Put on your dancing shoes and come prepared to learn what salsa dancing can teach us about digital accessibility! We will discuss the parallels to rhythm and connection, how to recover when you misstep or get offbeat, and more. Through eight practical pillars, expect real-world examples and actionable takeaways you can use to build a sustainable, human-centered digital accessibility program – all while still moving fast and creating beautiful experiences without sacrificing quality. Plus, there’s music! Vamos!

Pre-registration is requested via this Google Form.

About the Speaker

Jared Becker is a Digital Product Lead professional at Nestlé Purina PetCare, driving digital strategy and innovation across the Purina ecosystem. He is also a recognized leader in digital accessibility and inclusive design, advocating for equitable, user-centered experiences across a broad portfolio of products. With a background in computer science and analytics, Jared brings a strong blend of technical expertise, product strategy, and innovation leadership to deliver meaningful experiences for pets and the people who love them.

Event Details

• Date & Time: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
  • 6:15-6:30pm: Arrival and networking (snacks and beverages will be provided)
  • 6:30-7:30pm: Presentation and Q&A
• Location: MADE Makerspace 5127 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108 (Google Map)
  • There is designated parking onsite
• Cost: Free and open to all, but pre-registration is requested (though not required) via this Google Form
  • Pre-registration helps us get a rough headcount to plan accordingly, and also it allows us to send you a calendar invite and reminder

Pre-registration is requested via this Google Form.

Using a structured “speed” format, you’ll rotate through 10-minute lightning rounds to swap insights, share your biggest product wins (or epic fails), and expand your local STL circle. Whether you’re looking for a mentor, a new hire, or just a fresh perspective, this session is the ultimate shortcut to meeting your next “product bestie.”

What you’ll walk away with:

• Rapid-Fire Insights: Diverse perspectives on product challenges from across the STL ecosystem.
• Deepened Connections: Skip the “What do you do?” and get straight to the “How did you solve it?”
• A “Pocketful” of Contacts: A expanded network of local peers ready to help you level up.

We provide the conversation starters; you provide the passion. Come ready to talk fast, listen well, and leave inspired!

Event Details

• Date & Time: Thursday, May 14, 2026
  • Arrive by 6:30pm — speed networking will go until 8pm
• Location: Webster Groves Public Library: 301 E Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119 (Google Map)
  • Free parking is available in a lot behind the library or across the street (the west side of Orchard Ave). Street parking is also available on Orchard Ave and Lockwood Ave (please obey all parking signs)
• Cost: Free and open to all, but pre-registration is requested (though not required) via this Google Form
  • Pre-registration helps us get a rough headcount to plan accordingly, and also it allows us to send you a calendar invite and reminder

Good products don’t fail quietly. They fail loudly, slowly, and expensively—often because teams were busy solving the wrong problems or weren’t given the space to truly own the work.

This talk focuses on what actually separates teams that deliver from teams that stall.

Across startups, scale-ups, and enterprise environments, the same pattern appears again and again:

• Clear problems beat perfect plans
• Trust beats control
• Alignment beats hustle

When leaders align teams around the right problems and then step back just enough, teams do their best work.

What You’ll Learn

• How strong alignment prevents wasted effort
• Why autonomy without clarity leads to confusion
• How to give teams ownership without losing accountability
• Leadership habits that scale across company sizes
• Real-world lessons from product, design, and engineering teams

Think of it like setting a destination before a road trip:

• Everyone can take different routes
• Everyone can drive at their own pace
• But no one wonders where they’re headed

That shared direction is what unlocks speed, creativity, and real results.

About the Speaker

Daniel Hawks is a product leader with deep experience building and guiding high-performing teams across consumer and enterprise environments.

He is currently Director of Product at KNOWiNK and has previously held senior product leadership roles at NielsenIQ and Label Insight. His background spans startups, scale-ups, and large organizations, giving him a clear view into what helps teams thrive—and what causes them to struggle.

In addition to his industry work, Daniel has served as an Adjunct Instructor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he taught software engineering and helped shape the next generation of product and technology leaders.

His strength lies in turning real customer and business problems into focused, effective product strategies—and helping teams do their best work by combining clarity with trust.

