Cities Decoded

The AI Collective’s founding director Catherine and new DC lead Jabari Grubb join DC chapter creative director Sam Li to recap the chapter’s three June events.

🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC events

Notion Mail pt. 3 (publishing soon): https://lu.ma/ai-collective-dc

🎁A gift for startups — 3 months of Notion Business and Notion AI FOR FREE

As a token of appreciation to one of the backbones of this Substack’s content, DC startups, I am so thrilled to announce we can offer 3 months of Notion Business (including ALL of Notion AI features from meeting notes to connectors) specifically to the AI Collective community FOR FREE.

Several members have expressed to me their hesitation with using Notion. Not because they don’t think it’s a great workspace tool but because they haven’t had the chance to fully try out all of Notion’s smooth and connective features.

The chance is here.

Take one minute to fill out the application for your team here: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups*

*This deal is part of the Notion Builders program. I get a commission for each approved trial.

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Jessica Hall joins to talk about her work as Chief Growth Officer at OpsCanvas, her experience navigating the DC tech scene for most of her life, and the most transferrable skill from her ski instructor certification to tech leader.

Jess’ work at OpsCanvas was one of the inspirations for my latest piece on startups creating Responsible AI products. Read that piece here.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:18 Journalism to tech career

02:48 TEDx speaker experience

05:05 What is OpsCanvas?

08:40 The growth of DC tech startups

14:10 Eliminating “zombie resources”

19:29 Responsible AI integration

26:42 Rapid-fire segment

32:32 Outro

🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC events

AI Soirée no. 3

​What future are we building with AI— and what guardrails, if any, should be used to make decisions? AI is reshaping everything from policy to productivity and we want your opinions. This soirée is an invitation to challenge assumptions, explore pro/anti AI systems, and engage with the philosophical, ethical, and technical dimensions of AI…

Inbox Intelligence: AI x Notion Mail Series — Part 2

​Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for an exciting event showcasing Notion Mail Series— Part 2. This series is about embracing an "in with the new" mindset and learning the ropes of Notion…

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Austin Nellessen joins to talk about my newly published piece in his Substack, ATLAS. By the end, I *think* that I have convinced him to be “Team Responsible AI startups” (bonus points if they are DC-based!).

Plus, we break down what’s hype and what’s reality about a pressing AI paradox: Young professionals need to learn how to use a tool that is rapidly displacing the very jobs they need to advance career-wise.

My full piece: “How should businesses pursue Responsible AI? Look to startups” ATLAS (2025)

Catherine’s piece: “How AI is rewriting the career ladder” Aurix (2025)

Show notes

“What happens when AI replaces workers?” TIME (2025)

“AI is keeping recent college grads out of work” Axios (2025)

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Station DC NETWRX

☕️Join STATION DC, Bloomberg Industry Group and The GenAI Collective for NETWRX — coffee and networking designed to connect elite technical talent with the companies, startups, and teams ready to hire during DC's AI+ Expo…

GenAI Collective DC | Special Mystery Event

​At the GenAI Collective, we've been quietly rearchitecting. Now, we’re bringing together a select global circle to witness the shift before it becomes visible to the world…

AI Soirée no. 3

​What future are we building with AI— and what guardrails, if any, should be used to make decisions? AI is reshaping everything from policy to productivity and we want your opinions. This soirée is an invitation to challenge assumptions, explore pro/anti AI systems, and engage with the philosophical, ethical, and technical dimensions of AI…

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

GenAI Collective’s founding director Catherine, operations lead (DC chapter) Anna D’Aprile join creative director (DC chapter) Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: Inbox Intelligence pt. 1: Out with the old.

The team talks about what Notion even is…and then what Notion Mail is. They cover what makes a demo event engaging. Plus, the team provides thoughts on the growing AI disruption of the white-collar job market and how to make this summer all about the Collective.

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

STATION DC NETWRX — Tuesday, June 3rd, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

🧠 GenAI Collective DC | Special Mystery Event — Friday, June 6, 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

AI Soirée no. 3 — Tuesday, June 10 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Catherine’s piece on young professionals and AI here: https://www.aurixai.org/aurora/how-ai-is-rewriting-the-career-ladder

Sam’s explanation of Notion Mail here:

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Monica Lopez, PhD, wants to bring a human intelligence perspective to the design, development, and deployment of AI-enabled systems.

What does that actually mean?

“It’s all about integrating the fundamentals about human intelligence into machine intelligence…to create more beneficial systems.”

