The next wave of AI innovation is being built right here in the Pacific Northwest.

Join us on April 22 for the TAO AI Startup Innovation Sandbox — an exciting evening showcasing a curated group of early-stage AI startups with strong regional roots and bold plans to build across Oregon and Washington.

This live pitch competition brings together standout Pre-Seed and Seed-stage founders as they present their mission, product capabilities, and market opportunity — competing for recognition from a panel of investors who will vote on a standout winner.

What to Expect Investor “Reverse Pitch” Panel Hear directly from investors on their portfolio priorities, technology focus areas, and the gaps they’re actively looking to fill.

Live Startup Pitch Competition Watch a curated group of early-stage AI startups pitch their ideas and compete in real time.

High-Impact Networking Connect with founders, investors, and senior leaders shaping the region’s innovation economy. Agenda:

5:30 - 6:00PM: Arrival, Registration and Networking

6:00 - 7:30PM: Presenters

7:30 - 8:00PM: Networking

The Portland Linux Kernel Meetup for April 2026 will be at...

• Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
• 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 a plush Tux penguin.

To get timely reminders of Portland Linux Kernel Meetups, see https://ikluft.github.io/pdx-lkmu/subscribing-to-pdx-lkmu-events.html.

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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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 Roseline 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:

Roseline 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 25, 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!

Our featured speaker this month is long-time contributor Ryan Hodges, who will be sharing how sometimes, to deal with the big things, you have to start with the little things.

“Should I open a window?”

This talk will cover how this question led one person to confront and process issues like digital isolation, international tariffs, and climate change. Ryan will share about how he has chosen to collect and publish environmental data to open data sets using open source hardware and software, why these metrics are so important for measuring community health, and why citizen science may be our best hope to support data-driven decisions and rebuild trust in polarized times.

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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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

The Portland Linux Kernel Meetup for March 2026 will be at...

• Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026
• 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.

To get timely reminders of Portland Linux Kernel Meetups, see https://ikluft.github.io/pdx-lkmu/subscribing-to-pdx-lkmu-events.html.

Oregon's Flagship Startup Hiring Event

​The Oregon Hiring Festival brought to you by MeeBoss, Oregon Entrepreneur Network [OEN], and WeWork, is HERE! We'll be bringing together 10+ hiring companies and ~100+ job seekers for an afternoon of matchmaking, conversation, and in-person connections.

​Here’s how it works: once you register, MeeBoss will get your open roles live within 48 hours. Our match-first, chat-first platform connects you directly with qualified candidates ahead of time so you can begin conversations online before the event. Then, at the festival, you’ll meet those candidates face-to-face at your booth, alongside new walk-ups who discover your team on the spot.

​​To keep things flowing smoothly, the hiring block runs for three hours straight. While some job seekers step out for lunch or attend the panel discussion, others stay engaged at the booths. Creating a natural rotation and steady candidate flow without overwhelming lines. Please bring more then one person to support your booth.

​​This streamlined format guarantees high-quality interactions while giving you the buzz, PR spotlight, and networking energy of a full-day festival, but without requiring your team to commit an entire day.

A transformational experience for female leaders ready to step into their next chapter.

Our theme is "The Power in the Pause & The Bravery in the Shift."

Join a powerful community of female leaders who are breaking barriers, redefining leadership, and rising into their fullest potential.

Share in the Experience * Powerful storytelling from influential female leaders * Engaging panel conversations focused on growth, leadership, and transformation * Intentional networking designed to build real connection and community

This event welcomes all genders -- men, women and allies.

When you come to Web Day, you'll sit down with someone and share keyboard, mouse, and browser to explore the Endless Web. In the past, we played games (every Flash game ever!), delved into local Portland services and historical data, made new web pages, and clicked a lot of links.

How does it work?

You can come in any time, for 5 minutes or an hour. Play one little game or spend the whole time exploring.

As the organizer, I will pair you up when you come in. We share a live document (like a Google Doc) of suggested activities to try out, like "find a 2-player game", or "find a page full of jokes". You'll choose one of those or bring up your own idea. Every 30 minutes we get up for 5 minutes to stretch, look away from the screen, get a drink of water, and rotate who is paired up so everyone meets different people.

