AI Roundtables

What Is an AI Roundtable?

An AI Roundtable is a structured, participant-led conversation built around one specific AI question. It's not a lecture, not a panel, and definitely not a sales pitch. Everyone in the room (or on the call) is a contributor.

A neutral facilitator keeps the conversation focused, makes sure no single voice dominates, and draws out the quieter participants. But the ideas, examples, and hard-won lessons come from you and the other people at the table, not from a stage.

That's what separates a roundtable from a typical meetup panel. A panel has speakers and an audience. A roundtable has no audience, just practitioners comparing notes on what's actually working (and what isn't) as they put AI to use inside their own organizations.

Who Should Attend an AI Roundtable?

AI Roundtables are built for a mixed group: founders, engineers, marketers, HR and people leaders, operations professionals, and executives who are all wrestling with some version of the same question: how do we actually use AI well?

You don't need to be technical, and you don't need to have all the answers. You just need a real question, a real experience, or a real challenge to bring to the table. Most sessions run 6 to 12 participants, small enough that everyone actually gets to talk.

What Happens in an AI Roundtable Session

Every session is structured, but it's built for real conversation, not a script. A typical 90-minute AI Roundtable moves through five stages:

• Welcome and framing (10 minutes): The facilitator states the purpose, sets participation norms, and leads quick introductions tied to the topic.
• Shared context (10 minutes): A short example, data point, or participant story gets everyone working from the same starting line, kept short so it never turns into a presentation.
• Guided peer exchange (35 minutes): The group works through a handful of open questions: what are you trying, what's working, where are you stuck, what tradeoffs are you weighing.
• Problem-solving round (15–20 minutes): Bring a real challenge. The group compares options and surfaces ideas you can put to use right away.
• Harvest and next steps (15 minutes): The group names the patterns, tensions, and open questions that came up, and everyone leaves with one concrete action.

In Person or Virtual

We plan to run AI Roundtables both in person and fully online, but never both at once in the same session. The research on hybrid meetings is consistent: when some people are in a room together and others are dialing in, the remote group quietly loses access to side conversations, shared materials, and influence over where the discussion goes.

So instead of a hybrid table, we're building a hybrid program:

In-person Roundtables bring the benefits of a shared room: easier relationship-building, whiteboard moments, and the conversations that happen before and after the "official" discussion.

Virtual Roundtables extend our reach across the metro and beyond, and make it easier to join around a busy schedule, using a shared video call, breakout rooms, and shared notes so remote attendees get the same experience as being in the room.

Ground Rules We Take Seriously

A good roundtable runs on trust, so here's what we ask of everyone at the table:

• Challenge ideas, not people.
• Every voice gets airtime. The facilitator makes sure of it.
• No vendor pitches or hidden sales agendas. If you have a commercial interest in the topic, you say so upfront.
• Never share confidential company, customer, employee, or regulated data. Talk in generalities instead.

For sensitive topics, sessions can run under the Chatham House Rule: you're free to use what you heard, but not to say who said it.

It's not a legal NDA. It's a norm that makes honest conversation possible.

Why Join an AI Roundtable?

Faster, more practical learning. You get real lessons from peers who are choosing tools, writing policy, managing adoption, and measuring results right now, not theory from a slide deck.

• Better problem-solving. Mixing perspectives, business, technical, legal, HR, marketing, leadership, surfaces blind spots that a room of just one type of thinker would miss.
• Real relationships, not just business cards. Working through a real problem together builds a stronger connection than a hallway conversation ever will.
• A space where it's safe to not know. Clear norms and balanced airtime make it easier to admit what you don't know yet, or what didn't work, which is usually where the real learning happens.

Hosted by Chris Kovac

AI Roundtables are hosted and facilitated by Chris Kovac, Kansas City AI Club's President and co-founder, alongside other experienced members of our community. Chris has helped grow the Club since its founding in 2023 into one of the Midwest's most active AI communities.

The Roundtables grew directly out of a simple observation: our best conversations were happening in the hallway after our regular meetups, not on stage during them.

Meet Chris and the rest of our all-volunteer committee.

Sample Discussion Themes

Every AI Roundtable centers on one focused question. Themes we're planning to explore as the program relaunches include:

• Governance and risk: What does responsible AI adoption actually look like inside a mid-size organization?
• AI for marketing and growth teams: Where is AI genuinely saving time, and where is it just adding noise?
• People leadership: How are HR and people teams using AI tools, and setting policy for them?
• Operations and workflow: Which AI use cases have actually stuck past the pilot stage?
• Executive adoption: How are leaders deciding what to invest in, and what to say no to?

Have a topic you want us to cover? Let us know. This list is shaped by what our community is actually dealing with, not by what's trendy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need AI experience to join an AI Roundtable?

No. You need a real question or a real experience. Technical depth isn't required. Our roundtables mix technical and non-technical perspectives on purpose.

Is there a cost to attend?

Kansas City AI Club membership is always free. We'll share any session-specific pricing when we announce dates.

How many people are in a session?

Most AI Roundtables run 6 to 12 participants, small enough that everyone gets real airtime.

Can I bring a real problem I'm working on?

Yes, that's encouraged. A good chunk of every session is set aside for participants to bring an actual challenge and get input from the group.

Will my company's information stay confidential?

You should never share confidential company, customer, or regulated data in a session. For sensitive topics, we run under the Chatham House Rule: ideas can be used and shared, but never attributed to a specific person or company.

How is this different from your regular meetups?

Our regular meetups feature keynotes and panels. There's a stage and an audience. AI Roundtables have no stage. It's a small group, peer-led conversation where everyone participates.

When is the next AI Roundtable?

We're currently relaunching this program. Tell us you're interested and we'll reach out the moment the first session is on the calendar.

Want In on the Next AI Roundtable?

We're putting the finishing touches on the relaunch of AI Roundtables. Let us know you want in, and you'll be the first to hear about dates, themes, and how to grab a seat.

Count Me In

Have questions in the meantime? Contact us and we'll get back to you.