ColdFusion

This is our inaugural general body meeting and an introduction to cloud computing and AWS certifications. We’ll walk through what AWS is, the certification paths available to students, and how our club will support hands-on learning through beginner-friendly projects this semester. No prior cloud experience is required, just curiosity and interest in tech. Important note: The date shown is currently incorrect due to a snow day. We are actively working to reschedule this event for next week and will update everyone as soon as the new date is confirmed. **New date is confirmed! Duques 255 later today at 5:15pm, see you all there!** We’re excited to kick things off and can’t wait to meet you all! ☁️🚀

Start at the old train depot. After the run, we'll meet at Mile 20 for a drink! Run starts at 6:45 pm we will head toward Sterling tonight. Run at your own pace out and back. 2 mile runners turn around at Crestview Drive. 3 mile runners turn around at Tamarack Court. 3.5 & 4 - No cross streets in this stretch. You're on your own. :-) 5 mile runners - turn around at Sterling Blvd.

Un'ottima occasione per parlare in Italiano con persone di madre lingua. Aperto a tutti i livelli di conoscenza dell'Italiano. Specialmente gustando una buonissima pinza. A presto. Please consider donating to us via the Pledge widget on this page to help us defray the costs of running a Meetup group. **Note: This event occurs on the first Wednesday of every month at Via Roma**

**Join the IANDS of Columbia MD Near-Death & Spiritual Discussion Group** **10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy Columbia, MD 21044** **in the Studio Conference Room on 2nd Floor** for an enlightening discussion on spiritual experiences and divine guidance. This event will delve into the realms of metaphysics, consciousness, and spirituality, exploring topics such as mediumship, out-of-body experiences, and inner wisdom. Participants will have the opportunity to share insights on near-death experiences and the transformative power of spiritual growth. Whether you are intrigued by the concept of reincarnation or interested in the principles of spiritualism, this event promises to deepen your understanding of the spiritual journey. Embrace the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and embark on a path of personal transformation and enlightenment.

