UI Design

Admission to the museum is free. This exhibition will be on display from February 19 until April 19, 2026. If you cannot attend the opening, please stop in and see the show at your convenience. Call ahead for hours. This exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the symbiotic relationship between the world of fashion and fine art. Featuring more than 140 objects, including garments, accessories, textiles, photographs, and original artworks drawn from MFIT's permanent collection, *Art X Fashion* challenges the traditional hierarchies of visual culture, presenting fashion and art each as parallel, potent expressions of social, intellectual, and creative forces. Curated by Dr. Elizabeth Way, curator of costume and accessories at MFIT, the exhibition reflects MFIT's mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of fashion's critical role in culture. The core of *Art X Fashion* lies in its profound engagement with the eternal question: "Is fashion art?" The exhibition explores the ways that fashion has always been a partner, not a follower, of fine art, highlighting typically overlooked integrations throughout history. This includes examples of how the two disciplines have worked together to create European styles, from the drama of Rococo and Neoclassical grandeur to the unsettling world of Surrealism, to the shock of Pop Art and postmodernism. **Share your excitement using #ArtXFashionMFIT** **Go to https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/art-fashion/index.php for more information.**

Come meet some board game designers, play some unreleased games, and maybe even make some new friends! **Come up to 305 (3rd floor, turn RIGHT once you get out of elevators)! If locked out, CALL ‪**(718) 819-7754 **(do not text)** **If you just want to play some games**...RSVP and show up! Attendance will be taken so if you RSVP, please try to attend. Repeat no-shows will be waitlisted for future events. **If you do still want to playtest YOUR game**...RSVP, FILL out this form prior to the event ([LINK HERE](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AZWPwXRjJirmulM84KtRP1adLfglhovBc7zG7GIpemI/edit?usp=sharing)), and pay a $10 fee [HERE](https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/board-game-playtesting) (helps cover GUMBO expenses such as electricity, cleanup, etc.). Your spot is not confirmed until payment is made. If the spots are full, you are welcome to come as playtester but we not be able to playtest your game. ***GUMBO Patreon Members ([here](https://www.patreon.com/gumbonyc)) have priority access and can playtest their games for free!*** **If you would like to stay updated about future NYC playtesting events, we created a new discord channel:** [https://discord.gg/8xArPjKpqk](https://discord.gg/8xArPjKpqk)

Join us for the February edition of the New York AI Engineers Tech Talk, a monthly gathering focused exclusively on AI engineering. Whether you’re a seasoned machine learning engineer or a fullstack dev curious about how to work with LLMs, this is your space to dive deep into real-world projects, technical challenges, and creative solutions. **What to Expect:** Each month, we invite AI engineers to share something they’ve built, the challenges they faced, and how they solved them. It’s all substance, no fluff, designed for engineers by engineers. **This Month’s Presenters:** * [Clint Robinson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintjrobinson/), Cofounder & CTO @ [Parable](https://www.askparable.com/) * [Kanta Garg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kantagarg17/), Solutions Architect, @ [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/free/?trk=4bff893e-6f19-4cd8-accc-699c73895d8c&sc_channel=ps&trk=4bff893e-6f19-4cd8-accc-699c73895d8c&sc_channel=ps&ef_id=CjwKCAiA1obMBhAbEiwAsUBbIjpvfpgxARu0OgSrgx8WQcILBZRZMZK0HtEhvhqVvnLQSUyWj22OixoCnfwQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4422!3!651751059780!e!!g!!aws!19852662197!145019195897&gad_campaignid=19852662197&gbraid=0AAAAADjHtp9VoTN00O-dtavU5bsNHCdCS&gclid=CjwKCAiA1obMBhAbEiwAsUBbIjpvfpgxARu0OgSrgx8WQcILBZRZMZK0HtEhvhqVvnLQSUyWj22OixoCnfwQAvD_BwE) * [Hegar Garcia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hegargarcia/), Tech Lead @[Fonzi](https://fonzi.ai/) **The Crowd:** You’ll be joining a mix of software developers, data scientists, AI engineers, and technical founders working at or curious about the future of applying AI at the application layer. It’s a casual, high-signal environment perfect for learning something new and meeting peers in the NYC AI Engineering scene. **Agenda:** * 6:30 to 7:15 PM – Networking with pizza and soft drinks courtesy of [Fonzi AI](https://fonzi.ai/) * 7:15 to 7:20 PM – Opening remarks * 7:20 to 8:05 PM – Three 10 minutes Tech Talks with 5 minute Q&A * 8:05 to 8:30 PM – Meet the speakers and connect with other attendees **Location:** Fonzi HQ (Ground Floor) 25 Kent Avenue Brooklyn AI Engineers is run by [Fonzi](https://fonzi.ai/). Fonzi is a talent marketplace that connects elite engineers with top AI companies through a monthly, high signal, structured hiring process called Match Day. We run AI Engineers communities in both New York and [San Francisco](https://www.meetup.com/san-francisco-ai-engineers/events/?eventOrigin=your_groups). If you are interested in speaking at a tech talk, email lauren@fonzi.ai with your LinkedIn profile, the location you want to speak in (NY or SF), and a short abstract on how you are applying or building with AI in your current role. Use the subject line “AI Engineers Abstract Submission”.

