Agile and Scrum

**January Meetup: AWS re:Invent re:Cap (Panel)** 📍 NAB Events Hub – 395 Bourke Street, Melbourne 📅 Wednesday 28 January 2026 🍕 Food & Networking from 6:00pm 🙏 A huge thanks to **Mantel Group** for their continued sponsorship of the Melbourne AWS community. 📺 This event will be **live-streamed on YouTube**, as always, for those who can’t attend in person. *** **🚀 Event overview** AWS re:Invent 2025 was packed with announcements, launches, and big ideas. Now it’s time to step back and look at what actually matters as we head into 2026. Join us for our **annual AWS re:Invent re:Cap**, featuring a panel discussion hosted by AWS Hero Stephen Sennett, joined by local community members who attended re:Invent and followed the announcements closely. Expect honest perspectives, practical insights, and time for audience questions. *** **🎙 Host & Panel** Host: **Stephen Sennett – AWS Hero** Panelists: * **Christina Chen,** Senior SRE @ Mantel Group — AWS Community Builder * **Dale Orders**, Software Engineer @ Five9 — AWS Community Builder * **Tony Zhang**, Principal DevOps Engineer @ Versent *** **🗓 Agenda** 6:00 pm – Food & Networking 🍕 6:30 pm – Introductions 👋 6:40 pm – What’s New in AWS ☁️ 6:55 pm – AWS re:Invent re:Cap Panel Discussion 🎤 7:55 pm – Marketplace (Who’s Hiring) 💼 8:00 pm – Close 👋 *** **🎤 Want to speak at a future meetup?** We’re always looking for new speakers and fresh perspectives. If you’ve got a technical talk, architecture story, or lesson learned you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. 👉 Submit a talk: melb.awsug.org.au/speak/ *** **🤝 Sponsors** A huge thank you to our sponsors, Mantel Group and Cevo, for supporting the Melbourne AWS community.

**Pilot episode of Summontown by Jimmy Twin** Bones is your ordinary queer skeleton ‘living’ in Summontown. They love nothing more than to spill the tea with their summoned creature neighbours. Unfortunately, though, Bones tends to be summoned into battle at the most inconvenient of times. Those necromancers know no manners! One day, Bones finds out that a nearby hippy ‘free love’ bear community has simply gone missing. Normally residents of Summontown disappear for a few minutes at most, but they have now been gone for a week. Bones has a mystery to solve! “Save the Bears!” is the pilot episode of a new animated show Summontown by Jimmy Twin, inspired by fantasy role-playing games and 1980s sitcoms (complete with canned laughter). Although being a comedic show, the show focuses on positive body image, acceptance and freedom to be oneself. Despite depicting battle scenes, this production contains no real violence – it is a sitcom after all! Come and have a drink while viewing the pilot episode, followed by a Q&A. A small exhibition of concept artwork and select artworks by Jimmy Twin will also be on display. The creation of this event was possible through the VicBears Arts Grant. Jimmy Twin (he/him) is a Melbourne-based artist who works in the field of science communication. His published works include two children’s books about a teddy bear sitting on a shelf, a comic book about the dating misadventures of a gay zombie, and a queer graphic novel Researchers of Justice where all scientists have super powers. Jimmy was awarded LGBTIQ Artist of the year at the 2020 GLOBE Community Awards, and won The Laird Hotel’s Men on Men art competition in 2017, and People’s Choice in 2012 and 2021.

