Analytics: Outcomes, Experimentation Intelligence

We are excited to announce our next meetup, which will again be hosted at the beautiful [HubSpot](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#) Berlin offices. Get ready for rooftop views, snacks, drinks and plenty of opportunities to learn and share. Agenda: 6.00pm - Casual arrival 6.30pm - Welcome and intro to "To Customer Value and Beyond" 6.45pm - Benefits of a value-driven sales approach: Led by Angeley Mullins ([Aetheris Ventures](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aetherisventures/)), we’re bringing together three leaders who have cracked the code on value-driven growth: - [Caroline Dépierre](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdepierre/) ([Pollup AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pollup-data/)): Elevating customer ops through AI. - [Pavel Novák](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgrpavelnovak/) ([Pricefx](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pricefx/)): Architecting revenue enablement. - [Balaji Kannadasan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/balajikannadasan/) (ex-[Infor](https://www.linkedin.com/company/infor/)): Mastering value engineering. 7.45pm - Q&A 8.00pm - Networking A heartfelt thank you to our friends at HubSpot for providing the location! Drinks and snacks will, of course, be provided. Expect an exciting and engaged discussion and feel free to bring questions of your own.

Welcome to the PyData Berlin January meetup! We would like to welcome you all starting from 18:30. There will be food and drinks. The talks begin around 19.15 and the doors will close at 18:45. **Make sure to arrive on time!** Please provide your first and last name for the registration because this is required for the venue's entry policy. If you cannot attend, please cancel your spot so others are able to join as the space is limited. **Host**: **Spiced Academy** is excited to welcome you to this month's version of PyData. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* The Lineup for the evening **Talk 1: From Grape Stomping to Gorilla Trekking: AI-Driven Discovery of Novel Interests at GetYourGuide** **Abstract**: UX research shows that discovering new, unexpected and unique things to do in a destination is among the most important needs for travelers. However, surfacing these “hidden gems” at scale is a major challenge for any dynamic marketplace. At GetYourGuide, we tackled this by combining large language models, semantic vector embeddings, and a robust human-in-the-loop process to automatically identify and categorize novel customer interests. Join me as I dive into how we created this AI-driven solution and how we achieved scalable, granular and relevant categorization of our activities. **Description:** How do you help a traveler find something they never knew they wanted? In this talk, I will explore the exciting journey of developing an AI-driven solution to identify novel customer interests at GetYourGuide. With thousands of new activities onboarded weekly, manual categorization became impractical, prompting the need for automation. This talk will walk you through our end-to-end solution: * The problem: the challenges travelers face in discovering relevant and unique experiences, the organizational complexity of this on our platform and its business impact * The AI journey: From raw LLM-based extraction to vector embeddings, clustering, all the way to a robust human-in-the-loop pipeline. I’ll share how we iterated from noisy prototypes to an impactful system, launching 300+ new interests and driving significant engagement and net revenue uplifts * What we learned: The realities of working with LLMs in production-like settings, more specifically hallucinations and issues with relevance, granularity and semantic deduplication. We found out that the line between useful innovation and unwanted noise can be surprisingly fine when using LLM’s. I’ll share practical examples of these challenges and how we addressed them. * Impact and future directions: How we achieved a 10x increase in manual acceptance of AI-suggested interests in just two iterations, and what’s next for AI-driven discovery at GetYourGuide **Bio**: **Morena Bastiaansen** holds a master’s degree in Econometrics from the University of Amsterdam and currently works as a Data Scientist at GetYourGuide in Berlin. She combines her passions for machine learning, language, and travel to build impactful systems for travelers worldwide, with a current focus on personalization in email marketing. Morena is also actively involved in the local tech and ML community. **Talk 2: Deep dive into data streaming security** **Abstract**: Data streaming is powering everything from fraud detection and real-time analytics to patient monitoring and order fulfillment. But as the role of streaming grows, so does the risk - because many streaming platforms, like Apache Kafka, aren't secure by default. In this talk, we’ll take a practical look at data streaming security through the lens of Kafka, one of the most widely adopted streaming platforms in the world. We'll walk through what can go wrong - real examples of exposing 14M patient-doctor messages, or years of real-time delivery info to the internet - and what it takes to do it right. We'll cover the key pillars of securing a streaming system: encryption in transit and at rest, access control, monitoring, and key management. Along the way, we’ll look at the trade-offs like disk encryption vs. end-to-end encryption, what is behind field-level and envelope encryption, and the realities of using customer-managed keys in regulated industries. We'll also explore how streaming security has evolved, how real vulnerabilities (like CVE-2019-12399) highlight the need for patching and monitoring, and what successful multi-layered security looks like in production - from financial institutions to healthcare platforms. If you're building, running, or scaling streaming systems, this talk will help you see the security blind spots and give you concrete steps to protect the data flowing through your pipelines. **Bio**: Olena Kutsenko is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven. A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers. As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community. **Lightning talks** There will be slots for 2-3 Lightning Talks (3-5 Minutes for each) between the two main talks. Kindly let us know if you would like to present something :) \*\*\* NumFOCUS **Code of Conduct** THE SHORT VERSION Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down others. Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for NumFOCUS. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. NumFOCUS is dedicated to providing a harassment-free community for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of community members in any form. Thank you for helping make this a welcoming, friendly community for all. If you haven't yet, please read the detailed version here: https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct \*\*\*

