Engineer In the Looop

Code, Community & Conference Chaos — Inside Nebraska.Code() with Ken Versaw & Arthur Doler


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Heads-up, hallway-track fans! In this episode of Engineer in the Loop, Alec and Brian sit down with Nebraska.Code() co-founder Ken Versaw and “community & culture steward” Arthur Doler for an unfiltered look at:


The 10-year rise of Nebraska.Code() and why the Cornhusker Marriott becomes the Midwest’s dev playground every July 23-25, 2025.

whova.com


Ken’s origin story — from writing customer-service scripts to launching a conference so locals didn’t need a $2 k Orlando flight to learn.


Arthur’s accidental pivot from data-science lightning talks to psychology-powered tech talks (and why Git visualisations changed lives).


Speaker horror stories: empty rooms, “front-row-guy” derailments, and the perils of eight-hour workshops on tiny laptop screens.


The real ROI for companies: momentum, problem-solving serendipity, team bonding and that one idea that pays for the ticket tenfold.


Bonus: impromptu Billy-Joel sing-alongs in the hotel lobby, plus why BarCamp Omaha’s “un-conference” is the easiest on-ramp to speaking.


Whether you’re conference-curious or a seasoned speaker, this conversation shows how live events fuel careers, communities and—yes—occasional chaos.


Links You (Promised to) Drop in the Show Notes

What Why


whova.com

Nebraska.Code() Speaker CFP / schedule http://nebraskacode.amegala.com

BarCamp Omaha (un-conference) – get your first speaking rep https://barcampomaha.org

Ken Versaw & Arthur Doler on BlueSky (Ken) @nebraskacode.bsky.social • (Arthur) @arthurdoler.bsky.social

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Engineer In the LooopBy Alec Harrison