Upcoming Events
Aug. 25, 2026
So You Want to Be an AI Revolutionary
EO Members and SAPs
Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 3p-6p
Location TBA
In Our First Quarterly Learning Lab, We'll Learn from EO Members Who Are Implementing AI Across Their Businesses
You've heard the hype and want to learn more. Or maybe you've defined a problem and you want to be exposed to techniques to accelerate your journey. This session is for the advanced and those just jumping in—for the revolutionaries and for the curious.
Join fellow EO leaders for a practical conversation about how Portland entrepreneurs are using AI to create efficiencies, solve real business problems, and in some cases, completely transform how their companies operate.
You'll hear from EO Members Dave Biglen, Robin Way, and Zac Cramer as they share what they're building, what they've learned, and what's actually working. Through live demos, a candid panel discussion, and audience Q&A, we'll explore everything from choosing the right AI tools to building custom solutions, implementing AI across your business, and where the biggest opportunities still lie.
We'll wrap up with Needs & Leads and time to connect with other members who are actively exploring AI in their own businesses.
Key Takeaways
Learn how entrepreneurs are identifying high-value opportunities for AI inside their businesses.
Hear real-world examples of AI implementation from founders across a variety of industries.
Understand the investment, experimentation, and mindset required to create meaningful business change.
Walk away with practical ideas, new connections, and inspiration for your own AI journey.
Oct. 1, 2026
Psychedelics and the Brain: Perception, Healing, and Constructing Reality
EO Members Only
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 3p - 5p
1022 Northwest Marshall Street
Suite 250 Portland, OR 97209
What do psychedelics actually do to the brain—and why are they receiving so much attention in medicine, psychology, and culture?
This class will explore the emerging science of psychedelics through the lens of perception, consciousness, and the brain’s remarkable ability to construct our experience of reality. Rather than simply “distorting” the world, psychedelic states may reveal how much of what we experience is shaped by prediction, patterning, memory, emotion, and meaning.
We’ll discuss how substances such as psilocybin and MDMA are being studied for conditions like depression, PTSD, addiction, and end-of-life distress, while also looking honestly at risks, contraindications, legal limitations, and the importance of preparation, setting, support, and integration.
Oct. 28, 2026
Difference Wins: How to Position Your Business in a Crowded Market
EO Members and SAPs
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 12p - 2p
Location TBA in Portland
How do you stand out in a loud world?
Most businesses don't spend much time actively thinking about differentiation. They compete on the same claims as everyone else (quality, experience, customer service), and end up harder to tell apart than they'd like, with too many deals coming down to price.
In this session, Eleazar Ruiz (founder of Odd Notion, a branding agency) will walk through how to change that: not with a new slogan, but with positioning decisions that give customers a real reason to choose you.
What you'll walk away with:
A simple framework for auditing whether your brand is actually differentiated or just decorated
How to identify the 1-2 attributes worth owning in your category (and why trying to own everything kills differentiation)
Common branding mistakes that make competitors look interchangeable
Practical exercises you can run with your own team post-event to pressure-test your positioning
Nov. 17, 2026
When Roles Reverse: A Road Map for Caring for Aging Parents
EO Members, SAPs, and SLPs
Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 12p-2p
Location TBD in Portland
This Quarterly Learning Lab, We'll Learn from Barbara Stratte, Founder of The Sandwiched Gen and author of When Roles Reverse: A Road Map for Caring for Aging Parents
Some nights Barbara's up because of her business. Some nights it's her mom. Some nights, both.
She's living in the exact place this room lives too. Sandwiched between running a business, raising a family, and caring for the parent who raised her. Client calls in one hand, a doctor's appointment in the other. Two to-do lists, one for the business and one for mom, and no one else to hand either of them to.
You're already the one everyone in your business counts on. This session is for the other half, the family that counts on you too.
Barbara isn't here to tell you to slow down. She's here to hand you the systems and the permission to finally enforce those same boundaries at home.