Tech Debt as Innovation + LLM Models on Amazon Bedrock

The August meetup is going to be AMAZING! We'll feature not one, but two world-class speakers and presentations on topics sure to be highly applicable and of great interest to our community.

Join us on the evening of Wednesday the 14th for two great speakers and presentations, networking, cool swag, and food and beverages.

Topics include Tech Debt as Innovation and Deploying & Using LLM Models on Amazon Bedrock.

Start Time:

• Doors open at 6:00 pm for networking
• Live programming begins at 6:30 pm sharp

Location:
Wake Technical Community College - RTP Campus
10908 Chapel Hill Rd.
Morrisville, NC 27560
*We'll be in the auditorium, which is located in building RT1, room 162. Enter through the side entrance - we'll be there to guide you along.

Cost: FREE, as always

Topic #1:
Tech Debt as Innovation (15-18 minutes)

Abstract:
Break free from viewing old code as burdensome obligations and shift perspectives to an opportunity for change. Along the journey we'll talk about supporting legacy systems, approaches for burn down, and lifecycle planning/management with real-life examples, tips, and techniques. We'll also discuss avoiding the migration trap. Dust off your backlog and get creative!

Speaker: Lisa Shissler Smith, Engineering Manager @ Netflix

Bio:
Lisa Shissler Smith is an engineering manager at Netflix and a Senior Director for Women Who Code. She lives near Raleigh, NC, with her husband and their 5 children. She is passionate about inclusion and diversity, supporting and nurturing early career talent, and has spoken extensively about recruiting and retention of underrepresented groups in technology. Lisa also advises those applying for jobs, as well as those who are hiring for their own teams. Outside work, she enjoys cooking, video games, F1 racing, desk dancing, and all things small!

Topic #2: (45 minutes)
Deploying & Using LLM Models on Amazon Bedrock

Abstract:
Join Anya Derbakova in a deep dive into the world of Amazon Bedrock, an innovative platform designed to streamline the deployment and usage of large language models (LLMs). In this session, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of what Amazon Bedrock is, its key benefits, and the variety of models it supports. The session will highlight how Bedrock stands out in facilitating LLM applications, showcasing its practical advantages through illustrative use case examples. Whether you're looking to enhance text analysis, improve customer service, or innovate content creation, this talk will demonstrate the power and versatility of Bedrock. The session will culminate in a live demo, guiding you through the steps to create your own application using Bedrock. By the end, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to leverage this platform to its fullest potential, transforming how you interact with LLMs in your projects or organization.

Speaker: Anya Derbakova, Sr. Startup Solutions Architect, AWS

Bio:
Anya Derbakova is a seasoned technologist with a flair for making the intricate world of tech accessible and enjoyable to all. Starting her journey at IBM, she developed the first version of the REST Interface for the IBM DataPower Gateway security appliance and published a series of IBM developerWorks articles explaining its intricacies. She was a founding member of IBM's Blockchain team and a core contributor to the Hyperledger Fabric open source project, presenting Fabric's capabilities at two All Things Open conferences.

Discovering the world of startups, Anya was the founding CTO of Hearful Technologies, building a successful team to harnessed the voice of the customer from retail product reviews with advanced NLP techniques. Currently at AWS, Anya helps healthcare and life sciences startups navigate the complexities of AWS technologies. She serves as the interim CTO of Goldie health, where she's applying her tech knowledge to fight the opioid crisis in North Carolina.

When not architecting solutions, Anya loves to engage with the tech community. Whether it's through podcast discussions, tech streams, or conference talks, she's always eager to share her knowledge and learn from others.

Questions? Contact us at info@allthingsopen.org.