Complete your event RSVP here: [https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-cloud-berlin-presents-gathering-at-google-berlin/](https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-cloud-berlin-presents-gathering-at-google-berlin/) 🔖 We’re all about keeping things friendly and welcoming. Please take a moment to check out our Code of Conduct to help us make this event great for everyone. 👀 Have any ideas for future events or questions about sponsorships? Feel free to reach out! We really appreciate your feedback and are eager to build a strong and fun community together. *** **Agenda:** 6:00 PM ▶️ Arrival, Food & Networking 6:30 PM 📜 Opening Remarks 7:00 PM ⏯️ Patrick Löber: Building Agentic Applications with Gemini 3 7:40 PM ⏸️ Stretch and refresh 8:20 PM ⏯️ Steffen Hoellinger Pattern Recognition and Anomaly Detection for event-driven AI Agents with Apache Flink and Kafka 9:00 PM 🎤 Open Mic Session & Networking 9:30 PM ⏹️ Doors close ***

**IMPORTANT PLEASE RSVP AT:** https://www.meetup.com/pydata-berlin/events/312771201/ \*\*\* We would like to welcome you all starting from 18:30. There will be food and drinks. The talks begin around 19.15 and the doors will close at 18:45. **Make sure to arrive on time!** Please provide your first and last name for the registration because this is required for the venue's entry policy. If you cannot attend, please cancel your spot so others are able to join as the space is limited. **Host**: **Spiced Academy** is excited to welcome you to this month's version of PyData. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* The Lineup for the evening **Talk 1: From Grape Stomping to Gorilla Trekking: AI-Driven Discovery of Novel Interests at GetYourGuide** **Abstract**: UX research shows that discovering new, unexpected and unique things to do in a destination is among the most important needs for travelers. However, surfacing these “hidden gems” at scale is a major challenge for any dynamic marketplace. At GetYourGuide, we tackled this by combining large language models, semantic vector embeddings, and a robust human-in-the-loop process to automatically identify and categorize novel customer interests. Join me as I dive into how we created this AI-driven solution and how we achieved scalable, granular and relevant categorization of our activities. **Description:** How do you help a traveler find something they never knew they wanted? In this talk, I will explore the exciting journey of developing an AI-driven solution to identify novel customer interests at GetYourGuide. With thousands of new activities onboarded weekly, manual categorization became impractical, prompting the need for automation. This talk will walk you through our end-to-end solution: * The problem: the challenges travelers face in discovering relevant and unique experiences, the organizational complexity of this on our platform and its business impact * The AI journey: From raw LLM-based extraction to vector embeddings, clustering, all the way to a robust human-in-the-loop pipeline. I’ll share how we iterated from noisy prototypes to an impactful system, launching 300+ new interests and driving significant engagement and net revenue uplifts * What we learned: The realities of working with LLMs in production-like settings, more specifically hallucinations and issues with relevance, granularity and semantic deduplication. We found out that the line between useful innovation and unwanted noise can be surprisingly fine when using LLM’s. I’ll share practical examples of these challenges and how we’re iterating to address them. * Impact and future directions: How we achieved a 10x increase in manual acceptance of AI-suggested interests in just two iterations, and what’s next for AI-driven discovery at GetYourGuide **Bio**: **Morena Bastiaansen** holds a master’s degree in Econometrics from the University of Amsterdam and currently works as a Data Scientist at GetYourGuide in Berlin. She combines her passions for machine learning, language, and travel to build impactful systems for travelers worldwide, with a current focus on personalization in email marketing. Morena is also actively involved in the local tech and ML community. **Talk 2: Deep dive into data streaming security** **Abstract**: Data streaming is powering everything from fraud detection and real-time analytics to patient monitoring and order fulfillment. But as the role of streaming grows, so does the risk - because many streaming platforms, like Apache Kafka, aren't secure by default. In this talk, we’ll take a practical look at