Editor's Note

Folks, we live in uncertain times. Few things seem certain and or bankable in 2026. Not that we’re rejoicing in trying times, but rather seeing in real time how important it is to have a community. After our soft launch in January, we’ve had two meetups and several new members. The AMLC of the Rockies is starting to spark. And as such, the board and our members have seen the need for a monthly space where we can communicate with the outside world. This newsletter and subsequent ones will be one part magazine, one part trade publication, and one part bulletin board. Subscribe and help us stay in touch as we build this thing together. 

From the bottom of our hearts, we’re so glad that you’re here. We’re trying to build something special and are so ecstatic of the partners, members, and new friends we’ve made as we’ve started phase 1. Stay tuned, stay curious, and above all else, keep learning. 

-Ben

The Future of Retail, One Forecast at a Time

by Kimberly Elliot

As a fellow analyst in the retail analytics world, I know how often conversations get stuck in the moment. Leadership frequently asked about today’s close rates, “what’s dragging down attainment?”…. “How fast can we push to the next sale?” It’s all reaction, all urgent, on very tight turnarounds. But what if we flipped the script and used our data to look ahead instead of just keeping up? Sure, sales forecasting has been around forever but we’re entering a new era. With modern AI, we’re now seeing forecasting models that can predict revenue with astonishing precision, sometimes within less than 1% error over an entire year. 

That curiosity set the stage for AMLC’s recent Payments Forecasting with Retail Data meetup, where we unpacked how modern forecasting really works. Bruce Hicks, VP of Data and AI at FIS, took us on a lively, math-forward tour of how real retail teams build revenue forecasts that stay reliable even when the market throws curveballs. Instead of getting lost in theory, Bruce walked us through the full journey of creating forecasting models that are trustworthy, insight-driven, and resilient to drift. 

He blended deep technical insight with practical, real-world wisdom… the kind you only get from doing this work at scale. We explored everything from spotting sneaky data traps to building smarter economic signals, then moved into how to fit forecasting models that actually behave, complete with guardrails that flag when something’s off. And because real-world data never sits still, Bruce closed with strategies for keeping forecasts healthy over time so they don’t quietly wander away from reality.

As always, the AMLC is lining up a fresh mix of events across all sorts of topics – from hands-on learning to sessions that are perfect for the simply curious. If you’re looking for a community that learns together, laughs together, and loves a good conversation, you’ll feel right at home. Membership unlocks some serious perks too like free books, access to subscription-only learning resources, and more. But membership is never required to join the fun. Come learn, connect, and be part-of something growing right here in the Rockies… and yes, there will be fresh local pizza waiting for you! 😊\ \ \ Update: The AMLC O'Reilly Project

The AMLC leadership team met with Aaron Black, Senior Editor of Data Engineering & Data Science at O’Reilly Media, to advance the community book project.

O’Reilly has explicitly steered the project away from a standard anthology format, requesting a cohesive, technical proposal focused on the practical application of ML in real-world systems.

The board is currently reviewing the official O'Reilly proposal template.

An in-person member jam session will be scheduled later this month to finalize the technical architecture of the book and assign section ownership to community contributors.

Member Spotlight: Carl Elgin

Role: AI / ML Architect

Who: Carl is a curious problem solver with experience in enterprise IT and consulting. He has extensive experience in Python and a strong interest in the infrastructure and architecture behind scalable AI systems.

Why AMLC: AI is creating new ways to solve complex problems across industries. Carl joined the AMLC of the Rockies to connect with other practitioners and learn from people building real-world ML systems.

Off the Clock: Carl completed graduate school in Belgium and lived in Europe for five years. Outside of tech, he is an avid DIYer and enjoys endurance sports, skiing, and spending time in the mountains.

Upcoming Programming & Deployments

Our infrastructure pipeline is locked in for the remainder of the year. All standard meetups will be hosted in-person at Code Talent. Mark your calendars and prepare to bring your laptops.

• May 27: AI + Kubernetes (Part 1 of 4) – Chase Christensen
• June 16: From Novelty to Asset: Steps to Enable AI Safely in Your Enterprise – Pete George
• June 24: AI + Kubernetes (Part 2 of 4) – Chase Christensen
• July 21: Microsoft Fabric Architecture – Speaker TBA (Microsoft Sponsorship Pending)
• July 29: AI + Kubernetes (Part 3 of 4) – Chase Christensen
• August 16: Generative Conversational Dynamics – Alex Liss
• August 26: AI + Kubernetes (Part 4 of 4) – Chase Christensen
• September 15: Technical Session TBA – Scott Wolff
• December: AMLC End-of-Year Mini-Conference (Details and speaker submittals opening soon)

Call for Production Tear-Downs:We have open operational slots on October 20 and November 17. If you have a data pipeline, an agentic loop, or an infrastructure stack that you want the collective to stress-test and optimize live, step up and claim a date in the Discord channel.