Our Story:

Three years ago, we attended DEF CON 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada and attended a talk on starting a DEF CON group. When we got back to Madison, WI we filled out the form to become a Madison, WI area DEF CON group. In early 2022 we were approved to be formed and in July 2022 we had our first monthly meetup. In early 2024 we were approved for nonprofit status and formed an official 501(c)(3). Our monthly meetup is held the first Thursday of the month at Aftershock Classic Arcade and features a cybersecurity conference-like talk and then a social hour to follow. We publish speaker approved talks to our YouTube channel to share knowledge with the world. Currently the monthly meetup has been funded by a few generous members and we are seeking funds to ensure that the monthly meetup continues for the rest of time. We also host online events such as red team, blue team, and coding nights on our Discord server (link on the website). We are very low budget; however, we are looking to expand and this campaign will cover 6 months of the basic monthly meetup costs between meetup.com, the venue, the website, Discord, and other operating expenses. 100% of the funds raised will go to continuing the meetup as our staff is all volunteer. Thank for the consideration and know that your donation will directly improve both our local community as well as the world.

DC608's Mission Statement:

To inspire, motivate, and mentor others in the Madison, Wisconsin area community to learn and share knowledge relating to cybersecurity. We welcome anyone, regardless of their skill, age, job, gender, etc. DEF CON Groups are designed to help others learn new things, meet new people, mentor others in areas you may be strong in, and provide some cohesion within the hacker culture and its members.

DC608 Website:

https://dc608.org

DEF CON Group's FAQ:

https://forum.defcon.org/node/231249

DC608 Monthly Meetup Fundraising Campaign