Behind the Scenes of Tailwind CSS

Have you ever wondered how Tailwind CSS actually works? In this talk, we'll explore how thousands of utility classes are generated, the purging techniques that scan your templates to keep bundle sizes small, and how JIT compilation provides unlimited arbitrary values without hurting performance.

Most developers overlook these internals. You'll leave with practical knowledge that you can apply right away!

As someone who's been working with CSS architecture for years, I can tell you firsthand: understanding what's happening under the hood changes everything.

This talk cuts through the mystery of utility frameworks by showing exactly how they work internally. While everyone else is giving "Intro to Tailwind" presentations, I'm offering something that's surprisingly missing from our community: the actual engineering patterns that make these tools work. This knowledge transfers to everything from design systems to component libraries, giving attendees skills that extend far beyond just one framework.

Harnessing Angular Signals for Reactive State Management

Join us as we explore Angular Signals, an innovative way to manage state in your applications. This session will provide a clear understanding of how Angular Signals function, highlighting both the advantages and potential challenges associated with this reactive approach.

We'll work with actual Angular code to demonstrate the process of refactoring existing projects to implement Signals. Key focus areas will include Components, Services, and Directives. By showcasing practical examples, you'll see how Signals can simplify your workflow, enhance code clarity, and lead to more maintainable applications.

Develop Your First Mobile Game Easily with GameSalad

Create your own mobile game in this hands-on workshop using GameSalad! Develop for iOS, Android, Web, and Desktop using a block-based no-code editor!

Learn to use the physics engine for realistic interactions, block-based Behaviors for object manipulation, and Attributes for state tracking. We'll even cover advanced data management with Tables to organize your game elements.

By the end of the session, you'll have a fully functional mobile game ready for publication on the App Store, along with essential skills for future game development!

I taught this workshop to high school and university students throughout the United States. It's an excellent opportunity to get started with programming, or simply explore the exciting field of mobile development!

React Hooks Through Angular Eyes

I never expected to fall for React hooks. As an Angular dev, these tiny functions fascinated me with their elegance and simplicity. Join me for a journey from hook basics to the fancy stuff in React 19—all through the fresh perspective of a framework-switcher.

This talk explores React hooks through the fresh perspective of an Angular developer. We'll start with a comparison of Angular's service-based patterns versus React's hook approach, highlighting the key mental shifts that make hooks so powerful.

First, we'll examine basic hooks and their Angular counterparts, showing how hooks simplify common patterns. Then we'll dive into custom hook creation, demonstrating practical composition techniques that solve real-world problems.

The second half focuses on advanced implementations: building advanced custom hooks, and performance optimization patterns specific to hook-based components. We'll finish with an exploration of React 19's new use hook and how it transforms async operations.

Attendees will walk away with:

- Fresh hook composition patterns that can used immediately
- Techniques for building powerful custom hooks
- Practical examples of React 19's new features in action
- Insight into how another framework's mindset can improve your React code

"Check Me In for My Flight" and Other Things I Text My AI

What if you could text "check me in for my flight" and it just...happened? No app to open. No reminder to set. Just done.

Today's AI assistants are powerful but passive. They answer questions - they don't take action. You're still the one copying, pasting, clicking, and switching between apps.

In this talk, I'll show you how to build a personal AI assistant that actually works for you. Using ClawdBot, you'll create an assistant that lives in the chat apps you already use - Telegram, Discord, iMessage - handling real tasks like flight check-ins, email triage, and calendar management through natural conversation. No coding required!

You'll see real demos of skills in action, learn how ClawdBot builds new capabilities on the fly, and discover the Skill Hub where you can install community skills or contribute your own.

You'll walk away with everything you need to set up your own AI assistant before your flight home.

I've presented technical talks at Stir Trek, THAT Conference, C3 Dev Conf, React Miami, and others.

This talk is light on code but heavy on practical value. I'll walk through the ClawdBot installation process, demonstrate how to get up and running, and showcase a variety of skills in action.

My goal is simple - attendees leave with everything they need to build their own AI assistant and start thinking about the unique ways it can work for them.