Dave Shinsel will provide an overview of available depth sensors, and a deep-dive on Intel’s RealSense depth sensors, including a new sensor that adds visual SLAM capability. He will discuss how these sensors work in conjunction with Computer Vision technologies for various robotics applications, including object avoidance, person interaction, object recognition and localization, and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). Further the talk will cover how to access these capabilities via their ROS wrappers.

Dave Shinsel is the Lead Robotics Architect in Intel’s Perceptual Computing Group. He has an extensive background in all levels of robotics, with particular focus on vision and sensing technologies. Prior to this role, Dave was the Director of the Intel® RealSense SDK, created and led the Intel® Graphics Performance Analyzers, and led development of the graphics drivers for the Apple MacBook* Air. In his “spare time,” Dave has been building robots for fifteen years. He has received a "Backyard Genius Award" from Popular Mechanics magazine, won a number of robot competitions, and competed on TV in the Syfy Channel’s Robot Combat League, where he and his daughter (also an engineer at Intel) won the $100,000 grand prize with their 7 foot, 9 inches tall, fighting robot, "Crash." Dave is well known in the Maker community for his sophisticated 4 foot tall humanoid robot, Loki.

**Please RSVP on Eventbrite HERE**

Are you a woman with 25 or more years of experience working in technology? Do you want to build relationships with other women in tech who are still in there swinging? PDXWIT wants to foster a community for women like you.

Join us at the Ruby Receptionists office in Portland. The agenda is to help us further ground this new group in our third hosted meeting, organized by Jean Richardson.

PDXWIT is a community-based non-profit organization. Our purpose is to strengthen the Portland women in tech community by offering educational programs, partnerships, mentorships, resources, and opportunities. We are unifying a supportive environment for current and potential women in tech, all of whom are committed to helping each other. Our goal is to bring together and empower women in tech and to encourage others to pursue tech careers. This is our step towards reducing the gender imbalance in the industry and addressing the current negative effects of that imbalance on women.

Trans and non-binary people are always welcome at our events.

I'm very excited to announce an impromptu May 8 Meetup with three internationally recognized leaders in the NewLaw and LegalTech movements: Cat Moon, Jeena Cho, and Portland's own Alexandra Devendra! 

These forward-looking lawyers will lead a panel discussion ranging from hot topics like the blockchain and AI in legal, to less buzzworthy (but perhaps more important) concepts like what legal teams can learn from the ResponsiveOrg and Holocracy movements, why a meditation practice can help you deliver better client value (and how to start one), how to innovate using the tools of design professionals, and why diversity is the key to achieving better outcomes.

Cat Moon (@inspiredcat) teaches legal design thinking and agile project management at Vanderbilt Law School, her alma mater. She is a contributor to the ABA’s Legal Technology Today blog and writes there and elsewhere about legal technology, blockchain, kanban and agile project management, design thinking, diversity/inclusion in the law, and work/life alignment. Cat also is co-founder, COO and CDO of Legal Alignment, a legal tech startup developing an AI-powered, interoperable platform for legal workflow and project management. She just wrapped up an international conference on Blockchain in the Law and the first Music City Legal Hackathon. 

Jeena Cho (@jeena_cho) is the co-author of The Anxious Lawyer, An 8-Week Guide to a Joyful and Satisfying Law Practice Through Mindfulness and Meditation (ABA). She is a regular contributor to Forbes, Bloomberg and Above the Law where she covers resilience, work/life integration, and wellness in the workplace. She regularly speaks on women's issues, diversity, wellness, productivity, mindfulness and meditation. She also co-founded Shape The Law, an unconference for lawyers, with Alix Devendra and Mary Redzic.

Alix Devendra (@alixdevendra) is an attorney and legal design consultant based here in Portland. She helps lawyers make their work product more effective using typography and other principles of visual communication design. She is the co-author (with Cat Moon) of the forthcoming Designing Your Practice: A Design Thinking Approach to Legal Services. Alix also consults for legal-tech startups, who value her experience in both law practice and design thinking. She travels internationally to speak and facilitate workshops on legal design.

