Kelly Tutors
Events &
Reviews
Wise people always say, “Never be the smartest person in the room,” so we’ve got that covered!!
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The blogs blend humor, storytelling, and insightful commentary about the experience of attending top-industry events as an outsider trying to learn. I document what is said (and not said).
Startup Conversational Roundtable and Troubleshooting (and Putt Putt Partyin’)
TLDR: Author attends a 27-person startup roundtable where founders pitch AI chatbots, robotaxis, and livestreaming apps, discovers a 6-week founder cohort program she wants to join, then heads to a putt-putt party where she earns 2nd place after bravely joining a group of strangers.
Two Events by a Self-Proclaimed ADHD Networker in Seattle
TLDR: Author attends a founders' mental health meetup and a community BBQ-style tech event featuring startup pitches on hyperspectral cameras and AI infrastructure, leaving energized after five people approached her wanting to intern and a VC friend told her to just build with a team of five.
AI and the Workforce: A Panel of Hype, Humor, and Hope
TLDR: A lively panel discussion on AI's impact on jobs and skills featuring VCs and a Google Cloud rep, where the author not only learns about workforce trends but also makes a valuable funding connection.
Bad Audio, Good Advice on Funding
TLDR: Despite terrible audio at a coffee shop venue, the author absorbs valuable VC advice on the team/tech/traction framework for startups and the math behind successful exits.
Wide-Spread Spectacular Fun at the Annual Events Show
TLDR: The author attends the Northwest Events Show convention and networks enthusiastically on behalf of other companies, then realizes she needs to channel that same energy into promoting her own business.
Late and Great Prep for Exiting + Buy Outs
TLDR: Kelly attends an early-morning startup event on preparing businesses for mergers, acquisitions, and exits, covering EBITDA valuations, customer concentration risks, earn-outs, and carve-outs, while reflecting on her own entrepreneurial journey.
Open Claw for Ya’. The first in the Emerald City
TLDR: Seattle's first OpenClaw AI meetup featuring demos of agentic AI deployments including a dairy farm intelligence system, team memory management tools, AI patent scanning, and discussions about giving AI agents persistent identities and virtual pets.
Sugar Pushin’ towards Quantum Day 2029 (Security Tech Conference + West Coast Swing) / Double Feature
TLDR: A full-day corporate security tech conference covering AI data security, quantum computing threats (Q-Day 2029), post-quantum cryptography migration, and cybersecurity preparedness, followed by a West Coast Swing dance event in the evening.
Super Terriffic Indo-Pacific Tech Policy Conference
TLDR: An extremely dry Indo-Pacific tech policy conference covering US-Korea-Japan-China digital regulation and cybersecurity, where multiple attendees were visibly falling asleep during dense governmental panel discussions.
The Affordable Housing Flirty Social & Lunch
TLDR: The author returns to an annual affordable housing luncheon in Seattle, excited to hear the new mayor speak about accelerating housing production, bolder policy, and building near transit, while observing the event's famously flirtatious networking atmosphere.
FINALYLLYLYY BUILDING AN AI AGENT!!!… (Well… Not Quite - BUT - FINALLY an AGENTIC WHISPERER)
TLDR: Author attends a virtual workshop on AI agents hoping to learn how to build one, but discovers the product (MuleRun) is actually a workflow automation tool -- not an agent builder -- and provides candid feedback about confusing marketing and event naming.
Forecasting Fundable Founders
TLDR: The author attends a startup funding event featuring speakers on capital access, company culture, and acquisitions, including an inspiring blind PhD speaker advocating for accessibility in tech entrepreneurship.
Hickies for the Bank’s V.P. + Pre-FIFA Economic Rundown (w/ Remote Viewing… 13/16 Accuracy)
TLDR: A bank-hosted small business panel covering FIFA World Cup economic preparation, access to capital, scaling strategies, and workforce development, combined with Kelly's "remote viewing" experiment where 13 of 16 predictions came true.
Benevolent Busking Breakthroughs while Managing Marvelous Mediocracy
TLDR: The author shares tips and patterns from street busking experiences, attends coworking events, and navigates career fairs while balancing mediocrity and ambition in her entrepreneurial journey.
Free Lunch and Furrowed Frolicking to the Aesthetic of Caring about Climate Change
TLDR: Author spends a full day at a climate-tech coworking space attending startup pitches on drones, batteries, and waste-to-hydrogen, but finds the scene dominated by performative activism, drinking culture, and founders more interested in extracting money than solving climate problems.
One by Sea, Two at Cruise, Three with Drone
TLDR: A triple-event day covering an underwhelming kelp innovation showcase, a Seattle port cruise tour learning about shipping logistics and tariff impacts on agriculture, and an impressive drone company demo showcasing SWAT and law enforcement drone technology.
Theorizing Global Logistics: One Law-Led Maritime Panel at a Time
TLDR: Notes from maritime law panels covering global shipping investments, US-China shipyard competition, tariffs, trade wars, and long-term infrastructure planning, connecting it to Kelly's theories about e-commerce and global trade futures.
Ai Concordance Avant le ‘Harvest Gala’ Commoners’ Section
TLDR: Author attends an AI ethics event at a local university covering tech, education, and healthcare, then scooters to a harvest gala's "commoners section" at a cool Seattle building, enjoying food and a fireplace but skipping detailed notes due to time pressure.
Aye’, I’m off to L.A. for Ai & far Beyond
TLDR: Author travels to LA for an AI image-generation workshop near Venice Beach, watches skateboarding, tries out a new AI creative tool, and has an uncomfortable encounter with a drunk crypto bro who aggressively dismisses her investments.
Hirin’ Homage Hangout w/ Leadership @ Lunch
TLDR: A jam-packed day attending a hiring festival, a leadership skills class, and working on tutoring worksheets, where the author multitasks between events and has a meaningful encounter advising a developer to think about purpose over job titles.
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