Full Proposal
1. From Numerai Meetups to Decentralized AI Days 
In April 2022, shortly after attending NumerCon, I launched Around the World with Numeratis with a simple goal: bring Numeratis together to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and build relationships.
The first meetup took place in London in July 2022. Since then, with the support of the Council of Elders (CoE), local communities, speakers, and partners, I’ve organised 17 events across North America, Europe, and Asia.
What started as Numerai meetups has evolved into Decentralized AI Days (DeAI Days), connecting Numeratis with researchers, developers, and projects from the wider AI and Web3 ecosystem.
While the audience and topics have expanded, Numerai remains central to the initiative.
2. Four Years of Progress 
Since 2022, the events have reached cities including London, New York, Tokyo, Prague, Toronto, Bangkok, Frankfurt, San Francisco, Seattle, Vienna, and Warsaw.
Beyond bringing people together, the initiative has helped:
- Build relationships among Numeratis and the wider AI community.
- Create educational resources, including technical talks, workshops, and recordings.
- Introduce Numerai to new audiences.
- Develop collaborations with other projects, including YIEDL and FLock.
A Success Story — The YIEDL Collaboration
One of the best examples came from our Tokyo meetup in July 2024.
I invited YIEDL to join the event, where I met their team in person. Our discussions led to an idea: could their crypto data benefit Numerai Crypto participants?
That conversation became the foundation of our first substantial collaboration.
After the event, I worked with YIEDL to explore and refine their data for Numerai Crypto. The result was a high-quality crypto dataset suitable for the tournament, providing participants with additional data for developing and testing models.
This shows how a conversation at a meetup can turn into something genuinely useful for the community.
Read more about the YIEDL collaboration.
Community Feedback
Over the years, attendees have consistently highlighted the value of face-to-face discussions, practical learning, networking, and building relationships.
Recent feedback from Decentralized AI Day New York also highlighted the welcoming atmosphere, hands-on workshops, and renewed interest in Numerai.
Online discussions are essential, but in-person events create connections and opportunities that are difficult to replicate.
Past events and resources:
3. Goals, Formats, and Educational Resources 
The goal of Decentralized AI Days is simple: bring Numeratis and the wider AI community together to learn, connect, and collaborate.
My priorities are to:
- Strengthen the community: Encourage brainstorming, knowledge sharing, and meaningful relationships.
- Raise Numerai awareness: Introduce Numerai and its tournaments to data scientists, researchers, developers, and students.
- Encourage collaboration: Connect Numerai with relevant AI and Web3 projects.
- Expand globally: Bring events to more cities with local community support.
Event Formats
Experience has shown that a mix of formats works best:
- Technical talks to share research, experience, and new ideas.
- Hands-on workshops for practical learning.
- Panel discussions to exchange different perspectives.
- Networking to connect people and encourage informal conversations.
I’ll continue adapting each event to its local audience, speakers, and available resources.
Educational Resources
One lasting benefit of our events is the growing collection of presentations, recordings, and technical materials.
While some content becomes outdated as Numerai’s tournaments evolve, many foundational concepts and methodologies remain valuable.
I intend to keep producing and sharing educational content, making it accessible to the wider community, including those who cannot attend in person.
Resources: Meetup Repository | Learning Hub
4. Bringing Events to More Places 
I want to continue exploring new cities while returning to places with active communities and strong local connections.
However, organising international events remotely can be challenging, especially with venues, logistics, speakers, and promotion.
Local community support makes a big difference.
Our Tokyo events are excellent examples, where local Numeratis helped make the gatherings successful.
If you’d like to bring Decentralized AI Days to your city, you can help by:
- Recommending venues or local contacts.
- Connecting me with AI and technology communities.
- Suggesting speakers, workshop leaders, or partners.
- Helping with promotion or logistics.
Even a small contribution, such as a venue recommendation or an introduction, can make a real difference.
5. The Plan — 4 to 6 Events Annually 
Historically, I’ve organised approximately 3–4 events per year, increasing to five in 2026.
Building on this momentum, I propose 4–6 Decentralized AI Days annually, starting in 2027.
My approach will remain flexible:
- Quality over quantity: Focus on learning, connections, and community value.
- Geographic diversity: Balance new locations with established community hubs.
- Local collaboration: Work with volunteers and partners wherever possible.
- Sustainability: Plan around available funding, resources, and logistics.
I’ll develop the calendar based on community interest and practical opportunities rather than committing to a rigid schedule.
6. Costs and Funding 
Event costs vary by location, venue, and format. I’ll continue taking a practical, cost-conscious approach.
Typical Expenses
- Venue hire: Free or sponsored venues preferred.
- Food and beverages: To support networking.
- Travel: For CoE members, organisers, and local helpers, where necessary.
- Equipment and logistics: Audio-visual equipment, event setup, and essential costs.
- Educational materials: Recording and content production where feasible.
Speaker travel and accommodation sponsorship are not included in the proposed funding arrangements.
Funding and Transparency
The CoE expense reports already contain detailed records of expenditure from all my past events. Although costs vary between cities and event formats, these records provide a reliable basis for estimating future budgets and give the CoE a clear picture of how funding has been used.
I’ll continue to:
- Seek free venues, sponsorships, and cost-sharing opportunities.
- Work with local volunteers and partner organisations.
- Keep spending reasonable and transparent.
- Adapt budgets to the needs of individual events.
Funding Request
I’m seeking continued CoE support for Decentralized AI Days, targeting 4–6 events annually.
Past expense records should provide a useful reference for the approximate funding required. Specific budgets and approvals can be agreed before individual events.
The goal is simple: deliver high-quality events while using community resources responsibly.
7. My Background 
For those unfamiliar with me, here’s a little background.
Before my Numerai journey, I worked as a data scientist and community lead at Silicon Valley AI startups, organising over 100 technology events, including meetups, workshops, and conferences.
I’ve participated in Numerai since 2020, achieving Expert (Classic) in 2022 and Master (Crypto) in 2024.
I was first elected to the Numerai Council of Elders in 2023 and re-elected in 2026.
Since launching Around the World with Numeratis, I’ve organised 17 Numerai community events across three continents, with valuable support from fellow elders, volunteers, speakers, and partners.
8. Next Steps 
My immediate priorities are to:
- Gather community feedback and suggestions for future locations.
- Find local volunteers, speakers, and potential partners.
- Develop a flexible annual event calendar.
- Confirm funding arrangements and event budgets.
- Continue producing and sharing educational resources.
I’d love to hear from anyone interested in hosting, speaking at, supporting, or attending a future Decentralized AI Day.
Closing Thoughts 
Four years ago, Around the World with Numeratis started with a simple idea: bring our community together in person.
Since then, we’ve organised events across three continents, built a valuable library of educational resources, and developed collaborations such as the YIEDL crypto dataset.
These experiences have reinforced my belief that in-person events remain an important investment in our community.
With Decentralized AI Days now established, I’d like to build on this momentum through 4–6 high-quality events each year, with more local involvement and continued educational contributions.
Thank you to the Council of Elders, Numerai team, local volunteers, speakers, partners, and everyone who has supported the initiative.
Let’s keep bringing people, ideas, and communities together — one city at a time!
Cheers,
Joe (ia_ai)
