Date: Wednesday, May 23
Time: 8pm
Location: High Noon Saloon (map)

The order of the night’s line-up will be announced on the Facebook event the day of the show.

May the Law be With You: Legal issues from a galaxy far, far away

Summary: There are a lot of Star Wars movies and even more legal issues in the Star Wars universe. From product liability questions related to the design of the Death Star to hazardous work conditions for Jabba’s employees to the rights of droids to be served at the Cantina, we discuss some of the legal issues that are raised in the Star Wars movies. We can all come out of this ready to sue the Empire in civil court!

Jessica Mederson

Presenter Bio: Jessica Mederson joined Hansen Reynolds LLC in 2011 and serves as the Managing Partner of Hansen Reynolds’ Madison office. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Mederson was an attorney with Vinson & Elkins LLP in Austin, TX. Ms. Mederson litigates business and IP matters in state and federal courts across the nation. Licensed in four states, she focuses on construction defect litigation, management and director/officer disputes, employer-side employment litigation, contract disputes, and patent infringement litigation. She is a graduate of The George Washington University and the University of Texas School of Law. She is also a founder of The Legal Geeks and blogs on the intersection of law and geek culture at thelegalgeeks.com. She has presented at San Diego Comic Con every year since 2015.!

Biomimicry: Learning from Nature’s Wisdom

Summary: Nature thinks “inside the box” by creating amazing innovations despite working within the bounds of heavy constraints. Biomimicry is the study of these natural strategies, and the resulting lessons are turned into abstractions that can help us solve our problems while ensuring balance within the world around us. This talk will provide a brief introduction to this amazing toolset!

Benjamin St John

Presenter bio: Ben is a designer and innovation manager currently about to start work in the software industry. He completed his undergrad at Arizona State University in a hybrid program between the engineering and business schools in 2015, followed by a Masters of Science in Biomimicry (also at Arizona State University) in 2017, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018. His mother, a horticulturist, taught him about the the value of nature and its ecosystems and these lessons stayed with him throughout his career and personal life. An avid hiker and camper, Ben is most at home taking in the awesome power of nature with its ability to maintain incredibly delicate and balanced ecosystems.

We Can All be a World Champion: How an every-man won the World Series of Poker

Summary: Celebrate the 15th anniversary of Chris Moneymaker (that is his real name) vaulting poker into popular culture and spawning a new world of poker players. On May 23, 2003, Chris won $2.5 Million after spending $86 on an online satellite entry. This tournament was full of amazing characters and unlikely winners and losers. Chris’s story and what he did to the poker world resonates today. I will discuss how parts of popular culture, technology, and luck led to Chris’s unlikely win.

Brad Green

Presenter bio: Brad is a professional fundraiser for the University of Wisconsin. He is average (maybe) at poker but loves it. He spends his free time playing guitar and hanging out with his 5 year old daughter and his old dog.