You don't need to bring anything, just show up for yourself and your community. If you want to, you can bring your laptop and external keyboard and mouse (bluetooth or wired) are nice to have.

Have you ever wondered if there’s a career that combines your love for technical coding with your passion for teaching, writing, and community building?

That is the world of Developer Advocacy. Acting as the vital bridge between tech companies and the developers who use their products, Developer Advocates balance technical expertise with a people-focused mission.

In this live Tech Talk, April Gittens, Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, will share practical advice on how to position yourself for success in this people-focused technical career. Drawing from her experience at the highest levels of tech, she will explain how to transition into advocacy whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional.

Whether you are just starting your coding journey or looking to pivot your career, you will leave with a clear understanding of if this dynamic role is the right fit for you.

Save your spot now and join us on Friday, February 27 at 1 PM PT | 3 PM CT | 4 PM ET to explore the world of Developer Advocacy.

Curious about She Dares to Rise conference but want to learn more before March 8?

Join us for a relaxed evening of mingling, connection, and honest conversation. This is your opportunity to hear directly from people who attended last year’s conference and are returning in 2026.

Come meet the founder, Shi Choong, and hear her stories why she left Intel to create this conference. Cam, Kylie, and Hsin-Cheng will share their personal experiences from the 2025 conference: what impacted them, what surprised them, and why they’re coming back. Our 2025 speakers, Christy and Rukshana, will also share why this space matters to them and why they continue to support this movement.

This is not a sales presentation. It’s a conversation. All genders are welcome.

You’ll learn: • What makes She Dares to Rise different from a typical conference • The impact past attendees experienced • Why storytelling and intentional community matter now more than ever

Whether you attended last year or are considering joining us for the first time, this evening is for you.

Come. Listen. Connect. Then decide.

We can’t wait to see you.

With light and gratitude, Shi Choong

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 Roseline 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:

Roseline Café has drip coffee and fixings available for it

Agenda:

10 AM - Arrival 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

The Portland Linux Kernel Meetup for February 2026 will be at...

• Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
• 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.

To get timely reminders of Portland Linux Kernel Meetups, see https://ikluft.github.io/pdx-lkmu/subscribing-to-pdx-lkmu-events.html.

Being let go is rarely just about a paycheck; it is a profound disruption of your identity and security. When managers aren't trained to handle these moments skillfully, the result is often "termination trauma." Even in the best-case scenarios, losing a job triggers a unique form of grief that can leave you feeling stuck, paralyzed, or resentful. Why This Matters for Your Career The weight of a bad exit doesn't stay at your old desk; it follows you. If left unaddressed, that "trauma energy" can leak into your interviews and follow you into your next role, impacting your confidence and how you show up for new opportunities. To be truly marketable, you have to work through the baggage. In this class, we will talk about the trauma, understanding that you aren't alone, that the person who had to let you go might also be struggling, and some ways to overcome so you don't bring it into your next job. This form is a google form that let's us know what class you are intrested please fill it out https://luma.com/lgdzr48d

​Make friends who care about stuff at Soapbox Portland, the city's most fun community space for climate action! ​We're having a party for people who care about the planet. Same time, same place, every week. You're invited. Request a reparative ticket here if you need one.

​It's time to take action on AI and how it's affecting our planet, minds, and communities!

​​The plan (more details to be announced soon!)

​​5~5:45 pm | arrive, eat dinner, chit chat

​​5:45~6:15 pm | context-setting & affinity activity

​7-8 pm | action time!

​​Please arrive by 5:30pm so you have time to eat before the programming begins.

The Power in the Pause, The Bravery in the Shift

You’re invited to an inspiring morning with Shi Choong, Founder & Event Producer of Women Who Dare PDX. This intimate speaker event will explore the deeper mission behind WWD and the transformational theme for 2026: “The Power in the Pause, The Bravery in the Shift.” This event is for women and allies who support women empowerment and lifting women up.

