FOIL Collective Event 001: Led by Learning
The FOIL Collective is a growing community of learners and early-career data professionals; launched to support our FOIL Talent cohorts, our clients teams and friends of FOIL looking to build their career through a powerful network (join for free here).
Earlier this year, we hosted our inaugural gathering of twenty professionals at the offices of Simmons & Simmons for an evening that proved genuine learning happens when people feel safe to ask real questions.
We were pleased to see a full room of twenty and it was a real mix of tech newcomers, seasoned product managers, and everything in between, creating exactly the kind of environment we'd hoped for. Expertise was shared freely and knowledge gaps were stepping stones, instead of stumbling blocks.
Here is our write up of the evening.
Real Problems, Real Solutions
A friend of FOIL, Drew Winlaw, Global Lead of Gen AI & LLM at Simmons & Simmons, opened the evening by sharing the story behind Percy, their in-house AI chatbot. What struck us wasn't just the technical achievement, but Drew's honest account of the journey. This is an important point for newcomers to the tech industry to know: it's not always easy, and it is always incremental. Percy wasn't born from a perfect strategy document - it emerged from identifying a genuine problem within their law firm and then building the right team to solve it.
The live demo showcased impressive progress, but more valuable were Drew's insights into what makes AI projects succeed. Team composition, understanding the problem deeply, and iterating based on real user needs—practical wisdom that resonated across experience levels.
From Research to Practice
Next up was Oriane Peter, PhD candidate at King's College London and experienced machine learning engineer, bringing fresh perspectives from the cutting edge of responsible AI research. She has a unique background spanning data science, AI ethics, and interdisciplinary research. Oriane translated complex academic concepts into actionable insights for our attendees.
Her presentation on what responsible AI truly means and how to apply these principles in day-to-day development sparked great discussions across the room. Attendees left with practical frameworks for evaluating new trends and implementing ethical considerations in their work.
Creating Connection Through Learning
It's not always easy to network but it's one of the most valuable parts of a technology career, so we of course included a great but simple bit of networking for our communities: attendees chose colored stickers for their name tags indicating areas of interest - LLMs, data science, other projects, and more. This small gesture transformed typical networking awkwardness into purposeful conversations, with people seeking out peers and mentors based on shared interests or complementary knowledge.
We also made sure that throughout the presentations, we actively directed questions toward areas of highest interest, creating organic learning opportunities. It created genuine engagement for seasoned professionals to share their insights while early-career attendees contributed fresh perspectives and probing questions.
Setting the Foundation
What made the evening successful wasn't just the quality of our speakers or the welcoming venue, it was the precedent we set from the start. We established that all questions are valuable, whether they come from deep expertise or genuine unfamiliarity with a topic. This created space for the kind of honest dialogue that moves careers forward.
The networking flowed naturally, conversations continued well after the formal presentations ended, and connections were made that extend beyond the evening itself. Our hosts at Simmons & Simmons provided the perfect venue and the kind of warm hospitality that made everyone feel comfortable contributing.
Looking Forward
Twenty attendees for our first in-person event demonstrates that there is appetite for this kind of learning environment and we feel proud to have FOIL Collective certify itself in this way. The quality of engagement, the depth of questions, and the connections formed all point to something we're building together: a community where professional growth happens through shared learning rather than individual struggle.
Thanks to Drew, Oriane, and our hosts at Simmons & Simmons for making our first event everything we'd envisioned. The conversations that started that evening are continuing, and planning for our next gathering is already underway.
Interested in joining future events? We're always looking for people ready to learn, share, and grow together. Join the FOIL Collective here.