New Fraser Valley chapter of the BC + AI Ecosystem Association holds its first gathering September 9, 2026 in Langley, uniting the region around responsible AI
LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, August 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Darren Coleman, Founder and CEO of Coleman Technologies, has founded FV+AI (Fraser Valley AI), a new regional community within the BC + AI Ecosystem Association. FV+AI will bring together business owners, technology leaders, builders, and curious community members across the Fraser Valley to explore practical, secure, and responsible AI adoption. The first gathering takes place September 9, 2026 in Langley.
The BC + AI Ecosystem Association is a grassroots, province-wide community founded by Executive Director Kris Krüg, built on the principle of “ecosystem, not empire.” Since launching in 2025, it has grown into a cross-disciplinary network of entrepreneurs, researchers, artists, students, and Indigenous knowledge keepers shaping responsible AI across British Columbia. FV+AI extends that ecosystem into one of the province’s fastest growing regions, growing from the people and momentum behind the Surrey AI meetup community, with Matthew Schwartzman and Surrey AI part of the story that made the launch possible.
“AI is no longer a future conversation for the Fraser Valley. It is a today conversation,” said Darren Coleman, Founder of FV+AI and CEO of Coleman Technologies. “Leaders in Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford, and beyond need a local room where they can learn to adopt AI securely, govern it responsibly, and connect it to real outcomes. Kris and the BC + AI community have built something remarkable across the province. FV+AI brings that same spirit closer to home.”
Krüg has often said that “AI is best when it brings people together,” a philosophy that shapes the ecosystem’s community-first approach. FV+AI is built on the same foundation. Gatherings will be open, practical, and rooted in the Fraser Valley, welcoming both established business leaders and anyone in the community curious about where AI is heading.
Much of BC’s AI conversation remains concentrated in downtown Vancouver, while Fraser Valley organizations in construction, manufacturing, professional services, agriculture, and logistics face the same pressures as their metro counterparts: rising cybersecurity risk, questions about AI governance, and the challenge of turning new technology into measurable results. FV+AI closes that gap with a local forum for learning, connection, and honest conversation about what works.
Coleman brings more than 25 years of technology leadership to the initiative. A nationally recognized cybersecurity expert and best-selling co-author of Easy Prey, he has been featured by Forbes and ABC and has spoken to business audiences across North America, including at Harvard. His firm, Coleman Technologies, provides managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and secure AI adoption guidance to organizations across Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Early FV+AI sessions will focus on topics such as AI governance, the cybersecurity implications of AI tools, real local use cases, and how growing organizations can use AI to strengthen operational resilience rather than add risk.
The first FV+AI gathering takes place September 9, 2026 at the Coleman Technologies office in Langley. The launch event is deliberately small, and registration is open with approval at luma.com/langley-ai. Membership information is available through the BC + AI Ecosystem at bc-ai.ca.
About Darren Coleman
Darren Coleman is a nationally recognized cybersecurity expert, best-selling co-author of Easy Prey, and Founder and CEO of Coleman Technologies, a Langley-based managed IT, cybersecurity, and secure AI strategy firm. Featured by Forbes and ABC, he has spoken to business audiences across North America, including at Harvard. Through FV+AI, he is focused on building practical, community-rooted AI capacity in the Fraser Valley. Learn more at bc-ai.ca/members/darren-coleman.
About the BC + AI Ecosystem Association
The BC + AI Ecosystem Association is a grassroots British Columbia community building practical, responsible AI capacity across the province. Founded by Executive Director Kris Krüg, the association connects members through meetups, working groups, certifications, and events. Learn more at bc-ai.ca.
Darren Coleman
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