1) AI Therapy Session: From Hype to Impact - Gaining Value from AI 2) Kushal Goenka on the Evolution of Search
Please join us on Thursday November 20th for two (2) amazing speakers. First up is Patrick Wolf, Qlik's Head of Business Value and Strategy for the Americas, talking about how to gain value pragmatically with AI.
Most organizations have embraced the idea of AI, but few have realized its full business value. This session explores the evolving AI landscape—from generative to agentic systems—and why success depends less on models and more on foundations: trusted data, integration, and human alignment.
Patrick will unpack new research on AI maturity, examine real-world applications that drive measurable outcomes, and explore what’s next as intelligent agents reshape how decisions are made. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of where your organization stands on the AI journey and practical steps to translate ambition into impact.
For the 2nd presentation Kushal Goenka will present what one audience said was "possibly his best presentation yet". The topic is a brief history of information retrieval, from memory palaces to vector embeddings. This is the story of how search has evolved - how we've been trying to solve the problem of finding the right information at the right time for millennia.
We start our story before the written record and race through key developments: library catalogues in the Library of Alexandria, the birth of metadata, the Mundaneum's paper-based search engine, the statistical revolution of TF-IDF, and the vector space model from 50 years ago that lay the groundwork for today's AI embeddings.
We'll see how modern tech like transformers and vector databases are just the latest chapter in a very long story, and where I think we're headed with Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), where it comes full circle to that human experience of asking a librarian a question and getting a real answer.
Agenda:
- 8:30 In-person networking, coffee, and muffin in the sunny Learning Centre
- 9:00 DAMA chapter announcements
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- 9:05 Qlik - AI Therapy Session: From Hype to Impact
- 10:00 Questions and a quick coffee break
- 10:20 Kushal Goenka on The Evolution of Search - A Brief History of Information Retrieval
- 11:20 Questions and discussions, coffee refill, networking
- Draw for a $50 Amazon Gift Card for in-person attendees only.
Qlik - AI Therapy Session:
From Hype to Impact - Gaining Value from AI
Most organizations have embraced the idea of AI, but few have realized its full business value. This session explores the evolving AI landscape—from generative to agentic systems—and why success depends less on models and more on foundations: trusted data, integration, and human alignment.
We’ll unpack new research on AI maturity, examine real-world applications that drive measurable outcomes, and explore what’s next as intelligent agents reshape how decisions are made. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of where your organization stands on the AI journey and practical steps to translate ambition into impact.
The Evolution of Search - A Brief History of Information Retrieval
The topic is a brief history of information retrieval, from memory palaces to vector embeddings. This is the story of how search has evolved - how we've been trying to solve the problem of finding the right information at the right time for millennia.
We start our story before the written record and race through key developments: library catalogues in the Library of Alexandria, the birth of metadata, the Mundaneum's paper-based search engine, the statistical revolution of TF-IDF, and the vector space model from 50 years ago that lay the groundwork for today's AI embeddings.
We'll see how modern tech like transformers and vector databases are just the latest chapter in a very long story, and where I think we're headed with Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), where it comes full circle to that human experience of asking a librarian a question and getting a real answer.
Patrick J. Wolf, PhD is Head of Business Value and Strategy for the Americas at Qlik, where he helps organizations turn data and AI investments into measurable business impact. He leads initiatives spanning analytics, integration, and AI strategy—advising global enterprises on how to connect data, insight, and action.
With a background that blends industrial engineering, business, and strategic communication, Patrick brings over a decade of experience helping Fortune 500 and public-sector organizations operationalize analytics and AI. His work has influenced multimillion-dollar technology transformations, cloud modernization programs, and the integration of AI/ML into enterprise decision-making.
Kushal Goenka is an independent software design & development consultant who is a passionate advocate for open source licensed, freely available software, as well as access to education around these topics. His philosophy centers on leveraging emerging technologies to create intuitive and immersive digital experiences, often integrating AI advancements in Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, and Realtime Computer Graphics.
Recently, with the mass interest in centralized and closed source AI, Kushal has been sharing his knowledge on how to use open source versions of these tools. Local AI can be privacy preserving, work fully offline, and use the compute resources you already have in your local laptop or hosted server, as well as customized for your needs and data sources.
About our location:
- Deloitte - 410 West Georgia, Vancouver - great view!
- Follow lobby signage to the 23rd floor
- Capacity - up to 140 people
- Please join us early for networking and coffee, muffins, and croissants.
Premium Membership gives you access to the Recording, Slide deck, and Supporting Materials from each event. These are typically posted a week after the event.
DAMA-Vancouver 2025 Events - Mark Your Calendars:
- Please send in topics/vendors/paradigms you would like to see!
- Dec 12th: Holiday season get together (Premium Member Event)
- 2026
- January (CDMP preparation class and Pay If You Pass exam)
More Data Community Events - Mark Your Calendars:
- Please send in topics/vendors/paradigms you would like to see shared!
- Nov 18-19 Big Data West 2025
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