Join us to enjoy an exclusive 5-course tasting menu ($100/pp) at Chef Edward Lee's groundbreaking restaurant - **Shia** \- in the Union Market District\! Note from SHIA: Due to our committment to sustainability and preventing food waste, we prepare specific ingredients for each guest daily. A charge of $85 per guest will be applied to any cancellations within 48 hours of the booking. $85 Event Registration fee will be applied to each guests's bill. Event registration fee is only refundable if the seat is filled by another guest prior to the dinner. Thank you for your understanding. \*\*Note from Shia re:Dietary Restrictions:\*\* Due to the inclusion of ingredients integral to Korean culture and cuisine, we ***cannot*** accommodate the following dietary restrictions: celiac, soy, legume, nightshade vegetable, or allium. We ***can*** accommodate vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, seafood allergies, shellfish allergies, and nut allergies. The adjusted dishes our chefs have created for these dietary restrictions will be vegetarian, as we do not have the ability to substitute proteins. Individuals with aversions to seafood may not fully enjoy the experience, as a large portion of our menu is seafood-based at this time. Please note that our kitchen operates on a minimal-waste, sustainability-driven model. This means we do not stock additional ingredients for last-minute changes. If we receive notice less than 48 hours before your reservation, we may need to omit elements of dishes rather than substitute additional ingredients. Please let us know right away so we can prepare with care. **The Washington Post** (Sietsema) Over my decades-long watch, few restaurant genres have witnessed more changes in and around Washington than Korean. Back in 2000, the majority of sources were in the Virginia suburbs, where the menus mostly revolved around tried-and-true mandu, bulgogi, seafood pancakes and barbecue. Before the rise of social media, restaurants that specialized in certain dishes **—** say, Tosokjip in Annandale, known for its grilled fish and stews **—** existed under the radar, supported primarily by the Korean community, recalls restaurateur Danny Lee, one of the agents for change on the D.C. scene. Over the years, practitioners started cooking outside the lines and experimenting with fusion. The arrival of Lee’s Chiko and Anju in the District saw chefs feeding us Korean fused with Chinese American ideas and serving upscale homestyle cooking. Service (and alcohol beyond beer and soju) became a priority at restaurants including Ingle Korean Steakhouse in Vienna, and Korean chefs, following the lead of the trailblazing Atomix in New York, hopped on the fine-dining bandwagon with tasting menus. I miss the short-lived Incheon in Annandale but welcome the youthful Onggi in Dupont Circle. Since November, chef and cookbook author Edward Lee is pushing the envelope even more, with a gem called Shia — “seed” in Korean — tucked in the Union Market District. It’s a slip of a place with a dozen seats in the front bar and nearly double that number in a narrow dining room behind a slatted maple door. What distinguishes Shia from the pack is that it’s part of the chef’s nonprofit, the LEE Initiative, originally introduced as a mentoring program. Further, Shia is experimenting with all manner of limited-waste and sustainable practices, which is why some drinks arrive sans garnishes, and there’s no gas and zero plastic. After the kitchen turns them into pulp, used cocktail napkins and printer tickets enjoy afterlives as postcards and coasters. No one preaches here, by the way; they just quietly set good examples. Lee wants his clientele to experience Shia as a restaurant vs. a lecture hall. “This is how we say hello,” says a server as he places a little cup in front of us, trailed by a snack: a hot oyster and scallop bundled in jin, or seaweed. The dish, which you eat with your hands, marries hot seafood, cool Asian pear and spicy ssamjang, an exquisite bite that’s gone as fast as you can read this sentence. The contents of the cup, a tea made with soju and dried omija berries, are refreshingly sweet-tart. Guests seated at the bar are offered a five-course menu; those seated in the dining room, host to the open kitchen, receive seven courses. Shia remains enough of a tough reservation that I’ve been able to secure a seat only in the lounge, a serene space with gold lights, a concave ceiling and wallpaper that depicts clouds mingling with mountains. Scrolls of amberjack arranged on thin red rings of fermented fish paste and lemon juice are topped with little balls of foam that taste like kimchi “air.” (The finishing touch demonstrates Shia’s no-waste goal; the cloud is excess liquid from making kimchi, passed through an aerator.) The lovely fish dish is a spin on the refreshing Korean summer dish mul hwe, to which a delicate, fresh-tasting green chip is added. (The fillip turns out to be hand-harvested gamtae, the rarest of seaweeds in Korea.) We miss the small plate when it’s gone, but only until the pork belly replaces it. Finger lengths of the braised meat share a canvas with abalone and clams scattered on a soothing porridge of barley, buckwheat, millet and three kinds of rice infused with dashi. “Try to get a bite in each bite,” a server coaches my party. Rising from the center is a little tower of fierce white kimchi, which the server says to save for last, “but you do you.” Some nights look like an evening out in Seoul. My visits found different generations of Koreans sharing Lee’s handiwork, a reality the chef addresses with menus printed in Korean as well as English. The owner sees adventure-seeking younger Koreans come in to check the place out, then return with their parents to share the novelty. The Korean menu is meant to make older customers “feel at home.” Surely the saengseon contributes to the sentiment. A square of seared braised sea bass — line-caught, of course — lounges in a liquid salad of crisp greens and broth and practically demands my return engagement. The intoxicating flavor of the soup springs from what Max Chuvalas, who shares the executive-chef title with Chaelin Lee, calls a “fish tea,” an elixir coaxed from fish scraps and white kimchi juice. I also admire the duck, glazed with Korean mustard and presented so the sliced meat alternates with same-sized pieces of gently crisp mountain yam. The accompanying steamed rice, offered in a raised wooden bowl and bulked up with ginkgo nuts, aster, shepherd’s weed and thistle, nearly steals the show. The greens are another salute to sustainability: “Where Americans might see weeds, Koreans see edible flora,” says Chuvalas, who comes to Shia from Dirty Habit but has worked in fine-dining restaurants before. Those who opt for five courses choose between the fish and the duck. The seven-course plan includes both indulgences. My strategy at the bar with a companion has been to order one of each and share tastes. When I first started as The Washington Post’s critic, Asian desserts were mostly predictable. Green tea ice cream was almost always involved. Shia demonstrates how far the scene has come, with endings including bruleed bananas staged with banana chips, same-flavored ice cream and soy chocolate sauce, a fruit salad that changes with the season but always looks like a brilliant orchard, and a honey tuile hovering over apricot foam. The longer script in the dining room embraces extra sweets — caramels and what tastes like a pecan pie from Korea (pine nuts and dates are involved) — revealed in a handsome mirrored box. In recent years, chefs of all stripes have gotten better about offering tasting menu portions that are neither too tiny nor too filling. No one feels compelled to go to the Golden Arches after a meal at Shia, nor will they feel the need to let out their belt. “I’m 53,” says Lee. “As I get older, I don’t have the patience for 20 courses and three hours” of sitting and eating. The chef feels that seven courses, the max here, honors “efficiency and variety.” Hear! Hear! And go! Go! Looking forward to sharing this experience with you! ***Menus change seasonally***. Please see latest menu and information on new dishes on menu on OpenTable[ here](https://www.opentable.com/r/shia-restaurant-washington) and [Instagram page](https://www.instagram.com/shia_dc/). We ask that ALL folks honor their RSVP. If you are unable to attend after sending in a YES, please update your status so that others may join. In the event our group incurs a fee for no-shows / late cancellations, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding. **WAITLIST:** Meetup does not allow a waitlist for paid events. If this event fills and you are interested in adding your name to the waitlist, please send host a message through the app. In the future, we will vary the days of the week and the types of restaurants so that we can attract many different types of diners. Feel free to make suggestions for future meet locations. All diners will pay their own tab. before departing the event. If you are unable to join us in February we hope you'll stay interested and join us for a meal in the future. Looking forward to catching up with you for a fantastic dinner at Shia!

