Naples, FL · Southwest Florida
YOU'RE NOT
ALONEIN THIS.
Big changes are easier to navigate when you're not doing it alone. Local AI events, communities, and resources for Southwest Florida. Plain-English. No hype.
“The gap between public perception and current reality is now enormous — and that gap is dangerous, because it's preventing people from preparing.”
— Matt Shumer on X, February 2026
LOCAL EVENTS
Naples & SWFLEvents listed here are hosted by groups across Naples and Southwest Florida, plus the occasional Florida event outside the region. A listing is not an endorsement. Event details can change, so confirm with the organizer before attending.
Lee County AI Monthly Meetup
5:00 PM · Swamp Cat Brewing Company, Fort Myers, FLIntroductions at 5:00, AI news and what is working at 5:30, an open build session at 6:00 where members show what they are building, and a guest speaker at 6:30. The goal is sharing what works and helping local businesses grow.
AI Across America: What's Next for Miami
8:30 AM · Miami, FL (online)Reporters Sommer Brugal and Maria Curi interview former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Education Freedom Foundation founder Erika Donalds, and Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo on AI adoption in Florida, covering innovation, regulation, and responsible deployment. Donalds lives in Naples and is a former Collier County School Board member. Presented by Anthropic.
Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Task Force
3:45 PM · Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FLA twenty-minute session on AI use policies in higher education, held during the two-day meeting at FGCU. The meeting streams live on The Florida Channel.
Data Analytics and AI MS Info Session
7:00 PM · OnlineMore sessions: Sep 10 at 9:00 AM · Sep 15 at 1:00 PM · Sep 24 at 7:00 PM · Sep 30 at 12:00 PMA 30-minute virtual overview for prospective students considering FGCU's M.S. in Data Analytics and AI. Covers learning formats, industry tools, analytics, machine learning, and AI.
Exploring the Future of Real Estate
2:00 PM · Arthrex One, Naples, FLFour speakers on where real estate is heading, including Jimmy Burgess of HomeServices of America on AI. Also presenting: Dr. Jessica Lautz of the National Association of REALTORS, Dr. Brad O'Connor of Florida Realtors, and Tim Aten of Gulfshore Business and The Naples Press. The $50 ticket includes a reception from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.
AI Fridays: AI + Influence = Sales
9:00 AM · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLA half-day working session for entrepreneurs in the $250K to $2M revenue range, led by RUKE and Cole Peacock. Built around small-group discussion rather than a panel or a lecture. Intermediate level. Free to attend.
AI Fridays: Culture by Design in the Age of AI
2:00 PM · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLSusan Minaya of Minaya Learning Global Solutions leads a one-hour session on what happens when new AI tools meet an existing workplace culture. Covers the habits AI tends to amplify and the leadership choices that follow. Beginner level. Free to attend.
State of the Region 2026
8:00 AM · Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, FLA regional business and policy program. One segment, "Debunking Data Centers," examines what these facilities would mean for Southwest Florida and which of the common claims about them hold up. The rest of the morning covers regional economic, workforce, and population trends, plus a property tax measure going before voters.
AI Works Live Workshop
9:00 AM · Naples, FLA full-day workshop for business owners on identifying AI use cases, managing privacy and security risks, evaluating vendors, and drafting a 90-day roadmap. Includes an AI maturity assessment. Early registration is $97 and rises to $127.
AI Academy for Realtors
12:00 PM · 9115 Galleria Court, Naples, FLA session on putting AI to work in a real estate business: marketing, content, lead generation, client communication, and keeping an agent's own voice in the output.
AI Fridays: Not Your Grandma's Marketing
10:00 AM · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLJim Dobinski of StellarBlue.ai and SWFL Tech covers which digital marketing tasks AI can absorb and what that frees up for people. Free to attend.
AI Fridays
Time to be announced · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLSpeaker, topic, and time to be announced.
RovoCon Miami: Dream it. Build it. Share it.
8:30 AM · The Lab Miami, Miami, FLA free, hands-on day built around Rovo, the AI search, chat, and agent layer Atlassian added to Jira and Confluence. Attendees build a custom agent and work through knowledge automation, developer tooling, and use cases drawn from real teams.
AI Fridays
Time to be announced · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLSpeaker, topic, and time to be announced.
AI Fridays
Time to be announced · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLSpeaker, topic, and time to be announced.
AI Fridays
Time to be announced · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLSpeaker, topic, and time to be announced.
AI Fridays
Time to be announced · Collaboratory, Fort Myers, FLSpeaker, topic, and time to be announced.
GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS & COMMUNITIES
- AI Collective NaplesView group →
A national AI community with an active Naples chapter. Connects local professionals with others building and applying AI.
Also onLuma - Naples Tech MeetupView group →
Monthly gathering of Naples developers, entrepreneurs, and tech-curious professionals, hosted by Espresso Ventures.
Also onLuma - Lee County AIView group →
Lee County's community for professionals exploring practical AI adoption and local innovation.
Also onMeetup - Tech Alliance of SWFLView group →
Southwest Florida's regional tech industry network — events, connections, and community across Collier and Lee counties.
- SWFL CodersView group →
Monthly meetup for developers and tech-curious folks across Southwest Florida. Coders and non-coders alike gather the second Thursday of each month at the Collaboratory in Downtown Fort Myers.
- Naples AI and Society Meetup GroupView group →
Naples meetup covering AI skills and their practical use. Open to all experience levels.
- Business Owners Using AI - Fort Myers & NaplesView group →
For Southwest Florida business owners applying AI across day-to-day operations, marketing, sales, and customer service.
- SWFL HI AI Innovation HubView group →
A five-county Southwest Florida coalition for adopting AI responsibly. The HI stands for human intelligence, reflecting the group's stance that people stay in charge of the decisions.