What people say
Proof with names attached.
What people say after the meetups, the cohorts, and the keynotes, plus the photography years that got me here. Real names, linked sources, nothing invented.
300
paid members, BC + AI Ecosystem Association
3,000+
participants across the ecosystem
94+
documented events
31
monthly Vancouver AI meetups and counting
9.5/10
Responsible AI Professional course rating, Cohort 1
~2,400
attendees across 2024 events
On the record
Not every receipt is a pull quote. Some of it is recognition, a stage, or peer review.
-
Vancouver Magazine Power 50
Named to Vancouver Magazine’s 2026 Power 50 list.
-
CreativeMornings
Delivered the Punk Rock AI keynote at CreativeMornings Vancouver, Vancouver Art Gallery, May 2026. Official recording published by CreativeMornings HQ.
-
BC Studies
Co-authored the peer-reviewed article “Building a Grass Roots AI Community of Practice: A Vancouver-Centered Use Case,” BC Studies No. 224, Winter 2024/25.
Featured
Start with three.
Three voices from the current era, quoted at full strength. The rest of the page backs them up.
“Two things can be true at once. AI is here and I’m going to keep enabling it across our teams. And it can be done responsibly, with humans first, by people who treat that as the actual job rather than a disclaimer at the bottom of a deck.”
Kerris Hougardy, MBA · Responsible AI Professional, Cohort 1
“I am stumped. I arrive in Vancouver and stumble upon this strange and colourful community that has done more for my BC network than any conference. Am baffled to think: is there ANY other event where I can let my hair down, bring my music-loving wife, my media manic elder daughter, my business buddies innovating biotech and deep, deep science plus my youngest, the TikTok addict? I can’t think of anything quite like it. Come and find out for yourself.”
Simon Haworth · Vancouver AI Meetup #10
“Something is happening here. The energetic dialogue at these events is hard to describe. It feels like we are witnessing the creation of something special, here in Vancouver, as the whole world figures out how to embrace AI.”
Arno Apeldoorn · Vancouver AI Meetup #25
Community and rooms
The monthly rooms.
Vancouver AI at the Space Centre, office hours, and the regulars who keep showing up. Written by people who were in the seats, not by me.
“FWIW, the BC + AI Ecosystem, of which I’m a member, is different than any other AI group I’m aware of — full of artists and creatives, filmmakers and indigenous voices, as well as deep tech experts and entrepreneurs. It holds space for both wonder and scepticism around AI without veering too far one way or the other.”
Landon Steele · Steele Consulting Group
“Kris Krüg has built something important for our community.”
Carly Steiman · Founder, Workbee Home Services
“The opening grounding … made the rest of the night feel that before anyone says ‘agentic workflow,’ remember whose land, whose water, whose stories, whose labour, and whose data we are standing on. … Rock on, Mr KK!”
Suzy Easton · Vancouver AI Meetup #30
“Kris Krüg, thank you for an outstanding event! Your clear, energetic hosting made it one of the most engaging, community-focused AI meetups I’ve ever attended. The interactive format and tight-knit atmosphere fostered real connections—and I even lucked into meeting the perfect collaborator for my AI project.”
Jesse Benson · Vancouver AI Meetup #19
“Kris! This was my first time at the meet up and I had such a great time. I loved the community vibe and I love your energy …so fun to watch you in action! I will definitely be back and I’m looking into a membership”
Alex Samur · Vancouver AI Meetup #25
“This must be the most enticing event I’ve been to in a long time. I was probably more impressed by the speakers who disturbed me than the ones I agreed with. This conversation is so important, and yet too limited in our everyday lives. I will be attending every single event I can.”
Gus Santos · Vancouver AI Meetup #10
“I went to my first Vancouver AI community meetup event last month and it was buzzing with energy… Truly inspired.”
Pete Young · Educator, Ed + AI thread
Programs
Responsible AI Professional, Cohort 1.
Four weeks of frameworks, hard questions, and a capstone with your name on it. Graduates on what actually stuck.
“So pleased to have completed this course, the guidance was amazing, and the final capstone was a chance to explore responsible AI. If you want to round out your understanding of ethics, and responsible AI, this is well worth the time.”
David Gloyn-Cox · Enterprise Architect
“The course delivers very important insights into risks of large scale AI deployments. … Highly recommended for anyone who has a stake in the responsible use of PII data, environmental impact, and good governance of AI projects.”
Fiann O’Hagan · Web analytics and performance
“Four weeks of asking the hard questions about deploying AI responsibly, applying real frameworks to real systems. Moving fast with AI without being reckless.”
Tavis Yeung · Digital Marketing Innovation
“It changed how I think about my work, and I left feeling proud of how I show up with AI.”
Brittney Ashley · RAP Cohort 1, Creative Dynamics
“RAP gives you a zoomable drone’s-eye view of the entire AI ethics and governance landscape.”
Daniel Bashaw · RAP Cohort 1
“This course revealed all of the critical elements of responsible AI use that are nowhere to be found in regular AI content.”
