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FridayJul 18 2025
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PDX Neurodivergent Tech Workers Online Meetup!Website
Who is this for? Whether you are a seasoned software developer, a budding tech enthusiast, or whoever, this event offers a welcoming space for neurodivergent nerds. We are queer and trans led and welcome individuals of all backgrounds. Join us for an evening of community building!
Where Will We be? For winter we will be meeting online for covid friendlyndliness and sensory comfort.
What are we doing? Socializing, talking about challenges at work, talking about life, building community.
Tomorrow
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SaturdayJul 19 2025Code & Coffee @ Capital One Café (Upstairs)Website
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
Next two weeks
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SundayJul 20 2025Monthly PLUG Linux ClinicWebsite
That PLUG Clinic you like is coming back into style!
The PLUG Clinic returns again this month on July 20th, 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!
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Techies' GameCon at NedSpace (board and video games)Website
Come join us to network with fellow techies, and experience a vast array of games, ranging from party games to middleweight and heavyweight games! We will have over 30 board games available. NedSpace is a large space, featuring 10 private gaming rooms and 3 large common areas each equipped with 1 to 3 tables, accommodating 4 to 8 players per table.
The NedSpace and GameCon communities are very welcoming and a great place to make friends, for new and experienced gamers alike. We can help you find a group to play with when you arrive or let you explore! With the event running for 5+ hours - from 2 PM to 7 PM (or a little later!), you'll have time to break out some more crunchy games if you desire. It's also great for playing lots of shorter party games and everything in between.
BEFORE THE EVENT Join NedSpace's active Discord, where you can chat about the next game night and learn more about NedSpace. You can also schedule games or arrange carpools on the game night channel. On Discord, please make your username your name or nickname, so other members know who you are - it really helps for finding people at the event!
You may want to bring:
- board games
- snacks to share
- weather protection (jacket, umbrella)
- water bottle, reusable plate, fork (or use our provided dishes)
NAVIGATING GAME NIGHT Please make a name tag when you arrive, and feel free to grab food & drinks in NedSpace's kitchen. Folks tend to socialize for the first 30 minutes, and new games start every 20-30 minutes.
If you have any questions during the event (including needing help finding a game to play/join), you can ask in the game night channel on Discord or ask one of our hosts (Lana or Sean and possibly Faris, Jarod or Ripley)
FOOD INFO We provide some snacks, drinks, and other food. We encourage you to bring your favorite foods to share as well. If you bring enough for 10-15 people, that's awesome!
WHAT IS NEDSPACE ALL ABOUT? CO-LABS Our Collaborative Laboratories [Co-lab] are industry-specific micro-communities; Learn from peers in a small group environment. Take on bigger work as a group. Lunch buddies too?
Photo, Film, & Design: OUR MEDIA CO-LAB An intentional design space as a central pitstop for media folk. Connect/learn with other creatives, dump content to the cloud on our 10gbps+ network, attend co-lab specific events, or just hang out. Folks in this room adopt social impact-driven business models that amplify the voices of other local biz owners, while building their own businesses. Web & Interactive: OUR DIGITAL EXPERIENCES CO-LAB The web co-lab is an intentional design space to explore all things digital. Build next-gen websites, explore UI/UX design, Augmented / Virtual Reality, and SaaS. Event Organizers, Grant-Writing, Startup & Founders, Artist & SoundSpace, & Others: OTHER CO-LABS IN DEVELOPMENT We're constantly looking for individuals to build micro-communities around. Want to start your own in our space? All you gotta do is Ask!
Intentional Spaces @ NedSpace eLearning Studio, Code Lab, & eSports Room: OUR MULTIPURPOSE COMPUTER LAB ROOM During the day, this room functions as a drop-in space outfitted with LED lighting & ultrawide monitor docking stations. Members & external parties can reserve the entire space to use for team-driven work or coding sprints. At night, this room comes ALIVE. We game under 10,000 color changing led lights. We live-stream. Battles are won & lost. Friendships are made & broken. Strobe Lab: OUR PHOTO STUDIO Equipped with industry-standard photography strobe gear & equipment, this where one can shoot everything from product photos to portraiture. With stunning views from all 4 corners of our building, you'll never be short of picturesque backdrops. Podcast Studio /OUR AUDIO ROOM WITH A LEGACY Our podcast studio has been home to all manner of podcasters, large & small. From Startup Radio Network to the newly established @THISISPDX.OR, we've seen over 2,500 podcast episodes recorded in this room. Meeting Spaces for your next big Idea Communal spaces are available as drop-in & bookable spaces. Unlimited use for members, no upcharges; community guidelines apply. Not a member but want to book a space? Find us on PeerSpace.
