Darren Coleman launches Fraser Valley AI community inside BC + AI ecosystem

Darren Coleman has launched FV+AI, a new Fraser Valley community within the BC + AI Ecosystem Association, with its first gathering set for Sept. 9, 2026, in Langley. The launch is designed to give local businesses and community members a place to learn about secure, responsible AI adoption closer to home.

Why it matters: - FV+AI gives Fraser Valley businesses and residents a local forum to work through AI adoption, governance, and cybersecurity instead of relying on Vancouver-centered conversations. - The launch targets sectors across the Fraser Valley, including construction, manufacturing, professional services, agriculture, and logistics, where AI can raise both opportunity and risk. - The community is built around practical, responsible AI use, which matters as organizations look for measurable results without adding security or compliance problems.

What happened: - Darren Coleman, founder and CEO of Coleman Technologies, founded FV+AI, a new Fraser Valley community within the BC + AI Ecosystem Association. - The first FV+AI gathering is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2026, in Langley. - The launch event will be held at the Coleman Technologies office in Langley. - Registration for the first gathering is open with approval at Luma registration. - Membership information is available through the BC + AI Ecosystem at BC + AI Ecosystem membership.

The details: - FV+AI will bring together business owners, technology leaders, builders, and curious community members across the Fraser Valley. - The group will focus on practical, secure, and responsible AI adoption. - Early sessions will cover AI governance, the cybersecurity implications of AI tools, real local use cases, and how growing organizations can use AI to strengthen operational resilience. - The launch event is deliberately small. - Coleman brings more than 25 years of technology leadership to the initiative. - Coleman is a nationally recognized cybersecurity expert and a best-selling co-author of Easy Prey. - Forbes and ABC have featured Coleman, and he has spoken to business audiences across North America, including at Harvard. - Coleman Technologies provides managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and secure AI adoption guidance to organizations across Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. - The BC + AI Ecosystem Association was founded by Executive Director Kris Krüg. - The association has grown since launching in 2025 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. - The Fraser Valley chapter grew from the people and momentum behind the Surrey AI meetup community, with Matthew Schwartzman and Surrey AI part of the launch story.

Between the lines: - The launch reflects a broader push to move AI discussion from abstract hype to local, operational problem-solving. - Krüg’s “ecosystem, not empire” framing suggests the BC + AI network is prioritizing community building over centralized control. - The Fraser Valley launch also signals demand for AI support outside downtown Vancouver, where many provincial AI conversations have concentrated. - Coleman is positioning FV+AI as a bridge between technical AI tools and the everyday business risks that come with them.

What's next: - FV+AI will begin hosting community gatherings in Langley and likely expand its programming around governance, security, and local use cases. - The broader BC + AI Ecosystem Association will continue connecting members through meetups, working groups, certifications, and events across the province. - FV+AI is expected to serve as a local entry point for Fraser Valley organizations that want to adopt AI more safely and effectively.

The bottom line: - FV+AI is bringing BC’s grassroots AI movement closer to Fraser Valley businesses and community members, with a clear focus on secure, responsible adoption.