# To attend enroll here: # [https://luma.com/q6kuetpe](https://luma.com/q6kuetpe) # Agenda​ ​5 - 5:45: Pizza / Beer ​​5:45 - 6:15: NetApp, what we do, our role in open source - Mariah McLaughlin, NetApp ​​6:15 - 7:00: Unleashing AI in Cassandra 5 - Ritam Das, NetApp ​​7:00 - 8:00: When “Eventually” Meant 11 ms: Designing Deterministic Cassandra Architectures in the Telecom Core - Thomas Elliott, Your Augmented Life Advisory Services ​​8:00 - 9:00: Networking

Tickets: $18.88 ( incl. $3.88 fees ) (includes access to the full replay for one week) Click the link below to officially register for this experience: [https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1980555977243](https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1980555977243) Exactly 100 years ago, the unimaginable happened: alcohol of every kind was effectively banned in America. But for cities like New York City, a little ol' constitutional ban wasn't going to stop people from continuing to have fun — rather than shut down, the city's nightlife simply moved underground (literally and figuratively). This is the story of how illicit drinking spots known as speakeasies were born, and how they not only defined the "Roaring 20s" in New York, but ushered in social changes that are still felt a century later. Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the history of speakeasies in New York City, and how the strict men's only drinking clubs of pre-1920s America were replaced with cosmopolitan watering holes where the only rule was to have fun. Led by Sylvia Laudien-Meo — art historian, museum educator, and NYC tour guide — this virtual journey around NYC's speakeasies will include: -An overview of the Temperance Movement, from the series of events that led to the 18th Amendment in 1920, to the complex effects it had on NYC's social life, to creative ways people worked around it -The rise and proliferation of the Speakeasy — while it created new trouble in American society like bootlegging and organized crime, it also paved the way for a burgeoning of gifted entertainers and the women's social liberation movement -A closer look at some of the most infamous NYC speakeasies , including Lansky's Lounge and Chumley's, larger dance halls like the Stork's Club or 300 Club, and secret beer caves in the Bronx -How speakeasies kept their operations hush-hush, from quietly transporting booze to their bars, to escape routes and tunnels, to tricks they used to hide their illicit operations in case they were raided -Suggestions on today's best speakeasies in NYC , both original and revival Afterward, we'll have a Q&A with Sylvia — any and all questions about New York's speakeasies are welcomed and encouraged! Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week! See you there, virtually! \*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar \*\*For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration. \*\*\*A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week About Sylvia Sylvia Laudien-Meo is a freelance Art Historian who works in and around the city in various capacities, specializing on Modern and Contemporary art, with a strong focus on Public Art. She teaches art history at Fairleigh Dickinson University and has been working as a museum educator at MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Jewish Museum for over many years, engaging visitors in conversation based, interactive art experiences of permanent collections and changing exhibitions. For the Municipal Art Society, UFT, Brandeis Univ., and private clients, she has been touring the city for over 20 years, exploring art and architecture, parks, neighborhoods and history. Working in various different capacities gives her a unique opportunity to make intriguing connections and weave together the complex perspectives that make out the tapestry of our fascinating city. SLM holds a Masters Degree in Art History (with minors in History and American Studies) from the Joh. Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, as well as a Tourism degree from the EST in Paris France.