We'll be at a new location this time, BackPedal Brewing at NW 15th and Flanders. They are opening especially for us and their (excellent) beer will be on tap--please plan to support them!

Finally, we're looking to grow this group. Please forward this invitation to anyone you think would be interested in these topics, including listservs or other groups you're a part of.

Let us know if you have any questions; we hope to see you on Monday May 8!

--John & Zac

** Please RSVP on Eventbrite HERE **

Join us for happy hour at Urban Studio, sponsored by Lyft and in partnership with Tech Ladies!

As a woman-focused community, we’ve decided it is no longer enough for our support of other underrepresented groups to be implied. This month, we’ve decided it is time to focus on the interconnectedness of the various social categorizations and dedicate the theme of this event to “Intersectionality,” with a conversation starter of “What’s a recent book, writer or film that has changed your perspective?”

While the event is primarily intended for networking, we will have a short segment at 5:30 to share important announcements and showcase two women from Lyft!

Introduction to Lyft, including what they do and what job opportunities are available!

Lita Cho, Senior Software Engineer at Lyft, will talk to us about how intersectionality has been woven into the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Janani Sundarrajan, Software Engineer at Lyft, will talk about Lyft’s progressive Gender Inclusion and Affirmation policy which was recently released.

During the event, we’ll have an Activity Table where people can get creative. This is a fantastic way to meet others if large groups are not your thing. If you have trouble finding it, look forMeg Aul, our Event Activities Director.

PDXWIT is a community-based non-profit organization. Our purpose is to strengthen the Portland women in tech community by offering educational programs, partnerships, mentorships, resources and opportunities. We are unifying a supportive environment for current and potential women in tech, all of whom are committed to helping each other. Our goal is to bring together and empower women in tech and to encourage others to pursue tech careers. This is our step towards reducing the gender imbalance in the industry and addressing the current negative effects of that imbalance on women.

Trans and non-binary people are always welcome at our events.

Hello LIT-Lab PDX!

We're on track for our next Meetup on Tuesday June 20, when we'll be returning to the Jaguar Land Rover incubator for a very special presentation from Amber Hollister, General Counsel of the Oregon State Bar. 

Among other things, Amber provides ethics assistance to Oregon lawyers and others servicing the legal needs of Oregonians. More recently, she has spent the past several months as the Bar's primary contact to the Regulatory Committee of the Futures Task Force of the Bar (the sister committee to the Innovation Task Force that we kicked off here at LIT-Lab back in the fall). 

Both committees of the Futures Task Force are in the process of finalizing their findings and recommendations to present to the Bar's Board of Governors later this month, and Amber and I will both give you all a preview of those recommendations. (Teaser: if adopted, the recommendations should put Oregon at the national forefront of innovative approaches to Access to Justice issues).

Then, Amber will spend a little time talking about the ethics of legal innovation more generally, including plenty of time to answer your questions.

NW Corporate Law is generously providing pizza again this time. Hope you can make it!

Please join us for our August Accelerate Biotech + Digital Health PDX Happy Hour! 

Our monthly happy hour brings together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health sectors. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry. Enjoy a free drink, build community, and contribute your ideas and efforts towards accelerating Biotech and Digital Health in PDX. 

** NOTE: In addition to registering on MeetUp and telling us a bit about yourself, please also REGISTER for the event using this form. We apologize for the extra step, but this will help us expedite the sign in process at the entrance to the event.

Speakers to be announced soon!

Thank you to our Drink Sponsor, Unosquare!

Want to introduce your startup or idea at this event? 

We have several open mic opportunities at each of our events. If you would like to speak about your startup or introduce yourself or your idea to the group then please reach out to [masked] for more information.

Accelerate Biotech and Digital Health Happy Hour is a grassroots event organized by the 

Oregon Bioscience Incubator

 and the 

Technology Association of Oregon

. 

Happy New Year Legal Innovators!

