Community Groups

TAGNW Community Groups are for current and aspiring professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators interested to participate in a peer group for shared learning, building relationships, and growing community. Current TAGNW Community Groups include Analytics, Connectivity, Creative, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Engineering, IT, Nonprofits, Robotics, and Women in Tech. Each group meets on their own recurrence from weekly to quarterly (mostly monthly). Join us! Free. Open to everyone. All ages, expertise, and experience welcome.

All TAGNW Community Groups utilize the TAGNW Community Hub (Discord) for community discussion in general and dedicated group channels.

Do you represent an official or unofficial group focused on technology, education, and/or community engagement and share the mission of TAGNW? We would love to support you! Contact us to learn more. We offer organizer, promotion, and outreach resources. Let’s do the things we do better together.

TAGNW Community Groups

TAGNW Analytics

About: TAGNW Analytics is a place for Northwest Washington Analytics professionals to meet with each other on a monthly basis, share best practices in a small group setting, establish a strong network of peers, and gain technical advice and career direction.
Contacts: Andy Samuel (email) and Justin Schoonover (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the second Tuesday @ 7:00pm-8:30pm.
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #analytics

TAGNW Connectivity

About: TAGNW Connectivity is a TAGNW Community Group to provide regional rural and public connectivity resources by the community and for the community. Collectively, we document public information and individual connectivity project learnings for collaborative, public benefit. Free. Open to everyone. All ages, experience, and expertise welcome.
Contacts: Michael Gan (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the fourth Monday @ 9:00am-10:00am
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #connectivity

TAGNW Creative

About: TAGNW Creative is a TAGNW Community Group for all tech creatives! Graphic Design, Video, Web, Apps, anything. Join us to meet new folks, reconnect with peers, share what you’re excited about, and help shape the group with your collaborative interests.
Contacts: Matt Bain (email), Aaron Booker (email), Josh Burdick (email), Crystal Garcia (email) and Max Kaiser (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the third Thursday @ 12:00pm-1:00pm
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #creative

TAGNW Cybersecurity

About: A TAGNW Community Group focused on Cybersecurity. Comprising regional cybersecurity professionals, faculty, and students. We’ll meet monthly for presentations, discuss cybersecurity topics, provide support for students entering the field, and organize community service events.
Contacts: David Hirsch (email) and Dr. Carl Willis-Ford (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the third Tuesday @ 7:00pm-8:30pm
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #cybersecurity

TAGNW Digital Marketing

About: TAGNW Digital Marketing is a TAGNW Community Group for current and aspiring digital marketing professionals and technologists. Meet established digital marketing professionals and connect with the next generation of digital marketers. Free. Open to everyone. All Are Welcome.
Contacts: Mark Staton (email)
Events: Quarterly, as scheduled
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #digital-marketing

TAGNW Engineering

About: Welcome to TAGNW Engineering, a community group of Technology Alliance Group for Northwest Washington (TAGNW). This is a group for anyone interested in the wide spectrum of engineering topics. All knowledge and skill levels are welcome.
Contacts: Gil Lund (email) and Ryan Shupe (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the fourth Tuesday @ 7:00-8:30pm
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #engineering

TAGNW IT

About: TAGNW IT is a TAGNW Community Group with a focus of all things Information Technology, but primarily computing, networking, and cloud technologies. We are a peer group of professionals with a passion for technology, education, and building relationships in our community. In addition to a professional peer group, we strive to provide a welcoming environment for aspirational professionals and students, and encourage folks to join the TAGNW Mentorship program, which is integrated into all TAGNW Community Groups. Interested? We’d love to have you join us.
Contacts: Garth Johnson (email) and Kevin Burkeland (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the first Tuesday @ 7:00pm-8:30pm
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #it

TAGNW Nonprofits

About: TAGNW Nonprofits is a TAGNW Community Group for all those in technology, business, and management roles at any size nonprofit organization. Nonprofit organizations face unique challenges! We’ll discuss problem solving and solutions together, and create a supporting community to make the work we do more fun and rewarding. We’ll also collect our shared learnings for our community to benefit, and create awesome resources for us all to succeed.
Contacts: Mark Browning (email) and Michael Gan (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the first Thursday @ 12pm-1pm.
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #nonprofits

TAGNW Robotics

About: TAGNW Robotics is a subgroup of TAGNW Engineering with a focus on project-based learning of robotics skills. Join us for group projects or discuss your own projects with other peers. Free. Open to everyone. All knowledge and skill levels are welcome.
Contacts: Josh Buker (email)
Events: As scheduled
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #robotics and v-robotics