OTHER EVENTS NedSpace's other events - text Events to 9712998979 Join NedSpace's discord and get in contact with the discord manager, Lana, to learn more about NedSpace, its events, and its community! Portland Area Board Games and RPGs Calendar GameCon's other events
QUESTIONS?
- discord: aliceethereal or Lana#2647
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MondayJul 21 2025Vantechy and Applied Ai Happy HourWebsite
Join us at VanTechy, an event designed for engineers, programmers, and all-around tech enthusiasts. Our goal is to bring together individuals who spend their days immersed in technology, from pixels to code, and provide a space to connect with like-minded professionals. We understand the importance of sharing experiences and learning from others in the field. Whether you work in Data, UX, AI, or any other tech domain, VanTechy offers a unique opportunity to network, share stories, and gain new insights. Come and enjoy a casual drink and some food while mingling with fellow tech professionals, enthusiasts, and investors in the Vancouver, WA area. We look forward to seeing you!
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WednesdayJul 23 2025How to Evaluate & Improve an Idea for a Startup (2-hour, in-person workshop)–
KilnWebsiteA good startup idea is the foundation of a successful startup, yet most founders struggle to characterize and enhance the strength of their idea. In this hands-on workshop, participants will walk through a case study applying “Nascent Methodology,” a novel, unique approach to identify the earliest signals of opportunity for a startup idea. Through guided exercises, participants will search for People in Pain (an initial indication of potential customers) and will quantify the Pain in dollars ($). Founders will come away with a framework for evaluating and iteratively improving their own startup ideas. You must register in Luma (https://lu.ma/yg56sl7w) to attend.
Notes: - We'll automatically sign you up for the NascentStartups.com newsletter. - This event will be recorded. We may publish brief clips in the newsletter.
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Cloud Native PDX July MeetingWebsite
Come out and join us to network with local cloud native peers.
Agenda: 5:00pm to 5:30pm – Pizza and Networking! Food sponsored by Mezmo
5:45pm - Streamlining Telemetry Data: Building a Telemetry Pipeline to Handle High-Cardinality Metrics by Chelsea Wright @ Mezmo
Handling high-cardinality telemetry data efficiently is crucial for modern observability systems. In this session, we will explore strategies for designing a scalable telemetry pipeline that can process large volumes of diverse metrics without performance bottlenecks. We’ll cover best practices for data ingestion, storage optimization, and query performance, along with real-world techniques to mitigate challenges like high dimensionality and resource constraints. Attendees will gain insights into building a robust telemetry pipeline that balances accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
6:15pm - What Producing Sound Effects Taught Me About Distributed Systems by Bret Bernhoft
As a sound designer and cloud native developer, I have discovered the art of crafting immersive audio effects mirrors the science of engineering distributed systems. In this talk, I will share how core audio production concepts like managing feedback loops, dealing with signal degradation and understanding the effects of reverb offer direct parallels to tackling challenges in microservices, observability and network latency. Just as a single, complex sound effect is built from many interdependent layers, modern applications rely on an orchestration of services and timing, demanding both precision and systems thinking.
We will explore how considering signal-to-noise ratio can clarify your logging strategies and how the art of mixing audio tracks provides valuable insights into resource limits as well as task prioritization within your deployments. By drawing on these analogies, this session aims to equip you with a new perspective that makes the complexities of cloud native architectures a bit more understandable, all through the lens of sound.
6:45pm to 8:00pm – Networking and Board games!
None of this would be possible without our amazing sponsors:
Thanks to ProFocus for sponsoring the meetup space Thanks to Mezmo for sponsoring the food -
ThursdayJul 24 2025SIM Women Party in the Park
Join the Society of Information Management's (SIM) women's group as they gather local women in tech for a park party with food, drinks, and games. Enjoy casual and fun networking at Cook Family Park with local resource groups, community partners, and companies.
