AI Hot Seat Roundtable: What's Actually Working (And What Isn't)

Bend 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 creates value.

This event brings together founders, operators, functional leaders, and advisors making real AI decisions across companies of all sizes. We’re running structured hot seats where participants bring real AI decisions affecting their company, team, product, customers, or workflow.

This is an invite-only gathering of people in the Great Bend Area actively using, building, advising on, or making decisions about AI. If you’re trying to figure out where AI actually helps your business, team, customers, product, or workflow, this is your room.

We’ll operate under Chatham House Rule: you can use the ideas, but you can’t attribute comments to individuals. This exists so people can discuss real business issues openly.

We’ll also make curated introductions before and after the hot seats so you meet the people most relevant to what you’re building, testing, deciding, or trying to figure out.

We'll connect you with the people working on AI in Bend — who's here, what they're building, and where collaboration makes sense. $25 all in.

What to Expect
Curated introductions before and after: We match you with the right people based on what you're working on and what you need. No awkward networking — just targeted conversations with founders, operators, and advisors who can actually help.

Three-stage hot seat format:

• Real Decision Presentation: One participant presents a real AI decision, challenge, experiment, or implementation problem. The decision in front of them, what's at stake, what makes it hard.
• Pressure Testing: The table asks clarifying questions. No advice yet. We uncover assumptions, constraints, blind spots, and the real decision underneath the surface issue.
• Structured Advice Round: Experienced operators share what they'd actually do based on what they've seen work (or fail).

Chatham House Rule: You can use the ideas, but you can't attribute comments to individuals. This exists so real business challenges — not sanitized versions — can be discussed openly.

Food, drinks, and the people shaping Bend's AI future

Why Attend

• Practical advice on real AI decisions
• Better perspective on what’s actually working, failing, or overhyped
• Candid input from people using AI across products, teams, workflows, and companies
• Curated introductions to relevant people in the room
• A stronger sense of where AI creates leverage, confusion, or risk
• A high-signal room without the performative AI nonsense

Who Should Apply
Anyone seriously working with AI, including founders, operators, product leaders, marketers, consultants, advisors, investors, and functional leaders.

You do not need to be a software engineer.

This is an invitation-only event with a simple application process. We're curating for diverse perspectives and genuine challenges, not just success stories.

Ready to share a hot seat topic or just help solve on? Fill out the form at https://forms.gle/ULfpxwmNuS9pjuQw7.

Format: A 60-minute facilitated roundtable discussion starting at 530pm with curated introductions, food and drink before and after.

Tickets: $25

Presented by Repli: A global prop-tech company with an all-in-one marketing platform built by rebels at heart.

Ready to support something awesome?
Our sponsors don't buy ads. They become part of the community. If that sounds like the right fit for your company, let's chat.

Help put Bend on the map as a place where serious AI conversations actually happen. Space is intentionally limited.