This is not your typical AI or AGI event.

The Portland AGI Mini-Summit is one of the first events in the world to bring social science directly into the AGI debate — treating AGI not just as a technological milestone, but as a force that will reshape the fabric of society. We assume AGI is coming. The real question is: Is our civilization ready for it?

To explore this, we will confront the questions most AGI events avoid:

• Will capitalism survive AGI?
• Will democracy fall—or evolve?
• What does it mean to be human in a world of cognitive abundance?

Join us for an evening of short talks and a cross-disciplinary panel featuring:

• Joe Cortright – Urban economist, Executive Director of City Observatory, and Chair of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors
• Professor Fabrice Jotterand – Director of Neuroethics, OHSU
• Professor Tung Yin – Lewis & Clark Law School, national-security law
• Mounir Shita – Theoretical physicist and AGI researcher; Founder of EraNova and the Global Economic Alliance

Speakers will examine the structures of civilization — economics, law, governance, social stability, and human flourishing — and explore what may need to change to prepare for a future of AGI-driven abundance and post-scarcity conditions.

• 10–15 minute talks from each speaker
• Cross-disciplinary panel discussion + audience Q&A
• Networking session with a hosted bar
• Open to technologists, researchers, students, policymakers, and anyone curious about AGI and its impact on our planet

This event is part of the lead-up to a three-day AGI Global Summit planned for Portland in 2026.

1 hr of Yoga with a certified yoga instructor followed by community building and brunch bites. Please bring your own Mat.

People doing strange things with electricity!

Along with the usual freewheeling chaos, the quick talks continue this month with Zach Babb, presenting on: "Ripping Digital Identity through Magic: Multi-device Asynchronous Generic Input/output Consensus"

DorkbotPDX is a relaxed, informal show-and-tell for electronic artists, circuit designers, microcontroller programmers, retro computing enthusiasts, video game designers, digital archaeologists, and mod synth gearheads in Portland, Oregon.

Bring your electronic wonders, monsters, and works-in-progress for others to see, or come see what others have been working on! Whether it's code or circuits, electronic creativity of all sorts is welcome here.

Table space with power will be available for project show-and-tell; we'll have a table for drinks and snacks, feel free to contribute to the communal cache/BYOB. The Free cart is back, take or leave some components (don’t leave TOO much, if you have big stuff, maybe check the Discord/mailing list to see if anyone is interested in taking it first!)

Info and links to our Discord and other social channels are at https://dorkbotpdx.org

This month in the spirit of our strong Portland community we're holding our founder.coffee at Heretic Coffee Co, which recently raised money for many of our neighbors losing Snap benefits.

The objective of this meetup is for you to connect with your fellow founders, talk about what you are struggling with, and just get to know the community.

Hope to see you all there!

Josh & Mark

As a business owner, you are faced with many challenges. You're forced to make decisions every day that could make or break your business. founder.coffee is a way to network with other entrepreneurs to allow free-flowing information with the intent to collaborate and help each other. So often we're challenged, and there's very little we can do to express our challenges with the people we work with or the people we care about. Think of founder.coffee as your own personal support group for business owners. We're all here to help!

RSVP (free): https://www.meetup.com/founder-coffee/events/311802451/

Join us for a casual year-end accessibility social! Chat about your favorite accessibility topics, meet new people, and discuss what you'd like to learn at events in the new year.

Location: The Zipper

The Zipper is a food court with multiple vendors providing different cuisines, including vegan and gluten-free options. Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages are available. See individual vendors for menus. This event is no-host (each participant pays for their own food/drinks), but there's no obligation to buy something to attend.

Accessibility + COVID Safety

The location is wheelchair accessible, near public transit, and has street parking for bikes and cars. This event will be held outside in the covered patio space with outdoor ventilation and heaters.

Join the City of Portland for a virtual panel exploring how Oregonians can shape the future of digital rights, access, and responsible technology use. This year's event highlights the City's ongoing work to ensure technology serves the public good — from expanding digital access and protecting privacy to responsibly using data and artificial intelligence.

Join this free Portland info session to learn how the program’s hands-on approach helps you apply design thinking and innovation to real business challenges. Explore flexible options designed for working adults and get insights on how this degree can advance your career in leadership, design, or entrepreneurship.

For more information email Carolina Selva at [email protected].

