Lego Robotics

This week we are drafting my [Dandan cube](https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/2601d7d6-20aa-42f1-8963-a636ac7e1b49#) We'll be drafting in the GWU Student Center, room 415. Contact me at 617-642-1764. Join [the discord!](https://discord.com/invite/uUK4BeUmX4)

## Details - Please read all below before you sign up **Cost:** Free **Court Type:** Outdoor Grass **Level:** BB/A **Transportation:** Parking will be right by the grass. **What to bring:** at least 3 bottles of water and a ball/net if you have one. **10 persons per net max** **Host's Philosophy on this event:** The purpose of this meetup is to create a fun and supportive environment where we can improve our skills, enjoy competitive games, and connect socially. While we do aim to play seriously and challenge ourselves, the focus is more on growth and enjoyment than simply winning at all costs. That’s why the title doesn’t include “competitive” or “social”—we want a healthy mix of both. We do expect a mindset geared toward learning and getting better over time. That said, this event isn’t intended for total beginners; an understanding of the game is expected so that everyone can contribute to meaningful and engaging matches. The host holds the right to remove you from the game if they believe that you are at a C level(absolute beginner). if you can't pass to the setter for example, you are a beginner. **Skill Level:** 1. **If you want to know your level, please see the link below:** [Smiley Social Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/edit) **YouTube:** The games may be recorded and uploaded to our channel here: Let the host know if you have an issue with this. [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@mp02626) **ATTENDANCE:** **Player Selection:** Regulars > Your Vibe > Skills > \*Flaky-ratio (your attendance ratio) > New Members \*If you have attended 3 events and dropped 6, you may or may not be invited. Anyone with a Flaky-ratio -.50 or lower. If you have a recent no-show, you may not be invited. The host takes attendance very seriously. Please remove yourself from the event (if you can't make it) as early as possible to allow others to join. You will be marked as a ***no-show*** if you don't show up to the event. [Smiley Social Rules](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg/edit) **Q&A** *-Bringing your dog or cat is welcome and encouraged.* \*-\*Can I come if I don't know how to play? \*No, you may not. The host does teach a beginner's volleyball class that you may attend on Saturdays. -Can I be late or leave early? *The host expects you to be there **on time** and leave on time. If you need to come late or leave early, please let the host know ahead of time.* -Can I come even if I am not on the going list? \*No, sorry -How can I improve my Flaky-ration? *You can attend other Smiley events. Commit to showing up.* Why are new members accepted last? *Because they are the most flaky.* -NO SMOKING (anything) **Smiley Social Important Links:** 1. [Group Rules](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg) 2. [Liability Waiver](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2mq-7m99lmvd7gdWYaSUFtvVg4UGnzV6koafAbHmco) 3. [Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/)

If you’ve already learned the basics of volleyball and want to keep improving your skills while having fun, this event is for you! **Number of nets:** 2 **Skill Level:** Advanced Beginner (click [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/mobilebasic) for details). **Reminders** 1. Attendance: We’ve noticed that the waitlist is growing, so please make sure your name is on the Going list if you plan to play. Our number of nets is limited so this helps avoid too many rotations. If your name is on the list but you don’t show up, it will count as an absence according to Smiley Social rules. Please update your RSVP at least 12 hours in advance if your plans change. 2. Injuries: Play safely and be mindful of others on the court. Respect positions and avoid risky moves that could lead to injury. If you’re not sure the ball is yours, call it before going for it to avoid collisions. 3. Game Rules: Let’s follow the basic volleyball rules, especially the three-touch rule so we can play properly and improve as a team! 4. Priority will be given to players with consistent attendance. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Smiley Social documents:** 1. [Group Rules](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg) 2. [Liability Waiver](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2mq-7m99lmvd7gdWYaSUFtvVg4UGnzV6koafAbHmco) 3. [Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/)

