Empowering the Seattle AI Ecosystem
#SeattleAIWeek is a cluster of events hosted by the Seattle tech community that brings together a wide variety of people to celebrate, learn, and engage with AI. October 26–30, 2026.
The week is community-driven by design. WTIA and partners produce the flagship Summit and anchor events, but the calendar is built by the community itself — organizers, companies, meetup groups, universities, and creators who host their own events under the #SeattleAIWeek banner. In 2025, that meant 75 events across the region. In 2026, we’re going even bigger.
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Our Mission
To bring together the Seattle region's AI community and bring the world here to have conversations about the future of AI — across sectors, disciplines, and backgrounds — creating the space where ideas collide, relationships form, and the future of AI gets built together.
Why Seattle? Why Now?
The Pacific Northwest is already one of the top AI hubs on the planet. The talent is here. The infrastructure is here. The startups, the research institutions, the energy grid, the ambition — all here. The flywheels are turning. But a region doesn't become the best in the world by accident. It happens when the people in it build coherence and when tech leaders, policymakers, researchers, and communities align around a shared direction and hold each other to it. That's what AI Week is for. 2024 proved the community exists. 2025 proved it's growing. 2026 is where we start building with intention, pushing forward across stakeholders to make this region the place where the future of AI gets shaped.
The Story So Far
2024
Celebrate AI in Seattle
3,500 attendees and 45+ events
2025
Strategic Growth
5,000 attendees and 75+ events
About Seattle AI Week's Co-Chairs
Nick Ellingson
VP of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at WTIA
Nick Ellingson is VP of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) and the go-to human rolodex for anyone navigating the PNW startup and innovation ecosystem. Whether a founder needs an investor introduction, the right mentor, or just a straight answer on where to start, Nick is the first call they make. He has built and led a suite of programs at WTIA to support founders at every stage, and runs international market accelerators that help entrepreneurs from countries like Canada and South Korea develop their go-to-market strategies for entering the US through Seattle. He holds an Executive MBA from Seattle University and brings a background in sales and business development that gives him a practical, founder-friendly perspective on what it actually takes to grow a company.
Arry Yu
Chair of the WTIA Advanced Technology Cluster
Arry Yu is Chair of the WTIA Advanced Technology Cluster. She is also co-Founder & Executive Director of Convergence: Tech Policy Institute (C:TPI), the policy arm of 1871. A 3x serial founder who has raised over $35 million, she previously co-founded the U.S. Blockchain Coalition and served as Head of Strategy (U.S.) for the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). She is also a PSBJ “40 Under 40” honoree, adjunct professor at Portland State and Seattle University, and advisor to WTIA and the Milgard School of Business. She serves as Board President at the Northwest Quantum Nexus (NQN), Chair of the Cascadia Blockchain Council. Recognized as a catalyst for tech ecosystems, Arry excels at scaling bold ideas from zero to one and convening diverse stakeholders around mission-driven initiatives.