FV+AI Launches as Fraser Valley Chapter of the BC+AI Community
Community Announcement
FV+AI · BC+AI
Source: BC+AI
Most of the artificial intelligence conversation in British Columbia happens in Vancouver. For the people building and running businesses east of the Port Mann, that has meant a bridge, a parking fee, and most of an evening gone before the first real conversation starts.
Coleman Technologies CEO Darren Coleman is helping bring the BC+AI community to the Fraser Valley as founder of FV+AI, a new regional chapter connecting people interested in artificial intelligence from Langley to Chilliwack.
What happens here should matter here.
The first official FV+AI gathering takes place in Langley on September 9, 2026.
Here is why the Valley needed its own room, what actually happens at a gathering, and how to get involved.
Built in Surrey, Opened to the Valley
FV+AI did not start from nothing.
It grew out of a Surrey AI group that had already built its own momentum. People showed up, compared notes, shared what they were working on, and had a reason to gather south of the Fraser without crossing a bridge first.
FV+AI keeps those people and that spirit, then widens the map. The community now extends from Langley through to Chilliwack, creating a Fraser Valley home base for people who want to learn, build, experiment, and have practical conversations about AI.
The idea behind it is simple.
AI should not be something that only happens downtown or inside someone else's pitch deck. Real problems belong on the table, with the people who live and work here in the room.
What Happens in the Room
FV+AI is designed around practical talks, local demos, food, and real conversation.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a question, something they are working on, a demo, or simply their curiosity. You do not need to be an AI expert, developer, or technologist to participate.
Kris Krüg, Executive Director of BC+AI, will co-host the first few Fraser Valley gatherings.
The September launch event is intentionally capped at 25 people. A room that size still gives people an opportunity to meet each other, ask questions, and participate in the conversation rather than simply sitting through another presentation.
Why Darren Coleman Helped Bring BC+AI to the Fraser Valley
Darren Coleman has spent more than 25 years working with businesses as technology has evolved, often watching new tools arrive faster than the structure needed to use them effectively.
Companies rarely struggle because they picked the wrong tool. They struggle because they picked a tool before they picked an outcome.
That experience is part of what led Coleman to get involved with BC+AI and help establish a dedicated Fraser Valley chapter.
A room where local business leaders, technologists, builders, entrepreneurs, and curious professionals can compare notes on what is actually working creates something difficult to replicate through webinars, vendor presentations, or online conversations.
Coleman is there to learn as much as he is to contribute.
FV+AI is a community chapter within the BC+AI nonprofit ecosystem. It is not a Coleman Technologies program or sales initiative. Coleman Technologies supports the community because building stronger connections around responsible, practical AI adoption benefits businesses and professionals throughout the Fraser Valley.
How to Join FV+AI
FV+AI meets on the second Wednesday of every month.
The September 9 launch gathering in Langley is full, with a waitlist open. Additional gatherings will follow as the Fraser Valley community grows.
Attendance is $20 and is waived for BC+AI annual members. The fee helps cover food and is collected by the BC+AI nonprofit, not by Coleman Technologies or any individual organizer.
The wider BC+AI network will also gather at the Futureproof Festival in Vancouver from October 28 to 30, 2026, connecting the Fraser Valley community with the broader AI ecosystem developing across British Columbia.
Learn More About FV+AI
Visit the FV+AI community page on BC+AI
Register for an upcoming FV+AI gathering
Learn more about BC+AI
About Darren Coleman
Darren Coleman is Founder and CEO of Coleman Technologies, a Langley-based managed IT, cybersecurity, and AI strategy firm. Outside of his role at Coleman Technologies, Darren is a founding member of BC+AI and founder of its Fraser Valley community chapter, FV+AI.