We'll be meeting at Planet Rose again! February is Black History Month, so be prepared to sing songs by your favorite Black singers and songwriters!

**RSVP on the [343 Labs website](https://www.343labs.com/events/nyc-ableton-user-group-10/) to reserve your seat!** We are excited to bring you the next in-person NYC Ableton User Group meetup! As always, the meetup is open to producers, songwriters, DJs, and musicians of all types and proficiency levels looking to exchange ideas, network, meet like-minded producers, and learn new tips and tricks from our presenters and fellow participants. In this special topic Ableton User Group, we'll look at drum programming in Live 12 from a beginner perspective. We'll discuss the difference between making your drums with audio samples and MIDI, when to use Session view vs. Arrangement view, and how drum programming looks different for different genres. During the event, you will also have the opportunity to see the 343 Labs facilities, meet some of their instructors, and learn about their courses. **This month’s Ableton User Group will be hosted by John Selway.** John Selway is one of 343’s longest-standing instructors and is considered a pillar of the 343 community, known for his wildly popular Techno Saturdays stream on 343 TV. He is considered a techno trailblazer of his time, with a career that started in his hometown, NYC, in the 90s. He is known for his contributions to the early productions of Deep Dish, his first success as part of the seminal New York underground duo Disintegrator, his long-running collaboration with Christian Smith, and his many releases on Serotonin records. **Links:** [Website](https://www.selwaymusic.net/)

Mingle, network, and imbibe with fellow UXers and whoever else wants to join. Everyone is welcome regardless of your levels! We're normally seated by the ATM at the back,. If you can't find us, ask the bartender. **Interested in sponsoring this event?** Contact Danny (one of the organizers) for our sponsorship rate card

Join us for an interactive networking session designed specifically for Java enthusiasts. Meet new people, catch up with ones you know and grow your local Java community. We’ll kick things off with a fun, structured game/activity that makes it easy to break the ice, discover shared interests, and spark meaningful technical conversations. Come ready to participate, connect, and leave with new contacts and fresh perspectives. Hosted by Jeanne Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyjavasig-online-networking-and-icebreaker-game-tickets-1982643222249?aff=oddtdtcreator to connect to the zoom

Join up for an opportunity to work together on optimizing our sites. Have a site you'd like us to analyze? Add it here - [https://bit.ly/meet4speed-submit](https://bit.ly/meet4speed-submit) You can benefit even if you can't edit your site right now - we will be happy to share the knowledge. We'll all learn how to see what's slow and how to make it fast! Here is what you can learn: * Identify optimization opportunities using WebPageTest and Chrome DevTools * Become a master in reading the network waterfall. * Understand the most of the performance flame chart. * Learn the latest trends in measuring site speed. To be able to attend our events, you will need to show your ID at the security desk. Please make sure to provide your full name if your name on Meetup platform doesn't match your ID.

Location: Google Chelsea Market (75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011), 2nd Floor **6:30 - Arrival and chill** **7:00 - Intros and welcome** **7:20 - Gabriel Paunescu - Beyond the vibe: Code-generation for big UI components** Code generation is notorious for introducing small errors that take a long time to debug, specially when doing UI work. We will present methods to safely generate thousands of lines, introduce new ways to do grounding and show methodologies that help steer the LLMs away from the drift. **7:45 - Break** **8:00 - Tony Scialo - Signals: the What and the Why** Signals are one of the hot new topics in the Angular community, but what exactly are they and why are they useful? In this talk Tony will take you through signals at a quick glance, showing you where they can be easily added to a project and why they could be useful to you. **8:30 - Post event hangout** We'll decide together If you’re interested in giving a talk, please let us know! Speakers of all levels and backgrounds are welcome, and we have experienced mentors who can help you prepare your talk! Check out our Speaker FAQ: https://Angular.NYC/faq Fill out the Speaker Form: https://Angular.NYC/speak Code Of Conduct We expect all speakers and attendees to follow the JSConf code of conduct ( https://Angular.NYC/conduct ) Find us at: Website: https://Angular.NYC Youtube: [https://youtube.com/AngularNYC](https://youtube.com/AngularNYC) Slack: [http://nycjsorg.now.sh](http://nycjsorg.now.sh/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/AngularNYC](https://twitter.com/AngularNYC)