TAGNW Software

About: As a field, software covers many topics. Join professionals, educators and students in a small group Forum-style session for discussion on any of them! General topics: JS/TS | Python | .NET | iOS | C/C++/Rust | DevOps | Demo | Career Dev | Random. Co-hosts and panelists welcome to participate and uphold a supportive, curiosity inspired atmosphere.
Contacts: Ryan Shupe (email) and Justin Revelstoke (email)
Events: Monthly Forum on the Third Thursday @ 6:30pm-8:30pm
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAGNW Community Hub in #software

TAGNW Women in Tech

About: Join us in discussion about current or pertinent WiT issues and meet other women working in technology.
Contacts: Marcy Sutton (email) and Andrea Frost (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the first Wednesday @ 12:00pm-1:00pm
Resources: Join @ Meetup, Discussion @ TAG Community Hub in #women-in-tech and Bellingham Codes Slack in #nw-tech-women, Private Facebook Group

Other Local Community Groups

Bellingham Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency

About: We are all about the bitcoin, cryptocurrency and the blockchain movement. Our goal is to expand the use and adoption of digital decentralized currency. We aim to spread the word about this amazing new technology and monetary system. If you are brand new to cryptocurrency or a seasoned veteran we welcome you to come learn, teach and even speak.
Contacts: Dan Marshall (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the First Monday at 6:30pm.
Resources: Meetup, TAG Discord Server

Bellingham Codes

About: Bellingham Codes is a social group dedicated to growing the local developer community. We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for experienced and aspiring technologists from all backgrounds.
Contacts: Kevin Stock (email), Michael Schoonmaker (email), and Nathan Carnes (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the First Thursday at 6:30pm.
Resources: Webpage, Meetup, Slack (Slack Invite), TAG + Bellingham Codes Scholarship Fundraiser

Bellingham Linux Users Group (BLUG)

About: BLUG was started in 1998 by a small group of computer geeks who wanted to get off Windows and learn from local Unix gurus. We hold a presentation meeting the first Thursday of the month at Bellingham Technical College in Campus Center CC201. On the second Thursday we hold an informal organization meeting with the time and location announced on the mailing list. We also put on special events including the regional LinuxFest Northwest in the Spring.
Organizers: James Mason (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on the First Thursday at 6:30pm.
Resources: Webpage, Meetup

Bellingham Salesforce Users Group

About: For Bellingham, WA and surrounding areas. Meet with local Salesforce Admins using NPSP to hone your skills and share best practices. Based loosely on Stephanie Herrera’s idea for Salesforce Saturdays, join us for lunch and geek out on all things Salesforce and nonprofit related. These meetings will provide a place for networking, shared learning opportunities, lessons learned in the field, and all-around general Salesforce geekery. Anyone who administers Salesforce for their nonprofit is welcome to join us. There is no membership fee or commitment, you can attend meetings as frequently as you wish. We are all nonprofit Salesforce admins (accidental, intentional, certified & not). We currently meet monthly for lunch with location TBD each time. Ask to join our group page on the HUB for more information and to get involved.
Organizers: Paula Berg (email) and Barbara Christensen (email)
Events: Monthly Meeting on second Thursday at 12pm.
Resources: Webpage

NextTech

About: The mission of NextTech is to facilitate the continued growth of our vibrant tech community through informative, yet fun events. We welcome all walks of technology be it anything from programming to manufacturing the first time traveling machine! This is an open group that meets once a month to gather and discuss the latest technology trends, economic impacts, challenges and successes.
Contacts: Vida Clement (email), Shane Gildnes (email), Adrian Santangelo (email)
Events: As scheduled.
Resources: Private Facebook Group

NW Tech Women

About: Formerly Girl Develop It Bellingham, this group is all about coming together as intersectional women in technology in northern Washington. Our intent is to foster a welcoming and judgment-free atmosphere for women and girls, genderqueer and non-binary people; however, those of all genders, skill levels and interests within technology are welcome at our events. By growing our professional networks, we can empower each other, inspire positive growth and support our community. In 2019 and beyond, our focus will be on increasing group diversity and finding ways to volunteer our time and skills in the community.
Contacts: Marcy Sutton (email) and Morgan Kay (email)
Events: As scheduled.
Resources: Meetup, Bellingham Codes Slack #nw-tech-women (Invite)

Whatcom Community College Women in Cybersecurity (WCC WiCys)

About: A Whatcom Community College club centered on bringing together women and allies to share knowledge, experience, and encouragement in pursuing cybersecurity excellence. We meet at least once per month. Typical activities include community outreach, talks from the members of the local tech community, and labs to expand our knowledge.
Contacts: Kristin Rudy, Student President (email) and Christy Saunders, Faculty Advisor (email)
Events: As scheduled.
Resources: WCC Student Clubs