AI KEYNOTE SPEAKER

    AI Keynote Speaker in Portland, Oregon

    Sebastian Chedal is a Portland-based AI keynote speaker and the founder of Fountain City. He does not just talk about AI. He builds it. He runs a working AI agency and ships production autonomous agents, then shows audiences what is real and what is hype.

    Book Sebastian for Your Event

    Most AI speakers are futurists with slides. Sebastian is an operator. The examples in his talks are real systems doing real work, not predictions about the future.

    THE SPEAKER

    Who is Sebastian Chedal?

    Sebastian has spent 27 years building technology, from the early web through mobile and cloud to AI. He founded his first web agency in Amsterdam in 1998 and has founded four companies since. Today he is the founder and CEO of Fountain City, a Portland AI agency, and co-founder of systamesh.com and programate.ai. He builds and runs autonomous AI agents in production, which is exactly what makes his talks land: the stories are real systems and real outcomes, told by the person who built them.

    THE TALKS

    What Sebastian speaks on

    Agentic Software Development: From +30% to 10x

    How agentic tools take engineering output from a modest lift to a step change, and what it actually takes to get there.

    Why 80% of AI Projects Fail

    The patterns that sink AI projects, and how to join the 20% that ship and stick.

    Autonomous AI Agents

    What agents really are, where they work, and how to put them into production without the hype.

    Strategic AI Implementation for Business Leaders

    A practical roadmap for leaders deciding where AI pays off and where it does not.

    AI Testing, Validation and Quality

    How to make AI systems reliable, not just impressive, before they touch real work.

    AI Change Management

    Getting your team to actually adopt the AI you build, which is where most efforts succeed or fail.

    Available as a keynote, workshop, panel, or fireside chat, in person or virtual, and tailored to your audience.

    ON STAGE

    Recent talks and podcasts

    Conferences and events

    • AI Oregon Conference — Newport, Oregon
    • NEDME — Hillsboro, Oregon
    • Shaping the Future of Manufacturing Intelligence — Mountain View, California
    • AI and Your Agency — San Francisco, California
    • AI Your Agency — Austin, Texas
    • Virtual AI Summit — Vancouver, Canada

    Podcast appearances

    Neil Wilkins, Missing Half, Extrawai, Pivoting to Web3, AI Superwoman, Fast + Light, and Abstract Essay.

    LOCAL

    Based in Portland, speaking everywhere

    Sebastian speaks to business leaders, agency owners, manufacturers, and technical teams at conferences, summits, and private corporate events. He is based in Portland, Oregon, and is available across the Pacific Northwest and nationwide, in person or virtual. Recent Oregon stages include the AI Oregon Conference in Newport and NEDME in Hillsboro.

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    Agentic AI and autonomous agents, strategic AI implementation, why most AI projects fail, AI testing and quality, and AI change management. The throughline is what actually works in production, drawn from systems he builds and runs.

    Sebastian is an operator, not a futurist. He runs a working AI agency and ships production autonomous agents, so his examples are real systems doing real work, not predictions about the future.

    Yes. He is based in Portland, Oregon, and speaks across the Pacific Northwest and nationwide, in person or virtual. Recent talks span Oregon, California, Texas, and Canada.

    Yes. He delivers keynotes, hands-on workshops, panels, and fireside chats, tailored to your audience and the outcome you want.

    Reach out through the contact form or call Fountain City. Tell us your event, audience, and the outcome you want, and we will tailor a talk.

    BOOK SEBASTIAN

    Bring a real AI operator to your stage.

    Tell us your event, your audience, and the outcome you want. We will tailor a talk that leaves people with something they can use on Monday.

    Book Sebastian for Your Event