Founder Groups Near Me

Data & Analytics Wednesday - Fighting Hunger with Data

**Beyond the Numbers: How Mid-Ohio Food Collective Combines Data, Customer Insights, and Human-Centered Design to Fight Hunger** Data tells us what is happening. Customer stories help us understand why. So, what happens when dashboards and lived experience are brought together? In this session, [Mid-Ohio Food Collective](https://mofc.org/)'s Data & Insights team will share how quantitative analytics, qualitative research, and human-centered design are combined to make more informed decisions, improve programs, and better serve our customers and partners. Attendees will learn how a mission-driven organization is building a culture where data and lived experience work together to drive impact. **About Our Speakers** [Kevin W. Jolly](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinwjolly/) is Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s Sr. Manager of Data and Analytics, having joined the organization in February 2026. He earned his PhD in General Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso after attending Iowa State University and like anyone who has studied human behavior, he remains fascinated by the stories that people tell through their data. Kevin has served in data and data leadership roles in a career that spans the education and energy sectors, and he takes the greatest joy in visualizing information for others. He lives in Columbus with his wife, two dogs, and a handful of chickens. [Nicole DeLozier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-delozier-157483162/) is the Strategy & Insights Manager at Mid-Ohio Food Collective, where she leads customer insights, qualitative research, and human-centered design initiatives that help shape organizational decision-making. Throughout her career, she has been driven by the belief that the strongest insights emerge when data and human experiences are understood together. Nicole is passionate about helping organizations combine data, lived experience, and curiosity to better understand the communities they serve. When she’s not facilitating conversations or designing research projects, she’s often exploring new ways to bring people together through learning, creativity, and shared experiences. **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/)

Casual Hobby Night at The Arcane Foundry: Drinks & More

Come hang out at **The Arcane Foundry** for a casual evening of miniature painting, terrain building, drinks, and conversation. I’m working on putting together a gaming room and have plenty of unpainted miniatures and terrain that could use some attention, so bring your own project or **help me work through mine**. This is **NOT** a class or structured event. It’s really just an excuse to get some creative people together, paint some minis, have a few drinks, put on some music, and shoot the shit. Beginners are completely welcome. I’m also into **woodworking**, **plant propagation**, **gardening**, **axe and knife throwing**, and other maker hobbies, so there will probably be plenty of other projects and future hangouts if people click. I have an axe/knife throwing area, a blacksmithing forge and a woodworking station outside for future events. **Bring a drink if you'd like, bring a project if you have one, and come hang out. No real agenda, just paint, create, and meet some people.** Yes, The Arcane Foundry is my hobby-based business, but no, I will not be working and you do not need to buy anything. The only thing I ask is that you clean up after yourself. This is strictly a casual hangout and I'm just opening up the space so we can paint, work on projects, have some drinks, and enjoy each other's company. This is BYOB. So, bring whatever you want (soda, beer, wine, kava, whataver). I will have my own stash here. [https://thearcanefoundry.com/](https://thearcanefoundry.com/)

IxDA Chat ‘n Pancakes

Join the local UX and Design community for our casual monthly breakfast meetup. The [food menu](https://www.metsisitalian.com/park-service-coffee-breakfast) is a little limited this time, but we're all going to want the [little ricotta donut balls](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696965720cb6ff5c10d9d304/1789418540860-2FODO7BMQZ12XDW3YEFG/PS_Metsis-03breaky.jpg?format=1000w) anyway. Thanks to the team at Nationwide for supporting the community.