In this session, Shi will share: ✨ Her personal journey of courage, reinvention, and leadership ✨ Why intentional pauses and pivotal life shifts shape who we become ✨ How Women Who Dare creates spaces for women to be seen, heard & celebrated ✨ What to expect at the March 8, 2026 WWD Conference

If you’re navigating change, seeking clarity, or craving a community that supports your evolution—this conversation will speak to your heart. Bring a friend, your journal, or simply your open mind. Prepare to feel inspired, grounded, and ready to rise.

RSVP (free): https://www.meetup.com/startup-your-startup/events/312356008/

NTEN's Tech Clubs are local gathering spaces for folks who are interested in putting technology to work for missions and movements. Whether you work in a nonprofit, foundation, or community group, or maybe provide technology products, services, and strategies to those group, this is the space for you. In future events, we plan to cover a diversity of topics from AI to security, open source development to the future of the web.

Come to the launch event to network with others who care about technology for good, and help us identify topics for future events, nominate yourself or other folks you know as presenters, or even join us in volunteering to ensure we build a strong network this year. Help us launch the Portland Tech Club together!

​Make friends who care about stuff at Soapbox Portland, the city's most fun community space for climate action! ​We're having a party for people who care about the planet. Same time, same place, every week. You're invited. Request a reparative ticket here if you need one.

​Every first Tuesday of the month, Soapbox Project presents Dream Sessions, an evening of food, live music from a diverse range of local artists, conversations, and new connections.

​​This month, our theme is AI x Sustainability, and we'll be focusing on understanding what it means in terms of people power, good and bad. Join us in making friends who care about reimagining what a safe, sustainable world could look like in the context of new technology.

​The artist: alt-pop songstress Kingsley

​​The plan

​​5~5:45 pm | arrive, eat dinner, chit chat

​​5:45~7 pm | our moderator and artist will weave together music and a conversation about how to create the change to you want to see in the world. This isn’t just entertainment; it's an interactive experience ✨

​7-8 pm | the vibes will continue; pick up the conversation with new people and make friends

​​Please arrive by 5:30pm so you have time to eat before the programming begins.

Let’s kick off 2025 with another great evening of cloud-native learning, real-world talks, and hallway conversations with Portland’s platform-engineering community.

Date: Thursday, January 22 Time: 5:30–7:30 PM Location: Reperio Health, 4784 SE 17th Ave Suite 120, Portland, OR Recording: Talks are typically recorded (opt-in by speakers)

The Observability Reset: 4 Foundational Principles for O11y That Scales by Noam Levy, CTO at groundcover

Let’s face it, collecting metrics, logs, and traces isn’t enough anymore. Most o11y stacks today are drowning in telemetry, buried in cost overruns, and spread so thin across tools that they’ve become more noise than signal. The classic SaaS-based model is cracking.

This talk lays out 4 foundational principles for building a sustainable observability posture - that scale with infra and budget:

• Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC): SaaS o11y is financially unsustainable at scale.
• Consolidate or Bust: DevEx suffers when visibility is fragmented- consolidation isn’t a luxury - it’s a requirement.
• Standardize Everything: Open protocols, pluggable pipelines, and vendor-neutral APIs are the only way forward, or your o11y is a ticking liability.
• Self-Reliance: You can’t rely on app-level instrumentation forever - eBPF enables scalable o11y without complexity

This session pulls from real-world deployments and lessons learned helping engineering teams scale visibility without compromise.

#

“What It’s Like to Learn Cloud-Native Today — A Beginner’s Kubernetes Story” by Kelis Hightower

When given the chance to explore cloud-native development, I chose not to avoid the unfamiliar. With no prior Kubernetes experience and only a few weeks to learn, I took a hands-on approach by building a small burnout-aware study tool to ground abstract concepts in something tangible.

This talk shares what it’s like to learn cloud-native technologies today from a beginner’s perspective. Through experimentation with containers, Kubernetes, and cloud services, I’ll reflect on the mental model shifts, early misconceptions, and “aha” moments that emerged from learning by building. Rather than focusing on expertise, this would offer an honest look at what beginners actually take away from a short, modern introduction to cloud-native systems.