Rachel Krayenhoff · RAP Cohort 1, AI practitioner
Talks
Keynotes and guest sessions.
What hosts and audiences say when a talk lands: language they can reuse and moves they can make the next day.
“Kris helped shift how my design students see their future. In one hour, he demo’d building client prototypes in real-time, turned lectures into podcasts, and showed them how to be design orchestrators, not pixel pushers.”
Jai Djwa
“Kris’s talk and event design felt like a masterclass in community organizing.”
Ed Kennedy
“Kris is one of Vancouver’s brightest lights at the intersection of culture and online technology. Visionary, creative, fearless and articulate, he electrifies audiences with the sense of humour, curiosity and possibility that he brings to his breathtaking range of creative endeavours.”
Rob Cottingham · 2009
“Kris is an adept speaker, facilitator and prophet who helps you to step into a future that is already here waiting for you–but you couldn’t quite reach on your own. … Any community, any individual, any business will be better off once they’ve involved Kris. He’s a force of nature.”
Marty Avery, P.C.C. · Executive and leadership coach
“He embraced the whole community. He brought his big heart, his boundless energy, his amazing mind and his unflagging generosity. … He has been asked back to PopTech for years now.”
Kristen Hughes · PopTech
“Kris is an exceptional translator, facilitator, and activator, for the democratic power of social media and related technologies and community impact.”
Joel Solomon · Renewal Funds
Training
Workshops that use your real work.
Sessions built on the crew’s own tools, data, and deadlines. Less inspiration, more reps.
“This course was a game changer for me. I learned how to use multiple AI tools for content creation, PR, and marketing in a thoughtful, ethical, and practical way… If you are a busy professional who feels left behind by AI because you don’t have time to understand it, this class is for you.”
Jill Manuel · JCat Group
“Peter and Kris are the dynamic duo that everyone dreams about collaborating with… My mind has been blown away at what I’ve been able to takeaway from this course and it’s empowered me to go full time as my own boss for my own company.”
Harrison Reed · Digital Marketing Specialist
“Coaching calls were good. … Coach Kris was enthusiastic about my idea and helpful with showing me some next steps and pre-made tools.”
Becky Pallack · AI for Creative Pros student
From the threads
Said in the group chat.
Some of the best lines never hit LinkedIn. These came from message threads and DMs, published with permission from the people who wrote them.
“Co Founders including James McKenzie who I only met thanks to Kris Krüg’s amazing VanAI meetup almost a year ago!!!”
Darren Nicholls · BC + AI Members
“Authentically demonstrating what it means to be human, nothing more, nothing less.”
Sev Geraskin · BC + AI Members
“So please keep this up everyone! Don’t fucking stop, this work is so necessary and I’m so inspired by you all.”
Peter Bowles · UpSpiral founder
Film
Film Club nights.
Screenings, short technical breakdowns, and a packed room arguing about where the industry goes next.
“The room was packed and the program was a blend of entertaining films, short technical tutorials, and thoughtful discussion about where the industry is heading. … The room last night was full of people re-inventing themselves and their industries and looking for ways to rebuild better.”
Steve Jones, CFA · BC + AI Film Club
“This was our first event and really enjoyed the film and the speakers. We will be back, thank you!”
Tanya Slingsby · The Thinking Game premiere
“Really good. Great documentary. So glad I came. The panel afterwards was also amazing. Such a good conversation, great questions and fantastic answers. Would love to see more of these film sessions.”
Yin Lau · The Thinking Game premiere
“Such an inspiring event! Can’t wait to team up… The best is yet to come!”
Kaoru Yoshihira · BC + AI Film Club
Archive
The photography and connector years.
Older public lines from the conference-camera era. Kept because the path matters, not as the lead proof for the AI work.
“Anytime I see Kris at a conference, camera in hand, my heart lifts a little… Seeing the event through Kris’ eyes is like doing it all over again… only better.”
Rob Cottingham
“A lesson in ‘getting stuff done’, kris is one of those people who seems to make the impossible possible – and manages to keep a few cards up his sleeve in the process.”
Joshua Dunford · BURNKIT
“Not pretentious but genuinely connected. Kris brings out the best in others and connects those around him.”
Benjamin Random
“Kris is many things to many people. He gives good friend. He gives good birthday. He gives good debate, good gnomedex, good podcast, good video, good advice, good vancouver, good sxsw, and good revolution. Some say Canada is the new black. I say it’s Kris.”
Corey Dennis
“Kris takes breathtaking, lyrical and gorgeous pictures.”
Claudine Co
“Kris is unstoppable, except by large objects too heavy to move.”
Stephanie Vacher
“A search for ‘Flaming Lips’ brought me to KK, his friends and one of the best ever photos of the band. … Continue to live big Kris… the next generation is watching.”
Danie Peace
“This kid can take photos – wow! – he’s really good, and also a great person to be around. Thumbs up for Kris.”
Stewart Butterfield · Co-founder, Flickr / Slack · 2006 LinkedIn rec
Want a room like these?
Keynotes, workshops, briefings, and community design. Tell me the audience, the date, and the question the room is trying to answer.