Let’s do a loop around the perimeter of Georgetown. Milage: 5 mi Start Location: Foggy Bottom Metro Station End Location: Rosslyn Metro Station Approximate Time: 6pm - 8pm Map (Approx.): [https://maps.app.goo.gl/gyUXRJ3GuSW7m3LT6?g_st=ic](https://maps.app.goo.gl/gyUXRJ3GuSW7m3LT6?g_st=ic) Terrain: This will be mostly on trails with some stairs and steep climbs \-\-\- We try to be punctual with our event times so please be respectful to others and show up a few minutes early, because we will leave without you. We're always looking for new leaders who can showcase their neighborhood or any cool places they know, so please reach out either at an event or on meetup if you are interested. If you've enjoyed our walks please consider donating a few bucks to help us keep this group running (meetup is expensive!). [Donation Link](https://venmo.com/code?user_id=2158403661070336114)

Let's get together to play some fun BB level Quads games at Bluemont. **Format**: Doubles **COST**: FREE **Court Type**: Outdoor grass **Minimum Skill Requirements**: Intermediate-BB (click [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/mobilebasic) for details) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Smiley Social documents:** 1. [Group Rules ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg) 1. [Liability Waiver ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2mq-7m99lmvd7gdWYaSUFtvVg4UGnzV6koafAbHmco) 1. [Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/)

This meetup is for people that want to play table games: board games, strategy games, episodic RPGs, eurogames, card games and co-operative games. NOT A GAMER BUT WANT TO LEARN? We teach them all... We are open minded on all games. Games we plan to teach and play include Ascension, Azul, Azul Summer Pavillion, Splendor, Magic The Gathering, Melee/Wizard, Backgammon, Castallan, Chess Variants, Compounded, Dead of Winters: Crossroads, Dixit, Dominion, Exploding Kittens, Flux, GravWell, Ghost Stories, Hanabi, Heroquest RPG, Hive, House Divided, House on the Hill, Illuminati, Ingenious, King of Tokyo, Lost Cities, Machi Koro, Munchkin, Pandemic, Pirate Dice, Ogre/GEV, Qwirkle, Race for the Galaxy, Roll Through The Ages, Ricochet Robot, RoboRally, Settlers of Catan, Sagrada, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Splendor, Spot-It, Sushi-To-Go, Takenoko, Ticket to Ride, Tsuro, Up Front, Yahtzee, Advanced Wizards Card Game, etc.

**Pre-registration is REQUIRED. RSVP here - [https://hubs.li/Q046VS--0](https://hubs.li/Q046VS--0)** **Speaker:** Michael Novack, Solutions Architect at AIceberg **Topic title:** "Trust What You Can Trace: Making Agentic AI Explainable, Secure, and Enterprise-Ready" As enterprises adopt increasingly powerful AI systems, one critical challenge remains: understanding how and why these systems make decisions. Many modern models - especially large language models - operate as opaque “black boxes,” making transparency, compliance, and trust difficult to achieve. *This webinar introduces the AI Explainability Scorecard, a practical framework for evaluating the transparency of AI systems based on criteria such as faithfulness, consistency, accessibility, and comprehensibility*. Attendees will learn how different model architectures - from K-Nearest Neighbors to neural networks and transformers - vary dramatically in explainability and risk. **The session will also explore real-world techniques for improving visibility into complex models, including surrogate monitoring approaches that map AI behavior to comparable examples.** These methods help organizations build observable, auditable AI systems without sacrificing performance or scalability. By the end of this session, attendees will understand how to move beyond black-box AI toward transparent, accountable, and secure AI deployment - a critical step for enterprises scaling agentic AI in high-stakes environments. You will learn: **\- Why Explainability Is the Foundation of Trustworthy AI** *Learn why transparency isn’t just a technical preference - it’s becoming a legal, ethical, and operational requirement for enterprise AI systems.* **\- The AI Explainability Scorecard Framework** *Understand the five key criteria - faithfulness, comprehensibility, consistency, accessibility, and optimization clarity - for evaluating how explainable an AI model truly is.* **\- How Different AI Models Compare in Transparency** *Discover why some models are inherently interpretable while others require advanced methods to understand their behavior.* **\- Practical Methods for Making Black\-Box AI Observable** *Explore modern techniques - including surrogate monitoring models - that help organizations understand and audit large language models at scale.* 🔗 Stay Connected * **Learn:** Free talks and trainings on the [Ai+ Training platform](https://aiplus.training/). * **Read:** The latest in AI research on the [ODSC Blog](https://opendatascience.com/). * **Chat:** Join the conversation in our [Slack Channel](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://odsc.com/slack). * **Community:** Review our [Code of Conduct](https://odsc.com/code-of-conduct/).