Get up-to-date information at: https://luma.com/jeua3y5o

Address: Ate-Oh-Ate Portland, Oregon United States

Hosted by Erin M Miles Rasmussen

Happy Holidays geo-nerds!

PDXOSGeo connects again this week, Wednesday December 10th, 6:30p Hot Lips Pizza @ the Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland OR. Join us for some show and tell and good open geo discussion!

We're striving to post our speaker a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, so watch this space!

Join Portland Design Thinkers and our friends at CHIFOO for our final gathering of 2025! We're bringing together Portland's vibrant community of designers, researchers, and design thinkers for an evening of casual networking and conversation.

What to expect:

• Connect with fellow design-thinking professionals in a relaxed setting

• Share experiences and insights from your design or research practice

• Meet potential collaborators and expand your local network

• No entry fee – purchase any food or drinks you'd like to enjoy

• Plenty of street parking, bike parking, and transit options

Come raise a glass with us as we wrap up the year and strengthen our local community. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just getting started in design, research, or design thinking, all are welcome!

Hello Portland AI Engineers. We are taking a slight pause for December 🎅 🎄 🎁 ✨

No formal presentation: This is not a formally sponsored event, but we are scheduling a casual networking meetup for those who would like to come out to nosh, imbibe and network with like minded folks. There will be an AI Book Raffle (Thank you O'Reilly)

Thanks again to our wonderful sponsors: PIE Silicon Florist AlteredCraft O'Reilly Instrument

A meeting of folks interested in BSD operating systems and related technologies to get together, eat pizza, drink beer, and talk about what interesting things have been going on.

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

This is a Save The Date" post, details to follow This month we will have in depth technical presentations from AI builders looking for feedback and diverse perspectives our amazing community can always be counted on for.

Schedule:

5:00 - 5:30: Snacks and networking 5:30 - 6:30: Presentations 6:30 - 7:00: Wrap up and networking

Presenters

TBD

Description: We have an additional slot available, reach out to [email protected] if you are interested.

Get involved:

Present your work at a future event: Email us at [email protected] to discuss sharing your project or insights Provide feedback: Help shape our community by sharing your ideas and suggestions Sponsor an event: Contact us to discuss partnership opportunities For more information and to join our community, visit portlandai.engineer

Thank you to our amazing sponsors

Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) Silicon Florist AlteredCraft O'Reilly Instrument

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Happy New Year geo-nerds!

PDXOSGeo connects again this week, Wednesday Jan 21, 6:30p Hot Lips Pizza @ the Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland OR. Join us for some show and tell and good open geo discussion!

We're striving to post our speaker a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, so watch this space!

PDXOSGeo connects again this week, Wednesday February 18, 6:30p Hot Lips Pizza @ the Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland OR. Join us for some show and tell and good open geo discussion!

We're striving to post our speaker a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, so watch this space!

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

PDXOSGeo connects again this week, Wednesday March 18, 6:30p Hot Lips Pizza @ the Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland OR. Join us for some show and tell and good open geo discussion!

We're striving to post our speaker a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, so watch this space!

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Tax day is in the rear view mirror!

PDXOSGeo connects again this week, Wednesday April 15, 6:30p Hot Lips Pizza @ the Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland OR. Join us for some show and tell and good open geo discussion!

We're striving to post our speaker a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, so watch this space!

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

PDXOSGeo connects again this week, Wednesday May 20, 6:30p Hot Lips Pizza @ the Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland OR. Join us for some show and tell and good open geo discussion!

We're striving to post our speaker a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, so watch this space!

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

We’re back for our December monthly mixer! Come mingle with your Out in Tech PDX community. Looking to meet new friends? Searching for new opportunities? Or simply looking to mingle in a queer space with other queer humans?

Come join Out in Tech PDX at Peacock PDX on Tuesday, December 2nd from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.

Whether you're interested in tech, working in tech, or you're tech-adjacent (hint: that's everyone), come mingle with us, have a beverage of choice, and meet the fabulous members of your PDX Out in Tech community.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Ready to build something with AI - or help others do the same?

Join us for a relaxed, co-working style session where you'll have three hours to explore AI building with other curious creators. This isn't a structured workshop - it's a supportive space where you can experiment, tinker, and see what happens when you start playing with AI tools.

We'll have experienced AI builders in the room ready to answer questions, troubleshoot challenges, and share insights as you work. Whether you're taking your first steps or diving into a complex project, you'll have access to people who can help.

