BuiltThis

A national community build movement

Get past can't.
Build this.

AI is moving fast. Our neighbors should not have to watch from the sidelines. *BuiltThis brings people together to build, share expertise, and solve real problems with patient human help close at hand.

Find an event Bring it to my town

No technical background required. No lecture. No sales pitch.

A diverse group working together on laptops in a community library
Build togetherQuestions welcome
Neighbors working side by side on laptops in a small-town makerspace
Skills shared locally
People collaborating around a table with laptops and notebooks
Ideas made real

Why this matters

The technology is not magic.Access to a good first experience can feel like it.

Most people are not waiting for another prediction about AI. They need a safe place to ask questions, try the tools, and have someone patient beside them when they get stuck.

That is our mission: help communities build confidence and practical skills now, so the benefits of this shift do not belong only to the people who started early.

The honest dataQuinnipiac University, March 2026
80%are concerned about AI
76%trust its information only some of the time or hardly ever
27%have used AI for school or work projects
27%say they have never used AI tools

You're not behind. That's a lot of us.

Read the national poll

The original *BuiltThis format

The format can change. The purpose does not.

Our community build nights bring experienced builders and first-time users into the same room for three focused hours. The experts help, but participants keep the keyboard.

  1. 01

    Start with real life

    Choose one stubborn task, small idea, or everyday problem worth making easier. If you arrive without an idea, we have useful starting points.

  2. 02

    Build beside a human

    Local volunteers help you shape, test, and improve it in plain language. Ask the question you think you should already know.

  3. 03

    Finish with something to share

    That could be a working first version, a tested idea, a useful demonstration, or a shared community outcome—and the confidence to keep going.

Build nights are where we started. Future programs may include expert showcases, nonprofit hackathons, hands-on workshops, and formats communities help invent. Every event should leave people more capable, connected, and ready to build what comes next.

Real events. Local character.

Upcoming and past events

Each event is rooted in its community and supported by local hosts, partners, and volunteers. The mission travels, while the format evolves with the people in the room.

Upcoming events
Knoxville skyline and the Sunsphere Next event

Skyline photo: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY 4.0.

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

AI: Artisans & Founders

5:00 to 8:00 PM ET · Upper atrium at 121 Tech Hub
Knoxville, Tennessee

A fast-moving showcase for Knoxville-area builders, artisans, founders, students, and technical teams already making things with AI.

Reserve a spot Event details
Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana Next in Lafayette

Photo: TheLionHasSeen, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Lafayette Built This

5:00 to 8:00 PM Central · Opportunity Machine
314 Jefferson St, Lafayette, Louisiana

A free friends and family AI build night hosted by CGI and Opportunity Machine. Bring a laptop and a curious idea; build something useful alongside your neighbors. No coding experience required.

Reserve a spot Event details
Date to be announced
Saturn V landmark in Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville · Date TBD

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.

Date, time, and venue TBD

Huntsville Built This

Huntsville, Alabama · Central Time

A free friends and family AI build night hosted by CGI. Early RSVPs are open; attendees will receive confirmed details and be asked to reconfirm. Nonprofit co-host to be announced.

Early RSVP Event details
Past events
Original artwork inspired by Southern Maryland's tidal waterways

Held September 26, 2026

Charles County Built This

Maryland Technology Center · Indian Head, Maryland
Presented by Voice of Indian Head and the United States Bomb Technician Association.

Explore the event

Original Southern Maryland waterfront artwork.

Blue ridges and green highlands in Southwest Virginia

Held July 23, 2026

Appalachia Built This

EO · Abingdon, Virginia
Hosted by CGI with EO.

Visit appalachia.builtthis.ai

Highlands photo: Ken Thomas, public domain.

Built locally, supported together

A national series needs local believers.

A successful event starts long before the doors open. We work with community hosts and sponsors who know their neighbors, can open the right room, and want their region to move forward together.

Companies, libraries, colleges, workforce groups, civic organizations, and community leaders can help with space, food, outreach, equipment, funding, or people. We bring an adaptable event framework, facilitation, communications, and a practical path from “I can't” to “I built this.”

Talk with us about partnering

Ways to make an event possible

  • 01Host the roomAccessible space, tables, power, reliable wi-fi
  • 02Bring the communityLocal outreach, trusted voices, welcoming faces
  • 03Fuel the buildFood, materials, technology access, sponsorship
  • 04Share your skillsPatient mentors, event volunteers, storytellers

Your community could build next

Pull up a chair.

Whether you can mentor a first-time builder, open a community space, sponsor a night, or simply want an event closer to home, there is a place for you in this.

Give your timeVolunteer with us

AI practitioners and experienced builders are essential—and so are warm welcomes, event logistics, storytellers, and patient helpers. There are roles for every skill level.

 Open a doorHost or sponsor

Put your organization behind practical, inclusive AI confidence in the community you serve.

 Raise your handRequest an event

Tell us where you are, who should be in the room, and which local partners we should meet.

Or, just email: Events@BuiltThis.AI