data streaming security through the lens of Kafka, one of the most widely adopted streaming platforms in the world. We'll walk through what can go wrong - real examples of exposing 14M patient-doctor messages, or years of real-time delivery info to the internet - and what it takes to do it right. We'll cover the key pillars of securing a streaming system: encryption in transit and at rest, access control, monitoring, and key management. Along the way, we’ll look at the trade-offs like disk encryption vs. end-to-end encryption, what is behind field-level and envelope encryption, and the realities of using customer-managed keys in regulated industries. We'll also explore how streaming security has evolved, how real vulnerabilities (like CVE-2019-12399) highlight the need for patching and monitoring, and what successful multi-layered security looks like in production - from financial institutions to healthcare platforms. If you're building, running, or scaling streaming systems, this talk will help you see the security blind spots and give you concrete steps to protect the data flowing through your pipelines. **Bio**: Olena Kutsenko is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven. A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers. As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community.

We are kicking off the year by celebrating 2 years of Berlin Cybersecurity Social and starting strong with two highly practical sessions focused on impact, growth, and doing more with less. As budgets tighten and expectations rise, security leaders are being asked to optimise spend while also advancing their own careers. This anniversary edition of BCS is all about exactly that. How to make smarter security decisions, stretch limited resources, and make sure your work gets the recognition it deserves. Think new year, new priorities, and new momentum. *** **Talk 1: Why Risk Appetite Statements Matter: Getting the Board Onboard** James Tucker, Group Head of Information Security at Awin Global This session explores how risk appetite statements can be used to connect technical security controls to board-level decision-making. James will share how framing security through risk appetite enables clearer conversations about prioritisation, investment, and trade-offs, particularly when budgets are tight. **Key Takeaways** * How to use risk appetite statements to frame security decisions * How to translate technical controls into business and board-level language * How to support risk-based investment and prioritisation discussions * **Talk 2: Making Invisible Security Work Visible** **Alisa Reznik, COO, tech consultant, and mentor for tech leaders** Security professionals protect the company constantly, yet their impact is often invisible by design. In this session, Alisa will show how to make security work visible without bragging, translate technical outcomes into business value, and build career momentum alongside fast-moving threats. **What you will learn** * How to make your work visible without bragging * A simple system to gain recognition and career momentum * How to communicate security impact in business terms *** We will be celebrating the 2-year anniversary of Berlin Cybersecurity Social with networking before and after the talks, familiar faces, new connections, and the same community energy that has shaped BCS from the start. A practical start to the year. Smarter budgets. Clearer impact. Stronger careers. **About Berlin Cybersecurity Social:** This meetup is open to cybersecurity professionals of all levels, from beginners to experts. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your journey in the field, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with others who share your passion for cybersecurity. **About** **James Tucker:** James is Group Head of Information Security at Awin Global, where he leads global security strategy across cloud, infrastructure, and enterprise environments. With a background spanning hands-on network security, incident response, and executive security leadership, James brings a pragmatic, business-focused approach to building effective security programs at scale. **About** **Alisa Reznik:** Alisa is a COO, tech consultant, and mentor for technical leaders. She helps engineers and security professionals gain visibility, advance their careers, and build work lives aligned with what they actually want. With experience leading engineering and product teams under pressure, Alisa brings a practical perspective on influence, impact, and growth in technical roles.

