Tomorrow, we're bringing together an incredible group of speakers and partners for Mission Critical: AI in Aerospace and Defense at THE BR-DGE x DTI during TECH WEEK by a16z. With so much discussion about AI's current and potential use in the aerospace and defense industry, we’re looking forward to hearing from the people working through what it takes to put it into practice across engineering, manufacturing, and deployment. Our first panel will explore AI in defense operations, featuring: • Col Jennifer Krolikowski, USAF/USSF (Ret)., COO at GetChkd Inc. and former CIO at Space Systems Command • Angel Martinez, President & CEO at Celeris Systems Inc. • Solita S. Scott, Sr. DOW Cybersecurity Consultant • David B., Growth at Smack Technologies • Moderator: Karim Ali, AI LA Ambassador and Principal Consultant at ACTsavi Our second panel will explore how AI is changing the way aerospace companies design, build, test, manufacture, and operate, featuring: • Cameron Sinko, Software Engineer at Revel • Alex Tacescu, Director of Software at Inversion • Armand Awad, CTO at AstroForge • Jordan Maxwell, Director of R&D at Scout Space • Moderator: Loic Chappaz, AI LA Ambassador and Principal Flight Science Engineer at AstroForge Following the discussions, we’ll continue the conversations over networking and happy hour, with the Resilient MilComm demos and the official launch of Launchpad II. A big thank-you to all of our speakers, moderators, and partners for helping bring this event to life, and to our sponsors, THE BR-DGE, Wells Fargo, and Goodfin, for making it possible. We can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Details available here: lnkd.in/g6ZrC2Zz #LATechWeek #AerospaceAndDefense #AILA #ArtificalIntelligence

Next Tuesday, October 20, AI LA is teaming up with @Popcorn_Co for The Agentic Marketing Workshop: Build Your AI-Powered Content Engine. Popcorn CEO Adi Sideman will demonstrate how the platform helps teams research, create, refine, and publish video, with your brand guiding the process. Then, you’ll build a video prototype for your own business, product, or campaign and share it for collaborative feedback. Built for marketers, creatives, and founders. No video production experience required—just bring your laptop, brand materials, and an idea you’d like to develop. Space is limited. Reserve your spot: luma.com/agentic-showrunner

Happening tonight: German tech meets LA! Join AI LA + NRW.Global Business for AI insights from @DeepLcom , @GermanyinLA , and Oktoberfest celebrations with beer and pretzels. Meet founders, investors, and AI innovators at @Techweek_. Grab your spot: lnkd.in/gcKBCqgX #LATechWeek

AI is opening up new possibilities for filmmakers. It’s also raising questions about how films get made, who owns the work, and what a creative career looks like next. On October 24, join the filmmakers and creators exploring those questions at the AI Film Summit, presented by the Tyrannus Foundation at City Club Los Angeles. Go behind the scenes of AI filmmaking, discover films from around the world, and meet the people experimenting with new ways to tell stories. Programming for the afternoon will include panel discussions, film screenings, a creator lab, and a networking reception with panoramic views of Los Angeles. This week only, general admission tickets are $50 off. AI LA members can also use the code AILA2026 for an additional $20 off. Register: aifilmsummit.com #AILA #AIFilmSummit #Filmmaking #ArtificialIntelligence

What could you build in an afternoon with AI and a problem from your own workday? On Saturday, October 3rd, Jason Baer, Principal AI PM at Adobe, will lead A New Way to Work, a hands-on course exploring AI beyond basic prompting. Using Claude, participants will build a reusable workflow, explore ways to automate a routine task, and see how ideas and documents can become apps and visualizations. No coding background is required. Bring a laptop, a free or paid Claude account, and one repetitive administrative task you’d like to tackle. Register here: luma.com/a-new-way-to-work

Mattel is building the future of digital play—and hiring the AI talent to help build it. 🎮🤖 Oct 7 @ Mattel HQ: → Mattel AI + tech leaders → Fireside chat → Live demo → Hiring opportunities → Networking Only 75 attendees will be selected. Apply → joinai.la/events/building-th… @AILA @Mattel

We're thrilled to announce pre-approved access to Moonshots LIVE for our AI LA community. On September 25, Moonshots LIVE will bring together ambitious founders and visionaries for a one-night awards show celebrating the people building a future worth living in. More than $5 million in awards will be presented live onstage at a restored 1920s movie palace in downtown Los Angeles. Hosted by Peter H. Diamandis, the evening will feature judges including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neal Stephenson, Palmer Luckey, Cathie Wood, Mark Pincus, Anousheh Ansari, and Logan Kilpatrick. Nothing is pre-decided or pre-recorded—and only 1,500 seats are available. As an AI LA subscriber, you can skip the application process and select your preferred admission tier. A limited number of scholarship-level seats are also available for young builders under 25. Learn more and register: moonshots.com/landing/ai-la

AI LA’s Tech Week lineup is officially live! Presented by @Techweek_ and taking place October 12–18, LA Tech Week turns the city into a meeting ground for the people building, funding, and shaping what comes next. Our six-event lineup brings that energy to AI, aerospace, defense, and deep tech: Here’s what’s ahead: 🍻 October 12 | AI & Innovation Oktoberfest 🇨🇦 October 14 | Canadians in LA Reception 🚀 October 14 | Aerospace and Defense Panel & Networking 🎙️ October 14 | AI Unscripted 💡 October 15 | Pasadena Tech Happy Hour & Startup Showcase 🌐 October 16 | AI LAX Summit at Google Playa Vista From Venice to Pasadena, join us for candid conversations, practical learning, and genuine connection. Explore the events and register: joinai.la/tech-week-2026 Space is limited, and each event requires separate registration.