🙌 Perfect for complete beginners who want guidance getting started, experienced builders who need dedicated time to work on projects, and AI experts who want to help others learn.

💪 If you have AI building experience and want to support fellow creators, sign up as a helper when you register!

👍 Walk away with whatever you manage to build, new connections, and the confidence to keep experimenting on your own.

What to bring:

• Your laptop
• Your curiosity
• Any project idea you are working on or have been wanting to try (or just show up and see what emerges)

This event is in partnership with AI Portland and Portland AI Engineers.

This Hub programming is supported by funding from Business Oregon.

We the Asian founders We the Bi founders We the Black founders We the Catholic founders We the Christian founders We the Disabled founders We the Ex-Incarcerated founders We the Gay founders We the Immigrant founders We the Indigenous founders We the Jewish founders We the Latino founders We the Lesbian founders We the Muslim founders We the Neuro-divergent founders We the Queer founders We the Senior founders We the Trans founders We the Unhoused founders We the Veteran founders We the White founders We the Women founders We the Young founders

We, the Founders of Portland know in our core that through diversity comes strength. We know kindness, consideration and collaboration is true power. We know reading, learning and knowledge is leveling up. We know that truth, trust and honesty is a cornerstone of community. We the Founders of Portland know that equity is the quality of being fair and just, especially in a way that takes account of and seeks to address existing inequalities. So it goes, when you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. Those that understand the importance of inclusion, kindness, empathy, compassion, openness, transparency, honesty...welcome aboard.

RSVP (free): https://www.meetup.com/startup-your-startup/events/311963842

Get a head start on your Holiday shopping and support your local artists at the Lippman Co. Holiday Pop Up Market! Unique gifts, Clown entertainment and Live portraits! See you there!

Details

What to Expect:

Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. Drink some coffee, bring your laptop, and have engaging conversations. This is a great opportunity to learn from others, share your knowledge, and possibly collaborate on side projects, online courses, or even your day-to-day work tasks. Still uncertain? Let's chat on Discord!

Venue:

The Venue is at Capital One Café, who is graciously allowing us to host a space. WIFI, power outlets Recommended Parking: Smart Park, $7 all day https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark

Coffee:

Capital One Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival: Head to the top by the glass rooms 10:15 AM - Introductions: Share your name Discuss your current projects or interests. If you don’t have a specific project, share what intrigues you! Mention your expertise and how you can assist others. Are you job hunting or hiring? Let us know! Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. 12:30 AM - Wrapping Up: You can stay longer, but we'll officially be done! We usually grab lunch as a group at near by food carts

OHSU’s inaugural AI Summit, hosted by CBDS, BME and the Knight Cancer Institute, will showcase the institution’s cutting-edge work in artificial intelligence across all missions and disciplines. This event brings together innovators, leaders, and learners from all corners of OHSU to explore current research, resources, real-world applications, and new ideas in AI. Join us on November 21, 2025 in the KCRB Auditorium. This event brings together innovators, leaders, and learners from all corners of OHSU to explore current research, resources, real-world applications, and new ideas in AI.

Highlights of the summit include:

Engaging presentations on developing and applying AI to address critical clinical challenges and unmet needs. Free registration for all attendees. Poster session and lightning talks where trainees and early-career investigators can share their pioneering AI-driven research (abstract submissions are due November 1st). Opportunities to connect over lunch and a closing dinner reception.

A meeting of folks interested in BSD operating systems and related technologies to get together, eat pizza, drink beer, and talk about what interesting things have been going on.

Event Agenda:

There will be a main talk between 30 minutes to 1 hour followed by optional lighting talks.

Main Talk by Michelle Bird:

Surviving the Snake Pit: How to Spot Threats, Read the Room, and Keep Your Job

A workplace survival guide for smart people who’ve been burned before. Ever worked somewhere that felt more like politics than teamwork? This talk is for professionals who’ve been punished for being too honest, too capable, or simply too observant. You’ll learn how to recognize dysfunctional power dynamics, decode unspoken cues in meetings, and protect your reputation without losing your integrity.

Through humor, real-world examples, and “Snake Pit Bingo,” you’ll walk away with practical tools to read the room like a strategist, speak up without self-sabotage, and thrive even in ego-driven environments. Because you’re not paranoid — you’re perceptive.

