blog: Goose Boston Meetup

documentation/blog/2025-03-21-goose-boston-meetup/index.mdx

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+---
+title: Codename Goose Goes to Boston
+description: We hosted our first Goose Meetup in Boston, bringing together over 70 community members for lightning talks, hacking, and lively conversations about agentic systems and the future of MCPs.
+authors: 
+    - rizel
+---
+
+
+![blog cover](goose_goes_to_boston_banner.png)
+
+*Question: What happens when you bring 70+ AI enthusiasts, open source contributors, and curious learners together in one room?*
+
+**Answer: You get an electric night filled with great conversations, hands-on hacking, and mind-blowing insights into agentic systems.**
+
+This week, we hosted our very first [Goose](https://block.github.io/goose) Meetup in Boston at the Cambridge Innovation Center. The turnout and energy exceeded all expectations! From first-time Goose users to seasoned AI engineers, attendees gathered to explore how Goose and the [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction) are shaping the future of AI automation.
+
+<!--truncate-->
+
+## Why We Hosted This Meetup
+
+As our community continues to grow, we wanted to create a space where Goose enthusiasts could:
+
+✅ Network and meet like-minded technologists
+
+✅ Geek out over agentic systems and MCP
+
+✅ Learn through talks, demos, and hands-on hacking
+
+Boston has a thriving tech ecosystem, and it was incredible to see so many people come together to explore the future of AI agents.
+
+## In Case You Missed It
+
+After pizza and networking, we kicked off with two lightning talks that set the tone for the rest of the night:
+
+-  Ebony L. (Developer Advocate at Block, Inc.) delivered an engaging introduction to Goose, covering how to get started, its capabilities, and a hands-on demo that hooked the audience. Reflecting on the night, she shared:
+
+    > "There’s no replacement for meeting in person and getting to talk to people face-to-face about where AI agents can take us. It was great to see the excitement of people who were using Goose for the first time, but it was even more productive to get questions and feedback about how we can work together to make the user experience better. AI is changing how we interact online, but this meetup was proof that it can bring us together in real life, too."
+
+![Ebony takes the stage](ebony_preparing.jpg)
+_Ebony preparing to take the stage_
+
+-  Alex Hancock (Senior Software Engineer at Block, Inc. and MCP Committee Member) followed up with a deep dive into Model Context Protocol architecture, breaking down how it powers agentic systems and what’s next for the ecosystem. Alex was impressed by the enthusiasm in the room, sharing:
+
+    > "I was blown away by the attendance and the engagement. I had a lot of fun sticking around after the talks to answer questions and hear how people are thinking of using Goose and MCP."
+
+![Alex speaking](alex_speaking.jpg)
+_Alex sharing MCP insights with the audience_
+
+Both talks were packed with insights, great humor, and interactive moments that had attendees excited for what was to come.
+
+## Moments We Loved 
+
+Some of our favorite highlights from the night:
+
+📞 Goose made a live phone call to Hack.Diversity alum Eliana Lopez during the event. This was a fun moment that showcased Goose's real-world capabilities in automating everyday tasks.
+
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+💻 Attendees jumped into hands-on hacking, working on their own projects, experimenting with Goose, and sharing ideas in real time. To make sure everyone could participate, we provided OpenRouter credits, allowing attendees to run Goose without worrying about access barriers.
+
+
+![Attendee hacking](attendee_hacking.jpg)
+_Attendee hacking alongside Goose_
+
+
+![Debugging with attendees](debugging_with_attendees.jpg)
+_Rizel debugging with meetup attendees_
+
+
+💬 Riveting discussions sparked throughout the evening, including:
+- Security for MCPs — How should we be thinking about security as agentic systems scale?
+- The future of agentic systems — What are we now capable of, and what’s next?
+
+![Debugging with attendees](alex_speaking.jpg)
+_Alex chatting with attendees_
+
+For Marcelle B., a Software Engineer at Block Inc., the meetup highlighted just how diverse the community was and reinforced the importance of making Goose accessible to everyone:
+
+    > "It was enlightening to see the variety of backgrounds of the attendees. For a few, Goose was an opportunity to bring the power of AI to bear on their project, and our meetup was a friendly place for them to dip their toes in. This gave me such empathy for the kind of product features and the level of rock-solid implementation we need in development, so that Goose can continue to be an empowering tool, rather than another AI product that you have to be some kind of 'insider' to use."
+
+## The Impact & What’s Next
+
+The excitement and engagement from this meetup proved just how much community-driven learning matters. Attendees loved the experience, with one person sharing:
+
+    > "Fantastic event—well-paced, super friendly, learned a lot, and met great people. 10/10 would recommend!"
+
+This event wouldn’t have been the same without all of you. A huge shoutout to Hack.Diversity, Resilient Coders, Goose contributors, and Boston’s tech scene for showing up, supporting, and making this meetup such a success!
+
+
+![Goose Team in Boston](goose_team_in_boston.jpg)
+_The Goose Team in Boston_
+
+
+- If you're experiencing FOMO (the Fear of Missing Out) and want to join the next meetup, follow us on [social media](https://linktr.ee/blockopensource) to stay updated.
+
+- Bring a Goose meetup to your city! If you have a venue, reach out to us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/block-opensource)—let’s make it happen!
+
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