Who Should Attend

• Product managers
• Designers and researchers
• Engineering leaders
• Founders and people managers
• Anyone responsible for aligning teams and delivering outcomes

This session is for you if you’ve ever thought:

• “We’re busy, but not effective” 
• “Everyone’s trying, but things feel stuck” 
• “Alignment feels harder than it should be”

Event Details

Location

• MADE Makerspace
  5127 Delmar Blvd
  St. Louis, MO 63108

Date & Time

• Wednesday, January 28
  6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Schedule

• 6:00 PM – Networking and optional MADE Makerspace tours 
• 7:00 PM – Presentation begins

Our November 6 Vibe Coding Lunch Workshop was so popular, we’re running it again, with a bit of a twist:

1. We’re running it in the evening, for people who can’t make lunch meetings
2. In addition to creating an “example” product as a group, we’ll have some people present “real-life” examples of how they’re using Vibe Coding

Whether you attended our November 6 session or not, you’re guaranteed to learn something at our Vibe Coding Take 2 Workshop on December 3. This meeting is free and open to all; RSVPs are requested (though not required) so we can send you reminders and additional details

Event Details

• Date & Time: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
  • 6-6:30pm: Arrivals and Networking
  • 6:30-7:30pm: The Vibe Coding Workshop
  • 7:30-8pm: Q&A and Discussion
• Location: Thornhill Branch of the St. Louis County Public Library. 12863 Willowyck Dr., St. Louis 63146-3771 (near 270 and Page Avenue) (Google Map)
• Cost: Free and open to all. RSVPs requested (though not required) so we can send you reminders and additional details

More about the meeting…

One of the hottest trends in 2025 is Vibe Coding—an approach to digital product/app development where instead of writing code directly, you describe the app in natural language and an AI tool generates the code for you. (It was declared Word of the Year for 2025 by Collins Dictionary.)

You’ve likely heard how AI tools can accelerate product development: maybe even tried tools like Bolt, Replit, Claude, Loveable, Cursor, or Magic Patterns. But what does this mean for product management? Some companies now require product managers to use these tools in their roles or interviews.

At the next St. Louis Product Management Group meeting we’ll demonstrate how to build a product from scratch in one hour using these tools.

In this interactive session attendees will see how tools fit into the product development lifecycle:

• Market Research: Use Generative AI tools to collect background research and customer-need insights
• Requirements Definition: Speed up translation of market problems into actionable product requirements
• Prototyping: Rapidly build and iterate a functional prototype using Vibe Coding tools — without writing any code!

This workshop is aimed at product management leaders and product managers—as well as UX/UI designers and anyone curious about how these technologies support product development (and where they have limitations).

Whether you’re new to the field or sharpening your skills, you’ll leave with practical experience.

Questions? Contact Jeff Lash (jeff@jefflash.com)

Vibe Coding is one of the most popular trends of 2025. If you haven’t heard of it: Vibe coding is an approach to digital app/product development where instead of writing code directly, natural language is used to describe the app to an AI tool, which then generates the code.

You’ve probably heard about how AI tools can help build digital products faster. Maybe you’ve heard of — or even tried — tools like Bolt, Replit, Claude, v0, and Magic Patterns. But you’re not sure what it means for product management, even though some companies are now requiring product managers to use them on the job or in interviews.

The best way to learn about these tools is to use them — or see how they’re used. So, at this St. Louis Product Management Group meeting, we’ll demonstrate how to build a product from scratch using these tools in just one hour.

During this collaborative, interactive session, attendees will get a chance to see how various tools can be used in the product development lifecycle, including:

• Market Research: Leverage AI to conduct background research and gather information about customer needs
• Requirements Definition: Drastically accelerate the process of translating market problems into specific and actionable product requirements
• Prototyping: Quickly build and iterate on functional, “real-life” prototypes — without any technical skills

This workshop is designed for product management leaders and product managers — as well as UX/UI designers and anyone interested in learning how these technologies can be used for product development (and where their limitations are).

Whether you’re new to the field or looking to refine your skills, you’ll leave with practical knowledge and a deeper understanding of how to move from idea to prototype — and even to production! — swiftly and effectively.

Event Details

• Date & Time: Thursday, November 6, 2025. This will be a lunch meeting (bring your own lunch…
  • 11:30am-noon: Arrivals
  • 12-1pm: The Vibe Coding Workshop
  • 1-1:30pm: Q&A and Discussion
• Location: The Oaks; 1001 Craig Rd, St. Louis, MO 63146
• Cost: Free and open to all, but pre-registration is required [registration is closed]
• Important Details:
  • Pre-registration is required.
  • This meeting takes place over the lunch hour. You are welcome to bring your own lunch; food will not be provided. You can purchase food from the cafe in the lobby of the 3 Cityplace building. Additionally, there are plenty of quick service/take-out restaurants nearby.
  • Directions and parking details will be provided in advance to everyone who RSVPs via this Google Form [registration is closed]

Questions? Contact Jeff Lash (jeff@jefflash.com)

About the meeting:

Please join us on July 11, 2024 at 6:00 pm at the Buder Branch of the St. Louis Library for a presentation on Product Psychology by UX/UI Designer Hannah Davison.

Through insightful analysis and interactive discussions, this meeting will introduce key product psychology principles and encourage the audience to think critically about their use. We will explore how popular digital products use, misuse, or disregard psychological principles, and how this shapes user experiences.