Would you like to enhance your creativity, confidence and increase your awareness? We’d love you to join us to Thoughtstorm® the topic International Day of Education in the warm, friendly environment of the Yarraville Community Centre. How Thoughtstorm came about Thoughtstorm is a technique developed from a seed of speculation: are there more effective (rational, cooperative, compassionate) ways of thinking? Methods whose long-term consequences will not lead to oblivion. This is the genesis of Thoughtstorm. What is it? For anyone with an interest in leadership, deeper conversations or creative problem solving, something much more than a group discussion occurs. What is experienced in Thoughtstorm is a forgotten sensory ability - mind-linking. An evolution in human thinking and learning. The direction moves from a narrow range of possibility into discovering corecepts, when individual minds merge into a much more powerful collective awareness and experience a deeper, more compassionate comprehension of reality. Corecepts trigger intuitive recognition and agreement by the group, a ‘Why, of course!’ reaction. New insights guaranteed! Because this process taps into abilities already present in the human mind and into aggregates of consciousness straining to express themselves, very little practice is required. Would you like to see and understand things in a way that is new for all of us? Would you like to develop your consciousness and your creative intelligence? Would you like to be inspired to create positive change? Then come and join us to Thoughtstorm together. If it’s your first time to Thoughtstorm, please RSVP early to give plenty of time to arrange a brief prep call on Zoom to go over the Thoughtstorm procedures so we can all get started on time together. **Agenda:** 6.30pm - Arrive, meet and greet, read over Thoughtstorm instructions 6.45pm - Begin the Thoughtstorm 7.45pm - Finish When you RSVP we will be in touch with the details. We look forward to seeing you there! Thoughtstorm® is a registered trademark of Star's Edge, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hi Climbers! A weekly Wednesday Meetup group at Bayside Rock (Carrum Downs) for beginners and experienced climbers alike If you need a lift, someone may be able to assist. Please let the staff know that you are with the Climb Victoria Meetup when you arrive at climbing . Climb Victoria members who have RSVP'd to the weekly Bayside Rock Meetup will receive discounted entry and half price harness and shoe hire on the night. Look out for black Climb Victoria Shirts For anyone visiting Rock Climbing for the first time, there is a brief safety induction to complete - Climb Victoria can help with that! For more information about the venue and to access an online waiver form, please check out this link to the Bayside Rock website - [https://baysiderock.com.au](https://baysiderock.com.au) **We also now have a Facebook Group:** [https://www.facebook.com/groups/663576119053808](https://www.facebook.com/groups/663576119053808)

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH so **IT'S DRAWING NIGHT AT SQUISHFACE** Join us at Squishface's studio space in South Melbourne: Studio Hall, on the grounds of St Kilda South Port Uniting Church on Dorcas St. There are FOUR TRAMS you can catch from the city. **58, 96, 12** or the **1!** It is even walkable from the city. Bring your sketch books, bring your pens, bring a friend. It's not a class - it's a drawing hang out. All skill levels welcome. Always lots of regulars, always newies. Be socially awkward, be confident as heck. This is informal, it's just a free drawing session. Go ahead and bring snacks. But no nuts please! Our venue is wheelchair accessible, as are the very toilets. Minors are welcome but will need an accompanying adult. Contact us on 0419369845 if any issues or you get lost. Please follow us both on instagram, for comic and zine related news and events. 👉 [Squishface Studio](http://www.instagram.com/Squishfacestudio) Here's an [instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4J5GiOPLxc/) showing where Studio Hall is. You simply enter from the street, walk up toward the big bluestone church, then go left to the car park and you will find Studio Hall!

**➡️➡️➡️➡️ To Register, [SIGN UP HERE](https://www.lewagon.com/events/what-s-holding-your-networking-back-identify-your-strengths-blind-spots-ub32YK) ⬅️⬅️⬅️⬅️⬅️** Build Relationships That Actually Move Your Career Forward Networking doesn’t have to feel awkward, transactional, or exhausting. In this interactive 1-hour session, Chris Kong will introduce a practical and human approach to networking that helps you build genuine relationships, even if you’re introverted, early in your career, or allergic to “selling yourself.” This session introduces Chris’s **SIGN Framework** which is a simple, memorable model designed to help professionals connect with intention and confidence: * **Strategic** – being clear on who and what you’re building relationships for * **Ice-breaking** – starting conversations naturally and authentically * **Giving** – creating value without overthinking or people-pleasing * **Nurturing** – maintaining relationships without it feeling forced Drawing on stories from his journey leading technical teams and coaching professionals across industries, Chris will share practical insights you can apply immediately. You’ll also complete a short **networking diagnostic**, helping you reflect on your current strengths and blind spots to identify where small shifts could unlock better opportunities. ### **What you’ll get** * A clear, practical framework for strategic networking * Real examples and stories from tech and corporate environments * A short self-diagnostic to assess your networking style * Space for reflection and interaction This session is offered **free to the Le Wagon community** and is designed as a low-pressure, high-value introduction to Chris’s approach. **About the facilitator:** **Chris Kong** is the founder of *Crouching Tiger Network* and a former Director of Data & Digital at Danone. He supports technical and ambitious professionals to navigate communication challenges, build influence, and grow their careers with confidence. His work blends strategy, psychology, and real-world leadership experience.