Lightning Talks:

Lightning talks are talks up to 5 minutes in length on any topic that might interest other Python people. See PyCon’s Lightning Talks description for more details.

What if you didn’t need to move to SF to be a builder? What if the same energy that fuels the frontier could happen right here in Portland?

​That’s the idea behind Open Build — a hands-on event where AI-native developers, indie hackers, and curious tinkerers come together to experiment, create, and connect using Windsurf, the AI-powered coding environment that’s redefining how builders work.

​Join us for an evening of creativity, collaboration, and good vibes — plus free Windsurf credits, exclusive swag, and direct time with the Windsurf team.

Breaking Into the Education Market: How to Sell Your Product in EdTech

Thinking about launching or scaling a product for the education sector? Whether your innovation is designed for K–12 classrooms, higher ed, district administrators, workforce training, or lifelong learners, the education market comes with unique challenges—and enormous opportunity.

This session focuses on how early-stage founders can move from idea to traction by understanding how education markets actually buy, and how to turn early wins into sustainable growth. Hear from experienced founders and industry experts who have successfully navigated the edtech landscape and lived to tell the tale.

The panel will discuss:

Key differences across K–12, higher ed, and consumer learning

How to get your product in front of educators, decision-makers, and influencers

What to expect from the sales cycle

The importance of proving outcomes.

Opportunities in adult learning, professional development, corporate upskilling, and lifelong learning

Whether you’re at the idea stage or preparing to scale, you’ll walk away with practical insights, realistic expectations, and strategies to build credibility and adoption in one of the most rewarding (and complex) markets.

Panelists include

Justin Wolske (Moderator) | Chief Product Officer, Yellowbrick

Pamela Judge| EdTech Demand Generation and RevOps leader

John Moore | Global Edtech Executive & Experienced Founder

Shannon Schrecengost | Principal Consultant, Serendipity Lane

Scott Wallace K-12 EdTech Sales Leader

Agenda

5:00-5:15p: Networking

5:15 - 6:15p: Panel & Q&A

6:15-6:45p: Founder Pitches (3 startups pitch their sales strategies and get live feedback)

6:45-7:00pp: Event Wrap & Next Steps

Cost: FREE (snacks and light refreshments provided)

ABOUT LRN|PDX

LRN|PDX is a new initiative designed to serve education-focused ventures across the Portland and Oregon entrepreneurship ecosystems. Sponsored by Airy Disc Learning and the Metro Region Innovation Hub, LRN|PDX provides programming, networking opportunity, and expertise to help entrepreneurs solve the most pressing problems across the education landscape.

Got questions…? I've got answers. Probably. Or maybe an "I don't know. But let's find out." Either way, I'll be holding a live AMA session to help you navigate the startup world, prepare for 2026, or simply get some insights on Portland, Oregon.

Want a reminder…? https://luma.com/c35megt3

Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0).

Join us for an exciting evening of rapid-fire inspiration with Rose City Techies at the most beautiful co-working space in all of Portland, Kiln. At Tech Sparks, local innovators, developers, designers, founders, and creators will each have 10–15 minutes to share their tech-related stories, ideas, experiments, and insights.

Whether you’re a tech worker, startup founder, product designer, engineer, or simply curious about Portland’s tech scene, this event is for you!

🌟 Want to be one of our speakers? We want to hear your ideas! This is your chance to take the stage and share something you’re passionate about — anything tech, from a side project you’ve been tinkering with, to lessons learned scaling a startup, to bold predictions about the future of tech.

Submit your talk idea here → Tech Sparks Speaker Form Submission deadline is October 31st 11:59pm 👻 Speakers will be contacted via email on November 5th

🎤 What to Expect Our lineup of speakers will cover a wide range of techie topics. Whether you’re there to speak or just to listen, you’ll leave with new insights, fresh inspiration, and new connections.

📅 Schedule 5:30 PM — Check-in, networking, grab a seat 6:00 PM — Lightning talks begin 7:30 PM — Audience Q&A + discussion 8:00 PM — Feel free to move the discussion to one of many nearby bars

📍 Location Kiln — 1120 SE Madison St, Portland, OR 97214 *We’ll be in the Theater room

🥤 Food & Drinks The event will not be catered, but you’re welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks. The Hawthorne Asylum food trucks are right across the street if you’d like to grab something to bring from there.

This month we will have in depth technical presentations from AI builders looking for feedback and diverse perspectives our amazing community can always be counted on for.