Thanks to ProFocus Technology's Women in Focus for sponsoring!
RSVP link can be found on the SIM website.
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ProductTank July 2025: Systems Thinking & Product Narratives–
KilnWebsiteJoin us for a special ProductTank PDX this July!
We’re excited to welcome two incredible speakers, Deanna Mustain (Sr. Product Manager @ Duolingo) and Dave Ruel (VP of Product @ Hanzo), for an evening all about unlocking innovation and elevating your product narrative. As always, we’ll also have plenty of time to meet other product folks over drinks and tasty snacks.
📅 Thursday, July 24, 2025 🕕 6:00 – 8:00pm 📍 Kiln
Unlocking Innovation: The Power of Systems Thinking in Product Management
In this talk, Deanna Mustain shares how systems thinking can unlock innovation, clarity, and speed in fast-moving product environments. Drawing from her work at Duolingo, where she launched 0-1 features for the Music product, led multiple roadmaps to drive growth, and transformed the company’s Product Review process, Deanna will unpack the frameworks behind high-quality decision-making, creative alignment, and scalable product development. Through concrete examples and practical tools, she’ll show how systems thinkers build teams, products, and processes that deliver long-term impact—even in the most ambiguous spaces.
About Deanna: Deanna Mustain is a product leader with a decade of experience at the intersection of creativity and technology. At Duolingo, she co-led development of the company’s Music product, launched features like Popular Songs with Sony Music, and previously ran Product Operations, building programs that transformed company-wide product excellence. Before moving into tech, Deanna performed as a classical violist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She holds degrees from Stanford, the San Francisco Conservatory, and the New England Conservatory.
Beyond User Stories: The Power of a Compelling Product Narrative
Dave Ruel will explore why product narratives are more than just a marketing tool—they’re a core driver of product success. In this session, Dave will break down how to craft and leverage compelling narratives that align teams, influence stakeholders, and resonate with customers. He’ll also dive into how modern AI tools can help elevate your storytelling and turn data into stories that drive action.
About Dave: Dave Ruel is passionate about empowering product teams to go beyond the typical backlog and sprint cycles to build products that matter. His work focuses on helping teams understand the deeper narrative behind their products, so they can unlock meaningful differentiation and impact.
🎉 Don’t miss it!
Come connect with fellow product managers, designers, engineers, and enthusiasts over drinks and snacks. See you there!
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ProductTank July 2025: Systems Thinking & Product Narratives–
KilnWebsiteWe’re excited to welcome two incredible speakers, Deanna Mustain (Sr. Product Manager @ Duolingo) and Dave Ruel (VP of Product @ Hanzo), for an evening all about unlocking innovation and elevating your product narrative. As always, we’ll also have plenty of time to meet other product folks over drinks and tasty snacks.
Unlocking Innovation: The Power of Systems Thinking in Product Management
In this talk, Deanna Mustain shares how systems thinking can unlock innovation, clarity, and speed in fast-moving product environments. Drawing from her work at Duolingo, where she launched 0-1 features for the Music product, led multiple roadmaps to drive growth, and transformed the company’s Product Review process, Deanna will unpack the frameworks behind high-quality decision-making, creative alignment, and scalable product development. Through concrete examples and practical tools, she’ll show how systems thinkers build teams, products, and processes that deliver long-term impact—even in the most ambiguous spaces.
About Deanna: Deanna Mustain is a product leader with a decade of experience at the intersection of creativity and technology. At Duolingo, she co-led development of the company’s Music product, launched features like Popular Songs with Sony Music, and previously ran Product Operations, building programs that transformed company-wide product excellence. Before moving into tech, Deanna performed as a classical violist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She holds degrees from Stanford, the San Francisco Conservatory, and the New England Conservatory.
Beyond User Stories: The Power of a Compelling Product Narrative
Dave Ruel will explore why product narratives are more than just a marketing tool—they’re a core driver of product success. In this session, Dave will break down how to craft and leverage compelling narratives that align teams, influence stakeholders, and resonate with customers. He’ll also dive into how modern AI tools can help elevate your storytelling and turn data into stories that drive action.