AI can generate a thousand images in a minute. But can it make you feel something? Join us for a live panel exploring why immersive experiences and spatial storytelling matter more than ever, and what the XR age really looks like beyond the hype. Featuring voices from the World Bank, community-driven cultural XR, and filmmaking, this conversation cuts through the noise to ask: when content is cheap, what makes an experience valuable? Recorded live as an episode of Beyond the Byte before a studio audience. Come be part of the conversation. **Featured speakers:** * [Sophia Moshasha](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiamoshasha/)\, Interactive Media @ The World Bank \| XR & AI * [Ines Said](https://www.linkedin.com/in/inessaid/)\, XR Immersive Artist \| EE 30 Under 30 \| Lead XR Developer @ Froliq \| Founder @ Tanit XR **Location:** AWS Skills Center, 1550-G Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 **Drinks and Networking After:** Tacombi, 1550 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 **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.

Adam Sandman will be showing how you can use Kiro together with an MCP server to pull software requirements, designs and tasks from a project management repository (Spira) using an MCP server. From there we can use the power of agentic AI to create an MVP app, deploy and test it.

We will meeting at a **New Location: GameOn** which is at 1330 U St. If taking the metro go to U St station take the 13th St exit and walk half a block. The bar is on U St between 13th and 14th. We will be sitting at the upstairs nook by the Mario Bros mural. We will be reading "We Are Legion (We Are Bob)" by Dennis E. Taylor. [We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1) by Dennis E. Taylor | Goodreads](We%20Are%20Bob) As per usual we are crowd sourcing book ideas and voting on the top books. We encourage you to add votes to the books [DC Science Fiction Book Club Suggestions - Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mprXaa6bcEW5EL_uprN16-RBcetO6pbqA4vHDTjtowI/edit?gid=0#gid=0)

SAM BASU IN-PERSON; NOTE: THIS IS THU, NOT TUE AS NORMAL Code is cheap, but software is expensive. Modern AI is a big opportunity to streamline and automate developer workflows for better productivity. There are some challenges though – AI Models often lack knowledge and AI Agents need expertise/guidance to reliably pull off complex workflows. Context is everything for modern AI and you can bring it. Model Context Protocol (MCP) aims to provide a standardized way to connect AI Agents to different data sources, tools and non-public information - the point is to provide deeply contextual information/expertise to AI. Skills are higher-level behaviors and instructional guardrails, that define how and when AI Agents should leverage tools to accomplish something meaningful. Subagents in AI are specialized, task-focused agents designed to handle specific, well-defined tasks within a larger AI system. In terms of the food industry: AI Agent = Chef 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳 MCP Tools = Raw Ingredients 🥔 🥩 Skills = Recipe Cards 📝 📇 SubAgents = Sous Chef 🔪 🍳 Loops = Door Watcher 💂👀 Developer = Restaurant Owner 👑. So, what should developers use to bring context and guardrails to make AI work their way? Well, it depends and sometimes, the answer might be whatever combination makes developers most productive. With official SDKs and well-thought-out guidance, it is a breeze to work with MCPs, Skills or SubAgents. Developers could bring their own data, APIs, services, coding patterns and structured guidance to make AI Agents work their way. And AI Agentic workflows work the same way in IDEs or Terminals, paving the way autonomous ways of getting work done with AI. With contextual expertise to light up unique coding workflows, AI Agents can make developers ultra productive – upwards and onwards.