**This talk has completely sold out in advance and no door tickets will be available.** [Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Love Lecture,”** a contemplation of matters of the heart, with Laura Papish, associate professor of philosophy at George Washington University and teacher of a seminar on the philosophy of love, sex, and friendship. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hill-center-love-lecture](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hill-center-love-lecture) .] Who wrote the book of love? Why does love have to be so sad? Is it a thin line between love and hate? On a more serious note, how does our society's understanding of love and romantic love shape our experience of it? Why do we think of love as mysterious and irrational? Do those we love need to be lovable? Is love necessarily a morally good thing, or can it actually make it harder for us to be good? Show your love for learning by hearing such questions tackled by Laura Papish, who has built a considerable following among Washington D.C. fans of Profs and Pints with her annual talks exploring the intersection of the brain, the soul, and the heart. Hilariously accompanied by her husband, Chris (on guitar), she’ll offer up a delicious assortment of thoughts about the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday—some dark, some sweet, and some giving you plenty to chew on. Dr. Papish will start by examining how ancient Greeks thought about erotic love and move on from there, looking at how love is envisioned in modern thinkers, classic novels, recent films, and pop culture. She’ll also discuss the origins of the idea that people have a “soul mate” and how some thinkers have tried to criticize or transform the very concept of love. Together, we'll explore different possibilities for love and those mysteries about it that have left more than a few of us feeling befuddled. Feel free to show up if you are lovelorn, love-stricken, or just love to hear a fascinating discussion. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Cupid as rendered in a 1510 painting by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi.

Everyone’s prompting. Few people are judging. This talk shows how a playwright uses multiple LLMs and vibe coding to build a custom evaluation loop: a digital dramaturg that checks scenes against an outline like a living spec. If you design, build, or eval AI systems, you’ll leave with a new mental model for using LLMs as QA, not just content engines. **Featured speaker:** * [Soo-Jin Lee](https://www.linkedin.com/in/soo-jinlee/)\, Gen AI Conversation Designer \| Prompt Engineer \| LLM\, NLU\, NLP \| Human in the Loop \| Former Teacher \| Playwright **Location:** AWS Skills Center, 1550-G Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 **Drinks and Networking After:** --> Alamo Drafthouse, 1660 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 (2nd Floor) **Description:** Join us at AI Innovators Network for our upcoming meetup in the Mosaic, which is dedicated to exploring the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a professional, or someone curious about the intersection of technology and AI, this event is perfect for networking, learning, and sharing insights. Connect with like-minded individuals from DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland as we dive deep into the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation driving innovation and progress in Artificial Intelligence.

Join DC Metro Crafts for a field trip. We'll be at Quill and Crumbs, the cafe at the Shakespeare Folger Library. The Shakespeare Folger Library is about 3 blocks from the Capitol South metro. Head up First as you get out of the station, pass the Library of Congress and the Capitol, turn right on East Capitol, and the Folger is on the right. The entrance is around the side, not through the front of the building. Head upstairs to the cafe and we'll be at the tables at the back. Bring your own cross stitch, knitting, crochet, or other portable craft.