Schedule:

5:00 - 5:30: Snacks and networking 5:30 - 6:30: Presentations 6:30 - 7:00: Wrap up and networking

Presenters

Sam Keen

Description The fundamentals of memory in agentic systems. In this presentation, Sam will start with defining the problem memory solves for LLM based agentic systems. We will then look behind the curtain to examine an example of implementing memory in a pragmatic manner. From there we will discover how this enhances the system overall and see how an LLM, with few guardrails, leverages this new capability.

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Presenter 2 (This could be you!)

Description: We have an additional slot available, reach out to [email protected] if you are interested.

Get involved:

Present your work at a future event: Email us at [email protected] to discuss sharing your project or insights Provide feedback: Help shape our community by sharing your ideas and suggestions Sponsor an event: Contact us to discuss partnership opportunities For more information and to join our community, visit portlandai.engineer

Thank you to our amazing sponsors

Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) Silicon Florist AlteredCraft O'Reilly Instrument

This is an Umbraco community event for technologists and business folks exploring how openness is a growth strategy.

We'll be joined by Mats Persson, the CEO of Umbraco, one of the world’s most trusted open-source platforms for content management, for a conversation about how openness isn’t just a technical choice but a strategy for innovation and growth.

There will be some great discussions about how open and extensible platforms give a competitive edge, how collaborative communities drive innovation, and how designing systems for adaptation is a way of future-proofing in the current economic landscape where so much is changing so fast.

There will also be some fun, themed wine pairings at this event, curated by the folks at Pairings Portland.

That PLUG Clinic you like is coming back into style!

The PLUG Clinic returns again this month on November 16th, from 1pm-5pm, at Willamette University's space on the 2nd floor of the Ecotrust Building. If you need help with your Linux computer, or want to offer help, you are welcome!

Volunteer helpers are as desirable as helpees. Helping is fun and rewarding. If you've ever helped out at a PLUG Clinic before, come checkout the space!

Thank you Willamette University, for hosting us!

The Portland Linux Kernel Meetup for November 2025 will be at...

• Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
• Time: 06:00 PM to 09:00 PM US/Pacific
• Location: Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby St, Portland, Oregon 97209 US

Come enjoy a beverage and chat with other people who are interested in the Linux kernel. All experience levels are welcome. This is a friendly and casual meetup.

Look for a table with the plush Tux penguin.

In today’s competitive market, having skills and experience isn’t enough. Whether you’re searching for your next role or looking to advance where you are, you need to clearly articulate what makes you different and valuable.

In this talk, you’ll learn how to identify your unique professional patterns, position yourself strategically in your market, and communicate your value in ways that make you the obvious choice - not just a qualified candidate. Drawing on work with professionals from entry-level to C-suite, this session will show you how to move from being overlooked to being unmissable.

Get ready for a full day of insights, innovation, and connection at Portland SIMposium 2025! Join CIOs, CISOs, and technology executives from across the Pacific Northwest for an immersive day of learning, leadership, and networking — including the 2025 Oregon CIO & CISO Awards Celebration.

📍 Hilton Portland Downtown 📅 Thursday, November 13 | 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM

What to Expect Mainstage & Keynotes

The New Frontlines: What’s Next for Cyber Defense Presented by Palo Alto Networks — Strategies to stay ahead of AI-powered threats.

Charting a Path Forward for Oregon’s Tech Sector: Economic, AI, and Workforce Trends Featuring leaders from Nike, Business Oregon, TAO, and ChEmpower — shaping the future of Oregon’s innovation economy.

Breakout Sessions

Leading Forward: The CIO Playbook for the Next Era Redefining the modern CIO’s skillset for 2030.

The Power of Connection: Leadership & Influence Exploring how authentic relationships accelerate success.

The GenAI Shift — From Experiments to Enterprise Impact Real-world success stories of scaling Generative AI responsibly.

Trust by Design: The New Playbook for AI Governance Building trust as the foundation for innovation.

Sponsored Learning & Panels Hear from leading innovators including BPM, Tanium, Dualboot Partners, SailPoint, Horizon3.ai, and Radware, sharing insights on security, AI transformation, and operational excellence.

Networking Reception & Awards Presentation Cap off the day by celebrating Oregon’s technology leaders at our CIO and CISO of the Year Awards, followed by food, drinks, and great conversation.