**Abstract:** Current procedural content generation in media suffers from a dichotomy: it is either computationally efficient but predictable, or creative but prone to hallucination and error. The solution lies in a fundamental shift from classical procedural generation to quantum constraint satisfaction algorithms. In this talk, I will present the technical roadmap for MOTH, exploring how quantum computing is poised to become the foundation of the next generation of media. At MOTH we categorize the ecosystem into two eras: the current NISQ era, focused on Quantum Dynamics for visual and game asset generation, and the impending FTQC era, focused on optimization and generative solvers. We will demonstrate how early quantum algorithms are being integrated into commercial game engines today, and how the "Solver Substrate" of the 2030s will enable faster game development with more realistic and immersive worlds. **Bio:** Spencer Topel is a technologist and entrepreneur specializing in the commercial application of frontier technologies, including quantum computing, robotics, and embedded systems. He currently serves as CTO of Moth Quantum, where he directs the engineering roadmap for quantum software tools designed for the creative industries. Simultaneously, as Co-founder of Electron Robotics, he architects AI-driven adaptive systems for high-precision industrial automation. Topel’s technical background is rooted in the design of novel hardware and signal processing platforms. Through his first venture, Physical Synthesis, he developed proprietary acoustic actuation technology, earning industry recognition for innovation in electromechanical design. His pivot into quantum engineering began at the Yale Quantum Institute. Working alongside the Devoret Lab, Topel successfully engineered a hardware-software interface for superconducting qubits, translating quantum state dynamics into audio signals—a project that validated new approaches to human-computer interaction (HCI) in quantum systems. A former professor of Dartmouth College, Topel combines academic rigor with agile product development. He holds advanced degrees from Cornell University and the Juilliard School, and his transdisciplinary work has been exhibited at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.

**🚨 RSVP is open on Luma:** [https://luma.com/6e17269k](https://luma.com/6e17269k?utm_source=Meetup) 🚨 Subscribe to our Luma calendar for future events: [https://luma.com/bkproductdesign](https://luma.com/bkproductdesign) 🚨 **We will be moving our group off of Meetup after this event. Please join us on Luma and follow us on social media for event and group updates.** Join us for a night of talks and meeting fellow designers at BrainStation in Manhattan! This event is sponsored and hosted by BrainStation, the global leader in digital skills learning. To further support the Brooklyn Product Design community, BrainStation is thrilled to provide access to a number of scholarships for their bootcamps and courses ranging across UX Design, Software Engineering, Data Science, Product Management, Digital Marketing and more. [Sign up through this page](https://brainstation.io/partner/brooklyn-product-design) to learn more about the opportunity and a BrainStation Advisor will be in touch with you regarding next steps. **About BrainStation:** Founded in 2012, BrainStation works with industry leaders from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge digital education that has empowered more than 100,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world. BrainStation's courses provide students with the skills employers are looking for in today’s job market. From the stunning SoHo campus, BrainStation trains thousands of professionals across New York every year, preparing them for the fastest-growing jobs in technology. **Schedule:** **6:30pm:** Check-in and mingle **7pm:** Event kickoff and intros **7:05pm:** Design, but make it real. with Julian Garcia **7:30pm:** Break **7:35pm:** The design process is dead. Here’s the new one. with Aleksei Kipin **8:00pm:** Continue networking at [Vig Bar](https://maps.app.goo.gl/G68Q9yHZcwsA5W8bA)! ▶️── 🔈 Talk 1 ──▶️ **Design, but make it real.** **​by Julian Garcia** Software design roles have emerged and expanded alongside shifting economic and organizational demands. In the early days of software, programmers handled nearly all aspects of product creation. Over time, specialized design roles formed around interaction, research, and experience, and today those roles are shifting once again. In this talk, I explore how design work is evolving as the use of code and generative AI tools become standard. **Julian Garcia** is a product designer and engineer based in New York. [Website](https://www.gooddesign2go.com/) \| [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-garcia-click) ▶️── 🔈 Talk 2 ──▶️ **The design process is dead. Here’s the new one.** **by Aleksei Kipin** AI makes generating design options cheap and fast, breaking the old artifact-driven workflow. We’ll discuss what’s fading in the traditional process, what’s replacing it, and which skills matter most now. **Aleksei Kipin** is a Product Designer with nearly two decades of experience across graphic and product design. He has led teams at startups in Singapore and at a major tech company, and now works in New York on AI-driven recruiting products. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipin/) **🚨 RSVP is open on Luma:** [https://luma.com/6e17269k](https://luma.com/6e17269k?utm_source=Meetup) 🚨 Subscribe to our Luma calendar for future events: [https://luma.com/bkproductdesign](https://luma.com/bkproductdesign) 🚨 **We will be moving our group off of Meetup after this event. Please join us on Luma and follow us on social media for event and group updates.** +++ By attending our events, you are entering an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. We foster curiosity and connections through our events and are a harassment-free zone 💜 ​Tag and follow us **@bkproductdesign** on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bkproductdesign) \| [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bkproductdesign/) \| [YouTube Archives](https://www.youtube.com/@bkproductdesign) \| [productdesign.community/brooklyn](https://productdesign.community/brooklyn) \| brooklyn@productdesign\.community

