BEGIN:VCALENDAR
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DESCRIPTION:Bend: tech\, Wednesday (Wed Sep 23\, America/Los_Angeles). Rol
 ling: the window moves forward every day\, so subscribe rather than downlo
 ad. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscovery.com). 
 Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information from CalDis
 covery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0.
SOURCE:https://caldiscovery.com/bend-or/wednesday-tech.ics
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X-WR-CALDESC:Bend: tech\, Wednesday (Wed Sep 23\, America/Los_Angeles). Ro
 lling: the window moves forward every day\, so subscribe rather than downl
 oad. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscovery.com).
  Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information from CalDi
 scovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0.
X-WR-CALNAME:Bend · tech · Wednesday · CalDiscovery
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The AI Conversation: What's Actually Working (And What Isn't)
DTSTART:20260924T003000Z
DTEND:20260924T023000Z
DTSTAMP:20260915T190609Z
UID:event_316436087@meetup.com
CATEGORIES:tech
DESCRIPTION:What the Tech\, Bend?\nBend isn't just a mountain town anymore
 . It's quietly becoming home to serious founders\, operators\, advisors\, 
 functional leaders\, and AI builders figuring out where AI actually create
 s value. This event is proof.\n\nThis event brings together founders\, ope
 rators\, functional leaders\, and advisors making real AI decisions across
  companies of all sizes. We're running curated introductions and lightning
  talks — real problems\, real experiments\, and the practical lessons yo
 u won't find in a LinkedIn post.\n\nThis is an invite-only gathering of pe
 ople in the Greater Bend Area actively using\, building\, advising on\, or
  making decisions about AI. If you’re trying to figure out where AI actu
 ally helps your business\, team\, customers\, product\, or workflow\, this
  is your room.\n\nWe'll connect you with the people working on AI in Bend 
 — who's here\, what they're building\, and where collaboration makes sen
 se. $25 all in.\n\n## **What to Expect**\n\n**Three to five lightning talk
 s**: insight-sharing from people in the room\, up to 15 minutes each inclu
 ding Q&A.\n\n**Curated introductions** before and after the talks\, so you
  walk in knowing exactly who you should meet and why.\n\n**Food and drinks
 ** while the conversations keep going.\n\n## **The Curation is the Differe
 ntiator**\n\nWe use a matching algorithm that ingests public and private a
 ttendee inputs to surface the three most valuable connections for each per
 son in the room. Everyone walks in knowing who they should talk to and why
 . No awkward cold networking. Just tighter\, more productive conversations
  with the right people.\n\n## **Pitch a Lightning Talk**\n\nEvery slot is 
 open to anyone in the room. Submit a topic here: [https://forms.gle/ULfpxw
 mNuS9pjuQw7](https://forms.gle/ULfpxwmNuS9pjuQw7). These are insight-shari
 ng\, not sales — a real lesson\, a shift you're seeing\, a problem you'v
 e wrestled with. If you've got something worth spending fifteen minutes an
 d this room's attention on\, put it forward.\n\n## **Chatham House Rule**\
 n\nYou can use the ideas\, but you can't attribute comments to individuals
 . This exists so real business challenges — not sanitized versions — c
 an be discussed openly.\n\n## **Why Attend**\n\n* Practical perspective on
  what's actually working\, failing\, or overhyped — across products\, te
 ams\, workflows\, and companies\n* Connect with senior people actively bui
 lding\, deciding\, and shipping with AI\n* Walk away with three targeted i
 ntroductions to the people most relevant to what you're working on\n* A hi
 gh-signal room without the performative AI nonsense\n* Be part of putting 
 Bend on the map as an emerging AI hub\n\n## **Who Should Apply**\n\nAnyone
  seriously working with AI\, including founders\, operators\, product lead
 ers\, marketers\, consultants\, advisors\, investors\, and functional lead
 ers.\n\nYou do not need to be a software engineer.\n\nTitles matter less t
 han depth of experience\, quality of perspective\, and willingness to enga
 ge honestly. This room is designed for people doing real work and willing 
 to share what's actually happening\, not just what sounds good.\n\nThis is
  an invite-only event with a simple application process. We're curating fo
 r seniority\, diversity of perspective\, and genuine expertise.\n\n### **F
 ormat**\n\nA two-hour evening starting at 5:30 PM with curated introductio
 ns\, lightning talks\, and networking over food and drinks.\n\n### **Ticke
 ts**\n\n$25 (includes food and drinks)\n\n## **Need a break on ticket pric
 e?**\n\nWhether you're between jobs\, a student or have your own good reas
 on\, we've got you covered. Contact John McMahon at [jpmcmahon@gmail.com](
 http://jpmcmahon@gmail.com/) to learn about our flex ticket program.\n\n##
  **Sponsors**\n\n**Presented by**… your company?\n\nWe're bringing on a 
 founding partner for the AI Conversation series. Our sponsors don't buy ad
 s. They become part of the community. If getting in a room with senior ope
 rators\, founders\, and advisors making real AI decisions sounds like your
  kind of thing\, let's talk: [jpmcmahon@gmail.com](mailto:jpmcmahon@gmail.
 com).\n\n## **About What the Tech\, Bend?**\n\nWhat the Tech\, Bend? is Ce
 ntral Oregon's premier tech community — 900 members strong\, with an ave
 rage of 15+ years of professional experience. We host curated events that 
 bring together the region's most experienced builders\, operators\, and ad
 visors. Bend is the mountain town where serious work happens in an unserio
 us setting.\n\n## **Apply Now**\n\nSpace is intentionally limited. Apply h
 ere: [https://forms.gle/ULfpxwmNuS9pjuQw7](https://forms.gle/ULfpxwmNuS9pj
 uQw7).\n\n**Help put Bend on the map as a place where serious AI conversat
 ions actually happen.**
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T190609Z
URL:https://www.meetup.com/what-the-tech-bend/events/316436087/?utm_source
 =caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=bend-or
X-SOURCE-NAME:What the Tech\, Bend?
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