Memphis AI & AR Meetup | Second Edition | March 26, 2025

Agenda:

6:30 Show up on time, free pizza will go fast (Slice has the most authentic New York style pizza in Memphis).

6:45 Chris Grayson will open with an intro to AI & AR in Memphis: a manifesto for action to leverage this moment in time.

7:15 Connor Messina will give a talk on Drone Logistics & Distribution.

7:40 Kathryn Hicks will present on Snap Spectacles development.

8:00 The remaining time will be networking, and open discussion of the opportunity that Artificial Intelligence & Augmented Reality present, within the Memphis market.

Sponsored by:

AAIA Memphis (Applied Artificial Intelligence Association)

SPEAKER BIOS:

Kathryn Hicks is the Co-Founder / Chief of Games & Technology at BVO, an upcoming open-world adventure experience on Mud Island where guests create their own journey. She is also the Founder of Creature Studio, a character-focused extended reality (VR/AR/MR) company that has developed experiences for brands like HBO, Snapchat, and Hilton. With over a decade in extended reality, she specializes in interactive storytelling and world-building through immersive technology.

Connor Messina's drone delivery startup is coming out of stealth. He has an MBA from the University of Memphis, and currently works as a Security Analyst at International Paper. He is active in the Memphis tech community.

Chris Grayson is a marketing creative, and events organizer, hosting tech luminaries, and startup founders at such events as AWE (Augmented World Expo) and his former New York TEDx franchise, TEDxSiliconAlley. In his prior life in advertising, he created omnichannel marketing strategies and 360º campaigns, focused on technology accounts and premium brands including award winning work for Nikon and Intel, and creative direction for the social/digital launch of Bud Light Platinum, before pivoting to tech startups, and market analyst on near-eye-optic display systems. He writes at Giganti.Co