WE ARE BACK IN PERSON!

**We are looking for hosts and speakers.** Please fill out [this form](https://bit.ly/iOSoho-Meetup-Talk-Submission) if you would like to host or speak at future events. • Special thanks to **[Radar](https://radar.com/)** for hosting us this month. Food and drink will be provided! There will be a **raffle for Radar AirPods** for in-person attendees! Welcome to yet another great evening of learning and networking! This event will be held **both in person and online**, and for the first time (as far as we can recall) on a Thursday! **Agenda:** • 6:00 PM - Doors Open (in-person attendees). **Don't forget your ID!** • 6:30 PM - Welcome (in-person and Zoom attendees) • 6:35 PM - **First Talk: The Bar is on Which Floor? Improving Altitude and Floor Detection** • 7:05 PM - Community Announcements • 7:15 PM - **Second Talk: Beyond the Sandbox: Secure iOS Development in an Era of New Security Standards** • 7:45 PM - Networking • 8:30 PM - Doors close. Regroup at a bar nearby ([Old Town Bar](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2kigoa6ZMbgC1scG8)) **First Talk Description:** • The Bar is on Which Floor? Improving Altitude and Floor Detection Liam Meier, Director of Engineering at Radar iOS can estimate a device's altitude. In real world conditions, this estimate is far less accurate and reliable than horizontal (lat/lng) positioning, which makes the question "which floor is someone on?" hard to answer. Leveraging little known sensors in mobile phones and clever correction techniques enabled by at-scale deployments, we're able to determine mobile device altitude and floor level with markedly higher accuracy than what's available today. Liam Meier is Director of Engineering at Radar, where he leads the team behind Radar’s leading geolocation platform and mobile SDKs, deployed on over 300 million devices. Previously, he founded and built products at early-stage startups. In a past life, he studied galaxy formation under the influence of dark matter — helpful training for making sense of noisy sensor data. **Second Talk Description:** • Beyond the Sandbox: Secure iOS Development in an Era of New Security Standards Mike Sanderson Even as mobile apps have come to handle sensitive medical, financial, and personal information, the practices of secure mobile app development has remained a patchwork of received wisdom and platform constraints, with developers who want to practice secure development are often unclear on how to do so or what that even means. In the past few years, leaders in security standards have increasingly seen the need to for digital security incorporate secure coding earlier into the software development process, known as "shift left," and included references to systematic cybersecurity standards. This talk will look at how secure mobile app development fits into the larger security picture, including the security of the iOS platform and the MacOS platform apps are developed on. The talk will look at sources for guidance for secure iOS software development, in particular the OWASP flagship Mobile App Security project and other OWASP efforts. The idea will be to start to equip iOS developers not only to make good decisions but to systematically identify best practices and understand how they fit into the larger security picture. Mike Sanderson is a writer and computer programmer who has worked on iOS apps full-time since 2013, including working with a launch partner of Apple Wallet in iOS 9, working on a secure message app at scale, and independently finding and reporting an authentication-bypass bug on a medical iOS app, which was confirmed. Recently, Mike has provided comments on several National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) draft papers related to cybersecurity. **Location:** 111 5th Avenue Floor 12 New York, NY 10003 Please enter through the main lobby on 5th avenue, next to H&M. Then head to the 12th floor. **What you need to bring:** ID **When to arrive:** Doors open at 6:00pm ET Event will start around 6:30pm ET **Zoom link:** You can join virtually here (link will be provided the day of the event). Note we will start the Meetup around 6:30pm ET **Will food and drinks be provided?** Yes! Thank you [Radar](https://radar.com/)! **Call for speakers and hosts:** Please fill out [this form](https://bit.ly/iOSoho-Meetup-Talk-Submission) if you would like to host or speak at future events. **Code of Conduct:** The iOSoho Meetup is dedicated to providing a safe Meetup experience for everyone, regardless of gender, identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or religion (or lack thereof). iOSoho Meetup does not tolerate harassment of Meetup participants at any time or in any form. Our Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for all participants. All communication throughout the Meetup should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any part of the event, including talks, or at the Meetup venue. Please be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees. Behave professionally and respect the policies of our generous hosting offices. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for the Meetup. Attendees violating these guidelines will be asked to leave the Meetup group and Meetup events at the organizers' sole discretion. If you need to report something happening at or about the iOSoho Meetup, please contact the [organizers](https://www.meetup.com/iosoho/members/?op=leaders). Thank you for helping make the iOSoho Meetup a welcoming, friendly event for all!