Come the whole time or if you just spend 30 minutes. All are welcome. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own coloring supplies but, if you don't have any, I will have plenty and am happy to share! (coloring books, colored pencils, and markers). Part of the mission of this group is to provide us an opportunity to check out AND SUPPORT local businesses. So, please don't bring any outside food/drinks and, while purchasing something isn't at all a REQUIREMENT to participate in the event, I do strongly encourage you to try something from the vendor :) I look forward to seeing and meeting you there! ***\*\*DISCLAIMER*\*\*** Photos may be taken during the event to be shared here on Meetup so feel free to let me know if you'd like to be excluded from them.

**RSVP DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOUR SPOT. You must register via our website:** [https://georgewashingtonvolleyball.totalcamps.com/Content/29778](https://georgewashingtonvolleyball.totalcamps.com/Content/29778) **Winter Adult Offensive Skills Camp III** This camp is designed for **adult volleyball players (ages 20 & above)** looking to improve their offensive skills. Ideal for **all skill levels**, this camp offers an opportunity to receive skill instruction from George Washington's coaching staff. Players will be grouped by experience & skill level to ensure the best possible experience. **What to Expect:** You'll train directly with GW Volleyball's Coaching Staff & Players to improve offensive skills such as attacking, serve receive, rotations, setting, etc. We will spend the first hour & a half on skill instruction & the last 30 minutes playing competitive 6v6. **Camp Schedule:** 🗓️ *Thursday, February 5th* * 6:45 PM – Doors Open, Check-in begins at the Charles E. Smith Center * 7:00 PM – Camp Begins * 9:00 PM – Camp Ends **Important Info:** * **You must register via our camp website**: [https://georgewashingtonvolleyball.totalcamps.com/Content/29778](https://georgewashingtonvolleyball.totalcamps.com/Content/29778) * This camp is for **adults only** – you must be **above the age of 20 or have exhausted your NCAA eligibility.** * You will enter the Charles E. Smith Center at the **Ticket Office Entrance**, located on 22nd St. * **Please do not arrive early; basketball will be finishing up their practice at this time & we cannot accommodate your arrival earlier.** * Payment is due at the time of signup. * *By registering, you agree that we may use your photo for marketing.* We can’t wait to see you there!

***Colvin Run 1st Saturday Social Ballroom Dance.*** **We invite you to join us for our Social Ballroom dance featuring the incredible TeRay Bingham, of Crown Dance Studio, as the instructor.** 7:30-8:30 pm: Foxtrot Lesson by Teray Bingham of Crown Dance Studio 8:30-10:30 pm: Ballroom dance to DJ music by none other than DJ Eddie!! $15 (cash or check) for the full evening includes lesson, dance, cold water, and scrumptious snacks Dress is "ballroom casual." No jeans, cut-offs or T shirts please. Dress to Impress! Plenty of free, safe parking No partner, experience or reservations needed. Don't have a partner? No problem! You will find lots of friendly partners HAPPY to meet you and dance with you!! Come to learn and stay to dance! 1,850 sq. ft. beautiful oak dance floor. Plenty of free, safe parking. ## Questions? Find Colvin Run at [http://www.colvinrun.org](https://colvinrun.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9abd22bfb1858c46263c2620b&id=a653d4304d&e=dc73d9bfad) or visit [https:](https://colvinrun.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9abd22bfb1858c46263c2620b&id=b3877963d5&e=dc73d9bfad)[//www.meetup.com/colvinrun-org/events](https://colvinrun.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9abd22bfb1858c46263c2620b&id=eda6408288&e=dc73d9bfad) or contact [Conrad.Heer@ColvinRun.org](mailto:Kathy.Milks@colvinrun.org)

