Final release tickets are now available. See details

Three days for people who build communities.

October 12–14 · Harbor Hall, Portland

A community gathering presented with Cedar Workshop
  • Four audience-shaped program tracks
  • 20 working sessions and practical workshops
  • A compact, walkable venue with long breaks
  • One carefully hosted evening gathering
Release ticketsFrom $284 · limited to 640 peopleBuy a ticket

Why should I come?

Common Ground Conf is a small conference about the practical work of helping people belong. We bring together community operators, product teams, organizers and independent makers to compare methods honestly. Expect concrete sessions, generous office hours and enough space to follow a good question all afternoon.

Speakers

The program favors useful experience over polished doctrine. Every session leaves room for questions.

Rhea Mercado portrait — Jake Nackos on UnsplashRhea MercadoCommunity research lead
Row House
Calvin Ko portrait — Korede Adenola on PexelsCalvin KoFounder and editor
Slow Index
Mina Avery portrait — Thanh Xuan Nguyen Ly on PexelsMina AveryCustomer education
Fellow
Leo Martinez portrait — Ben Khatry on PexelsLeo MartinezDeveloper relations
Northstar
Serena Thomas portrait — Foto Sushi on PexelsSerena ThomasTrust and safety
Kindred
Dev Rajan portrait — Prince on PexelsDev RajanCommunity systems
Quilt
Juno Lim portrait — Thanh Xuan Nguyen Ly on PexelsJuno LimIndependent strategist
Common Type
Wiley Sorrell portrait — Korede Adenola on PexelsWiley SorrellProduct partnerships
Esker
Valerie Phelps portrait — Jake Nackos on UnsplashValerie PhelpsExecutive director
Open Work
Song Bae portrait — Ben Khatry on PexelsSong BaeDesign operations
Parcel
Avery Patel portrait — Prince on PexelsAvery PatelCommunity programs
Fieldnotes
Devon Price portrait — Foto Sushi on PexelsDevon PricePeople experience
Counterpart
Mia Kwon portrait — Thanh Xuan Nguyen Ly on PexelsMia KwonCreator partnerships
Signal
Farah Cole portrait — Foto Sushi on PexelsFarah ColeAudience development
Roundtable
Noah Lin portrait — Korede Adenola on PexelsNoah LinOpen-source programs
Patchwork
Jon Bellamy portrait — Ben Khatry on PexelsJon BellamyCommunity support
Ledge
Amira Sato portrait — Jake Nackos on UnsplashAmira SatoEducation partnerships
Practice
Hugo Flynn portrait — Prince on PexelsHugo FlynnResearch director
Good Measure
Jessa Green portrait — Thanh Xuan Nguyen Ly on PexelsJessa GreenMember programs
Harbor
Priya Nair portrait — Foto Sushi on PexelsPriya NairFounder community
Gather

Topics

Questions the program will keep returning to.

Building programs that survive staff changes
Making research useful to small teams
Healthy boundaries for volunteer leaders
When a member program should stay small
Measuring belonging without flattening it
Designing community rituals with care
Running useful advisory councils
How trust and safety teams share context
Writing community guidelines people read
From online introductions to local practice
Building a sustainable ambassador program
What excellent community operations looks like

Education partners

Organizations helping make the workshop track possible.

SquarelineIntercometSprout CivicParcelCedar Workshop

What people are saying

@mica.ortiz08:42

Last year’s office hours changed how we structure our whole member onboarding sequence.

@niko.field09:16

The rare conference where the useful conversation kept happening after the session ended.

@rowan.park11:08

I arrived with three questions and left with names, notes and a plan for testing each one.

@sameera12:23

Small enough to find the same person again; broad enough to meet someone truly unexpected.

Still connected

Stories from earlier gatherings and the ideas that kept moving afterward.

Discussion host — Jake Nackos on Unsplash▶

Why local chapters lasted

A field report from five organizers building a shared rhythm.

Discussion host — Korede Adenola on Pexels▶

Listening across scale

Three teams compare what member research changed in practice.

Discussion host — Thanh Xuan Nguyen Ly on Pexels▶

The return of slow events

A conversation about pace, hospitality and leaving empty space.

Discussion host — Ben Khatry on Pexels▶

Care in community systems

How support and safety work can share information responsibly.

Discussion host — Foto Sushi on Pexels▶

Workshops that produce work

A design pattern for sessions that lead to useful artifacts.

Discussion host — Prince on Pexels▶

Making room for dissent

Facilitators discuss disagreement without spectacle.

People who have held the room

Over eight editions, Common Ground has welcomed patient teachers, experienced operators and people willing to share unfinished work.

Community Assembly · 2018—2026

Who we are

Common Ground Conf is produced by a small collective of community practitioners based in Portland. The conference is independent, sponsor-supported and intentionally capped so the room remains navigable.

Interested in speaking at Common Ground?

Send us the question you are working on and what you have learned so far.

Apply to speak