iS2 Digital CEO Launches AI Fireside Chat Series
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Plain-English Conversation on Artificial Intelligence Comes to Hitchcock Auditorium on June 22
BEND, Ore. — May 25, 2026 — Kevin Goldberg will be the featured speaker at the first AI Fireside Chat on Monday, June 22, 2026. Goldberg is the CEO of iS2 Digital, a best-selling author, and the publisher of the newsletter Artificially Intelligent, Actually Useful. The event is titled "AI for Everyone: What's Real, What's Hype, What's Next." It takes place at Hitchcock Auditorium on the Central Oregon Community College Bend campus. The goal is to help working adults understand artificial intelligence in a clear, practical way. Attendees will learn what AI actually is, how this moment compares to past technology shifts, and walk out with sensible next steps.
The AI Fireside Chat series was created to fix a problem in how we talk about AI. That conversation often swings between hype and fear. As a result, most people are left without a useful way to think about a technology that is already changing their lives. The June 22 event pairs Goldberg with co-host Alan Hellawell. Hellawell is a technology financier with more than thirty years of experience. He spent more than two decades helping Asia's most promising tech companies go public. The format is meant to feel like a conversation. It includes a 60-minute fireside chat with two rounds of audience Q&A, for a total of about 90 minutes. No jargon. No doom. No magic.
"Every working adult in Central Oregon deserves a conversation about AI that respects their intelligence and tells them the truth," said Kevin Goldberg, CEO of iS2 Digital. "Alan and I built this series because we kept seeing smart, engaged people get left out of a conversation that directly affects their careers, their businesses, and their families. The goal for June 22 is simple: people leave with a clear mental model of what this technology actually is, and a concrete sense of what to do with that knowledge."
The conversation will cover several key topics. First, what AI chatbots really are and how they work. Second, why the same tool that writes a brilliant analysis can also confidently invent fake sources. Third, how past technology shifts help us understand this one. Examples include electrification, the pocket calculator, and YouTube. The talk will also explain what AI does well and where it still falls short. Throughout, the focus stays practical. The speakers will discuss how AI is changing work, which jobs are most at risk and why the answer surprises most people, and what any working adult can start doing this week to stay ahead of the change.
The series is built for general audiences. It requires no prior knowledge of artificial intelligence. Goldberg brings more than thirty years of software industry experience and a Wharton education. He is known for turning complex technology into language that non-technical audiences can use. Hellawell brings a career spent evaluating technology at the highest levels of global finance. He also has a knack for asking the questions non-experts most need answered. After the June 22 launch, the AI Fireside Chat series will continue every quarter.
Tickets are available at bendticket.com/events/ai-for-everyone. General admission is $30 in advance and $40 at the door. A $20 school faculty rate is available at checkout.
ABOUT AI FIRESIDE CHAT
The AI Fireside Chat series delivers honest, plain-English conversations about where artificial intelligence is today, and how to make sense of where it's heading. Events are designed for professionals, business owners, managers, parents, and educators who want substance without jargon.
ABOUT ALAN HELLAWELL
Alan Hellawell spent his career at the intersection of technology and finance, beginning in Silicon Valley before spending more than two decades in Hong Kong and Singapore taking some of Asia's most promising technology companies public. He now advises Asia-based startups and teaches MBA students at the intersection of finance and leadership. Hellawell holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton and an MBA and Master's in East Asian Studies from Stanford.
ABOUT iS2 DIGITAL
For more than twenty-five years, iS2 Digital has continued to merit recognition as one of the most dynamic and reputable business technology agencies. iS2 Digital works with clients to identify and build solutions that expand their businesses and build lasting competitive advantages. The firm's staff offers decades of experience in business technology strategy, internet and custom software development, content strategy, project management, design, and information architecture. iS2 Digital serves clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, including UCLA, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the ACLU, California Pizza Kitchen, Bank of America, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and Revolution Studios.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
ai-fireside-chat@is2digital.com
https://www.bendticket.com/events/ai-for-everyone