**You are invited to our men's conversation group, the Men Being Well program** run by Relationships Australia Victoria and Life Is Foundation. This free program is for men to meet, discuss and explore wellbeing through **connection**, **reflection** and **peer support**. **IN-PERSON Men's Gathering on Wed 28th JANUARY at 7 to 9 PM** Men Being Well hosts monthly Men’s Gatherings or conversation groups and several all-day Men’s Retreats throughout the year. Our events are aimed at positive mental health and wellbeing for men and include regular discussion about life issues and challenges. The relaxed format is welcoming and a safe place to reflect on your personal journey. We hope you can join us in Canterbury, Melbourne and look forward to relaxed and thoughtful discussion. *Please contact us via email (or message us on Meetup) for address details and a brief chat if you are coming along for the first time.* Please email us and join our mailing list as well: **menbeingwell@rav.org.au** Visit our webpage for more dates and information about the Men Being Well program: [www.relationshipsvictoria.org.au/relationships-wellbeing-courses/men-being-well/](https://www.relationshipsvictoria.org.au/relationships-wellbeing-courses/men-being-well/) Regards from your Men Being Well Program Facilitators

We’re hosting the first Functional Programming Melbourne meetup of 2026 at Factor House HQ on Thursday, 29 January. This will be a relaxed, meet-and-greet style event welcoming functional programming practitioners and enthusiasts of all levels, with light talks and community connection. Location: Factor House HQ, Northcote Doors open: 5:30pm (food & drinks provided) Please register via the FP Melbourne Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/fp-melbourne/events/312721035/

🎵 CRUISIN' TO GILLIGAN'S ISLAND DANCE PARTY 🎵 A Three-and-a-Half-Hour Dance Tour! 🎶 Sit right back, and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a dance-filled trip! It started on this tropical isle, aboard a party ship! 🎶 🌴⚓ Join us for an unforgettable night of Ceroc dancing on Gilligan's Isle! ⚓🌴 Saturday 31 January 2026
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm Brighton Beach Bowls Club 2B South Rd, Brighton 
$25 pp entry (cash or PayID) Raffle tickets: 3 for $10 | 10 for $20 On our tropic island shore, dress up for the dance floor! Channel the castaways for prizes and more! * Gilligan * The Skipper too * The Millionaire and his Wife * The Movie Star * The Professor * Mary Ann * SS Minnow * The Island 🥥 Coconut drinks • Island beats • Tropical vibes 🥥 No rescue required —no castaways are lost! 🌴 🎶 So join us here, my friends, you're sure to have a blast, with music, dancing, and island vibes, memories that will last! 🎶 Dance Together - Ceroc Crew

We are glad to announce the first edition of FP Melbourne meetup of 2026, which will be hosted at Factor House office(https://factorhouse.io/) on 29th of January. We welcome all functional programming practitioners and enthusiasts across all levels to attend. Since this is the inaugural meeting we expect to have more of a meet-and-greet type of gathering where we get to know each other, focus on fostering the community and maybe have a light tech talk on some of the interesting projects people have been doing. We are honoured to have Factor House as the sponsor of this event. If you are interested in using functional programming for your business then look no further to the wonderful work and great success Factor House has achieved. They are one of the largest industrial user of functional programming in Australia and in particular the adoption and proliferation of Clojure ecosystem. We will have wonder people from Factor House including its Co-founder and CEO Derek to talk about everything related to Clojure. If you would like to submit a FP related tech talk for this meeting, please send us a message and specify the topics, duration and anything else related to the talk. The location is at 13 Robbs Parade Northcote, the easiest way to get here is by taking the Mernda line on metro train and get off at Northcote station, then it's walking distance to Factor House office. Doors open at 5:30pm, refreshments such as pizza, beer, soft drinks etc will be provided for your enjoyment. Hope to see you soon!

dr bobbi shares a monthly morning in nature focussing on the magic of self-care, goal building, spiritual exploration & sensory development for a deeper connection with your craft. from dr bobbi: 1st Sundays of the month, limited to 20 witches, please. every lunar month is an opportunity to come together, relax the body, calm and focus the mind, and direct our energies into the cycles on Building Up and Letting Go. self care is essential to any spiritual practice. we will explore yoga postures, breathing techniques, mudras (hand positions), mantras (affirmations), self massage, and somatic therapy to prepare ourselves to manifest our magic for the month. bring a mat or blanket, wear witchy layers. you are also invited to bring a totem or charm to charge up with energy. donation based, pay what you can! (location given after registration) Learn more at drbobbiarts.com or sign up here. limit to 20 witches, please. Namaste & Merry Meet.