Join us on **Thursday, February 26** at **Datadog Times Square**. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to give attendees plenty of time to grab pizza and socialize, and the talk begin at 7:15 p.m. Following the success of the UnConf we've absorbed all of your feedback and have two awesome speakers! **Robin Molen-Grigull is CTO at Fullstack.Trade** \- a stealth mode firm focused on high performance compute and latency in the Web3 space\. **Storage Tetris: Compile-Time Solutions for 32-Byte Storage Constraints** Fitting arbitrary Rust structs into fixed 32-byte storage slots is a puzzle, but Rust’s macros and type system make it solvable. Automatic layout and lazy loading, combined with a small macro, turn low-level storage primitives into clean .field() accessors. Associated types and compile-time offset calculations eliminate manual storage arithmetic while remaining zero-cost. **James Logan is a Principal Scientific Software Engineer at Commonwealth Fusion** **Interpn: Fast Interpolation** James Logan recently delivered a ten minute lightning talk at Rust Boston. The goal of that talk was to share "Everything I learned making software 300x faster than state-of-the-art". James has used Interpn in a way like never seen before, improving performance in a way that is unimaginably unique and can be applied by so many engineers. This is definitely one not to be missed. **[Lawrence Harvey](https://www.lawrenceharvey.com/)** is Rust NYC's official recruitment partner, with Ross providing support as a co-organizer and financial support. The space is generously sponsored by our partner **Datadog.**