***\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*SOLD OUT\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\**** [REGISTER HERE](https://traveljoy.com/bookings/STRdgpcQN4Bqb87wSHpBPbqH) Begin your experience by selecting one premium tea from the curated collection. While your tea gently steeps, you will be presented a three-tier stand to share of chef-curated bites, featuring an artful mix of savory and sweet offerings designed to be enjoyed at a relaxed pace. Each three-tier stand is shared by two people. Tables are arranged for 2’s, 4’s, and one table for 6. Please let us know if you’re registering with a friend and we will do our best to seat you together—if not, it’s a great opportunity to meet new Suitcase Gals. The room is small and quaint, so we’ll all be in the same cozy space. **Location**: Hello Betty (Rockville) located in Pike & Rose inside the Canopy by Hilton. **Parking**: Garage parking with two hours free. Please arrive on time so you can enjoy the full Afternoon Tea experience, and be sure to give yourself a few extra minutes to find parking. *Parking is ticketless—when you enter the garage, you’ll be prompted at the kiosk to enter your phone number. If you park for more than two hours, you’ll receive a text with a link to submit payment.* **The closet Metro stop,** North Bethesda, to Hello Betty is about a 5-10 min walk from the station to Pike and Rose. Very easy and convenient if you're coming from DC or further up the Red Line. ***Example Menu:*** ### Tier 1: A Proper Start **Maryland Lump Crab Salad** Celery relish, cucumber, brioche **Smoked Rockfish Rillette** Piperade, aged cheddar cornbread **Cucumber & Salmon** Tahini, ponzu aioli, red shiso, pumpernickel **Avocado & Wild Rice Tartine** Smoked trout roe, sourdough ### Tier 2: Warm & Wonderful **Strawberry Shortcake Scone** Vanilla anglaise, strawberry–rhubarb preserve **Beet Tartlet** Golden tomato confit, herbed goat cheese, orange blossom **Gruyère & Leek Quiche** Aged Gruyère, roasted leeks, baby spinach ### Tier 3: Pretty Things to Finish **Chocolate–Hazelnut Donut** Cocoa–hazelnut cream, gold leaf **Oolong Tea Cake** White peach confit, toasted granola \*\*NO SUBSTITUTIONS TO THE MENU\*\* ### Cost: $88\.00 per person \| no refunds *Gratuity is included in the payment, so you can simply arrive, relax, and enjoy without needing to bring additional cash.* Payment will be processed via Venmo during your registration process. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*SOLD OUT\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Please [REGISTER](https://traveljoy.com/bookings/STRdgpcQN4Bqb87wSHpBPbqH) here to reserve your spot. We can't wait to sip and connect! Cancellation Policy: Due to the limited and intimate nature of this event, all registrations are **non-refundable**, as we are reserving space and coordinating directly with the venue based on confirmed attendance. We truly wish we could be more flexible, but once your spot is secured, we are committed to the headcount provided. If you find that you are unable to attend, we warmly encourage you to gift or transfer your ticket to a friend who would enjoy joining us. Please simply let us know the name change in advance so we can update our guest list. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and support, and we look forward to gathering together for a beautiful afternoon.