About Dave: Dave Ruel is passionate about empowering product teams to go beyond the typical backlog and sprint cycles to build products that matter. His work focuses on helping teams understand the deeper narrative behind their products, so they can unlock meaningful differentiation and impact.
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Community Broadband PDX - MeetupWebsite
Join us to talk about the Community Broadband PDX campaign to bring a public broadband option to the City of Portland to create ffordable, accessible, fast internet service for everyone in Portland. Meet other community broadband advocates and learn how you can help!
Look for the "Ask Me About Municipal Broadband" light sign.
Email [email protected] with questions.
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SundayJul 27 2025The Mondo Croquet World Championships and Mad Hatter PicnicWebsite
It's croquet – American style! With bowling balls and sledgehammers! This is our 28th year of bringing class, style, humor and ruthless competition to the North Park Blocks. Fun, free and kid-friendly drop in and join us! We've got all the balls and sledgehammers, you bring a chair, a snack to share and something cold to drink.
Come see why we've been voted "Best of Portland" in Willamette Week. Come see how much fun it is to smack a bowling ball with a sledgehammer.
Wondering how to dress appropriately, or appropriately inappropriate? Check out our photo archives! Photos! Lots of photos!
Yours in Watusi,
Lord Peters
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MondayJul 28 2025Startup Train to Seattle
WebsiteCome join us on a leisurely ride up to Seattle from Portland as we connect and learn from founders working on remarkable startups.
How this works: - Buy a coach ticket from Amtrak for the 8:30am departure from Portland's Union Station to King St (usually around $27). - We will all meet in the bar car once the train is underway. - About an hour into the trip we will have founders pitch their startups. - Each company will get 5 minutes with 5 minutes of Q&A/Feedback
This event is part of Seattle Tech Week. Hopefully, you will be hanging out in Seattle for the rest of the week's events. We may book a return trip, so keep an eye open for that.
All travelers are responsible for their own ticket costs and travel. Organizers are not affiliated with Amtra, so we cannot guarantee tickets, discount costs, or provide any other services related to this event.
This event is being put together by UpStart Collective.
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TuesdayJul 29 2025Portland Accessibility and User Experience Meetup (PDX A11Y UX) - Accessibility summer socialWebsite
Note: Rescheduled to Tuesday, July 29th, due to a heat advisory on the original date.
What to Expect
Bring yourself and your curiosity about accessibility to The Zipper, located at NE 27th and Sandy Boulevard. The Zipper features a vibrant food court with bars, restaurants, indoor and outdoor seating, and nearby fire pits. The food options vary, from fried chicken to tacos. Our summer social is an opportunity to informally connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for digital accessibility. We can't wait to meet you!
What to Bring
Feel free to bring some cash or a card to purchase food and/or drinks. Please note that it is not necessary to buy food or beverages to attend our meetup.
How to Find Us
Look for our Portland Accessibility and User Experience Meetup sign and table toppers.
Accessibility + COVID Safety
The location is wheelchair accessible, is conveniently located near public transit, and offers street parking for both bikes and cars. This event will be held outside in the covered patio space, which has outdoor ventilation.
Inclement Weather Plan
If high temperatures occur, we have set Tuesday, July 29th, as a backup date. Update: A heat advisory has been issued for Tue July 15th so this event has been moved to Tue July 29th.
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RainSec - PDX Information Security Meetup
Website
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
- We meet outside under a covered patio area to reduce transmission risk.
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ThursdayJul 31 2025FOSSY 2025through
PSU Smith Memorial Student UnionWebsiteFOSSY (Free and Open Source Software Yearly) is focused on the creation and impact of free and open source software, uplifting contributors of all experience.
Taking place in Portland, OR, we hope FOSSY will be a community focused event that invites local community, as well as the wider internet and global communites we have formed over the years. Whether you are a long time contributing member of a free software project, a recent graduate of a coding bootcamp or university, or just have an interest in the possibilies that free and open source software bring, FOSSY will have something for you.
With around ten tracks with talks over four days, for community building, development and legal and licensing issues, the conference will provide ample learning and networking opportunities for contributors of all levels of experience. There will be hands on workshops, lightning talks and traditional 50 minute talks.