We're looking to kick off 2018 with a Feb 8 meetup featuring local legal technology product Tali, a voice-assistant-based time tracking tool for lawyers and other professionals. We'll hear from Matt Volm, one of Tali's creators, to talk about Tali's startup journey so far, what he's learned about working with lawyers, and what advice he has for lawyers and other technologists looking to build legal tech products.

Tali currently works with Amazon Alexa and will be expanding to Microsoft Cortana and Google Assistant later this year. See https://www.telltali.com/ for more.

We're also hoping to spend some time with Andrew Schpak, current president of the Multnomah Bar Association, to talk about a possible Legal-themed Hackathon that the MBA is mulling.

Oh, and there will be Pizza courtesy of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe!

Hope you can make it!

--John

P.S. We're looking for folks to help organize more Legal Innovation Meetups in 2018. If you have an idea for a topic, a speaker, or would be able to help organize a specific session, please let me know!

Please join us for our August Accelerate Biotech & Digital Health PDX Happy Hour at the Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE)!

Come mingle with your fellow biotech and digital health enthusiasts, help build community, and share your ideas on how to further accelerate the growth of these promising sectors in Portland.

Our monthly happy hour brings together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health sectors. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry. Enjoy a free drink, build community, and contribute your ideas and efforts towards accelerating Biotech and Digital Health in PDX.

** NOTE: For expedited registration, please bring a business card to the registration table.

Location - PIE @ The Dairy Building, 2715 SE 8th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202 (https://www.google.com/maps/place/2715+SE+8th+Ave,+Portland,+OR+97202/@45.5034186,-122.6604687,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x54950a705fef71dd:0x54aac9af54e758ce!8m2!3d45.5034149!4d-122.6582747)

A huge thanks to PIE for hosting us in their wonderful space.

Want to introduce your startup or idea at this event?

We have several open mic opportunities at each of our events. If you would like to speak about your startup or introduce yourself or your idea to the group then please reach out to [masked] for more information.

Accelerate Biotech & Digital Health Happy Hour is a grassroots event organized by the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (http://www.otradi.org/)

Every year, ChickTech gives 150 local girls the opportunity to attend a weekend long inspiring technology camp. Girls are nominated by their teachers, then surprised with acceptance packets that illuminate their potential. Join a group of ChickTech volunteers in stuffing acceptance packets! We will gather at the ChickTech office, eat light snacks, and chat while we work together to inspire the next generation of technologists. First-time volunteers and people of all genders are welcome!

Please meet at the building's enterance on SW 10th and Washington. A ChickTech representative will be there to greet you from 5:30-5:45. If you arrive late please call (949)[masked] to be let into the building.

In this talk, Tom Sommerville will discuss various materials available across a selection of 3D Printing technologies, their properties, and some of the considerations when selecting the materials for a task. He will also discuss the various printer technologies that are readily accessible (either consumer level printers, or through services such as Quickparts, ProtoLabs, and Shapeways, to name a few), suggesting pros and cons for each technology when applied to a typical project.

Recruiting Open House and PDX Tech + Pong

We have a very special twist on our usual Tech + Pong event for October. Come join us on October 11th for Happy Hour to celebrate the opening of the new AltSource headquarters in SE Portland!

If you currently work for a local tech company, are looking for a new job opportunity in tech, or if you are looking for ways to get more involved with the tech community here in Portland, this recruiting and networking event is for you! It’s a great opportunity to speak with hiring managers in a casual environment and learn more about the job openings at both Altsource and The Dyrt. Plus, there will be food, drinks, a DJ, giveaways and the usual ping-pong tournament!

This event is completely free, but please RSVP so we can get a head count for food and drinks.