The Obsidian Lantern Society: Meet & Greet Around the Fire

On select Saturday nights, **we gather after dark around a spooky outdoor campfire** at **[The Arcane Foundry](https://thearcanefoundry.com/)**. Lanterns glow in the darkness, the fire crackles, drinks are poured, and the conversation turns toward the strange, macabre, forgotten, and unexplained. Think of it as an old-fashioned fireside gathering for modern curious minds. There is no classroom. No presentation. No designated speaker. And nobody is expected to be an expert. **Just pull up a chair around the fire and join the conversation.** **What Happens Around the Campfire?** Each gathering revolves around a loose theme, but the conversation is allowed to wander. One subject might lead us into another, someone might bring up a strange piece of history they've discovered, or a discussion about a horror novel might somehow end with everyone debating medieval folklore two hours later. That's part of the experience. **Grimdark, Gothic & Cosmic Horror** From Gothic castles and haunted villages to dying empires and unknowable cosmic entities, we explore what makes dark fiction work. Expect conversations about Gothic horror, Lovecraftian horror, cosmic horror, grimdark fantasy, weird fiction, dark fantasy, horror movies, novels, games and fictional universes. Writers and worldbuilders are encouraged to bring their own ideas as well. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem with your fictional world is to throw it into the fire, figuratively speaking, and see where the conversation takes it. **Folklore, Ghost Stories & Monsters** Campfires and monster stories belong together. We explore legends of ghosts, vampires, witches, demons, cryptids, faeries, revenants, strange creatures and things supposedly lurking in the wilderness after dark. Some discussions might venture into European folklore. Others might explore Asian mythology, Appalachian legends, Ohio ghost stories, local urban legends or strange traditions from cultures around the world. Whether you believe any of it isn't particularly important. The stories themselves are fascinating. **Strange History & Historical Esoterica** Real history can be considerably stranger than fiction. Around the fire we might discuss ancient superstitions, alchemy, occult societies, forgotten religions, unusual historical events, bizarre inventions, archaeological mysteries, obsolete sciences and beliefs that once shaped entire civilizations. The objective isn't to convince anyone that an old belief was true. The interesting question is often why people believed it in the first place. **Worldbuilding & Storytelling** Writers, game masters, miniature hobbyists and obsessive worldbuilders are especially welcome around the fire. Bring your fictional civilizations, monsters, religions, characters, military campaigns, magic systems, alternate histories or that strange setting you've been quietly constructing for years. The Society is a place where you can say, "I've been working on something weird..." And everyone around the fire actually wants to hear about it. **The Weird & Unexplained** Eventually, most campfire conversations wander somewhere strange. Ghost encounters. UFO folklore. Cryptids. Forteana. Lost civilizations. Paranormal stories. Unexplained historical events. Strange coincidences. Unusual archaeological claims. Weird things someone discovered while disappearing down an internet rabbit hole at two in the morning. Bring your curiosity and your skepticism. **You don't have to believe something to enjoy discussing it.** **Come Sit Around the Fire** The Obsidian Lantern Society isn't a lecture series, networking event or traditional club meeting. It's something much simpler. A group of curious people sitting around a fire after dark, illuminated by flames and lantern light, talking about things that are strange, frightening, imaginative, historical, mysterious or simply fascinating. Bring a drink. Bring a story. Bring an idea you've been thinking about. Or just bring yourself and listen. As the evening grows darker, the fire burns lower and the conversation inevitably becomes stranger. Pull up a chair. The lantern is lit.

NFT AI ART Columbus

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.

Newark Area Traders and Exchangers

Newark Area Traders and Exchangers Please join us! You won't want to miss this meeting! We have new investor topics every week. Finally, we will go over properties for sale, needs, and wants. Please carve out time to come join us Friday at 8 a.m. EST Don't forget to like us on Facebook, Newark Area Traders and Exchangers. NEWARK AREA TRADE & EXCHANGERS 975 Mt. Vernon Rd. (Entry at the front doors) Newark, OH 43055 Dues are $5 minimum per person, per week. Part of this goes to our treasurer to fund the meeting and the balance to the church for the use of their room. “Opportunity for Generosity”! Founders: Gerald DePalmo and Furman Tinon (and others) Established 60 +/- years ago and still going strong! Zoom meeting. Topic: NEWARK AREA TRADE & EXCHANGERS Time: 08:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZcrfuuoqTMvH9Ox4pAJb3wmj1KuwP_Vuylj/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGrqDIoGtOdtRyARpwqBIr4a_TwtlxYgvpyhEv1IgpRMRT7PLNpJ6VPL-7F](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZcrfuuoqTMvH9Ox4pAJb3wmj1KuwP_Vuylj/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGrqDIoGtOdtRyARpwqBIr4a_TwtlxYgvpyhEv1IgpRMRT7PLNpJ6VPL-7F) Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83692078557?pwd=OXNKVGk4alRPNG1BdlNhdFNDQTFSUT09](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83692078557?pwd=OXNKVGk4alRPNG1BdlNhdFNDQTFSUT09) Meeting ID: 836 9207 8557 Passcode: 215853 One tap mobile +13462487799,,83692078557#,,,,\*215853# US (Houston) +16699006833,,83692078557#,,,,\*215853# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 836 9207 8557 Passcode: 215853 Find your local number: [https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1yVEZLS1](https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1yVEZLS1)

Evolve Elevate (Virtual)

