Join us for a high-energy gathering of MIT voices, Kendall Square innovators, and global student leaders — all in one room. Through inspiring talks and meaningful conversations, we’ll explore how AI+X is transforming the world — across borders and disciplines.
Aug. 22 6:00 - 8:00 PM EST
Sharp Room, MIT Museum
Address: 314 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States.
No museum ticket is required. Doors open at 5:30 PM and close promptly at 6:00 PM.
Alex Cheung has been supporting the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cambridge for the last 13 years. As the director for Venture Café Cambridge in CIC, he builds community by connecting innovators in their weekly Thursday Gathering.
6:00 - 6:30 PM | Global Voices of AI
Hear directly from the AI+X Global Talent Community — students and young leaders from Japan, Korea, Singapore, and beyond — on how they are shaping the future of AI across disciplines.
6:10 PM | Who’s in the Room Tonight
Vanessa Wu
Program Director of BlendED, Co-Founder of GTC
With nearly a decade of experience in global education and program design, Vanessa Wu leads all strategic planning and execution at BlendED. She co-founded and supports the AI+X Global Talent Community (GTC), building cross-border partnerships and learning opportunities that connect students, institutions, and industry.
Haru Kagawa is a fourth-year student at the University of Tokyo, studying Marketing Research and Behavioral Economics. As a founding member of GTC, he has worked with his team to organize and lead in-person meetups in Tokyo, connecting innovators and fostering collaboration. He’s passionate about turning data and insights into strategies that create real-world impact.
6:25 PM | The Grassroots Blueprint for a Fairer AI Future
Zaer Zaqy
Founder | Singapore Youth AI
GTC Partnered Student Club Representative
Zaer Zaqy is a Singaporean undergraduate at Duke University studying Computer Science and Mathematics. He leads Singapore Youth AI, a nonprofit focused on advancing AI literacy and ethics among students in Southeast Asia, with a broader interest in building more inclusive and socially responsible technology futures.
Gain insights from researchers, innovators, and industry leaders on the cutting edge of AI+Learning, AI+Biotech, AI+Computer Vision, AI+Data Visualization, AI+Robotics, and more — all rooted in Kendall Square, the world’s leading innovation hub.
6:30 PM | AI+ Learning
Megan Mitchell | MIT Open Learning
Featured Speaker
Senior Director of Universal Learning at MIT Open Learning
Megan Mitchell leads AI-enabled curricula launching Fall 2025 with Universal AI. Formerly at the Jameel World Education Lab, Legatum Center, UBS, and Wharton, she has advanced global access to education, entrepreneurship, and opportunities for underserved and impact-driven learners.
6:40 PM | AI+ Bio
Brian Madrigal | LabCentral
Featured Speaker
Lead, Educational Programming at LabCentral
Brian Madrigal brings experience from Resilient Coders, UX design, and operations at Bird in Los Angeles. With a passion for applied learning and innovation, he also enjoys soccer and filmmaking, and aspires to build his own startup in the future.
6:50 PM | AI+ Data Visualization
Nam Wook Kim
Featured Speaker
Assistant Professor of Computer Science | Boston College
Nam is specializing in data visualization and human-computer interaction. His research aims to make data more accessible to everyone, and his work has been recognized by premier conferences such as ACM CHI and IEEE VIS, as well as the National Science Foundation.
Nam's Talk | How Are Students Using ChatGPT in the Classroom?
7:00 PM | AI+ Computer Vision
Siddharth Somasundaram
Featured Speaker
Researcher at MIT Media Lab
Siddharth is a PhD student at the MIT Media Lab, currently researching computer vision, sensing, and machine learning. His past and current work is on developing algorithms that enable cutting-edge sensors to see phenomena that ordinary cameras cannot, such as through occlusions, at ultra-fast speeds, and in complete darkness.
Sid's Talk | Seeing the Invisible with Everyday Cameras
7:10 PM AI+ Robotics
Peter Yu
Featured Speaker
Co-Founder and CTO of XYZ Robotics
Peter received his Ph.D. in EECS from MIT in 2018 and started XYZ afterwards. His research interest was robotic manipulation, specically, state estimation with physical contact to track object state during manipulation. He received Best Paper Finalist in IROS.
Peter's Talk | AI-Powered Robotics for Smarter Warehouses and Factories
7:30 – 8:00 PM | Open Networking
Following the talks, we’ll continue the conversation with informal networking and new connections over light refreshments.
We’re excited to share that our meetup has sold out on both Luma and Eventbrite, and we look forward to welcoming AI+X enthusiasts from across academia and industry. Meet some of our special guests below.
Project Associate | CIC Japan Desk
Zachary Metz
Our Special Guest
Zachary Metz is a Project Associate for the CIC Japan Desk, a team he’s been a part of since 2022. He has a BA in Japanese History and Anthropology from Hampshire College. Prior to joining the Japan Desk, Zachary worked as a business language consultant and trainer for Japanese managers and researchers working within international teams. As a Project Associate, Zachary actively supports and manages operations of startup acceleration programs, runs several community events, and assists with communications and systems for the Japan Desk team. He also maintains a healthy collection of tea.
Project Associate | CIC Japan Desk
Yumi Jane Kaplan
Our Special Guest
Yumi Jane Kaplan has been a Project Associate for CIC Japan Desk since 2024. With a background in education and cross-cultural communication, Yumi brings a passion for fostering connections and supporting international collaboration. As Project Associate, Yumi has supported the planning and operation of several startup acceleration programs, leveraging her expertise in curriculum development and relationship-building to enhance participant experience. Yumi holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington and a BEd from Tamagawa University.
MIT Sloan AI Club Co-President (24-25)
Catherine Ming
Our Special Guest
Catherine is the cofounder of Miilab, building AI agents with adaptive, persistent memory that power autonomous workflows and eliminate repeat work. She’s passionate about using AI to amplify human productivity and impact and building tools for AI x future of work. As president of MIT Sloan’s AI Club, she organized the largest student-run AI conference. Before founding Miilab, she drove product and market strategy at Robinhood and advised major tech companies on AI strategy at Bain & Company as early as 2018. She’s also interested in AI x FinTech, AI x education, and AI x mental health.
GTC
Introduing the AI+X Global Talent Community
The AI+X Global Talent Community (GTC), co-founded by nine BlendED alumni, now unites 60+ student communities across 11 countries.
Student-led and supported by BlendED, GTC expands access to AI education worldwide through meetups, hackathons, and career exchanges—cultivating a scalable, cross-border talent pipeline for the future of applied AI.
At this event, we’ll be spotlighting featured student clubs from our network, and we warmly invite everyone to take part in our global initiatives!
Virtual Participants: Global Student Clubs In Partnership with GTC
AI+X Meetup @Kendall Square
Doors open for guests at 5:30 PM
See you on Friday!
BlendED | Lead the Future of AI+X
BlendED (based in Kendall Square) cultivates the next generation of AI+X leaders by integrating academic excellence with industry practice.
Since 2019, we’ve engaged 150+ top university students from 20+ countries through programs blending online + in-person learning, lectures + projects, and pathways across disciplines.
