Over the past two weekends, I joined two Careerin Tech Community Coffee Meetups. First in Vancouver, then in Richmond. Each offering something different and valuable.

Vancouver Tech Community Meetup — Broad & Diverse
• Mix of developers, founders, students, and builders across AI, product, and emerging tech
• Conversations spanning:
– AI & applied machine learning
– Agri‑tech and ConTech innovations
– Product development & early‑stage startup workflows
• Great cross‑industry insights from people building across the Lower Mainland
• Strong reminder of how collaborative and fast‑moving Vancouver’s tech ecosystem is

Richmond Tech Community Meetup — Deep Engineering Focus
• Group leaned toward experienced engineers: cloud, robotics, radio remote‑control, and more
• Technical, grounded discussions on:
– Practical AI adoption in operational automation
– Security & privacy (AI agent data exchange, PII handling, LiteLLM incident)
– Engineering‑first perspectives on what teams are building and testing
• A very different energy from Vancouver — more systems‑level, less market‑trend driven

Vancouver vs. Richmond — Two Sides of the BC Tech Community
• Vancouver → startup energy, product thinking, broad conversations
• Richmond → engineering depth, real‑world systems, hands‑on technical insights
• Together, they paint a fuller picture of BC’s growing tech landscape

Looking Ahead
Really enjoyed both meetups and the different perspectives they brought.
Excited for the next Careerin Tech Coffee Meetup in Burnaby and to keep connecting with passionate builders across the region.

About the Author
Jonathan Wong is an IT and AI consultant with 20+ years of experience leading engineering teams across Vancouver and Hong Kong. He specializes in modernizing legacy platforms, cloud security, and building AI-ready systems for startups and large enterprises while advising leadership on using strategic technology to drive business growth. 
Connect with me on LinkedIn

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