diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 8a0bdc1..d0fb3d1 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ Prerequisites: familiarity with [GitHub PRs](https://help.github.com/articles/us
 Knowledge of Markdown for editing `.md` documents
 
 - Discuss proposed changes in an Issue.
+- If submitting a Speaker Page, please follow the template
+  closely. You can verify that you have filled out your markdown file
+  properly by running `node index.js | python -mjson.tool`.
 - Submit changes in a Pull Request, fixing one thing. If a pull request is too broad, we may ask
   that you split it up so that each change may be addressed individually.
 - Pull requests can be merged by contributers with commit access once all open questions have been
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index db31d5e..3aadb1f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,5 +11,3 @@ and send a pull request. Please refrain from submitting a speaker page for other
 
 This repository's intended audience is organizers and
 prospective speakers at node meetups. The intent is to enable communication among organizers and speakers: It should help match organizers with speakers, and provide a platform on which speakers might publish their talks and swap notes between themselves about what worked well and what did not.
-
-
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab890f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+module.exports = main
+
+var toMetadata = require('./lib/mk')
+  , path = require('path')
+  , fs = require('fs')
+
+var through = require('through')
+  , ls = require('ls-stream')
+
+if(require.main === module) {
+  main()
+    .pipe(require('JSONStream').stringify())
+    .pipe(process.stdout)
+}
+
+function main() {
+  return ls(__dirname)
+    .pipe(filter())
+    .pipe(annotateContent())
+    .pipe(toMetadata())
+}
+
+// only emit entries that look like meetup markdown files.
+function filter() {
+  var stream = through(write)
+
+  return stream
+
+  function write(entry) {
+    if(!/^(.+)\-(.+)(\-(.+))?/g.test(entry.path.replace(__dirname))) {
+      entry.ignore()
+
+      return
+    }
+
+    if(entry.stat.isFile() && path.extname(entry.path) === '.md') {
+      stream.queue(entry)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// staple the file contents onto the meetup markdown files.
+function annotateContent() {
+  var stream = through(write, end)
+    , pending = 0
+    , ended
+
+  return stream
+
+  function write(entry) {
+    ++pending
+    fs.readFile(entry.path, 'utf8', onread)
+
+    function onread(err, data) {
+      if(err) {
+        return stream.emit('error', err)
+      }
+
+      stream.queue({
+          entry: entry
+        , data: data
+      })
+      --pending
+      check()
+    }
+  }
+
+  function end() {
+    ended = true
+    check()
+  }
+
+  function check() {
+    if(ended && !pending) {
+      stream.queue(null)
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/mk.js b/lib/mk.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf35449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mk.js
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+var through = require('through')
+  , marked = require('marked')
+
+/*
+ * turn the meetup {data: filedata, entry: entry} data into metadata
+ * about the meetups.
+ */
+function toMetadata() {
+  var stream = through(write)
+
+  return stream
+
+  function write(data) {
+
+    var lexed = marked.lexer(data.data)
+      , plural = {
+            'urls': true
+          , 'organizers': true
+        }
+      , formats = []
+      , format
+      , meta = {}
+
+    function parseTable(obj) {
+      return [obj.header].concat(obj.cells).reduce(function(lhs, rhs) {
+        var key = slugify(rhs[0].slice(2, -3))
+
+        lhs[key] = plural[key] ? rhs[1].split(/,\s*/) : rhs[1]
+        
+        return lhs
+      }, {})
+    }
+
+    meta.name = lexed[0].text
+    meta.avatar = lexed[1].text
+
+    var list = []
+      , lastKey
+      , listing
+
+    for(var i = 2; i < lexed.length; i++) {
+      var obj = lexed[i]
+
+      if (obj.type === 'list_start') {
+        listing = true;
+      }
+
+      if (obj.type === 'list_end') {
+        meta[lastKey] = list
+        list = []
+        listing = false
+      }
+
+      if (listing && obj.type === 'text') {
+        list.push(obj.text)
+      }
+
+      if (obj.type === 'table') {
+        if (lastKey !== undefined) {
+          meta[lastKey] = parseTable(obj)
+        } else {
+          meta.attributes = parseTable(obj)
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (obj.type === 'heading') {
+        lastKey = obj.text
+        meta[lastKey] = {}
+      }
+
+      if (obj.type === 'paragraph') {
+        meta[lastKey].body = obj.text
+      }
+    }
+
+    meta.process = lexed.map(function(xs) {
+      return xs.text || ''
+    }).join('\n')
+
+    stream.queue(meta)
+  }
+}
+
+// TODO(dj): get rid of this prolly
+// simple in this case:
+function slugify(input) {
+  input = input.toString()
+
+  return input
+    .replace(/[^\w\s\d\-]/g, '')
+    .replace(/^\s*/, '')
+    .replace(/\s*$/, '')
+    .replace(/[\-\s]+/g, '-')
+    .toLowerCase()
+}
+
+module.exports = toMetadata
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5df77d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "name": "knode-speakers",
+  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "description": "knode.io catalogue of speakers",
+  "main": "index.js",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "node test.js"
+  },
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git://github.com/knode/speakers.git"
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "knode",
+    "speakers",
+    "organizer",
+    "user",
+    "group"
+  ],
+  "author": "Knode.io <http://knode.io>",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "bugs": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/knode/speakers/issues"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "marked": "~0.3.0",
+    "through": "~2.3.4",
+    "ls-stream": "~1.0.0",
+    "JSONStream": "~0.7.1"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "tape": "~2.3.2"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/portland-or-usa/justin-abrahms.md b/portland-or-usa/justin-abrahms.md
index 713cf46..ff359c5 100644
--- a/portland-or-usa/justin-abrahms.md
+++ b/portland-or-usa/justin-abrahms.md
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@
 I'm Justin. I've been programming for many years. I'm self-taught. I dig talking because it provides me an excuse to dig deeper into a topic, as well as a method of share my findings with others.
 As for formats, I'm happy with a tour of code, if there's a particular repo of mine that catches your eye, standard speaker + slides or round table discussion things.
 