People doing strange things with electricity! Along with the usual freewheeling chaos, the quick talks continue this month with Daniel Temkin, author of the new book "Forty-four Esolangs: The Art of Esoteric Code":

"Software art is widely accepted, but can programming languages themselves be art? The new book Forty-Four Esolangs makes this argument, collecting work by a single artist who poses code as prayer to the Greek gods, patterns of empty folders, or typed in tandem by two programmers, the rhythm and synchrony of their typing determining commands. Temkin will share projects from the book in the context of thirty plus years of esolangs, showing the poetic possibilities of this medium.”

DorkbotPDX is a relaxed, informal show-and-tell for electronic artists, circuit designers, microcontroller programmers, retro computing enthusiasts, video game designers, digital archaeologists, and mod synth gearheads in Portland, Oregon.

Bring your electronic wonders, monsters, and works-in-progress for others to see, or come see what others have been working on! Whether it's code or circuits, electronic creativity of all sorts is welcome here.

Table space with power will be available for project show-and-tell; we'll have a table for drinks and snacks, feel free to contribute to the communal cache/BYOB. The Free cart is back, take or leave some components (don’t leave TOO much, if you have big stuff, maybe check the Discord/mailing list to see if anyone is interested in taking it first!)

Info and links to our Discord and other social channels are at https://dorkbotpdx.org

Summary:

OpenTelemetry is a collection of open standards and industry-tested components that facilitates observation of software systems. Let's dissect this vague jargon and discuss what that actually means for Linux practitioners and how it can be used to understand software interactions and performance.

Bio:

Jason Plumb (he/him) is a software engineer, hacker generalist, experimenter, and artist from Portland, Oregon. He's a dork who first installed Slackware about 29 years ago, and hi has used a Linux desktop for all of this century. He is a maintainer of OpenTelemetry Android and an approver in several OpenTelemetry Java projects. When away from a desk, Jason helps install free payphones, builds synthesizers, obsesses over cult films, and rides steel-frame bicycles.

An Upstart Collective Lunch and Learn event (free to all Portland entrepreneurs and founders, just bring your own lunch)

The Stoic Startup: Building Unbreakable Companies from the Inside Out

What if the secret to startup resilience isn't found in market analysis or funding rounds, but in ancient philosophy?

Most entrepreneurs obsess over the externals: What product to build? Which market to enter? How much can we charge? Where's the funding? They architect business models and competitive strategies, yet overlook the most critical design decision of all—what kind of company they're actually creating.

RSVP (free): https://www.meetup.com/startup-your-startup/events/311543299/

Portland Java User Group meeting

RSVP: https://www.meetup.com/pdxjug/events/311627978/

this month's topic: Dependency Management for Java applications

Details

Modern Java systems utilize hundreds (or thousands) of dependencies. Each additional dependency adds complexity to the application development process. Java developers need to think about how to manage internal libraries and external libraries. In this talk, we will share our experiences with dependency management in large Java systems.

We'll cover technical challenges that Java developers face when maintaining legacy applications. We will also examine best practices for managing dependencies in greenfield projects. We will discuss standard build tools such as Maven and Gradle. We'll share mistakes that we made and bugs that we encountered.

Speaker: Sean Sullivan

Tour & Fireside Chat with Migration Brewing Co-Founder Colin Rath

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at one of Oregon’s fastest-growing breweries!

Since 2018, Migration Brewing has expanded from a beloved Portland taproom into an award-winning craft brewery with distribution across Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Hong Kong, and Japan. Now, you’ll get the chance to tour their Gresham Pub & Production Facility—the heart of their brewing operation and home to 20 fresh taps, handmade pizzas, and a laid-back, community vibe.

After the tour, sit down for a fireside chat with co-founder Colin Rath, who will share Migration’s growth story—from humble beginnings to international expansion—and lessons learned in scaling a craft brand without losing its soul.

Expect an afternoon of great conversation, inspiration, and of course, excellent beer.

Agenda:

3:00pm | Networking

3:30pm | Tour

4:00pm | Fireside Chat

4:30pm | Networking

About the Venue:

Migration’s spacious Gresham pub features minimalist design, 25-foot ceilings, multiple TVs for local sports, and a large covered patio perfect for any season. All food is crafted in-house using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients—including pizza dough and breads made fresh daily.

Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and toast to Oregon innovation.

