Presentation, talks, conferences.

Upcoming

Previously

  • Operation Code Deploy the Future Gala - November 10, 2017 At Operation Code, we have grown leaps and bounds since committing the first line of code on August 21, 2014. When we started there were no code schools offering the New GI Bill to pay for tuition, room and board. Today, there are over 10 and more expected to come online in 2017 and 2018. We have witnessed lives changed from veterans and spouses attending code schools and now successfully working in the tech scene building powerful tools that are shaping our everyday lives. We’ll be hearing from scholarship recipients who have benefited from Operation Code. For one night we’ll be putting down the computer keyboard and relaxing in formal attire to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate our wins and raise funds to expand in 2018. Learn more. Location: Governor’s Ballroom at the Sentinel Hotel, 614 Southwest 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97205.

  • Operation Code DC Chapter Inauguration - July 27, 2017, Washington, D.C. Guest speaker at the first Operation Code DC meetup. I spoke about Operation Code’s history, our programs & services, and took time for Q&A. An amazing time. Pumped up group. Served? Live in DC? Join today. Location: The Iron Yard at Washington, DC.

  • VET TEC Roundtable Discussion w/ Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy - July 27, 2017, Washington, D.C. Along w/ Army Captain, Justin Rose, participated in an invite-only Roundtable discussion w/ VSOs and other stakeholders on the progress of the VET TEC Act, a piece of legislation championed by the Majority Leader to provide grant funding for code schools to train veterans to become software developers, the growing role of non-traditional tech courses, increasing tech opportunities for veterans, and collaboration between schools and non-traditional course providers. Learn more about the VET TEC here. The U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.

  • Tech Inclusion Seattle - June 14, 2017 Panelist at Tech Inclusion Seattle, an event focusing on solutions to diversity and inclusion in technology. The first day is a conference and startup showcase, with a career fair (registration is free) on the second day. Featuring amazing speakers from the local and national stage, the goal of the day is to inspire everyone to work together and learn from each other – to make the local the industry more inclusive! Register here to get 50% off tickets. Location: Galvanize Seattle at Pioneer Square, 111 S Jackson St. Seattle WA 98104.

  • Tech Jobs Tour Seattle - May 24, 2017 Invited to speak at Tech Jobs Tour when it comes to Seattle on the Operation Code mission, learning to code, and building an organization serving the unique needs of transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses. Location: Seattle Impact Hub, 220 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104.

  • Bunker Labs Seattle, First Annual Muster - May 5, 2017, Seattle, WA Spoke at Bunker Labs Seattle First Annual Muster on the Operation Code mission, how we formed, why learning to code is imperative for veteran founders, building an MVP and never giving up on building a company. Watch the full remarks below. Location: Seattle Impact Hub, 220 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104.
  • Veterans Readiness in Technology: Preparing Veterans for Careers in the 21st-Century Economy - November 15, 2016, Washington, D.C. Honored to be on a Congressional panel along w/ Curtis L. Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Ardine Williams, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Amazon Web Services; Evan Engstrom, Executive Director of Engine; and, moderated by Millenial Action Project President Steven Olikara.
  • GitHub Universe - September 13-15, 2016, San Francisco. Honored to be speaking at GitHub Universe on getting people into software development, especially veterans. Follow the hashtag and watch the talk (spoke right after Nicole Sanchez, VP of Social Impact)
  • VetsHack - September 3-4, 2016, Los Angeles. Honored to attend (and be a hackathon judge) at VetsHack, a veterans hackathon co-hosted by Antioch University-Los Angeles, Sabio and Operation Code. Follow the hashtag #vetshack on Twitter for updates.
  • PDX City Club - July 12, 2016, Portland. Pleasure and honor speaking before PDX City Club members at ShiftDrinks on the Operation Code mission and how we’re empowering military veterans, transitioning servic emembers, and families to learn software development, enter the tech industry, and code the future.
  • CodeConf LA - June 27-29, 2016, Los Angeles. My talk is titled, “What Happens When Military Veterans Learn to Code.” Description: Learning to code is complicated. Between Googling your way and figuring it out on your own, military veterans now have a resource at the ready. Is it an open source project? Is it a community of military veterans learning to code? Is it a community of software developers that want to give back? A coding nonprofit? It’s all of the above. Read the blog recap and storify.
  • ThinkMujer - June 3, 2016, Portland. On-hand providing technical support for my wife’s Latina women’s initiative. Follow along on Twitter.
  • Portland 1 Million Cups - May 18, 2016, Portland. A presentation to founders, entrepreneurs, developers and doers at DeskHub about Operation Code mission, history, programs & services and how we started.
  • GeekWire Awards - May 12, 2016, Seattle. Honored to attend and represent Operation Code and our military veterans in the category of Geek of the Year. It recognizes a person (or group of people) who created a technological breakthrough that made the world a better place, or strengthened the community through their work or good deeds. Here’s an Instagram of an interview I did.
  • OSP Veterans’ Association - April 21, 2016, Salem. Keynote speaker at the OSP Veterans’ Association April meeting on what we do at Operation Code. I was honored and humbled at the opportunity and immense interest of so many incarcerated vets to learn to code and build software to change the world. One vet told me he used to code in Pascal. Pascal! Majority veterans I spoke with were interested in coding to build useful skills so as to not return.