Megan Notarte
AI Community Builder & Tech Policy Advocate
I help people and organizations understand AI and actually do something useful with it. I co-founded AI Portland, a community of 2,500+ people navigating the real-world implications of AI. I also spent 15 years building and co-owning Cloud Four, a web design and development agency, which means I don't just talk about how organizations should adopt new technology. I've actually had to make those calls. I speak, write, and advise on AI literacy, responsible adoption, and what the transition actually means for the people doing the work. Based in Vancouver, WA. Available for speaking and advisory engagements.
Operations
Building things that last requires more than good ideas; it requires organizational infrastructure that actually holds up. At Cloud Four, I've been the person who built that infrastructure: compensation systems, financial modeling, hiring processes, workplace policies, and the strategic frameworks that kept a small team functioning through a lot of change.
Some of what I'm most proud of:
• Designed a flexible work policy that improved employee satisfaction without sacrificing accountability
• Built financial modeling and project profitability systems from scratch
• Created compensation frameworks that resulted in more equitable pay across the team
• Developed hiring and onboarding processes that brought the right people in and helped them stickI care about operational excellence not as an end in itself, but because good systems free people up to do their best work.
Innovation
I help organizations understand and adopt emerging technologies, particularly AI, bridging the gap between what's technically possible and what actually makes sense for the people and teams doing the work.
Over the course of my career, I've led technical project delivery for enterprise clients including Walmart, guided engineering teams through the adoption of new tools and approaches, and championed open source work that reflects genuine craft and care. But increasingly, the most valuable thing I do is help people think clearly about AI: what it can do, what it can't, and how to move from curiosity to confident action.The most valuable thing I've learned: the technology is rarely the hard part. The people are.
Thought Leadership
I speak and consult on AI literacy, responsible adoption, and what the AI transition actually means for organizations and the people in them.Selected Speaking & Media
• AI Portland: Senator Ron Wyden on AI Privacy and Policy [Video]
• Portland Business Journal: Table of Experts: Giving women a voice in the age of AI and generative AI [Panel]
• AI for HR: Supercharge the Human Element, PHRMA Elevate HR Conference, June 2024 [Talk]
• Supercharging the Human Element with AI, DisruptHR, Aug 2024 [Talk]
• Demystifying AI, Parent Heart Watch conference, Jan 2025 [Talk]
• How Oregon is positioning itself as an AI Hub, Feb 2026 [Interview]...and many more — available for speaking and advisory engagements. If you're looking for a speaker who can make AI legible to a non-technical audience without dumbing it down, let's talk.