Uncover the strategies behind successful products and the pitfalls of those that fail to tap into consumer psyche. You will leave with an understanding of how to use psychology to ethically influence users’ perception and decision-making, empowering you to craft more compelling products. Don’t miss it!

Meetings are open to everyone and there is no charge to attend. See directions and details below.

Presenter: Hannah Davison, UX/UI Designer at Recustom

Hannah has experience with customer-facing and SaaS approaches her designs with product psychology in mind and is excited to share some of the fundamentals with you. 

When and Where

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2024

Time: 6:00 PM

Where:

Buder Branch – St Louis Public Library 

4401 Hampton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109

St. Louis Public Library – Buder Library

About the meeting:

Please join us on May 28, 2024 at 6:00pm at Slalom’s office in Clayton, MO, for an enlightening discussion on “The Future of UX: The AI Impact,” presented by UX and product management professional Martha Valenta.

Dive into how AI is reshaping user experience design, from enhancing user interfaces to personalizing user interactions.

Discover practical strategies for integrating AI into your UX projects and explore the transformative potential of AI in driving user-centric innovation in various industries.

Don’t miss out on these valuable insights that could redefine your approach to user experience!

Meetings are open to everyone and there is no charge to attend. See directions and details below.

Presenter: Martha Valenta, UX & Product Management Consultant

Martha Valenta blends a passion for user-centric design with strategic product management to deliver outstanding digital experiences. With over two decades of expertise, Martha specializes in sectors like healthcare and FinTech. She harnesses artificial intelligence and other technologies to enhance user engagement and operational efficiency.

When and Where

Date: May 28, 2024

Time: 6:00 PM

Where:
Slalom Consulting

7800 Forsyth Blvd Ste 850, Clayton, MO 63105

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Slalom+Consulting/@38.649907,-90.342025,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x87d8cad51ae57e9d:0x9122d63a77c93419!8m2!3d38.6499071!4d-90.3371541!16s%2Fg%2F11c1_w5hcg

Slalom Consulting

Parking and Entering the Building

Park anywhere you like around Clayton!  Enter the lobby and follow the signs to the 8th floor (Suite 850).

Thursday, February 8th, 2024, at I Need That Art in Clayton

Join us for an open mic event where you can voice your professional experiences – the highs and the lows – and gain insights from a diverse group of St. Louis area product professionals.

Whether you’re tackling a tricky project, celebrating a recent triumph, or just seeking fresh perspectives, this is the place for you. Connect, collaborate, and contribute to a community eager to support and inspire. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your work stories into strategies for success!

When & Where

Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 6:00 PM

Location: I Need That Art is inside The Designing Block
7735 Clayton Rd, Clayton, MO 63117

Meetings are open to everyone and there is no charge to attend. 

Please join us for the November 2023 meeting of the St. Louis Product Management Group, which will feature Millie Njezic? (Product Manager) and Shelbey Parnell (Senior User Experience Researcher) highlighting their journey to grow a user-centered discovery practice at Caleres.

This meeting will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 6pm at Once Films studio. 

Meetings are open to everyone and there is no charge to attend. See directions and details below.

About the Meeting

Get a glimpse into:

• Triumphs and pitfalls of our journey of collaboration.
• Tactics we’ve applied in product discovery for a recent idea.
• Our take on the value of an enabling UXR practice in an organization.
• The necessity of immersion in research as product managers to drive innovative and exciting products.

Who is this talk for?

• Product and UX folks who want to learn about ways to better team up in product discovery

When and Where

Date: Nov 9, 2023

Time: 6:00 PM

Where:
Once Films

3029 Locust Street, St. Louis, MO 63103
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YhnNVvaa9oNkDmGp6

About the meeting:

Please join us for the October 2023 meeting of the St. Louis Product Management Group. 

Quibi had everything going for it: blue chip founders, a ton of money, and a market stuck with nothing better to do but consume its services. So how did it fail so spectacularly?

Join us for a conversation about the story of the Quibi streaming service that wasn’t, facilitated by Brendan Sullivan, CPO for Dacoco GMBH. 

This meeting will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 6pm at the Slalom Consulting offices in Clayton. 

Meetings are open to everyone and there is no charge to attend. See directions and details below.

When and Where

Date: October 19, 2023

Time: 6:00 PM

Where:
Slalom Consulting

7800 Forsyth Blvd Ste 850, Clayton, MO 63105

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Slalom+Consulting/@38.649907,-90.342025,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x87d8cad51ae57e9d:0x9122d63a77c93419!8m2!3d38.6499071!4d-90.3371541!16s%2Fg%2F11c1_w5hcg

Slalom Consulting

Parking and Entering the Building

Park anywhere you like around Clayton!  Enter the lobby and follow the signs to the 8th floor (Suite 850).