At Rival Technologies, we’re unabashedly passionate about AI. We see it as a game‑changer for the entire research lifecycle—from crafting surveys and summarizing unstructured, qualitative data to the grand finale of storytelling. And now, with AI agents entering the scene, the opportunity to unlock value for both researchers and participants has never been greater.
Collaboration sits at the heart of our approach to AI innovation. That’s why we love partnering with customers like OURA — research teams that have been instrumental in helping us stress‑test emerging features. But our collaborations don’t stop there. We’re looking to partner with organizations pushing the boundaries of AI itself.
That’s why we’re thrilled to be involved with the Vancouver AI community meetup.
What is the Vancouver AI meetup?
Vancouver AI is an exciting community that links up thinkers, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts in the AI space. As their website explains:
“Vancouver AI serves as BC's cross-disciplinary gathering point where, within the vibrant BC + AI industry ecosystem, diverse participants—from coding novices to seasoned researchers—connect to share insights, showcase applications, and collectively shape responsible AI development through monthly in-person exchanges.”
Being part of the thriving BC tech scene, we jumped at the chance to support and contribute to this group.
Why storytelling and AI?
Recently, our CEO and Founder Andrew Reid sat down with Vancouver AI founder (among other things) Kris Krüg to dive into the pulse of this community of hackers, researchers, and creatives. Their conversation also touched on a special event that Rival is proudly sponsoring: a data storytelling hackathon.
Why focus on storytelling? Because it’s where research insights truly come to life. A compelling narrative and the right storytelling techniques can elevate your findings from a dusty report to board‑room gold.
As Andrew pointed out, “Most research today ends up being a PowerPoint deck. So you’ll do a study, get your data back, and then what? You build a 50‑slide PowerPoint.”
While there’s still demand for decks (many Reach3 clients and Rival customers swear by them), there’s also a hunger for more deliverables that are more digestible, engaging, and—dare we say—memorable. Enter AI.
Our hackathon reflects that belief. In this first of four rounds, teams will work with a proprietary Rival dataset: 500+ human responses to the enduring debate—Is a hot dog a sandwich? It’s delightfully absurd. The stakes are low enough that you can push boundaries without fear of catastrophe, yet curious enough to spark genuine creativity.
And the energy is real. Dozens of teams have already signed up for the hackathon (the $10,000 prize pool, split among 4 cycles, probably helps), and they’re coming with some really interesting ideas.
Synthetic respondents and the future of AI in market research
Storytelling is only one facet of AI’s potential in market research. During their chat, Andrew and Kris delved into synthetic respondents—AI‑generated personas that mimic real people for testing and insights. This isn’t science fiction; it’s already one of the most talked about (although still somewhat controversial) market research trends.
“We will likely be coming up with a synthetic agent,” Andrew shared. “The first thing we’re going to do is build our own that we can use to probably test some marketing campaigns.”
To stay nimble and continuously innovate, we’ve instituted what we call “AI Day.” This helps us develop useful AI tools for market researchers faster.
As Andrew noted, “I’m sure you like I—well, you even more so than I—are getting inundated with new shit literally every day. Every week there’s a new major thing to watch. And it’s hard to keep up to all of it.”
So every Friday, a dedicated group at Rival blocks off the calendar for nothing but AI exploration—experimenting with new tools, prototyping wild ideas, and following every fascinating rabbit hole. The goal is value creation.
Shape the future of AI and storytelling
So here’s our invitation: the Vancouver AI Data Storytelling Hackathon isn’t just for coders. Whether you’re a data scientist, artist, researcher, or simply AI‑curious, there’s an opportunity to get involved. Bring your ingenuity, your questions, and your willingness to reimagine how we share stories in our data‑driven world.
For more info about this Vancouver AI hackathon and to attend future community meet-ups, check out this page.
Photo credit: Vancouver AI