Agenda

5:30–6:00 — Check-in, snacks, networking 6:00–6:30 — The Observability Reset (Noam Levy) 6:30–7:00 — Beginner’s Kubernetes Story (Kelis Hightower) 7:00–7:30 — Networking (and games if anyone wants to bring some!)

Who Should Attend

Platform engineers, SREs, DevOps, app/platform teams, OSS maintainers, beginners learning cloud-native, and anyone curious about observability, Kubernetes, modern infra, or developer experience.

Sponsors

Venue Sponsor — Reperio Health F&B Sponsor — groundcover

The Portland Linux Kernel Meetup for January 2026 will be at...

• Date: Friday, January 16, 2026
• 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.

To get timely reminders of Portland Linux Kernel Meetups, see https://ikluft.github.io/pdx-lkmu/subscribing-to-pdx-lkmu-events.html.

Whether you are interested in a career shift, startup life, or curious about freelancing. We will have groups to help work through getting started.

Whether you are interested in a career shift, startup life, or curious about freelancing, we will have breakout groups to help you get started.

We will have a resume and interview community if you need to brush up on either or both.

We will have resume reviews and mock interviews by volunteer recruiters or peers to fine-tune your approach.

Alli, Lisa, and Beth are hoping to get everyone, and in some cases ourselves, back to work!

We look forward to seeing everyone in person!

Break out topics:

Resume review Sharing effective work search tactics (tools, sites, etc) Getting started with consulting or startup founding Open discussion: How are ppl feeling & what’s helping to cope TBD: Tips on skills needed for careers today, what careers will be AI-proof TBD: Oregon Women in Trade and other groups Bring your own lunch or snacks

What to Bring

Snacks or lunch Laptop or notebook

Event Flow

11:30 AM-12:00 PM: Arrival & casual networking 12:00-12:30 PM: Intro to break-out group sessions. 12:30-1:30 PM: Breakout group session Work from the space all day! Come early or stay late to enjoy our downtown workspace.

Kick off 2026 with an uplifting morning of connection, empowerment, and community! Join us for a casual Women Who Dare Mix & Mingle where you’ll meet like-hearted women and allies who value authenticity, courage, and meaningful conversations.

Whether you’re new to Women Who Dare or already part of our growing movement, this is a beautiful opportunity to:

✨ Make genuine connections ✨ Share your goals and intentions for 2026 ✨ Find encouragement from a supportive community ✨ Get a sneak peek of what’s coming for Women Who Dare 2026: “The Power in the Pause, The Bravery in the Shift”

Get a sneak peek of what’s coming for Women Who Dare 2026: “The Power in the Pause, The Bravery in the Shift”

Come as you are—bring your curiosity, your story, and your desire to rise alongside other women who dare.

RSVP (free): https://www.meetup.com/startup-your-startup/events/312355895/

Built an app that needs real user feedback? Tired of testing in isolation?

Break - It! brings Portland founders together to stress-test each other's applications and get honest feedback before launch.

This edition will be led by Beth Fuller, a professional software product manager who specializes in helping teams refine their products before release.

To kick things off, we’ll be starting with one brave volunteer: TBD — a local startup ready to be really broken. It’ll set the tone for how deep and constructive we’ll go with feedback throughout the session. 😉

App Creators - Whether you've been hand-coding, AI-coding, or no-coding your way to success, get your app in front of fresh eyes who understand the founder journey.

Everyone Else - Here's your chance to break something for good! Channel your inner chaos agent, find those sneaky bugs, and give feedback so insightful it makes founders weep tears of gratitude.

What You'll Do

Demo your app (5 minutes) - Show what you've built Test others' apps (rotating 15-minute sessions) Give & receive real-time feedback from fellow builders Discover bugs before your users do Connect with Portland's founder community

Perfect If You Have

Apps in development or beta testing Prototypes needing concept validation Launched apps wanting UX optimization Side projects that need a sanity check All platforms welcome: Web apps, mobile apps, browser extensions, PWAs All dev approaches welcome: Hand-coded, AI-assisted, no-code, hybrid

What to Bring

Your app (any stage, any platform) 2-3 specific feedback questions Laptop/device for testing others' apps Open mind for constructive input

Event Flow

11:30 AM-12:00 PM: Arrival & casual networking 12:00-12:30 PM: Quick app intros (2-3 minutes each) 12:30-1:30 PM: Testing rounds (4 sessions, 25 minutes each) Work from the space all day! Come early or stay late to enjoy our downtown workspace.

