Hey AI LA Community,
This week, we’re spotlighting the people and partnerships shaping AI LA’s community. Meet us in El Segundo tonight for our Aerospace Meetup, join AI LA and Qualcomm tomorrow for the Robot Soccer Cup Hack Day, and catch AI LA Board Vice President Dr. Ross Mead at LAcon V later this month. We’re also sharing exclusive community discounts for upcoming events and introducing you to longtime ambassador Grant Hosford, who has helped grow AI LA’s programming for nearly a decade.
AI LA’s Dr. Ross Mead to Speak at LAcon V
AI LA’s Vice President of the Board of Directors, Dr. Ross Mead, will take the stage at LAcon V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention, taking place August 27–31 in Orange County.
Ross is the founder and CEO of Semio AI, a Los Angeles-based robotics software company, and executive director of Semio Community, a nonprofit advancing human-robot interaction science.
During LAcon V, Ross will participate in two sessions exploring how social intelligence can help bring robots to life. Explore his program and register to attend at lacon.org.
Last Chance to Sign Up for AI LA + Qualcomm
Tomorrow, August 14th, AI LA and Qualcomm are teaming up for the Robot Soccer Cup Hack Day—a one-day AI and robotics hackathon where teams will program AI-powered robots, train them to identify and strike the ball, and put their creations to the test in a live, one-on-one soccer tournament.
Participants will get the opportunity to build with Qualcomm-powered hardware, explore computer vision and edge AI, connect with fellow developers and technologists, and compete for prizes, swag, and the Robot Soccer Cup trophy.
Discount Codes for AI LA Community Events
AI LA + Data Con LA
We are proud partners of this year’s Data Con LA in Long Beach on August 22, 2026.
Our Executive Director, Heather Sit, will be a featured speaker on the Women in Data & AI panel with practicioners across analytics, engineering, and AI to share the paths they took, the obstacles they navigated, and how we build a stronger, more representative data community.
Use the code SIT25 to register for a discount (available to the first 20 registrants).
Fireside Chat with Coatue Co-Founder Thomas Laffont
On Thursday, August 27th, Thomas Laffont, Co-Founder of Coatue—one of the world’s largest technology investment platforms—will share his journey from CAA to building Coatue, how he thinks about investing through major technological shifts, and his perspective on AI, private markets, and the future of technology.
Beverly Hills Vice Mayor Mary Wells will open the evening with welcoming remarks.
Coatue’s investment portfolio includes OpenAI, Stripe, Anthropic, and SpaceX.
A 20% discount is offered to the first 15 AI LA members who register with the code AI-LA-O9RUIJD.
Events:
Aerospace Meetup
Thursday, August 13, 6–8 PM | Rock & Brews, El Segundo
Calling all aerospace professionals, space dreamers, and anyone fascinated by flight. Join us at Rock & Brews in El Segundo for a relaxed evening of lively conversation about everything that soars—within Earth’s atmosphere and far beyond.
Whether you’re designing the next aircraft or captivated by deep-space exploration, this meetup is for you.
Rust in Quantum Computing
Wednesday, August 26 | 6:00–8:00 PM, 1221 2nd St, Santa Monica
The final Rust LA meetup of the year will feature Ryan Dougherty and the Q-CTRL team sharing how they’re redefining software infrastructure to power the quantum future. Ryan will be discussing how they’re optimizing their quantum compiler using Rust.
AI Policy Meetup
Wednesday, September 2, 6-8 PM | Highland Park Brewery
Join us for our monthly AI Policy Meetup in Chinatown! This event brings together professionals and enthusiasts from AI, policy, and technology to exchange ideas and explore emerging trends. Whether you’re a policymaker, technologist, researcher, or simply curious about the future of AI, all are welcome to join the conversation.
Ambassador Spotlight: Grant Hosford
Grant Hosford has been part of AI LA since the beginning, attending events as far back as 2016, when Todd Terrazas first launched the community. As Grant focused on growing his startup, codeSpark, he stepped away for a few years. Following the company’s successful exit in 2021, he reconnected with AI LA—and by early 2023, Todd had convinced him to begin organizing generative AI events.
He hasn’t slowed down since. Grant now leads roughly 15 events each year, including AI LA’s programming with Qualcomm.
Grant began his career as an M&A banker in São Paulo before spending more than 25 years launching and leading software companies in Seattle and Los Angeles. Today, he is building Powersift, an AI platform that automates legal work for M&A and financing deals. He also advises founders across AI and EdTech on hiring, growth, and resource management.
That passion for supporting founders and builders is a big part of what keeps Grant involved as an AI LA ambassador. “I love the community that AI LA has built and the ever growing diversity and quality of the content keeps me coming back each year,” Grant says. “I'm constantly meeting super interesting and accomplished people at the events. I love sharing stories with fellow entrepreneurs in particular.”
Want to help shape what’s next at AI LA? Apply to become an ambassador.
