Listening labs
Bring a real customer conversation. Pull it apart together. Learn to hear the patterns nobody else is hearing yet.
A community for CX leaders adopting AI
Customer-First AI
A small, invite-only group of CX leaders comparing notes on what's actually working with AI — by dinner, by working session, by pitch night, and on WhatsApp in between.
We're also launching a venture studio — a small batch of hand-rolled conversational AI projects for the teams whose agents need to actually work in production.
Invitation only · Operator-led · Founding cohort 2026, starting in NYC
What we believe
What this community is about.
- 01
Listen first.
Most decisions about customers get made far away from any customer. We start by paying attention to what's actually being said.
- 02
Stop fixing what you can't see.
The companies losing customers fastest don't realize it. The frustration never reaches the people who could do something about it.
- 03
It's not about the technology.
Software is the easy part. Knowing who your customer is, what they've said before, and what they actually need — that's the work.
- 04
By the operators, for the operators.
Chanl sponsors this community and partners are welcome at the table — but the conversation is led by the people doing the work, not by anyone trying to close a deal.
- 05
Honest, or we're wasting each other's time.
We share what failed, what surprised us, what we'd do differently. Everything else is LinkedIn.
What we host
Different formats. Same conversation.
We compare notes in whichever format fits the work. All small. All operator-led. Bring what you're wrestling with — or just come to listen.
Build sessions
Work on an agent, a scorecard, or a workflow alongside people doing the same thing. Real feedback before it ever touches a customer.
Iteration clinics
Bring something live that's drifting. Six pairs of eyes on the problem. Leave with a plan, not a deck.
Pitch nights
Builders show what they're shipping for CX. Short demos, honest feedback, no investor performance. Run alongside partners like Fabrik NYC and Bond AI.
Dinners
Six seats, three hours, one question on the table. No agenda — just the conversation that doesn't fit anywhere else.
Upcoming events
Hosted on Luma. Browse, RSVP, or subscribe to the calendar.
TodayPitch night
TBD — see LumaLower Manhattan, NYCHosted by Dean Grover (Chanl), Fabrik NYC, and Sahar Mor (Bond AI)
Startup Pitch Night: Like It's 2019
An evening for builders shipping AI for customer experience. Short demos, honest feedback, no investor performance. Hosted with Fabrik NYC and Sahar Mor of Bond AI.
How to get involved
Three ways in.
Pick any one — or all three. We meet in person for the deeper stuff and stay in touch online between gatherings.
Come to a gathering
Browse upcoming dinners, working sessions, and pitch nights on Luma. RSVP to anything that fits.
View calendar →Join the WhatsApp group
Open chat for members and friends of the community. Share what you're working on. Ask questions. Compare notes between events.
Join on WhatsApp →Introduce yourself
Curious about an invite-only gathering? Send a short note about what you're working on. We read every one.
Introduce yourself ↓The Venture Studio
Launching soonWe hand-roll agents for the teams that need them to work.
Chanl is opening a small venture studio for conversational AI — a handful of engagements per year, built alongside corporates and ambitious startups whose agents need to actually work in production.
Limited scope. Deep engagement. Terms shared on a call.
Introduce yourself.
If you lead a team that talks to customers — or you're building something that will — we'd like to know who's in the room. Tell us a bit about what you're working on and what you'd want to discuss.
By writing in you agree to receive event invitations. Unsubscribe anytime.
Customer-First AI is sponsored by Chanl, with support from a small circle of partners. Membership is independent — applicant lists aren't shared, and the table is for the people in the room.