Ground Rules

Constructive feedback only - We're here to help each other win Respect IP - No screenshots or sharing without permission Meet apps where they are - Rough prototypes to polished products all welcome Come to give AND receive - Your fresh perspective helps everyone

Join us for drinks and friendly conversation at Tap Union Freehouse in downtown Vancouver for our monthly social gathering! Meet fellow designers and engineers from the north side of the PDX metro and talk about your craft over tasty pints and good eats.

This is a casual social meetup for the people in tech who build products to network and get to know their local community. While we are new, there are no scheduled talks, but we're interested in meeting people who want to share their knowledge with others! We meet every second Tuesday of each month.

We've chosen Tap Union as our meetup location because of its friendly staff, wide variety of rotating craft beer (including numerous Non-Alcoholic and Gluten-Free options!), and its cozy atmosphere. There are also board games and a mini arcade on-site to enjoy!

This 3-hour workshop uses the Portland Art Museum as a setting to slow down and look at how you think. It is designed for those feeling mentally overloaded or under sustained pressure who want a structured way to step back.

We use the museum as a quiet, neutral environment to slow down observation. Using art as a shared reference point for reflection, we look at patterns of thinking without requiring personal disclosure or art knowledge.

Advanced registration is required to keep the group size small. The exact meeting location within the museum will be sent upon registration.

The Format:

90 minutes in the museum: Moving through galleries using simple observation prompts.

90 minutes of conversation: A facilitated discussion afterward at a nearby coffee shop to talk about what resonated and why.

Follow-up: Includes an optional one-hour Zoom check-in two weeks later.

Cost: $85. Note: Museum admission is $27.50, paid directly to the museum (free for members).

Facilitator: Ryan has worked in the arts for over 20 years and serves as a business coach and mentor. This workshop uses art as a practical tool to create perspective on how we think and work.

Venue: Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205

Tags: workshop, mental-health, wellness, professional-development, art

Join us for another exciting session of Portland's longest-running robotics meetup! This month, we're thrilled to welcome Dr. Joe Cole, an honored member of our community, who will be presenting on Teaching Physical AI with the PARTS Common Platform.

Abstract

At Rose City Robotics, we use hands-on robotics to bridge the gap between abstract AI and real-world autonomy. In our Engineer Boldly: AI Robotics Sprint, students learn physical AI by building and programming mobile robots that perceive, map, and act in the physical world using modern tools such as ROS 2, LiDAR-based SLAM, and deep-learning-based perception.

This talk describes how we use the PARTS Common Platform robot as a shared, open foundation for teaching embodied intelligence. Students train and deploy object-detection models, experiment with imitation and reinforcement learning, and confront the real challenges of noisy sensors, imperfect models, and hardware constraints. By learning AI directly on physical robots, participants develop an intuition for autonomy that cannot be gained from simulation alone.

I’ll share lessons learned, example student projects, and why accessible, community-designed platforms like the Common Platform are essential for educating the next generation of roboticists.

Who Should Attend This presentation is designed for robotics enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you're a professional engineer, a hobbyist, a student, or simply curious about the intersection of AI and robotics, you'll find valuable insights in this talk.

About the Speaker Dr. Joseph (Joe) Cole is a distinguished figure in the Portland robotics community and an honored member of P.A.R.T.S. With a Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Joe brings over 20 years of experience developing computer vision and machine learning algorithms.

As the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Rose City Robotics, Joe is currently focused on building robots for many tasks. His extensive background includes work at Northrop Grumman, Applied Materials, and YorLabs, specializing in image processing and applied physics.

Joe has been a valued contributor to the Portland Area Robotics Society, regularly sharing his expertise through presentations and helping to bridge the gap between professional robotics development and our local community.