This event will be online at [YouTube](https://youtu.be/YL9RuBmoJEY) and in-person (New York City). **The speaker and live stream starts at 7:30 pm ET**. In-person attendees may arrive as early as 7 pm ET. If arriving late, please leave a comment on this page and someone will come down ASAP. **Description** This talk, from the perspective of speech pathologists who specialize in communication language, focuses on strategies and perspectives that support all people, with or without a clinical or therapeutic background, in meaningfully engaging with individuals who are non-speaking or minimally-speaking to uplift and celebrate their unique personalities as well as provide space and opportunity for autonomy, self-expression, and connection with others. They'll provide an overview of total communication to broaden understanding of how all individuals use different forms of communication depending on our anatomy, physiology, cognition, preferences, and personality, as well as how we may code-switch depending on the setting, context, and our current state. The importance of being an informed and welcoming communication partner will be discussed to broaden perspectives on the significance of human connection. They'll outline specific, language-based strategies and provide examples. Attendees will have an opportunity to practice self-awareness of their own preferred communication methods, handling discomfort when interactions may push those boundaries, and opening their minds to the idea that connection transcends speech! We'll cover: * What is AAC? (Many different forms) * Strategies such as attributing meaning and verbal referencing * Following someone's lead * Partner-Assisted Scanning (PAS) * Expressive, receptive, and social language * Self-awareness of preferred communication methods **Presenter bios** [Molly Ziegler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-c-ziegler-89351b1a7/) is a communication enthusiast with a passion for assistive technology. She hails from a suburb of Chicago, IL, and loves her life in NYC as much as she loves her Midwestern roots. She specializes in finding creative ways for people of all abilities to access personally meaningful language for creative, self-expressive, social, and self-care purposes, with a specific interest in finding person-specific strategies that allow individuals to direct their care. She works with teenagers and young adults with multiple disabilities and medical complexities as well as their families and caregivers to ensure connection and communication across all environments using methods that are unique to each individual and support system. [Christina Lompado](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-lompado-m-s-ccc-slp-tssld-atp-a291449b/) has worked in the field of assistive technology for over 8 years, servicing individuals with significant disabilities and complex communication needs. She is a speech and language pathologist and assistive technology provider conducting services in the educational and home settings. Christina has provided training to educational teams and therapy departments focusing on the implementation of a range of lite to high-technology devices, communication partner strategies, and material development for academic success. Christina is passionate about AAC, literacy, and access to communication all day, every day! **Accessibility** The presentation will have human captions [CC], not automatic captions. For ASL preferred speakers, learn about the [Aira ASL App](https://aira.io/aira-asl-app/), and download it before the event. For the Blind and Low Vision community, learn about the [Aira Explorer App](https://aira.io/aira-explorer-app/) and download it before the event. To access the online webinar for audio description, use the A11yNYC Access Offer to call, or simply inform your Visual Interpreter that you'd like that offer applied when you connect. For additional accessibility requirements, please email meryl@equalentry.com **two weeks** **before** the event. **Livestream** [YouTube link](https://youtu.be/YL9RuBmoJEY). Provided by Internet Society Accessibility SIG. **Location details** The event is on the 4th floor. Everyone must be accompanied to the event on the 4th floor. Because everyone needs to be escorted, please arrive early or on time. When you enter the ground floor, a representative from A11yNYC will be there to provide elevator access. The building is near several transit stops: 6 train * Spring Street (non-accessible stop): 100 feet * Canal Street (accessible stop): 0.4 miles NQRW trains * Prince Street (non-accessible stop): 0.2 miles * Canal Street (accessible stop): 0.3 miles M1 / M55 Bus lines * Broadway/Spring Street stop: 500 feet Cabs and rideshares can let passengers out right near the building entrance **Important note** Google Maps currently incorrectly pins the location around the corner on Crosby Street. The entrance is not on Crosby. The entrance is on Spring Street, inside the Marc Jacobs International building. It is roughly halfway between Crosby and Lafayette, almost directly across Spring Street from the Chipotle restaurant. **Accreditation** All A11yNYC meetups are pre-approved for IAAP Continuing Accessibility Education Credits (CAEC). **Sponsors** Thanks to [AKQA](https://www.akqa.com/), [Deque](https://www.deque.com/), [Evinced](https://www.evinced.com/), [Equal Entry](https://equalentry.com/), and [Fable](https://makeitfable.com/) for sponsoring. Want to be a sponsor? Contact meryl@equalentry.com

[Code and Coffee](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ny-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! **The Intro Circle** **Near the beginning of the event (2:30 pm), we do a standup in a circle:** * We first share organizer announcements, updates, and logistics **Introductions (7 secs max):** * Your name * Tech/coding topic(s) you want to talk about * Non-tech topic(s) you want to talk about * 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. We sometimes have FEATURES in a nearby room; check out those events on Meetup as well.* Doors close at 4:00pm. Please keep us updated in the comments if you're intending to show up late, as we want to ensure our venue hosts are able to clean up in time to get out by 5pm and enjoy their weekends. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Community Discord - come hang out before and after!:** [www.codeandcoffee.chat](http://www.codeandcoffee.chat) **Our Venue and Coffee Sponsor** Fractal Tech is a meeting place in the heart of Williamsburg for startup founders and engineers to do their most ambitious work. We offer daily events, a startup engineer accelerator, and 24/7 coworking access. Find out more at [http://fractaltechhub.com/](http://fractaltechhub.com/). \*\*\*