Coming Soon: TAO to Announce 2025 Award Recipients

TAO is excited to announce the recipients of three of our most prestigious honors—recognizing exceptional leadership, impact, and community commitment across Oregon and SW Washington.

Sam Blackman Tech Executive of the Year

Named in memory of Sam Blackman, founder of Elemental Technologies, this award honors executives leading with vision, integrity, and a deep commitment to community.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Celebrates a tech leader whose career has shaped Oregon’s innovation landscape through professional excellence, mentorship, and advocacy.

Tech Champion Award

Recognizes a leader outside the tech sector who has made a significant impact in supporting and advancing the regional tech community.

Sponsorships are available to support the celebration and help us honor these outstanding individuals. Contact Ashley Kmiecik-ashley.kmiecik@techoregon.org for more information!

Stay tuned for the announcement—and help us celebrate the people moving our industry forward.

Please join us in welcoming Concord to the TAO member community! Concord offers a unified privacy and compliance platform designed to help organizations simplify complex requirements and stay ahead of evolving regulations.

Their platform includes:

• Consent Management: Location-aware cookie consent and privacy management experience for users, automatic real-time detection and blocking of cookies and scripts, and flexible consent tracking and logging.
• Privacy Requests: Streamlined and secure data privacy request forms and workflows to simplify the handling of regulation-required privacy requests (Data Subject Requests/DSRs).
• Policy Generation: AI, Cookie, and Privacy Policy Generator templates designed to simplify compliance and strengthen governance.
• Data Mapping: Guided data mapping experience that makes it easy to create a comprehensive inventory of the different systems and data stored across your organization.

With support for global regulations like GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, LGPD, and the EU AI Act, Concord helps organizations build trust, reduce risk, and meet the latest data privacy and AI compliance standards. TAO has already implemented Concord’s solution on our own website—demonstrating the strength of member-to-member collaboration in action.

Explore how Concord can support your organization’s privacy and compliance needs: www.concord.tech   We’re excited to have Concord as part of the TAO community and look forward to seeing the impact they make!

The Intelligence Futures Lab (IF Lab) is a student-led research and development lab at the University of Oregon focused on AI, blockchain, and emerging tech. We’re building a space in Eugene where students and businesses collaborate on real-world projects, publish research, and explore new ideas together.

Alongside collaborative work with local organizations, students in the lab are also launching their own self-directed projects. They're experimenting with blockchain applications, building AI tools, and conducting original research. The lab is designed to give students room to explore, build, and contribute meaningfully to the tech ecosystem in Eugene.

If you're interested in working together on a project, tool, or research idea, we’d love to connect.

Welcome New & Renewing Members!

We're excited to welcome the newest members of our community and extend a big thank you to those who have renewed their commitment! Your continued support helps us grow, connect, and drive innovation together.

Please join us in welcoming Trigate Strategy Coaching to the TAO community! Founded by Dr. Brandon Barnett, Pam Kelley-Dockter, and Bernhard Ries, the team has been deeply involved in the region—shaping strategy at Intel, advising local startups and investors, and supporting education and leadership within the tech ecosystem. With extensive expertise in strategy, leadership development, and executive coaching, Trigate is on a mission to elevate leaders and teams to master the art and science of strategy in the age of AI.

Trigate provides member companies with a unique approach to building strategic leadership at all levels—helping teams accelerate growth, drive innovation, and lead through uncertainty. Their coaching-driven, science-based framework transforms strategy into a repeatable team capability, grounded in clarity, courage, and ongoing learning. Connect with them at www.trigatecoaching.com.

What is Techlandia?

Techlandia is the flagship podcast of the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO), hosted by TAO’s president and CEO, Skip (Warren) Newberry Jr. Launched in 2023, it features in-depth conversations with innovators, educators, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders—primarily from the Pacific Northwest—about emerging technologies and their impacts on business, society, and the regional workforce .

Last Chance to Buy Tickets!

July 19, 2025 - Don’t miss your chance to attend TAO’s signature summer celebration—Party in the Pinot—hosted at the picturesque Scholls Valley Lodge. 

Silver Sponsorships still available which include 6 tickets, marketing and brand recognition!

Aug 14, 2025 - AI & Data Community Summer Soiree - In partnership with AI Portland, this casual gathering is all about bringing together professionals, innovators, and enthusiasts from Oregon’s AI and data ecosystems. There’s no formal agenda — just good vibes, great people, and the opportunity to strengthen your network over drinks, snacks, and sunshine.

July 14 - 16th:  Communicate with Confidence Workshop by Darlene Miller - Get your DiSC® style. Communicate better, lead stronger, and stop dreading tough conversations.

July 17th / Aug. 21st:  Sales leadership Best Practice Workshop Series Join NAVEX and TAO for an exclusive series of best practices and networking events designed specifically for leaders in high-growth sales organizations like yours.

Aug. 29 - Sept. 1st:  Caldera’s Wild Imagination Retreat -- Step into a three-day creative reboot in Oregon’s stunning high desert. They are offering TAO members an exclusive $100 off discount.  Contact Jeahna at jeahna.atangan@techoregon.org to obtain the discount code.

SAIF - Free Safe Workplace Webinars 

Looking for tech talent or your next opportunity?

Check out the Technology Association of Oregon Job Board! It’s completely free to use and connects employers and job seekers across Oregon’s thriving tech ecosystem. Whether you’re hiring or job hunting, it’s a great way to tap into a focused, engaged community of professionals in the region.

Post a job or browse opportunities today!