This event is in partnership with the City of Gresham Economic Development Office.

This Hub programming is supported by funding from Business Oregon.

Overview

Legendary Lunch #1: Reclaim Portland. Retrain Portland. If you’re unemployed, underemployed, or just ready to stop waiting for Portland to come back—join us.

AI isn’t a career killer. Fear is.

Let’s rebuild community, confidence, and creativity—one lunch at a time.

Why This Matters Portland’s energy used to be legendary—builders, dreamers, tinkerers meeting over sandwiches and big ideas. Somewhere along the way, that spark faded. Now, in what I call the Great Portland Downturn, we have a chance to get it back.

This isn’t another networking event. It’s a revival—a working lunch for people who want to build, adapt, and reconnect. Whether you’re looking for a job, plotting a pivot, or trying to make sense of AI’s impact on your work, this is for you.

What to Expect Real talks, no fluff. Fast, practical sessions on AI, the future of work, and what’s actually next. Unconference format. From 1:30–3:30 PM, you lead the conversations—lightning talks, birds-of-a-feather groups, soapboxes. Actual community. No recruiters or empty pitches. Just people helping people get unstuck and move forward. Sample Sessions Using AI to scale your job search – find better opportunities, faster How to prepare before layoffs hit – use adrenaline and AI to stay ahead Why liberal arts are the hidden power skill of the AI age English as the new programming language – communicate, think in systems, and get results without coding Agentic and code-swarming workflows – what’s emerging at Nedspace right now Staying sane while job-hunting with AI – practical mental health tools AND MORE COMING EACH DAY..... Want to speak or host a group? Great. Submit your idea—you’ll get a 30-minute slot. (And yes, no commercial talks unless they clearly add value to the community.)

Who We Are My name is Surj Patel, and along with my ally Shaan Kirpalani, we’re determined to make Portland network like it used to—and care like it used to. With help from Faris Mubarak and Nedspace, we’re hosting this series as part of our mission to retrain, reconnect, and reignite the city’s creative core.

The Spirit You don’t need to learn Python or become a Stanford-trained prompt whisperer. You need discipline, common sense, and systems thinking.

AI doesn’t make you someone else—it amplifies who you already are. Let’s make sure it amplifies the best parts of us.

This is where Portland’s comeback begins. Greatness isn’t given—it’s built. Together.

Hosted by NEOU at Nedspace, downtown Portland’s entrepreneurial hub. Free admission with BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch) or paid tickets include a catered meal.

FREE. FOCUSED. FUN. FAST FORWARD.

(We welcome more collaborations , reach out by signing up)

Join us for the October edition of ProductTank PDX!

We’re excited to welcome two incredible speakers, Sarah Crispin (Product Management, Strategy & Operations Consultant) and Justin Wolske (Chief Product Officer @ Yellowbrick), for an evening exploring the problem with problems, and how to leverage frameworks to move fast. As always, we’ll also have plenty of time to meet other product folks over drinks and tasty snacks.

📅 Wednesday, October 29, 2025 🕕 6:00 – 8:00pm 📍 Kiln

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Lighting the Frameworks on Fire

We learn a lot about best practices and frameworks, but it’s rare that product managers find themselves with the space and time to use them as intended. This is a story about learning the rules of the game you’re actually playing so that you can adjust your approach and cobble tools together to move fast, play hard, and maybe even score. Spoiler: success in this endeavor requires an A+ team and, if we’re being honest, luck.

About Sarah: Sarah found her way to product management after teaching middle school, coaching collegiate track & field, and working as a management consultant. In her most recent full-time role, Sarah served as a Global Director of Product at ASICS, where she worked to pivot a legacy fitness app. Originally from Maine, Sarah moved to Portland after almost 20 years in Boston. She loves dogs, running in the woods, learning about big ideas, and sports documentaries (recommendations welcome).

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The Problem with Problems: Rethinking Urgency

A discussion centered around reframing problems as jobs to be done, and how that helps you build better personas and psychographics. The talk is catered first toward early-stage founders with product responsibilities (others can find something useful, too).

About Justin: Film producer by trade, he has worked in EdTech since 1999. Currently, he's the Chief Product Officer @ Yellowbrick and Principal @ Airy Disc Learning. His areas of focus are around digital learning products (with a specialization in using narrative-based pedagogies to drive executive-function learning), media production, lean/agile product development, and early/mid-stage entrepreneurship strategy.