Time:
5:00 Doors Open & Happy Hour
5:30 Tournament Kick Off

Tournament:
Bring $5 cash for the winner-takes-all ping-pong tournament if you want to play! Check out the tournament rules https://www.meetup.com/PDX-Tech-Pong/events/249548412/

Location:
1120 SE Madison St. Portland OR 97214 (entrance on 12th and Hawthorne)

Sponsors:
AltSource is a custom software development company.
AltSource is hiring! Check out the AltSource careers page. (https://www.altsrc.net/Careers/?ref=JoinAltSource)

The Dyrt (think like Yelp for camping) - gives away outdoor gear for user submitted campground reviews. The Dyrt is looking Ember developers, React Native Mobile Developers and a UI/UX Designer (https://blog.thedyrt.com/jobs/working-at-the-dyrt/)

Please join us for our November Accelerate Biotech & Digital Health PDX Happy Hour at the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (OBI) / OTRADI!

Come mingle with your fellow biotech and digital health enthusiasts, help build community, and share your ideas on how to further accelerate the growth of these promising sectors in Portland.

Our monthly happy hour brings together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health sectors. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry. Enjoy a free drink, build community, and contribute your ideas and efforts towards accelerating Biotech and Digital Health in PDX.

** NOTE: For expedited registration, please bring a business card to the registration table.

A huge thanks to Summit Development Group (http://www.summitdevelopmentgroup.com/) for sponsoring this event.

Location: Oregon Bioscience Incubator/OTRADI - 4640 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 270, Portland, OR 97239

Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/place/OTRADI+Bioscience+Incubator/@45.489055,-122.6740484,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x54950a1740c863ed:0xc2071e0e5be265c2!8m2!3d45.4890513!4d-122.6718544

Parking:
-Visitors spaces do not require parking permits but there are very few spaces.
-You may park in a permit space but will need to get a temporary parking permit from our staff up in suite 270.
-Do NOT park in any space labeled "Hotel Valet." You may be towed.

Want to introduce your startup or idea at this event?

We have several open mic opportunities at each of our events. If you would like to speak about your startup or introduce yourself or your idea to the group then please reach out to [masked] for more information.

Accelerate Biotech & Digital Health Happy Hour is a grassroots event organized by the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (http://www.otradi.org/)

Hey Legal Innovators:

Join us for our final Meetup of 2018, where we'll feature two Portland-area companies who are using technology and business model innovation to better connect legal consumers with lawyers. We'll be hosted by Text-a-Lawyer and Collective Agency, and our presenters will include Kevin Gillespie of Text-a-Lawyer and Eli Marchbanks of Basic Counsel. Both companies are working to better connect lawyers and clients using a convenient tech-enabled marketplace.

Kevin and Eli will showcase their products and answer questions about their process for building them--should be an interesting and informative evening. Space is limited so be sure to RSVP early.

Hope you can join us!

--John & Zac

Join us for the first time ever in Bumped’s new office—it's so new in fact, that it’s still under construction—for drinks, snacks, and conversation about the startups that are building exciting momentum in PDX! No hard hat required.

Our panel of companies who are either new to the scene or fresh off a big round of funding include:

Sce Pike, CEO & Founder, IOTAS — $6.5M raised
Lance Charlish, CEO & Co-Founder, Circle Media Labs — $20M Series B
James McDermott, CEO & Co-Founder, Lytics — $35M Series C
David Nelsen, CEO & Co-Founder, Bumped — Launched in 2018, $19M Series A

Moderator TBD

Don’t miss the chance to hear directly from the folks that are poised to impact the local tech scene in a big way!

When: Tuesday April 2nd, 5:30-7:30pm
Where: Bumped HQ: 111 SW 5th Ave Suite 300
What:
5:30: Event opens
6:00-6:30pm: Panel
6:30-6:45pm: Q&A
6:45-7:30pm: Mix, mingle, and toast to PDX tech!

This is a placeholder for the Community Leadership Summit - more details coming soon!

A proposed agenda:

9:30am - 12:30pm formal presentations / keynote

12:30pm - lunch

2pm - 5pm break out sessions / unconference style

A new group of folks are taking on leadership of this event this year.

Here is a link to the Call for Papers: https://forms.gle/stL7v7dkGjWsSTsA6