February 10th Meetup with Gino Bernardi, Digiline [Nerds Like Me]
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February 10th Meetup with Gino Bernardi, Digiline

Feb
10
Tuesday
Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 • 7:15PM to 9:30PM (CDT)
Address Info
Available on RSVP acceptance

Event Ended

This event has already taken place.

Gallery Survey Recap
Attendees 49+ registered
Attendees include an Emmy winner and founders alongside technical leaders from Meta and PagerDuty; the most common skills are AI followed by Python and Kubernetes.

Nerds Like Me – February Meetup

Welcome to our next gathering of AI, data, and product enthusiasts. Expect lively conversation, hands-on demos, and plenty of opportunities to grow your network.

(Photo) A group of people are gathered in a dimly lit indoor space, likely a lounge or bar, watching a presentation or film projected onto a screen. The room is decorated with festive string lights and has a cozy, social atmosphere. Text: TO EDEN TO FREEDOM COCKTAILS A group of people attending a presentation or screening. | Indoor lounge or bar area. | Projection screen, string lights, multiple seated and standing individuals, guitar on the wall. | Candid event photography with ambient lighting. | Colors: #4B0082, #FFD700, #2F4F4F, #8B4513 Note: The image is a real-life photograph capturing a social event with people and a physical environment.

Event Details

  • Date: Tuesday, February 10th
  • Time: 7:15 PM to 9:15 PM
  • Location: Highwood, IL (exact venue shared after you RSVP)

Featured Speaker: Gino Bernardi

(Photo) A headshot of a smiling man with a prominent mustache, wearing a brown suit jacket over a white collared shirt, against a dark gray, textured brick wall. person (man with a mustache) | outdoor/urban setting against a textured gray wall | smiling subject, brown jacket, white shirt | portrait/headshot | Colors: #704332, #FFFFFF, #666666 Note: The image is a realistic capture of a person, characteristic of a photograph or headshot.

Bio:
Gino Bernardi has spent his entire career in technology, building apps and mastering full-stack development from the start. He brought an entrepreneurial mindset to problem-solving during his impactful time at Accenture, later transitioning into product management and sales while maintaining a drive to create meaningful solutions. A passionate advocate for FOSS, privacy, self-hosted tools like Linux, and decentralization via Nostr and Bitcoin, he sees clear societal benefits in these technologies. Above all, he emphasizes rebuilding community spirit in tech and society, while approaching AI with cautious scrutiny.

Discussion:
This talk explores how the internet shifted from cozy, user-run online communities to massive platforms driven by algorithms. It highlights key historical events and tech protocols that shaped this change, while warning against handing over your personal control and decision-making to others. You’ll learn practical tips to regain independence with open-source software suggestions, see demos of open models tackling tough tasks effectively, and imagine a future where people manage their own digital spaces. Attendees will get ideas for steering away from current trends to rebuild real connections and self-sufficiency in tech.

This talk will be a remix of “Building your closed community network on Eve, and why you should care” from TABConf 7 in Atlanta, GA 2025, customized for the Nerds Like Me Community. Preview that talk on YouTube.

Fun Facts:
Gino is currently exploring music through blending AI augmented creation with human performance under the pseudonym, ‘Perceptronik’. Check out his website or his Spotify to listen!

Sponsorship: ARCOA

The first round of drinks is sponsored by ARCOA. ARCOA provides services for IT disposal, including Hard Drive Destruction, Hardware BuyBack and End-of-Life Recycling for IT hardware. We are an eStewards and NAID AAA certified processor.  Data Security, Compliance and Sustainability are the pillars of our services.  We can support any domestic projects with our logistics and facilities.

(Logo) A corporate logo displaying the stylized wordmark 'ar' and 'a' in dark gray, separated by a bright red circular graphic symbol resembling an aperture or swirling blades, set against a black background. Text: ar a Colors: #2E343A, #E53935, #000000 Note: The image is a graphic mark combining stylized typography and an abstract symbol, designed specifically for brand identification.

What You Can Do Now

  1. RSVP – reserve your seat HERE
  2. Subscribe for updates: https://nerdslikeme.dream.page
  3. Complete your profile – we’ll use it in an upcoming session to spark deeper conversation.
  4. Whitelist us – add [email protected] to your contacts so you never miss an invite.
  5. Help spread the word – like, comment, or reshare this post on LinkedIn to help others discover Nerds Like Me and grow the community.

See you soon, both familiar faces and first-timers alike.

Jonathan Shertok
Organizer, Nerds Like Me

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