More than 100 people gathered at OCAD University on Feb. 28 for Building Our Future in AI: The Latin@ Summit + Vibe Coding with Lovable, a first-of-its-kind event that combined community-driven research with hands-on artificial intelligence development.
Hosted at OCAD University, the summit brought together Latin@ and allied participants from across Canada for a day of networking, collaboration and rapid prototyping. The goal: to find AI-powered solutions that benefit marginalized voices specifically those within Canada's Latin American community.
Building Our Future in AI Summit Photo: O'David Productions
The event featured a hands-on "vibe coding" hackathon, where 14 teams used the Lovable platform to build AI prototypes based on themes drawn directly from the Canadian National Latino Community Survey. - a national, collaborative survey led by the Alianza Latina initiative, with support from Latino organizations and allies across Canada. The goal is to build unity, data power, and visibility for the diverse Latinx community in Canada.
Rather than starting from abstract prompts, participants worked from real community data, translating lived experiences into practical digital tools.
Projects focused on pressing issues such as access to services, career and workforce pathways, entrepreneurship and strengthening community connections.
The day also featured a signature panel, Latinos in AI - Journeys, Barriers and Opportunities, with Carlos E. Paz Soldan, CEO of Techmien Corp. and president emeritus of Hispanotech.ca; Dr. Andrea Ruotolo, senior global AI operations and governance leader; and Sandra Lopez Zamora, senior data scientist at Scotiabank. Panelists discussed representation in the tech sector, systemic barriers and the importance of equitable AI development.
"By bringing together researchers, technologists, students and community leaders under one roof, OCAD University is not just a host venue, but an active partner in shaping a more inclusive AI future one built with communities, not merely for them," said OCAD U Associate Professor, Advertising Program chair, and Special Advisor to the VP of Research, Angela Bains, who was one of the organizers of the event. "Our support reflects OCAD U's commitment to community-engaged research and to bringing greater visibility to the university's role in advancing inclusive innovation."
The summit was organized by Alianza Latina, BrainTrainr and Hispanotech community-driven organizations committed to advancing data literacy and AI access within Latin American and Indigenous communities. BrainTrainr, led by Norman Valdez, is a volunteer-based, Indigenous- and Latino-led organization focused on breaking down barriers to AI knowledge. Hispanotech, represented by Citilalli Rios, promotes the success of Latin American professionals in Canada's STEM sectors.
The event was supported by OCAD U's Office of Research & Innovation (ORI), along with eCampusOntario and various Latin American community partners and businesses.
"The big takeaway for me is that AI can be a catalyst for unity," said organizer Norman Valdez. "When underrepresented communities get access, support and a real problem set drawn from our own data, we stop being included' as an afterthought and start becoming what I call economically activated building solutions, talent and pathways that strengthen our community and contribute to Canada."
Winning teams from the hackathon will now seek funding to further develop their prototypes, with the aim of turning ideas presented at OCAD U into real-world tools that support Canada's Latin American communities.
Congratulations to the winning teams:
- 1st Place Team Twelve: ClaritaHealth (Mariluz Lopez-Zamora, LERLY AMARIS, Jenniffer Carolina Triana Martinez)
- 2nd Place Team Six: U Belong (Santiago Duran Mora, Diana Mayorga, David Rocha)
- 3rd Place Team Three: AI Privacy Shield (Mona Lam-Deslippe, Andres Luna, Carlos Andres Delgado Z., Alex Munoz Angel)
