Put AI to Work: A Hands-On Workshop

Most people are still using AI like a better search box: ask a question, get an answer, move on.

Meanwhile, engineers have spent the last two years using AI tools that can read files, follow multi-step instructions, create deliverables, and automate repetitive work. Those same capabilities are now becoming accessible to the rest of us—but almost nobody has been taught how to use them well.

This three-hour working session is built to close that gap.

Ryan Ramirez will show you how tools like Claude Cowork and Claude Code actually work, where they are reliably useful, and how to give them the context and instructions required to produce professional-quality output.

Then you will put the ideas to work.

You’ll identify a repetitive task from your own week, break it into the right components, and begin building an AI-assisted version of the workflow. This is designed for product leaders, marketers, operators, designers, salespeople, finance professionals, executives, and other knowledge workers—not software engineers.

Ryan is an AI product leader and consultant with a background in product, UX, and design and a degree in Symbolic Systems from Stanford. He has trained teams ranging from early-stage startups to financial institutions managing $95 billion in assets.

You do not need advanced AI experience. We will start with the fundamentals and build from there.

You’ll leave with

• One recurring task mapped into an AI-ready workflow
• A first attempt at automating or accelerating that task
• A six-step framework you can reuse for other work
• A practical understanding of what AI does well—and where it still needs supervision
• The workshop worksheet, cheat sheet, and presentation slides
• Curated introductions to people in the room worth knowing

The session is intentionally practical. You will not spend three hours debating the future of AI. You will spend it learning how to use AI on work that is already taking up your time. The workshop plan is specifically designed around identifying repetitive tasks, mapping one through a six-step process, and beginning a working attempt.

What to expect

Wednesday, August 19, 3:00–6:00 PM

• Practical presentation and live demonstrations
• Q&A
• 60-minute hands-on workshop
• Small-group collaboration and share-outs
• Curated introductions before and after the session

Bring a laptop with Claude Cowork installed if possible. You can also participate using another AI tool—or complete the full exercise with the printed worksheet.

Venue announced to ticket holders.

The curation is part of the product

WTT does not leave valuable introductions to chance.

We use attendee information and our matching process to identify the people each participant would benefit most from meeting—and why. You walk into the room with specific introductions rather than hoping you happen to meet the right person.

That reinforces WTT’s larger promise: events should create high-value connections that turn into projects, partnerships, hires, and continued collaboration.

Format

A presentation with live demos of Claude Code and Claude Cowork, Q&A, and a 60-minute hands-on workshop where you break down and start automating one of your own tasks. Venue announced to ticket holders.

Tickets

$65 early bird — first 12 tickets or August 10, whichever comes first

$85 regular

$150 team two-pack

Need a break on ticket price? Whether you're between jobs, a student or have your own good reason, we've got you covered. Contact John McMahon at jpmcmahon@gmail.com to learn about our flex ticket program.

Presented by...

Put your company at the center of the practical AI conversation in Central Oregon.

The presenting sponsor will reach an experienced audience of founders, executives, operators, and functional leaders who are actively determining how AI will change their companies and their work.

The sponsorship includes prominent event recognition, attendee tickets, visibility across WTT promotional and attendee communications, and curated introductions to relevant people in the room. It can also help fund a limited number of access tickets for people who would otherwise be unable to attend.

This is more than logo placement. It is a credible way to demonstrate that your organization is investing in the people and capabilities shaping how work gets done next.

Contact John McMahon at jpmcmahon@gmail.com to discuss the presenting sponsorship.

About What the Tech, Bend?

What the Tech, Bend? is Central Oregon's premier tech community — 900 members strong, with an average of 15+ years of professional experience. We host curated events that bring together the region's most experienced builders, operators, and advisors. Bend is the mountain town where serious work happens in an unserious setting.

Stop experimenting with AI around the edges

Bring one real task that keeps showing up in your week.

You’ll leave knowing how to turn AI from a chat tool into a working partner—and with something concrete you can continue building the next morning.