-For topics, I'm into a bunch of stuff, including: 
+## Topics
 
-- static analysis
-- writing testable code
-- playing with irc bots
-- application structure and architecture
-- technical paper discussion
-- computer science (and education thereof)
-- tooling as a general concept
+* static analysis
+* writing testable code
+* playing with irc bots
+* application structure and architecture
+* technical paper discussion
+* computer science (and education thereof)
+* tooling as a general concept
diff --git a/portland-or-usa/your-name.md b/portland-or-usa/your-name.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dbe95a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/portland-or-usa/your-name.md
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Your Name Here
+
+![an avatar, if you'd like to include one](https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/8310c4341b623f781babb080cd2c5d4f?r=x&s=200)
+
+| **location**: | city, state, country |
+|:--------------|---------------------:|
+| **twitter**:  | @therealgarybusey    |
+| **github**:   | your-gh-username     |
+| **urls**:     | urls                 |
+| **travel availability**: | if comp'd / regionally / locally / none |
+| **preferred audience size**: | large / small / N/A |
+
+## About me
+
+A brief introduction. What are you into? What do you like to talk about / work on?
+Why do you enjoy talking? Are there any particular formats you enjoy?
+
+## Talks / Workshops (optional)
+
+### Something about JavaScript
+
+| **location**: | event, city, state, country |
+|:--------------|----------------------------:|
+| **when**:     | YYYY-MM-DD                  |
+| **materials**:   | link to speakerdeck, etc |
+| **duration**:   | 45-min / 30 min |
+| **audience size**: | large / small / ??? |
+
+A brief synopsis of what you talked about. E.G., I talked about XYZ at ABC. 
+The audience seemed to really like it. There were a few questions and they
+lead me to add some feature to the thing.
+
+### Bleep Bloop
+
+| **location**: | event, city, state, country |
+|:--------------|----------------------------:|
+| **when**:     | YYYY-MM-DD                  |
+| **materials**:   | link to speakerdeck, etc |
+| **duration**:   | 3 months |
+| **audience size**: | large / small / ??? |
+
+I taught robots to make squid noises using [workshopper](http://npm.im/workshopper).
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d57a50d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+var test      = require('tape')
+  , mkdToJson = require('../index.js')
+
+
+test('JSON formatting', function(t) {
+  mkdToJson().on('data' ,function(data) {
+    if (data) {
+      t.assert(data.name.length > 1)
+    }
+  })
+})