Evolve is all about creating an Authentic Community, Deeper Connections, and Confident Growth. We are a group of entrepreneurial women who connect personally and professionally. We welcome every guest to experience our authentic community with no cliques and no judgment. Come as you are! There's a seat waiting for you. Elevate is an action-oriented connection experience designed to help women entrepreneurs move beyond surface-level networking and into meaningful growth, collaboration, and courageous action. Each session centers around a focused business or personal development topic, followed by intentional breakout discussions that encourage deeper conversations, real relationship-building, and practical next steps. Unlike traditional networking events, Elevate is designed to create momentum. Women are encouraged not only to share ideas, but to actively support one another through accountability, collaboration, brainstorming, and action-based growth. Every meeting is an opportunity to build authentic connections, gain fresh perspective, and leave with a clear action step to implement before the next session. This is a space where women rise together — not through competition or hustle culture, but through encouragement, courage, consistency, and intentional community. \*\*Evolve Women's Collective is a membership based professional women's group. You can find more information at [www.EvolveWomensCollective.com](https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.EvolveWomensNetwork.com&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw0UekYvD4PoVa7WUlFFVHyp). Feel welcome to be our guest anytime! [Join the Call](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zoom.us/j/7894682064&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw127u1EMKvrsjTOPRaLUJ51)

DevOps Social & Networking

DevOps Columbus is hosting an event for DevOps industry professionals as well as those interested in DevOps. Come to talk, meet new people with like-interests, have food, and enjoy the time together. Join us for pizza, drinks, and networking @ Improving's office. Doors open at 5:45.

Monthly Ice Cream Social @ Jeni's

Oscar Season Kickoff: DIGGER at the Drexel Theatre!

Join us for an Oscar Watch film as we get together to see the satirical-dark-comedy, DIGGER! The film is written/directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and stars Tom Cruise as the world’s most powerful man as he tries to save the world from the disaster he created. Here’s a description, trailer and our plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything. The film is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Babel, Biutiful, Birdman, The Revenant) and stars Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORTe1wW3Wg EARLY BUZZ: DIGGER is generating some early award-season buzz, particularly for Tom Cruise. The film is bypassing the traditional Fall Festivals (Toronto, Venice, etc.) and will have its world premiere as the Royal Film Performance in September, just ahead of our Opening Night screening at the Drexel. PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing and will meet inside the lobby area about 30 minutes before showtime. Advance ticket purchase not required for this theater but early arrival is advised! Be sure to mention you are with the Movie Group for admission and concession discounts! Possible bite before or after the show! Showtime and complete details will be confirmed/announced on the Tuesday before the event!

Central Ohio Chapter Meeting: The Money Room: Live Deal Funding

**(Please note: RSVPing on Meetup does NOT reserve your seat. To do that, you'll need to register on our website, [HERE](https://www.coreerocks.com/Events.aspx?ID=Columbus-Chapter-Meeting-The-Money-Room-Live-Deal-Funding-14-10-6-2026).)** If you can't fund it...THERE IS NO DEAL. Most investors spend their time looking for properties. Successful investors spend just as much time learning how to pay for them. Because here's the truth... **There are usually far more ways to fund a deal than most investors realize**. That's why we're turning our October meeting into **The Money Room.** Real investors will present real deals. With photos. Comps. Repair estimates. Purchase prices. And experienced lenders, private investors, creative finance experts, and other investors throughout the room will help structure funding solutions live. Some deals may get funded. Every deal will teach you something. Earlier in the evening, Vena Jones-Cox will moderate **How to Fund Any Deal**, covering conventional loans, DSCR financing, hard money, private money, seller financing, subject-to purchases, equity partnerships, and how experienced investors combine multiple funding sources when one loan isn't enough. Whether you're looking for money, looking to lend money, or simply want to understand how deals actually come together, this will be one of the most practical meetings of the year. And don't forget one of the biggest benefits of every COREE meeting... Your next lender, private investor, partner, contractor, or buyer may already be sitting at your table. **(Again, RSVPing on Meetup does NOT reserve your seat. Please register on our website, [HERE](https://www.coreerocks.com/Events.aspx?ID=Columbus-Chapter-Meeting-The-Money-Room-Live-Deal-Funding-14-10-6-2026).)**

Columbus Start and Automate Your AI Store

**Start and Automate Your Online Business with AI – eCommerce Blueprint** You do not need a warehouse or a team to run a serious online business. AI handles the heavy lifting. This masterclass shows you exactly how to set it up and scale it. You will meet other entrepreneurs building online businesses who are serious about using AI to scale. The room is worth joining for the network alone. RSVP alone will not hold your spot. Complete registration via the link below. ### [SECURE YOUR SPOT](https://aiventurelab.org/product/AIEcommerce?city=Columbus&groupurlname=plant-based-plates-and-social-mates&startgmtdatetime=2026-10-04T00:01:00Z) --- What you'll build: - AI-powered product research and ad creation workflows - A scalable income stream you can expand without hiring - A marketing funnel that drives traffic without manual effort Build it properly once and it scales without you. That is the AI eCommerce advantage.