**Cost:** Free (If you enjoy the free class and would like to donate to the coach, you can do so here via **Venmo,** **@mpineyro26)** **What to bring:** Please bring a ball with your name on it and drinking water. Please be ready to learn and to have fun with people in the area. Are you new to sports, want to learn a new sport, or want to improve in volleyball? Here is your chance! Volleyball is a growing sport here in the DMV. The host will teach you basic volleyball skills that will allow you to get better at or learn a new sport. The host will take you through a 6-week program that will make you feel better about how you play and your volleyball confidence. **\*New Group Chat:** Because of the amount of crypto scammers out there, only people who ask to be added in front of me will be added. [https://chat.whatsapp.com/FhLXZY2kvjRBC8mSsXW8Ms](https://chat.whatsapp.com/FhLXZY2kvjRBC8mSsXW8Ms) **\*Our YouTube Channel:** [https://www.youtube.com/@mp02626](https://www.youtube.com/@mp02626) **Game Plan:** Week 1: Underhand Serve, Basics, Rules, and Defensive Positions Week 2: Platform, Receive/Passing (1), Receive/Com (6) **Week 3: Serving overhand, Set, Set, Set** Week 4: Spiking/Blocking/Testing Day! Week 5: Beginners Tournament Week 6: Trip to VA Beach to play Beach Volleyball * The plan is to do *drills for 60 minutes* and *60 minutes of playing* to apply what we've learned. * *If you missed week 1*, let the host know so he can give you a quick tutorial on the basic rules. **Important Videos:** Week 1 [101 Basics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33sWyhjhacM) [Volleyball Rules:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzO7EvB7mDE) [Base Defence (positions)](https://youtu.be/IGfj8k9QjwI) *** Week 2 [Receive/Pass](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOgfoEGUDCA) *** Week 3 [Overhand Serve](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3QYrvsy9k) [Setting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5mpBCRK_yk) [Setting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH0LiQH5D5U) [Spin Set](https://youtu.be/04CgNspFFxQ?si=KqilChLYjy5LA_WQ&t=24) *** Week 4 [3 Step Approach](https://youtu.be/4hTPaeJQzEs?si=9gC3ae-jIVuvsH-I&t=35) [Spiking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIdN4eYCc2A) [Blocking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CSQARq6JC8) Tests Week 5 Beginners Vball Tournament 6 Teams [Last Tournament](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDRQRedCHWE) Week 6 Virginia Beach Getaway [Beach Trip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKFe3-xnGts) **FAQ:** I missed the first week, can I still attend week x? *Yes, any week is a good week to learn and practice.* I am taking another beginner's volleyball class; can I attend this one? *Yes* I am more advanced than a beginner; can I attend week x? *Yes, come and practice in whatever you are weak in.* Can I bring a friend? *Yes* Can I come even if I don't have a ball? *Yes, but we recommend a ball so you can use it while you are here, and you can practice with your ball.* Do you have a ball pump for the ball? *I do*

James is out of town this week, so let's draft my variant of the famed 100 Ornithopters cube, featured in [this video by Rhystic Studies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pddm1gbBuWE). My list is slightly different, but keeps the same design philosophies, although there might not be exactly 100 Ornithopters. The cube has no creature tokens, no creature lands, and no ways to kill your opponent without the card having something to do with controlling or having Ornithopters. My cube list is below: [https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/100ishornithopters](https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/100ishornithopters) The event will take place at a **NEW LOCATION** in Arlington, near Ballston Quarter, and the Ballston metro, accessible through the Orange and Silver lines! Feel free to contact me through Meetup or call me at 9194578870 if you have any questions about getting to the location. **CONDUCT POLICY** We cultivate a safe, friendly atmosphere. Please keep other's feelings close to mind. Derogatory comments of any kind are unacceptable, as is behavior that may make others uncomfortable, such as rage-quitting. If the stresses of the game are getting to you, we encourage you to politely sit out for a while. Thank you!

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

Let's bedazzle some books while we discuss our April pick: Bloodguard by Cecy Robson! Book description: One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise… Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie. Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose. He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity. All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day. Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom. But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap. Nor will his ultimate revenge… Event: Please bring your own book, journal, bookmarks, etc to bedazzle. If you have bedazzling supplies, please bring them as well. I will supply gems, glue, and picker tools, but if you have certain colors in mind, you may want to bring your own.

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

Join us for an in-depth workshop on Agentic AI through AWS, where we’ll explore foundational concepts, real-world use cases, key AWS services, and how to get started building your own intelligent systems. Led by AWS Solutions Architect and Dev Advocate Fabricio Flores. Hosted at Pomerene Hall 250!

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception** Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory. For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy. She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps). Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way. **About Our Speaker** Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)