And she has plenty of ways to do this important work. Right here in DC.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:42 Dr. Lopez’s company, Cognitive Insights for AI

03:17 20-year journey through the AI field

07:57 Average client level understanding of AI

12:18 Dr. Lopez’s recent piece on bridging the AI divide

16:09 U.S. AI progress versus the rest of the world

22:11 The 270 corridor

28:49 AI in the classroom

31:52 Outro

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Inbox Intelligence: GenAI x Notion Mail Series — Part 1

📩Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for an exciting event showcasing Notion Mail - the inbox that thinks like you.

Station DC NETWRX

☕️Join STATION DC, Bloomberg Industry Group and The GenAI Collective for NETWRX — coffee and networking designed to connect elite technical talent with the companies, startups, and teams ready to hire during DC's AI+ Expo.

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

We have returning guest John Hopkins Gillespie (Director of Policy and Product Counsel, Trustible) and Andrew Gamino-Cheong (Chief Technology Officer, Trustible) to bring a DC perspective on Stanford’s AI Index 2025 report.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

03:05 Founding Trustible

07:22 AI Index report overview

11:31 Data privacy laws

18:02 Trustible’s model transparency ratings

24:33 IAPP Global Privacy Summit recap

27:44 Trustible’s use case templates

30:11 Why choose Trustible?

34:19 Underrated and overrated AI trends

39:10 Outro

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Inbox Intelligence: GenAI x Notion Mail Series — Part 1

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

When developers use AI to build customer solutions in the business and startup world, there are certain things they want AI to do…and certain things they don’t. For example, you would want your AI to be able to communicate information about your products, or certain knowledge bases. But you wouldn’t want the AI to talk about your competitors.

Juan Manuel Contreras has built some really cool tools through his company Aymara that help align generative AI. We talk about the vision behind Aymara, safety and flexibility in AI, and how Aymara can operate within the DC tech scene in order to serve customers from all over.

Juan is the current co-founder and CEO of Aymara, a startup based in DC. GenAI developers use Aymara to “minimize risk, ensure compliance, and accelerate deployment.” He has participated in fellowship programs including Antler and Halcyon House.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

04:33 Juan’s vision for Aymara

10:01 Understanding customer needs

13:28 Advice for entrepreneurs in the AI space

14:53 DC tech scene

17:49 Balancing AI regulation with innovation

23:39 International cooperation with AI guidelines

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Be on the lookout for an upcoming Notion x GenAI DC series of events!

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

GenAI DC lead Catherine and operations lead Anna D’Aprile join creative director, Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: AI insiders roundtable.

The team talks about the event’s wonderful partners, Halcyon House and Amazon Web Services. They cover the recurring themes of healthcare and AI and the latest version AI responsible deployment. Plus, the team answers questions in a rapid fire session such as: If ChatGPT were at karaoke night, what would be its go-to song?🎤

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Notion x GenAI DC demo events! Third weeks of May, June, and July.

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

In just our second-ever Substack live, GenAI DC lead Catherine and GenAI DC chapter Operations lead Anna D’Aprile join DC chapter Creative Director and host of DC Decoded, Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: the “perfect” happy hour.

The team covers the planning details with our partner for the event, Prefect (located in Foggy Bottom), the different discussions that occurred, and what they would do differently. Stick around to near the end of the conversation — the team reacts to the first like they have EVER gotten on Substack live!

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Notion AI: template workshop | Saturday, April 12

AI Insiders Roundtable | Wednesday, April 16

Be on the lookout for an upcoming Notion x GenAI DC series of events!

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

There’s a lot of change going on with the federal government. It’s hard to keep up.

That’s why we’re examining a part of that change in the world of cybersecurity with Ryan Malani.

Ryan is currently the COO of INflow, an emerging nontraditional government contractor supporting the Department of Defense and intelligence community. One of the first questions I ask him is what exactly that means for people (like me) who might not be familiar.

We cover how AI is transforming cybersecurity, the associated risks and opportunities, and what that means for the DC tech ecosystem.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:03 INflow

04:18 Government contracting culture

10:10 AI’s impact on INflow

17:34 DC’s approach to AI

19:35 Skills for the next generation of cybersecurity experts

25:14 Outro

🚨Upcoming GenAI DC events

Notion AI: template workshop | Saturday, April 12

AI Insiders Roundtable | Wednesday, April 16

Be on the lookout for an upcoming Notion x GenAI DC series of events!

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com