 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax) | Online event
Notice: This meeting will be recorded. By joining and remaining in this meeting, you consent to being recorded. If you do not consent, please do not join.
Claude + Social Media Pipelines: One Post → Every Platform, Automatically —
You create one piece of content. Claude turns it into 10+ platform-specific posts, schedules them across LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok — and keeps your brand voice consistent across all of them.
This isn’t AI-generated slop. This is a structured pipeline: source content → repurpose in your voice → schedule → post → analyze what worked. The tools are free or low-cost. The output is content that sounds like you, not a robot.
This is a live demo workshop. We’ll build a complete social media pipeline from scratch — starting with a single YouTube video and ending with a week’s worth of scheduled, platform-native content across every channel.
What we’ll cover:
🔗 The Social Media Stack Inside Claude How Blotato MCP, Meta MCP, Puppeteer MCP, Skills, and Routines combine into a single content engine — and why this stack replaces $200-500/mo in social media tools.
📱 Demos We’ll Build Live:

Blotato Multi-Platform Publisher — connect your social accounts and publish to LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok from one Claude conversation
YouTube-to-Everything Repurposer — take a YouTube video or podcast episode, extract key insights, and generate platform-native posts for 5+ channels automatically
Brand Voice Skill — create a voice-guide.md so Claude writes like you across every platform, every time
Meta Ads Manager — manage Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns directly from Claude using Meta MCP (shipped April 29, 2026)
Puppeteer Browser Poster — post to platforms that don’t have official API connectors using headless browser automation
Content Calendar Routine — set up a weekly Routine that runs your entire content pipeline on autopilot: research trending topics → draft posts → schedule across platforms
Full Pipeline Demo — raw source content → brand-voiced repurposing → multi-platform scheduling → performance tracking, end to end

📊 The Numbers The social media management market is growing from $27B (2024) to $125B (2032). 56% of marketers are already integrating AI. Teams adopting agentic AI report a 300x output increase. This event shows you how to capture that — without hiring a social media team.
Who this is for: Content creators, marketers, founders, and business owners who want to multiply their content output without multiplying their time. If you’re posting manually to each platform, spending hours repurposing content, or paying for scheduling tools that don’t integrate with AI — this is the session. Prior experience with Claude is helpful but not required.
Who this is NOT for: People looking for theory. This is a hands-on workshop. Every demo involves setting up real connections and publishing real content. If you’re looking for a high-level overview of AI in marketing, this isn’t it.
What you’ll leave with: ✅ A working multi-platform social media pipeline connected to your accounts ✅ A free setup guide with every demo walkthrough, step by step ✅ A brand voice skill file you can use immediately ✅ A homework doc with bonus pipelines, advanced automations, and exercises ✅ Understanding of Blotato MCP, Meta MCP, Puppeteer MCP, Skills, and Routines for social media
Prerequisites: — A Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscription (Cowork or Claude Code) — Social media accounts you want to connect (LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok) — A Blotato account (free tier available — we’ll walk through setup) — A piece of existing content to repurpose (YouTube video, blog post, podcast episode, or even a set of notes)
🎙️ 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.
🏢 For Businesses Want to bring AI automation training to your team? We offer private workshops (lunch and learn, half-day, full-day bootcamp), conference speaking, and technical consulting. Book a discovery call
***
🤝 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 240,000+ 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.

Summer Kick Off x America ByDESIGN Wrap Party
2026-06-03 19:30 - 22:00 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Join us on the rooftop for a cookout to kick off summer featuring mouthwatering eats from local culinary favorite Chef David Hannah, activations by our newest Changemakers, and a sweet cold surprise to top it all off. Cameras will be rolling, as we wrap a full day of filming with CBS’s America ByDESIGN, giving you a chance to be a part of it. If you prefer to stay off-camera, you might want to skip this one. RSVP in the community portal to secure your plate! – https://community.assemblynfk.com/en/events/view/1415717245/views-and-visions-the-changemaker-summer-cookout

ADP Corporate 5k: Team Assembly
2026-06-03 22:30 - 23:30 UTC | 400 Granby St, Norfolk, VA, United States
Lace up your tennis shoes and join Team Assembly for the ADP Corporate 5k! Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just looking to enjoy a leisurely walk through the vibrant streets of Norfolk, this 5k is perfect for all fitness levels. Sign-up deadline is Friday, May 29th. – https://www.letsdothis.com/us/o/154969/checkout/ticket?eventId=261384&utm_source=reserved_entry&occurrenceId=21111169528&reservationCode=re_f237xuhzo6n9

AI, Semantic Operations, and Decision Advantage in Defense
2026-06-04 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | 448 Viking Dr suite 300, 448 Viking Drive #suite 300, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, Virginia Beach, VA, 23452, US
Building the Future Fight: AI, Semantic Operations, and Decision Advantage in Defense

NOTE: This is a collaborative exchange focused on lessons learned, future requirements, and practical implementation ,not product marketing or business development event.
Event Overview:
This event brings together operators, technologists, and innovators from defense, industry and academia to focus on one mission: accelerating real-world decision advantage through next-generation semantic technologies and operational AI.
The conversation will move past abstract concepts and into practice, examining knowledge graph architectures, digital engineering, logistics modernization, rapid acquisition pathways, and the infusion of AI/ML into operational workflows that matter on the battlefield and in contested environments. This session is focused on shaping faster, smarter, more connected defense systems that deliver trustworthy information and decision advantage. The future belongs to organizations that can continuously process, adapt, and execute faster than their adversaries.