**Saturday 31st January from 10.30am** **\*$20 (kids free)\*** Be creatively inspired by the season of fire, as you dress & adorn yourself in celebration of Lammas, when the sun is blazing, the ripened golden grains have been harvested, & Earthly sustenance is at its most abundant. **\*MIDDAY – LAMMAS HARVEST CIRCLE of THANKSGIVING** Join us in the Living Circle of the Magical Garden as we **Celebrate** the **Harvest Season** of **Abundance** with a ritual to honour, & give thanks to, the Earth & its bountiful harvest of grains, fruits, vegetables, berries & herbs. **\*AFTERNOON – The LAMMAS SONIC CIRCLE of CELEBRATION** After crafting some ‘harvest abundance-consciousness’ charm pins, created from nature’s bounties gathered from the living circle as it resonates with the afterglow of the ritual, we shall gather around the courtyard round table to feast & begin the Lammas Sonic Circle Celebration. So bring along your drum, musical instrument, or seasonally appropriate song or spoken word piece, to add your own sparks of creativity to the circles’ sonic atmosphere, woven with music, magic, song, poetry, chant, poetry & rhythm. All donations of ***seasonal food***, ***fun***, ***music*** & ***magic*** encouraged & welcome. **IMPORTANT INFORMATION** **Please respect others – if you have symptoms that may be COVID or FLU, we ask that you do not attend – we thank you for your consideration.** **What to Bring:** Contributions to the Lammas Feast & “Sonic Circle Celebration” (encouraged but not compulsory). **Time:** from 10.30 am. **Where:** 130 Boronia Rd., Vermont, Melbourne 3133 (we share a driveway with two other houses, so please park on Boronia Rd.) **Cost:** $20 (kids free) **Contact:** **Julie** on 03 9873 3736 (or email). esoteric666@optusnet.com.au **\*$20 (kids free)\***

Smashing! Try something new Interactive workshops - Become the charismatic leader Why is Smashing different to other speaking clubs? Passion!!! 1. **Everyone talks** many times during interactive workshops 2. **FAST LEARNING** 3\. Relaxed and fun **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close at start time** Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, Purple Room (End of corridor) More to come...

Join LUV for our yearly barbecue! It will be held 31st January at Yarra Bank Reserve. ​Guests are welcome! Come hungry, and feel free to bring food and/or drinks. \-\-\- \*\*​Getting to Bank Yarra Reserve:\*\* ​Public transportation is still free on the 31st! ​Tram: A tram stop is right next the park (line 48 and 75) ​Train: Hawthorn Railway Station is a quick 15 minute walk from the park. ​Car: Free parking right next to the park. \-\-\- [RSVP on Luma](https://luma.com/y0mgcit5) to get updates. It isn't required but helps us to know how much food to buy. ​View this [event on our website](https://linuxvictoria.org/posts/2026-01-31_LUV-BBQ) for more details.

Come chat about Atlassian tools and best practices at the Upper Arlington Sunny Street Cafe and Breakfast is on Atlassian! Let's get the day started off with breakfast with your ACE Leaders! We're always excited to talk about Atlassian Products, share our knowledge and hand out swag! Come chat with us about new product news and anything you are working on within the Atlassian product stack. This is a great opportunity to come see what we are all about, hear new business news and share with other Atlassian users your questions and experiences. We'd love to see new and old friends come out to chat and learn about Atlassian! Agenda --- Moderators Kimberly Deal - Columbus Atlassian User Group Leader Kevin Stanley - Columbus Atlassian User Group Leader Greg Sprowls - Columbus Atlassian Community Leader Hosted By Kimberly Deal, Atlassian User Group Leader Kevin Stanley, Chief Everything Greg Sprowls, Agility Lead --- Global Partner Atlassian (http://atlassian.com) Millions of users globally rely on Atlassian products every day for improving software development, project management, collaboration, and code quality. Partner Atlassian --- For over a decade, Atlassian customers have come together to network, share ideas, solve problems, and find new ways to use Atlassian products. Today, more than 15,000 people take part in Atlassian community events in more than 30 countries. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://ace.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-columbus-presents-rise-and-shine-with-atlassian-upper-arlington-23/.

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - Azure CBUS - Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint DevOps Columbus, Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. \#\#\# What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time \#\#\# Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐

Join Neurospicy Columbus at the Stauff's for coffee and then a stroll through the Book Loft nearby! This will be a friendly chat for like minded individuals with Autism and/or ADHD (or somewhere on the Neurodiverse Spectra).

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). 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/