15th Oakland Hardware Meetup @ Port Labs | Establishing Successful Startups
Hardware Meetups happen across 30+ cities around the world, bringing together hardware professionals to network, share knowledge, and support each other and the larger hardware ecosystem.
Oakland Hardware meetup covers the vibrant startup scene in Oakland, but other East Bay areas as well.
🤖 There will be a chance for an open mic. All demos and standup pitches are welcome. Notify the organizers in advance if you have special setup requirements.
TONIGHT’S TOPIC:
Establishing Successful Startups: Asking the Right Questions for Impact and Sustainability
Most start-ups don’t make it. It’s not lack of capital or flashy logos, but getting attached to quick solutions before examining the real underlying problems that has led to the majority of startups failing. This interactive panel discussion brings together Ellen Juhlin and Rachel Beth Egenhoefer to discuss different tools and frameworks to create lasting and meaningful impact in your venture.
Ellen Juhlin works with startups using the Continuous Discovery framework to infuse customer research at the very beginning of planning a product, determining which solutions customers are willing to pay for. Knowing what kind of research to do and how to analyze it will help you understand which products will have a real impact on your business.
Rachel Beth Egenhoefer uses systems thinking and design thinking strategies to identify root causes and multiple leverage points for sustainable solutions. Realizing we aren’t actually sustaining our planet, Egenhoefer encourages a shift from “sustainable” to “regenerative” - working to repair, replenish, and renourish not just the environment but also yourself and community in order to implement that lasting impact.
Besides hearing from our speakers, there will be a chance to ask questions during the presentation.
AGENDA:
6:30-7:00 - Arrival, mingle, grab refreshments
7:00-7:05 - Welcome and introduction
7:05-8:00 - Guest talks and audience Q+A
8:00-8:30p - Community open mic
8:30-9:30p - Mix + mingle
Anyone will have the chance for a 30 seconds pitch to demo a prototype or talk about what they are working on.
SPEAKER BIO’S:
Ellen Juhlin works with CEOs and early stage startups to turn innovations into valuable products. She also teaches classes on continuous discovery at Product Talk. Previously, she was Senior Director of Product Management at Orion Labs, where she led development on platform services, automation and voice bots, hardware, firmware, and mobile apps. During her 20 years in product management, she has led B2C and B2B product initiatives in collaboration with global customer companies across diverse industries including entertainment, hospitality, retail, public transportation, mining, security, manufacturing, healthcare, government, and more. When she's not building products, she's building interactive and immersive art experiences, large and small. Ellen has a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, and holds 16 patents. She is based in Oakland, CA.
Rachel Beth Egenhoefer is a design professor, sustainability and systems researcher, and strategy consultant who uses design as a tool for social change. Egenhoefer is a full professor at the University of San Francisco where she teaches in Design, Environmental Studies and Environmental Management. She is also affiliate faculty at the Presidio Graduate School where she works with students to apply design thinking to the MBA in sustainable solutions program. Her most recent book, the 2nd Edition of her book The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Design was published in April 2024. Working to bridge academic speak, the design industry, and climate science to create lasting change for the everyday, she also writes Regenerative Conversations on Substack.
Thank you to our community partners!
Port Labs is a home for emerging companies developing physical products. Hardware companies in climate tech, IoT, ecommerce right in downtown Oakland.
informal is a freelance collective for the most talented independent professionals in hardware. Whether you're looking for a single contractor, a full-time employee, or an entire team of professionals to work on everything from product development to go-to-market, the informal collective has the perfect collection of people for the job. Learn more.
Want to support the Oakland Hardware Meetup community?
Sponsorship: We offer exclusive access to our 10,000+ member community through sponsorships.
Host an event at your space: We are always looking for hosting venue partners with access to unique spaces. That includes cool hardware companies building interesting things (who may also want to provide a tour!) or other hardware / tech related venues.
Be a guest Speaker: Do you have something interesting to share with our community? We're always looking for awesome hardware professionals to talk about their journey and experiences.
Subscribe and Share: The biggest asset for Oakland Hardware Meetup is YOU! Be sure to subscribe to the Oakland Hardware Meetup Calendar on Luma (and also our sibling groups in San Francisco and San Jose).
And then…tell a friend or colleague to do the same.
If you want to get involved, send a message to aaron@informal.cc.
See you soon!
This event is part of the global Hardware Meetup organization, hosting monthly meetups for the community since 2011.