Event Moderator – Lucien Niemeyer
Opening Remarks: 1100 – 1120
Dr. John Matyjas, Dr. Don Pellegrino
Framing the technical and operational imperatives for semantic decision advantage.
· Knowledge graph architectures in ISR and logistics
· Digital engineering and MBSE in defense acquisition successes and lessons learned.

Panel Discussion: 1125 – 1220 – Denise Ferniza (Moderator)
Overcoming Data and Interoperability Barriers
· Siloed systems, standards of adoption, and bridging commercial and government solutions.
Panelists
Dr. John Matyjas, Dr. Don Pellegrino, Mr. John Sayoun

BREAK – LUNCH: 1225-1240

Solution Focused Discussion: 1245 –1345
· Logistics Modernization & Data-Driven Decision Support
· Open discussion of current requirements and how they’re being piloted

Solution Focused Discussion: 13:50 – 14:20
· Best practices for leveraging OTAs and accelerating tech transfer

Action Planning: 14:25 –1500 – Lucien Niemeyer (Moderator)
From Insights to Action – Operator Next Steps
· Wrap up and distilling days discussions into actionable next steps
· Identify projects, technical working groups, and next steps for cross-organizational collaboration.

Technical Focus Areas to be covered during the event:
1. Semantic Decision Advantage Architectures
· Exploring how semantic technologies like knowledge graphs and ontologies give commanders faster, more accurate decision advantage across operations and logistics.
2. Digital Engineering & Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
· Discussions on how digital twins and MBSE accelerate requirement validation, de-risk acquisition, and speed MVPs into operational use.
3. Logistics Modernization & Data-Driven Decision Support
· How data-driven logistics, 5G-enabled warehouses, and AI tools cut friction, break silos, and keep forces supplied at the edge.
4. Rapid Acquisition & Tech Transfer
· Practical playbooks for using OTAs and rapid pathways to field new capabilities faster and avoid duplicate efforts across services.
5. Operator and Stakeholder Engagement
· What’s working, what’s not, and where semantic, AI, and digital engineering must go next.

ONLINE: AI, Semantic Operations, and Decision Advantage in Defense
2026-06-04 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Online Event
Building the Future Fight: AI, Semantic Operations, and Decision Advantage in Defense

NOTE: This is a collaborative exchange focused on lessons learned, future requirements, and practical implementation ,not product marketing or business development event.

ONLINE details: Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/237378663016483?p=7G5C3WYwJZMr4wNOhJ

In-person event in separate link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-semantic-operations-and-decision-advantage-in-defense-tickets-1989605140534?aff=oddtdtcreator
Contact info: Events@NeptuneSHIELD.com
Event Overview:
This event brings together operators, technologists, and innovators from defense, industry and academia to focus on one mission: accelerating real-world decision advantage through next-generation semantic technologies and operational AI.
The conversation will move past abstract concepts and into practice, examining knowledge graph architectures, digital engineering, logistics modernization, rapid acquisition pathways, and the infusion of AI/ML into operational workflows that matter on the battlefield and in contested environments. This session is focused on shaping faster, smarter, more connected defense systems that deliver trustworthy information and decision advantage. The future belongs to organizations that can continuously process, adapt, and execute faster than their adversaries.
Event Moderator – Lucien Niemeyer
Opening Remarks: 1100 – 1120
Dr. John Matyjas, Dr. Don Pellegrino
Framing the technical and operational imperatives for semantic decision advantage.
· Knowledge graph architectures in ISR and logistics
· Digital engineering and MBSE in defense acquisition successes and lessons learned.

Panel Discussion: 1125 – 1220 – Denise Ferniza (Moderator)
Overcoming Data and Interoperability Barriers
· Siloed systems, standards of adoption, and bridging commercial and government solutions.
Panelists
Dr. John Matyjas, Dr. Don Pellegrino, Mr. John Sayoun

BREAK – LUNCH: 1225-1240
Solution Focused Discussion: 1245 –1345
· Logistics Modernization & Data-Driven Decision Support
· Open discussion of current requirements and how they’re being piloted

Solution Focused Discussion: 13:50 – 14:20
· Best practices for leveraging OTAs and accelerating tech transfer

Action Planning: 14:25 –1500 – Lucien Niemeyer (Moderator)
From Insights to Action – Operator Next Steps
· Wrap up and distilling days discussions into actionable next steps
· Identify projects, technical working groups, and next steps for cross-organizational collaboration.

Technical Focus Areas to be covered during the event:
1. Semantic Decision Advantage Architectures
· Exploring how semantic technologies like knowledge graphs and ontologies give commanders faster, more accurate decision advantage across operations and logistics.
2. Digital Engineering & Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
· Discussions on how digital twins and MBSE accelerate requirement validation, de-risk acquisition, and speed MVPs into operational use.
3. Logistics Modernization & Data-Driven Decision Support
· How data-driven logistics, 5G-enabled warehouses, and AI tools cut friction, break silos, and keep forces supplied at the edge.
4. Rapid Acquisition & Tech Transfer
· Practical playbooks for using OTAs and rapid pathways to field new capabilities faster and avoid duplicate efforts across services.
5. Operator and Stakeholder Engagement
· What’s working, what’s not, and where semantic, AI, and digital engineering must go next.