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🎉 Don’t miss it!

Come connect with fellow product managers, designers, engineers, and enthusiasts over drinks and snacks. See you there!

Bridgespace Coworking @ Place To B

Location: 1661 SE 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97214 RSVP: https://luma.com/jxpmfmpt

Come for the productivity, stay for the vibes 🌿 Join us for a full day of coworking, community, and connection — featuring the Best Sound Bath in Portland with Graham Slick from Aloka Sound Bath House.

Schedule — Every Wednesday

9:00 AM — Coworking Opens 11:00 AM — Morning Introductions 12:00 PM — Sound Bath with Graham Slick @ Aloka Sound Bath House 12:45 PM — “Together Lunchies” 2:00 PM — Deep Work, Productivity & Connection 5:00 PM — End

All-Day Bonus:

💻 Free Website-Making Assistance Offered by the PDX Web, Code & Design community — every Wednesday from 9 AM – 5 PM. Come get hands-on help launching your website on Squarespace or WordPress — totally free.

👉 RSVP for the Sound Bath (limited space!) https://luma.com/jvltmims

RainSec is an informal group of like-minded security professionals who meet to network and discuss topics of interest in a non-work, non-vendor setting.

While our target audience is experienced information security professionals, this is a public event open to any interested parties. If you have a friend or colleague who might benefit, please pass an invite along.

Please follow us on Bluesky (@rainsec.org) or Mastodon ([email protected]) for any last minute updates.

COVID-19 Precautions:

• We meet outside under a covered patio area to reduce transmission risk.
  • There are overhead heaters if it's cold, but dress comfortably!
• If you are feeling sick, stay home!
• If you've had a recent COVID exposure, stay home!

You can also find us on Meetup.com and Smoke Signal (AT Protocol).

If you're looking for more security-focused community meetups in the Portland area, check out pdx-infosec.com

Find Fellow Founders

Hosted by: AI Collective

Finding your crowd is hard.

​We're here to simplify that.

​Speed networking at it's finest, looking to find fellow founders who are going through the same things you are.

​THIS is community. THIS is Portland.

​​​​The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 70,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.

Presented in partnership with the Metro Region Innovation Hub.​​​​

All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective are subject to our Code of Conduct.

Topic

Accessibility at your org doesn’t need another pitch deck. It needs a brand. In this session, you'll learn how to market accessibility like a movement: using storytelling, emotional resonance, and brand-building techniques to influence culture, elevating far above compliance. Whether you're a developer, designer, or advocate, you'll walk away with practical ways to boost visibility, build momentum, and reframe accessibility as something people want to rally around accessibility as a movement, not check boxes. (Spoiler alert: you’re the one who can make it happen!)

Agenda

The event begins at 6 pm; join early, starting at 5:45 pm for networking.

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions and announcements
• 6:15–6:45pm Presentation
• 6:45–7:15pm Q&A and discussion

About the presenter

Dr. Angela Young, CPACC (they/them) is a renowned Senior Accessibility Consultant and advocate for workplace wellbeing, specializing in empowering queer, neurodiverse, and disabled professionals. Based in the Washington DC-Baltimore area, they have dedicated nearly two decades to promoting diversity and inclusion. Dr. Young holds a Doctor of Education from the University of Maryland and has worked extensively in education, learning & development, and digital accessibility. As an international speaker, they have addressed audiences globally, advocating for accessibility and inclusion in various sectors. Dr. Young is also known for their work in personal branding and has founded "A11y With Angela," a platform focused on accessibility and inclusion.

Follow and connect with Dr. Young at https://linktr.ee/a11ywithangela.

Accommodation requests

If you have any accommodation requests, don't hesitate to get in touch with us before the event to discuss.

The Portland Fabric User Group (formerly Portland Power BI User Group) is a community of people excited about the business analytics and AI stack, Microsoft Fabric. We believe the platform offers rich possibilities, and we keep pace by sharing our learning and doing deep-dive explorations of topics. We run the gamut from new to experienced users and welcome anyone who shares an interest in data analytics and AI.

Some great perks to joining our monthly meetups are networking, knowledge transfer, and community building. We aim to foster a vibrant community that shares success in implementing best practices for Fabric and Power BI.

Visit us on our Meetup page to get details on the presentation topic and speaker. We hope to see you!