AI is transforming industries and reshaping communities. This episode of Techopia Live takes viewers inside TechTuesday for a closer look at What AI Tinkering Reveals About the Future of Tech Innovation. Hosted by Riaz Sidi, the episode explores how a grassroots movement of builders and experimenters is influencing the trajectory of artificial intelligence in Ottawa and across Canada.
The episode features Hai Nghiem, CEO and Co-founder of AGI Ventures Canada, and highlights the work of AGI Ventures Canada (formerly AI Tinkerers Ottawa), an emerging community of more than 1,550 developers and innovators advancing AI through meetups, hackathons, rapid prototyping, and collaborative experimentation. Their initiatives include monthly AI hackathons, AI solution development for clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to fast-growing startups, and a six-week AI Accelerator delivered in partnership with Mistral VC that brings founders to San Francisco to connect with YC alumni, investors, and global AI networks.
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How Westboro’s female entrepreneurs are making it an attractive destination to live, work and play
When fitness guru Amber Stratton opened the first Pure Yoga studio in Ottawa in 2012, Westboro was her first choice. “The space we found was a really good starting point
How The Ottawa Hospital uses AI tools to boost health outcomes and streamline clinical efficiency
Dr. Douglas Manuel says it all began with the Ottawa Ankle Rules algorithm, a set of clinical guidelines developed in the early 1990s by The Ottawa Hospital’s Dr. Ian Stiell
The discussion examines how small-scale experimentation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a practical builder-driven mindset are producing real-world breakthroughs and shaping the next phase of digital transformation.
The session concludes with a fireside chat featuring moderator Veronica Farmer, Hai Nghiem, and Rami Alhamad, Co-Founder and CEO of Alma and an investor in the AGI Ventures Canada AI Accelerator. Their conversation explores how community-powered experimentation, hands-on innovation, and early-stage AI development are influencing the future of the sector.
Additional interviews with TechTuesday attendees, including Andree Paige (The NEXT PaiGE), Suzanne Cyr (The Ottawa Education Group), Matthew Jerabek (Algonquin College), and Linda Kerbs (Nokia), capture the momentum, questions, and opportunities emerging across Ottawa’s AI ecosystem.
This episode illustrates how innovation is increasingly emerging at the edges in community-led spaces, where people come together to tinker, test, connect, and build.
