Overview
We gathered at Code Talent for our Local Expert speaker series featuring the brilliant Chase Christensen and Amber Graner.
We explored critical questions for contributors and builders alike: How do you know when to donate your valuable time to a project? And how does a project's fundamental organization dictate how far your contributions go (and who truly benefits)?
PLUS The Official Launch of AMLC of the Rockies!
We officially kicked off the Applied Machine Learning Collective of the Rockies. We shared our roadmap, planned programming, and upcoming projects in 2026. We discussed member benefits and how to become a member. It was great to come for the discussion, and stay for the community.
What is AMLC of the Rockies?
We are a 501(c)(6) nonprofit. No paid employees. Volunteer-led. The AMLC of the Rockies strives to offer a diverse range of activities for both members and non-members.
"In machine learning and life, collective communication scales."
Event Details
Time
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
(Doors open at 6:30 PM)
Speakers
The Deets
Pizza & Soda provided!
First members to
join the AMLC of the Rockies get a FREE O'Reilly book!
Event Gallery
A few snapshots from our amazing launch event!
Preview Video
Watch the preview of this talk:
Slides & Session Summary
Presentation Slides
View the full slide deck on Gamma
Core Pillars of the Talk
1. Community Fit
Balancing Passion (excitement) with Pragmatism (project health). Use the 10-point scorecard to evaluate open source projects before diving in.
2. Support Models
Understanding the difference between Vendor Support (SLAs, production reliability) and Community Support (collective wisdom, learning). Neutral foundations protect against single-vendor lock-in.
3. Empowerment
Finding "Safety to Fail." The community provides psychological safety to experiment, ask questions, and grow without fear of career repercussions.
Rules for Thriving
- Give First: Enter every conversation to give, not get.
- Don't Hero-Worship: Remember that project maintainers and leaders are human too.
- Build Your Brand: Keep a record of your contributions; you are building your own portfolio.
- You Belong: Don't wait for permission to participate.
AMLC Roadmap (2026)
We also unveiled our major initiatives for the year:
- Agentic RAG Recruiting: A new system to match members with roles and opportunities.
- Community-Authored Book: "Applied Open-Source ML for the Real World."
- Mini-Conference: A dedicated event for sharing knowledge and connecting locally.