Tech Council Q4 Meetup (For Individual Members)

The Lafayette Regional Tech Council invites individual tech practitioners to our quarterly meetup - designed to connect Lafayette's tech professionals through genuine networking and knowledge sharing.

Who Should Attend: Those interested in becoming individual LRTC members (students & individuals working in technology roles across our region - from software engineers and data specialists to product managers, consultants, and tech pros. All experience levels are welcome.)

Q4 Meetup Topic: What does it take to build a working mobile app from scratch in 48 hours? And once you've done it, how long before your approach is already outdated?

The tools and workflows we use to build software are changing faster than any of us can keep up with. The process that won a hackathon a few months ago may already be out of date, and whatever replaced it might not last the quarter. The developers who stay ahead haven't mastered one toolchain. They can pick up what's new, ship fast, and tell when it's time to move on.

At this meetup, our presenter will walk through:

• The full build process behind his Hackathon-winning app, from blank screen to working product in 48 hours
• The tools and tech stack he used, and why that approach is no longer relevant
• What he's doing now instead, and why he expects it to change again within three months
• The biggest challenges he hit under the deadline and how he got past them

Ryan Bourque has spent more than two decades in IT management and software architecture, in industries from law enforcement to factory operations. He's the founder and CEO of Imperian, which builds custom software for companies across the country. More recently, he's been building AI into custom SaaS apps and Salesforce, and he's now launching Blue Partner, a new platform for law enforcement. This year he won the LRTC Hackathon at Innovate South by building a fully functional mobile voice-first app designed to help festival-goers in a single weekend.

This is a technical deep dive. Expect real code, real tools, and a candid look at what worked and what didn't. Bring your questions, your own experiments, and your take on how fast things are moving in your part of the stack. Walk away with a practical look at building software right now, plus networking time with other tech professionals trying to keep up with the same shifts.

Event Schedule:

• 11:30 - 11:50 AM: Networking & Welcome
• 11:50 AM - 12:30 PM: Presentation & Lunch
• 12:30 - 1:00 PM: Networking & Closing

RSVP:

This event is free to attend, but RSVP is requested.

This quarterly format is designed to create consistent opportunities for Lafayette's tech practitioners to learn from each other, expand your professional network, and be part of the collaborative tech community we're building in Acadiana.

Whether you're looking to solve a technical challenge, explore career paths, or just connect with others who get what you do - this meetup is for you.