[Full disclosure: Just like a bunch of other people in Portland, I’ve supported the Legion of Tech and their efforts as a participant, a volunteer, a regular sponsor, and an advisor.]
This is a difficult post to write. Well, that’s phrasing it nicely. To be honest, this is a shitty post to have to write. But the Legion of Tech was such a strong presence and core to our tech community that it deserves a post and discussion. Especially in hopes that other well-meaning organizations not repeat similar mistakes. Read More
As you may remember, a little over a year ago, Legion of Tech—a grassroots organization established to help fund and manage Portland are tech events—fell victim to embezzlement. Details at the time were obviously nebulous, due to advice from counsel. And every time talk of Legion of Tech came up, someone would rightfully mention “What ever happened with that situation?”
Portland-based Legion of Tech—the organization formed to manage events like Ignite Portland and BarCamp Portland—has revealed that a member of the organization has misappropriated the Legion of Tech credit line for personal use.
To be blunt, this sucks. I can’t tell you how much I didn’t want to write this. But it’s news that affects the Portland tech community, and as such, I felt an obligation to cover it. Long story short, you deserve to know.
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was born on 10th December 1815, the only child of Lord Byron and his wife, Annabella. Born Augusta Ada Byron, but now known simply as Ada Lovelace, she wrote the world’s first computer programmes for the Analytical Engine, a general-purpose machine that Charles Babbage had invented.
That got me to thinking. I’m incredibly lucky to get the chance to work with a number of extremely talented and technically adept women. And I get the chance to work with many of them on a weekly basis, which is awesome. Many of you are just as lucky as me.
So I thought I’d list some of the cool female geeks in Portland whom I am proud to know:
She’s the co-founder of Open Source Bridge, has had code committed to PostgreSQL, attends and speaks at any number of conferences, served as one of the original board members for Legion of Tech, and provides some exemplary guidance on killing chickens.
She’s the other co-founder of Open Source Bridge, a founding member of Legion of Tech, a celebrated Rubyist, the driving force behind Calagator, and one of the most creative thinkers in the Northwest.
She’s a wizard with Yahoo! Pipes, a sage with community development, a hardworking startup type with Shizzow, one of the founders of Legion of Tech, and from what I understand, one mean werewolf player.
All of these women have been an absolute inspiration for me. And I’m truly honored that I get the chance to work with them on a regular basis.
But for as much as I love the local scene, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two other incredibly inspiring women in the tech scene who have gained—and will continue to have—my utmost admiration.
She’s an incredible speaker and thought-provoking writer whose Creating Passionate Users completely changed the way I thought about marketing and writing—and was a direct inspiration for Silicon Florist.
She’s taught me how to think about the power and the promise technology holds for doing good. And her Gnomedex performance, last year, remains one of the coolest technological experiments I’ve ever seen—even though it had very little to do with technology and everything to do with people.
Which women are excelling in technology in your world?
If there are women in technology who inspire you, I’d love to hear about—and I’m sure they would, too. Who are the other women in Portland technology or Silicon Forest technology who deserve some recognition? Why not take a few minutes to write something up? There’s still time.
What’s changed? Former Treasurer, Todd Kenefsky, has been elected Chair. Former Chair, Dawn Foster, is now Secretary. And Adam DuVander, who led the organization and management of the last Ignite Portland, has been named Treasurer. Raven Zachary, former Secretary, remains a member of the Board.
Congratulations to the new Officers! Err… Officer. And congrats to the old Officers in their new positions.
Today, the Legion of Tech—the completely volunteer force behind a number of the free and amazing tech events here in Portland, Oregon—announced a new addition to their organization, an Advisory Committee to help guide the efforts of the LoT.
Specifically, the Advisory Committee works with the Legion of Tech Board in an effort to “provide feedback on Legion of Tech activities, act as a few more eyes and ears in the community, and get more people involved in Legion of Tech.”
Congratulations to everyone who has been named to the Advisory Committee!
For me, it’s an humbling honor to have been selected to serve with this group of incredibly intelligent and creative folks. I’m looking forward to doing all I can to help the Legion of Tech volunteers and the new LoT Board continue to build one of the most beneficial tech resources in the Silicon Forest.
It’s no secret that one of my favorite organizations here in town is Legion of Tech.
Even in its youth, the Legion of Tech has done an amazing job of becoming a completely philanthropic tech organization designed to serve the greater good and make more events more accessible to more people.
I can safely say that no single organization has had such a dramatic and profound impact on the Portland tech scene over the past year.
Interested in getting more deeply involved in Portland’s tech community? Now’s your chance: the Legion of Tech elections were just announced. There are 2 different LoT positions up for grabs, involving differing levels of responsibility
I have trepidation because the founders have done such a phenomenal job. And yet, there’s definitely excitement because these folks deserve a break—and it will be interesting to see who exactly enters the fold.
If you are interested in running for the Legion of Tech board or the Advisory Committee, please contact your favorite member of the existing board to request a nomination. Keep in mind that the nominations are due on November 1 for the board of directors and on December 1 for the Advisory Committee.
It’s going to be an interesting election year.
I’m excited to see where this goes. And you can be sure that I’ll keep you in the loop.
And please, if you’re interested in participating and continuing the amazing run of tech events here in Portland, by all means throw your hat into the ring.