Happy Lunar Year! Ring in the Red Horse Year and gallop into the New Year with us, for a Year of the Fire Horse celebration! Let us toast for a Lunar New Year of vitality and 'Ma Dao Cheng Gong' (Instant Success)! ***CHECK-IN : AT THE VIP ENTRANCE. SKIP THE LINE.*** ***MAKE SURE THAT YOU COME TO THE VIP ENTRANCE and pick up your wristbands. Then you’ll be set to sip on. There will be hundreds of people and a long line. Early arrival is highly suggested.*** **Cover is $20. But it is FREE with RSVP.** **DON'T FORGET TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS FREE TICKET, AT THE DOOR. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO BE CHARGED FOR COVER.** ***Time: 10PM-3AM (ticket pick up is from 10PM-11PM)\**** ***\*Registration is from 10PM-11PM. You'll receive your wristband . If you can't make it by 11pm TEXT/EMAIL YOUR QR CODE to a friend, so that they can pick everything up for you.*** ***But the party continues till 3AM!*** ***LINEUP :*** ***Decades has different floors dedicated to different decades.*** ***Those who haven't been to Decades before. It is the largest club in DC and one of the prominent ones in the world. After you party there, scrape it off from your bucket list!*** ***10PM - 11PM : Ground Floor*** ***11PM - MIDNIGHT : 2000s Floor*** ***MIDNIGHT - 1AM : 2010s Floor*** ***1AM - 2AM : HipHop Floor*** ***2AM - 3AM : Rooftop*** Dress code : Elegant/Chick/Stylish **DRESS CODE STRICTLY ENFORCED.** We ask that you approach your wardrobe deliberately. No Athletic Clothing or excessively baggy clothing. Keep it chic, smart and classy! Jeans are allowed. Acceptable Mens shorts include those with belt loops. Unacceptable Attire: 1. Athletic Clothing: This Includes gym attire, sweatpants, yoga pants, and tracksuits 2. Baggy Clothing: Clothing that is excessively loose-fitting or oversized, such as baggy jeans, sagging sweatpants or oversized t-shirts. 3. Sportswear: Jerseys, team logos, and other sport-specific attire 4. Beachwear: shorts, tank tops, swimwear, and revealing clothing 5. Flip Flops: Open-toe sandals, thong sandals, and flip flops are not allowed 6. Timberlands and Steel Toed Shoes. Event is 21+ ***\~\~\~\~\~CHECK-IN DETAILS\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~*** ***1\. You need our wristband to get the VIP Entrance\.*** ***2\. In order to beat the long line\, please be on time\.*** ***3\. Photo ID: Everyone will be required to have a valid photo ID with them in order to enter\. If you forget your ID\, you will not be allowed in\.*** Fellas, it is hard to pass on this! *Payment Instructions :* 1\. Login to see the 'Pay Now' button\, after RSVPing\. Then hit the button\. 2\. Verify correct dollar amount for number of people you're paying for\. **3\. If you don't have a Paypal account\, click "Pay with a Debit or Credit Card"\.** 4\. If you have a Paypal account\, simply log in\, and pay as you normally would via Paypal\. ***How to Unblock the Pop-up Blocker on Your Phone*** Many of our patrons advised us that they have a Pop-up Blocker on their iPhones and it hinders them from buying tickets. To unblock, please follow the following steps : For Safari Users : 1\. Go to Settings\. 2\. Scroll down to Safari and click on it\. 3\. Select Block Pop\-ups and turn it off\. For Google Chrome Users : 1\. Open Google Chrome\. 2\. Click on the three dots and you will see many options\. 3\. Click on Settings\. 4\. Scroll down to content settings\. 5\. Select Block Pop\-ups and turn it off\. Refund & Ticket Resell Policy All sales are final. We only refund the full amount, if the event is canceled. If it is rescheduled, we will send an email to ticket holders advising that. A full refund will be given to those that let us know within 2 calendar days of the update email, if you are unable to make it on the new date. No refunds will be given after that time. However, you can sell your ticket to someone else if you are unable to attend. Please, feel free to post in the comment box for the event, that you have a ticket for sale. Work out payment between yourselves, and have the seller only send the organizers a message, letting us know the full name of the person taking your spot. You must let us know two hours before the RSVP close time, on the day of the event.

Come join in us for a drink and conversation while we stitch on our fiber arts crafts.

Join DC Metro Crafts for the first Thursday meetup. Bring your own cross stitch, knitting, crochet, or other portable craft. The Southwest Library is right off the Waterfront Metro. We'll be in Meeting Room 1. Go through both glass double doors and loop around to the right to find us. There are plenty of tables to spread out.

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Bring a lightning talk with you and let's learn some quick things. What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

This is a time where players of all ages, and skill levels can gather and enjoy a nice Sunday full of Chess!

Join members of the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. There _might_ be a little snow, but there _will_ be effectively infinite serve-yourself coffee, so it evens out if you ask me. Just a reminder, while the other locations are great too, we’re at the Lane Ave one this time.