# Kimiya

> An independent research practice exploring meaning, purpose, and presence in the AI-native era. Founded by Riley Blackwell, based in Da Lat, Vietnam.

Kimiya is an independent practice working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and human meaning. The work spans four threads: long-form research and writing on the AI-native era, a consulting practice (AI implementation engagements for Vietnamese owner-operators, plus event and venue consulting), an eight-week peer cohort program called Labs, and a community of weekly gatherings in Da Lat.

The name Kimiya (كيميا) is the Arabic root from which "alchemy" derives. It refers to the ancient art of transformation: turning lead into gold, the mundane into the meaningful. In our context, kimiya is the work of transmuting the raw material of modern existence — constant connectivity, algorithmic feeds, ambient anxiety — into something that serves human flourishing. The thesis underneath the project: as AI handles more cognitive labor, the question shifts from "what can we do?" to "why do we do it?" The Meaning Economy is the emerging landscape where significance, not efficiency, becomes the scarcest resource.

Founder Riley Blackwell has run weekly Da Lat tech and startup meetups for over a year (25+ consecutive weeks), co-organized the Da Lat Build Week hackathon (Jan 2026), and writes essays on Substack about AI, attention, and post-labor futures. Kimiya was a recipient of Octant Epoch 9 (2025), an Ethereum public goods funding round.

## Core pages

- [Home](https://kimiyamag.com/): Overview of Kimiya's research practice, programs, gatherings, and community.
- [About](https://kimiyamag.com/about): The story behind Kimiya, the meaning of the name, and the project's thesis.
- [About — Riley](https://kimiyamag.com/about/riley): Riley Blackwell's background — weekly Da Lat meetups, the Build Week hackathon, selected essays and talks.
- [Contact](https://kimiyamag.com/contact): Get in touch about consulting, collaborations, or the cohort.

## Programs

- [Consulting](https://kimiyamag.com/consulting): Two practice areas, run out of Da Lat. AI implementation engagements and event and venue consulting.
- [AI Implementation](https://kimiyamag.com/consulting/ai-implementation): A four-week engagement — diagnostic, pilot, handoff. Pricing in USD or VND for Vietnamese clients.
- [Events & Venue](https://kimiyamag.com/consulting/events-venue): Bespoke event and venue consulting, drawing on years of community programming and a recent multi-team hackathon.
- [Labs Cohort](https://kimiyamag.com/consulting/labs): An eight-week, fifteen-seat peer cohort for thoughtful operators, builders, and writers navigating the AI-native era. Application-only. $300 USD or 8M VND for the founding cohort. Includes a free orientation session for Vietnamese applicants before the cohort begins.

## Research and library

- [Research](https://kimiyamag.com/research): Long-form essays on technology, meaning, and human flourishing. Published on Substack.
- [Library](https://kimiyamag.com/library): Curated reading list — books, essays, and references that inform the work.

## Place and community

- [Locations](https://kimiyamag.com/locations): Research environments across Asia. Da Lat is the primary hub; additional locations are coming in 2026.

## Optional

- [Substack archive](https://kimiyamag.substack.com): Full archive of essays and field notes from the AI-native era.
- [Telegram community](https://t.me/kimiyamag): Conversation channel for readers and members.
- [X / Twitter](https://x.com/kimiyamag): Updates, short-form notes, and thinking-in-progress.