About P.A.R.T.S. The Portland Area RoboTics Society (P.A.R.T.S.) is THE longest-running robotics meetup in Portland. We are an Oregon non-profit formed to help those interested in learning about and building robots. Our monthly meetings are open to the public and welcome everyone from professionals to amateurs, students to professors, engineers to artists. P.A.R.T.S. members explore all aspects of robotics and work toward expanding communication between robot enthusiasts. We share ideas, experience, and enthusiasm for building robots in an informal and supportive environment.

What to Bring

Your curiosity and questions A robot (working or not) if you'd like to share or get help A notebook or laptop for capturing ideas After the Presentation As always, there will be time for Q&A and informal discussions after the presentation. This is your chance to connect with other robotics enthusiasts, share your projects, and get feedback from the community.

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

• Date: Saturday, December 27, 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.

Happy Holidays!

To get timely reminders of Portland Linux Kernel Meetups, see https://ikluft.github.io/pdx-lkmu/subscribing-to-pdx-lkmu-events.html.

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

Curious how unique projects and hands-on experience can accelerate your tech career?

For many professionals, growth comes not just from technical skills but from tackling real-world challenges, collaborating across teams, and learning on the job. This talk will explore practical lessons that can help you stand out and make an impact in your role.

In this live session, you’ll hear from Mindi Weik, who transitioned from leadership roles in real estate and non-profits to becoming a Software Engineer in Postman and a Founding Engineer in Audition Cat. She’ll share how curiosity, creativity, and working on unusual frontend projects shaped her career and helped her grow in tech.

Join us for this motivating Tech Talk on Friday, December 19 at 1 PM PT | 3 PM CT | 4 PM ET and discover how hands-on projects and practical experience can guide your growth and career path.

Whether you’re early in your tech journey or looking to take on unique opportunities, this talk will give you actionable insights to help you move forward.

Reserve your spot today and start leveraging real-world projects to accelerate your career.

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

Summary:

Plan 9 is an operating system with some very interesting properties, especially around distributed systems, networking, and resource sharing. It was originally developed by the same group at Bell Labs which developed Unix and shares a clear heritage that will make many parts familiar to experienced users of other unix-like systems, but in many ways represents an "alternate universe" for how Unix might have developed. While it's seen only limited commercial use, it has proven itself suitable to a wide range of applications, including supercomputer clusters, network appliances, and embedded systems. And as a small, consistent system with a unifying philosophy, it can be interesting to study and explore even outside its practical utility.

Together, let's take a brief tour of this alternate universe's history, what makes it exciting to people who live (or visit) there, the current landscape, and where it might (or might not!) be interesting for you.

Bio:

Anthony Sorace (he/him) is some sort of engineer. Professionally, his work has focused on system architecture and process analysis, looking at how people can use computers to solve (some of) their problems. On the side, he enjoys messing about with networking, databases, and systems software. He is a slightly reluctant web programmer and enthusiastic cook. He has been using Plan 9 since the late nineteen hundreds, a few weeks before starting a job at Bell Labs working with related technology, and currently serves as a director of the Plan 9 Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to advancing research on lightweight distributed systems using these technologies.

Join Us for OBI’s December Accelerate Biotech Happy Hour

This is it. The most attended and most popular Happy Hour of the entire year. If networking had a season finale, this would be it.

Come connect with innovators, founders, researchers, and bioscience professionals at our December Accelerate Happy Hour, proudly sponsored by Davis Wright Tremaine. Whether you are building something new, scouting opportunities, or trying to remember what life felt like before you lived in your inbox, this event will boost your energy before the holiday chaos arrives.

When: Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 5:30 to 7:00 PM Where: OBI Event Space | Suite 230

What you can expect:

• Packed room with new faces and fresh perspectives from biotech, digital health, and medical devices • A relaxed, collaborative space where ideas and introductions happen without forced small talk • Light food and beverages while you grow your network and your confidence

Want to share what you are working on? We offer quick two minute speaking spots at future Happy Hours. These spots are currently open beginning in March 2026. If you'd like to get on the list, email [email protected].

RSVP now and close out the year with the people who understand the joy of things like clean data and well formatted slide decks.

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.