I’m late on this (it’s almost February!), but I couldn’t let 2025 pass without taking a moment to honor everyone who made last year as great as it was.

When I look back at where The AI Collective started the year versus where we ended, I still can’t quite believe it! Let me walk you through it…

But that number isn’t the point. What matters is what happens when these people find each other. Business partners discovered over demo night drinks. Co-founders who met at hackathons and shipped their first products together. Lifelong friendships forged in conversations about where AI is actually going.

In a world where the meta changes overnight, finding your tribe is everything. That’s always been the mission!

Demo nights in Paris. Boat cruises in Austin. Living room salons in DC. Hackathons with Windsurf that happened three days before they got acquired. Open builds in Nairobi. Holiday mixers in Atlanta.

Every single one a room where strangers became collaborators. Where ideas became companies. Where “what are you working on?” turned into “let’s work on it together!”

At the start of 2025, we were barely in double digits. By June, we launched as The AI Collective – and the hockey stick began! We went from a US-centric community to the most global AI community in the world.

Tel Aviv. Bengaluru. Delhi. Paris. Nairobi. Dubai. São Paulo. Mexico City. And so many more. (I personally got food poisoning launching four chapters across India in a single week. Worth it! 😅)

The AI Collective passport became real – show up to any chapter in the world and instantly have a community. That’s the vision!

This is the one that stands out to me personally.

Catherine quit her corporate job to go full-time on this mission. AJ was putting in 30+ hours a week as Portland chapter lead before we could even bring him on. Our regional directors – 10+ of them now – showed up week after week to support organizers they’d never met in person.

At the Collective, we always say: team first. Because none of this works without the people who choose to pour their time, energy, and heart into something bigger than themselves.

Mary, who someone said “must be multiple people” because of how much she does. Alex, the “rocket wrangler” who keeps Toronto flying. Every chapter lead, regional director, and volunteer who made 2025 what it was.

This community exists because of you.

2026 is going to be even bigger. More chapters. More events. More ways to connect with the smartest, most passionate people working on AI around the world.

If you’ve been on the sidelines, now’s the time to jump in:

To everyone who made 2025 what it was – our members, our organizers, our partners, and especially our team – thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

This journey is ours, together. Let’s make 2026 unforgettable! 🚀

With love,Chappy AselCo-founder & Executive Director, The AI Collective

P.S. I shared deeper dives on each of these milestones on LinkedIn this week! Check them out using the links below:

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