Mom Coding: Building Without A Technical Background

​Part of Twin Cities Startup Week 2026, September 14–18.

​You don't have to be a software engineer to start building with AI. In this fireside chat, Kathleen will share how she took an idea rooted in a problem she understood deeply and began turning it into a real product, despite not having a traditional coding background.

​Her approach to "Mom Coding" is less about letting AI build whatever you ask for and more about knowing what expertise you already bring to the process. She'll talk about using domain knowledge, judgment, intuition, and curiosity to guide AI, learning enough to question what it produces, and recognizing when a product has reached the point where deeper technical expertise needs to come in. Michael Arulfo will bring the technical perspective to the conversation, helping explore where AI can make building more accessible and where good technical judgment still matters.

​The conversation is especially for people sitting on an idea or deep expertise in a problem who have assumed they aren't technical enough to build something themselves.

​Speakers:

• ​Kathleen Hustad, Founder & CEO, EVRKind

• ​Michael Arulfo, Chief AI Officer & Field CTO

​Getting here on Tuesday. Parking, Basecamp, lunch, and the rest of the day: tcstartupweek.com/tuesday