Fine-Tune Your First Open Source Model in 30 Minutes: A Live Walkthrough
Details
Save the date now for our in-person September meetup!
The featured topic is wildly interesting and sure to educate and entertain - "Fine-Tune Your First Open Source Model in 30 Minutes: A Live Walkthrough".
And good news.. we just added two new speakers!
Becky Brown, Global Program Manager at SAS, will deliver a 10-15 minute session titled "Beyond the Code: The Relationship Advantage", and Pat Clark, Ambassador for Randstad Digital powered by Torc, will briefly discuss the Torc community, jobs, and ways to get involved.
Doors open at 6:00 pm for networking, food and beverages, and tons of (free) swag. Live programming begins at 6:30 sharp.
This meetup is sponsored and made possible by the team at Randstad Digital powered by Torc. Randstad Digital powered by Torc is a global community for technology professionals looking to grow their careers, meet good people, build new skills, and stay connected to opportunities along the way.
- Check out the website here
- Discord
- Social handle (all platforms) - @torcdotdev
- Community Email - [[community@torc.dev](mailto:community@torc.dev)](mailto:community@torc.dev "mailto:community@torc.dev")
- Primary contact - Taylor, VP of Global Community
- Additional team contact - Briana, Head of Global Operations
Date: Tuesday evening, September 8
Featured Speaker: Nihal Kaul, Lead Software Engineer, Revscale AI
Topic: Fine-Tune Your First Open Source Model in 30 Minutes: A Live Walkthrough
Abstract:
This 30-45 talk walks through fine tuning a small open source model on a real dataset, live on stage, using a free Google Colab GPU. The audience sees the full workflow from dataset prep through training to a working fine-tuned model. The best part.. Nihal shares the notebook with attendees so they can run it themselves after the session.
Introductory Speaker: Becky Brown, Global Program Manager, SAS
Bio:
Becky Brown is a technology industry veteran whose career spans nearly four decades in sales, product marketing, and enablement. Today, she leads Social Selling programs at SAS, helping professionals expand their influence through meaningful digital engagement. Becky challenges technical audiences to think beyond skills and certifications, demonstrating how strong relationships, authentic communication, and strategic networking can amplify both personal and professional success.
Talk Title: Beyond the Code: The Relationship Advantage
Abstract:
Becky will explore why relationship-building remains one of the most valuable skills and how you can leverage it. She will give you practical insights for building authentic connections that expand your influence and help you open doors (without feeling selfpromotional). Attendees will leave with a fresh perspective on networking and simple strategies they can put into practice immediately, both online and in person.
Venue Location & Directions:
Location: Fidelity Investments, Durham, NC
[https://goo.gl/maps/VGu89aYsn8qt5xqa6](https://goo.gl/maps/VGu89aYsn8qt5xqa6)
If you enter “Select Dr, Durham, NC” into your navigation it will take you to the parking lot access road and then just follow the signs to Visitor parking and then to the building we will be meeting in. Once you have arrived at the Guest Parking area, proceed to the large building on the left.
Parking: [https://goo.gl/maps/VGu89aYsn8qt5xqa6](https://goo.gl/maps/VGu89aYsn8qt5xqa6)
Registration and Government ID Required
Please note, security protocols onsite require everyone attending to register ahead of time using your first and last name as it appears on your government ID. *Note, by RSVP'ing for this meetup on [[Meetup.com](http://meetup.com/)](http://meetup.com/) you are "registering" for the event.
You'll need to bring that ID with you to the event.
Upon entry you will be directed to a table where your id will be checked and you will be given your pre-registered nametag and you will be escorted into the event space. This will help speed you through the lobby and get you to the food, swag, and content without delay.
Questions? Contact us at info@allthingsopen.org.
RSVP required
*This is a free event. However, an RSVP is required. Seating is limited, so RSVP's will be capped as we fill up. Please move quickly and RSVP to save your spot if interested. When you RSVP you will be added to our mailing list to receive future event updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.