A lot is happening at AI LA this fall, and we’re just getting started. From hands-on workshops and industry summits to community meetups, our upcoming events offer a variety of opportunities to learn, connect, and explore what’s next in AI across Los Angeles. Explore the events currently on our calendar and find the one that’s right for you: joinai.la/events And stay tuned: Next week, we’ll announce an expanded lineup of AI LA events taking place during @Techweek_ by @a16z in Los Angeles. We can’t wait to see you there!

AI LA’s community is powered by ambassadors who turn ideas into events, connections, and opportunities for others. Grant Hosford has been part of AI LA since its earliest days, attending events as far back as 2016. After stepping away to build and successfully exit his startup, codeSpark, he reconnected with the community and began organizing generative AI events in 2023. Today, Grant leads roughly 15 AI LA events each year, including our programming with Qualcomm—bringing founders, technologists, and curious minds together to learn from one another and explore what’s next. Outside of AI LA, Grant is building Powersift, an AI platform that automates legal work for M&A and financing deals, and advises founders across AI and EdTech. Grant’s generosity, entrepreneurial experience, and commitment to creating meaningful programming have made an incredible impact on our community. We’re grateful to have him as an ambassador. Want to connect and help shape the future of AI in Los Angeles? Join the AI LA community: joinai.la/membership

Ready to move beyond talking about AI agents and start building with them? Join AI LA, TriggerWare.ai, and TEKsystems for an afternoon of practical tech talks, live demos, and hands-on exploration of AI agent technologies. Bring your laptop for opportunities to build alongside fellow developers, technologists, and AI enthusiasts. Space is limited. Register to join: luma.com/uo6p0w5y

Ever wondered what it's like to have a digital twin? We're thrilled to partner with HeyGen in a hands-on workshop where attendees will create their very own AI avatar and walk out with an account and a video-ready version of themselves. Whether you're curious about AI or looking to level up your marketing or sales toolkit, this one's for you. ​The workshop will be led by AI LA community member Manuel Vergara, Ambassador for HeyGen. Register here: joinai.la/events/heygen-101-…

Lots of excitement on Friday at our Robot Soccer Cup, a full-day hackathon that combined computer vision, edge AI, embedded systems, and World Cup-style competition in partnership with @Qualcomm_Dev. Armed with a Hiwonder miniAuto robot powered by the Arduino UNO Q, each team had just a few hours to train its robot to recognize the ball, navigate the field, and score before competing in a live, single-elimination tournament. The day brought plenty of creative problem-solving, testing, debugging, last-minute code changes, and dramatic moments on the pitch. Congratulations to Team MKPT—Kaung Khant, Myat Khant, Phyo Thant, Thet Paing Da Na, and Phone Min Ko—on taking home first place! Thank you to everyone who built, competed, mentored, and cheered from the sidelines—and to @Qualcomm_Dev, Arduino, and Edge Impulse for helping us create such a memorable hands-on experience for LA’s AI and robotics community. A final thank-you to AI LA Ambassadors Rita Sargsyan and Grant Hosford for their leadership in organizing the event and making the day such a success. Swipe through for highlights from the tournament. ➡️ #ArtificialIntelligence #Robotics #EdgeAI #ComputerVision #Hackathon #LosAngelesTech

Curious about designing the next aircraft? Captivated by deep-space exploration? Join us in El Segundo on Thursday, August 13th, for an evening of conversation about everything that soars—within Earth’s atmosphere and far beyond. Connect with engineers, students, founders, and professionals interested in learning more about the industry, exchanging ideas, and meeting potential collaborators. Register here: joinai.la/events/aerospace-m… #AILA #Aerospace #SpaceTech #Aviation #LosAngeles

This Wednesday, we're partnering with Machine Cinema to gather artists, filmmakers, and creators to discuss AI's impact on entertainment and media. Join us at Idle Hour for a casual meetup. Register here: luma.com/e0gtr88d

Join us tomorrow for our Monthly AI Policy Meetup at Highland Park Brewery. This monthly gathering brings together policymakers, technologists, and researchers for candid conversations on the trends shaping AI governance and its real-world impact. Whether you're deep in policy work or simply want to understand where things are headed, you're welcome at the table. Register at: joinai.la/events/ai-policy-a…