DevFest DC 2026 - Build Edition

You asked, and we delivered: Founder Fridays are now starting in the afternoon! We often see only the success: the polished deck, the perfect pitch, and the final product. But behind every success are hundreds of mistakes, failed experiments, and lessons learned the hard way. We believe in being honest about what went wrong, sharing what it taught us, and helping one another grow through the failures we rarely talk about. Mistakes Hour 🙃 The centerpiece of the day: a session where founders share the things that went wrong. The bug that ate a week. The launch that flopped. The pivot that didn't pivot. What you learned, what you'd do differently, and what you're still figuring out. No polished pitches, just honesty. Workshop 🛠️ In the afternoon, share the problems you're working on and learn how Unstuck Labs can help you get unstuck! What to expect Conversations with builders, researchers, founders, and the AI-curious across DC A chance to meet your local AI Collective community The DMV founder community deserves a consistent place to show up—not just once a quarter at a conference. 😎As always, food and drink, engaging conversation, and incredible company will all be provided! Please be advised: Unfortunately, space is very limited at these community events and we can not always accept everyone we would like to. If you are not accepted to this event, please keep applying! We appreciate your application tremendously and we are looking forward to seeing you at a future event very soon! The AI Collective is a global non-profit building the human layer for the AI era. We unite 200,000+ leaders, builders, and stakeholders across 100+ forums worldwide to democratize the frontier, build trust, and coordinate how society navigates the rapid acceleration of technological progress. All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct.

Get set for another great Hands-On with Mark. What we'll build: 1. A simple AI receptionist. The first thing most SMBs and nonprofits picture when they hear “voice AI.” Answer calls, route or triage a caller, capture the basics, and hand off cleanly to a human when it should. Building it live turns the black box into something concrete. 2. An AI interview agent. A different use case: an agent that runs a structured interview instead of just answering a phone. This is the one nonprofits and associations tend to light up for. It can run stakeholder, donor, or member interviews at a scale no one could staff by hand, and lets people talk on their own schedule instead of fighting for a slot on a calendar. Featured speaker: Mark Meyerson\, AI Adoption Expert \| Assessing AI Readiness & Ethical Alignment for Entrepreneurs & SMBs \| Customized Copilot Training \| AI Governance & Policy Creation \| Increased Productivity \| Cross\-Functional Tea Location: AWS Skills Center, 1550-G Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 Drinks and Networking After: Tacombi, 1550 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 Description: Join us at AI Innovators Network for our upcoming meetup in the Mosaic, which is dedicated to exploring the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a professional, or someone curious about the intersection of technology and AI, this event is perfect for networking, learning, and sharing insights. Connect with like-minded individuals from DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland as we dive deep into the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation driving innovation and progress in Artificial Intelligence.