An engaging, high-energy evening focused on audience engagement, effective feedback, and leadership through communication — right in the heart of Berlin. **Mercury Toastmasters Berlin** invites you to a special workshop meeting at our home at Das Center, Potsdamer Platz, in the stunning Imperial Historic Breakfast Hall. This evening brings together two practical workshops designed to help you connect more powerfully with your audience and give feedback that truly supports growth. Expect a welcoming, international atmosphere where ideas are tested, skills are sharpened, and confidence grows through practice and reflection. **Workshops** **The Art of Audience Engagement** This workshop examines how great speakers consistently capture and sustain attention. Based on the study of high-impact speakers and personal speaking experience, it reveals practical engagement techniques Toastmasters can use right away to make speeches more dynamic, memorable, and audience-centered. **Effective Evaluation – From Feedback to Leadership** This workshop explores how evaluations influence confidence, motivation, and growth. Drawing on best practices and real club experience, it introduces practical approaches evaluators can apply immediately to make feedback clearer, more supportive, and development-oriented — turning evaluation into a meaningful leadership moment. **🕢 Time:** Doors open at 7:15 PM Meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM **[What you’ll gain 🎤](https://luma.com/n22m5azb)** • Practical techniques to capture and hold audience attention • Clear frameworks for giving focused, motivating feedback • Insight into how evaluation becomes a leadership skill • A supportive, international group of 25–30 participants *** **🤙 [Hear it from our members:](https://maps.app.goo.gl/eRtvR9DRNqU9WZQn7)** *“You can sharpen your public speaking skills and gain tons of confidence, while having fun and making new friends. Mercury is well-structured, fun, and affordable.”* — *Therese Pitt* *“Mercury gave me a safe place to speak, create, and grow. I love the multicultural vibe and supportive community. It’s the best place to learn and have fun.”* — *Krisztina Linka* *** **[Did You Know?](https://mercurytoastmasters.de/about-mercury-toastmasters-berlin/)** Toastmasters is where people go to get better at speaking—and grow into confident communicators and leaders. Today [Toastmasters ](https://mercurytoastmasters.de/about-mercury-toastmasters-berlin/)has 350,000+ members across 16,000 clubs in 143 countries. And [Mercury ](https://mercurytoastmasters.de/find-toastmasters-meetings-in-berlin/)is one of the best places to experience it. So bring your curiosity, your energy—and just be yourself. Whether you’re just starting or ready to level up, there’s a place for you here. *** **[See you Wednesday night!](https://mercurytoastmasters.de/find-toastmasters-meetings-in-berlin/)**[ 🎉](https://mercurytoastmasters.de/find-toastmasters-meetings-in-berlin/)

(English below) \>\> der Event findet statt\, wenn sich bis 18:00 mindestens 4 Personen angemeldet haben\, sonst nicht << Worum es geht: "Kann ein Walfisch ein Wellensittich sein?" \~> Natürlich nicht, denn Säugetiere sind niemals Vögel. "Kann ein Fenster ein Getränk sein?" \~> Jeder weis, das ist unmöglich, denn Festkörper sind keine Flüssigkeiten. ABER: "Kann eine Demokratie eine Republik sein?" "Kann eine Vermutung eine Meinung sein?" "Ist etwas zu begreifen das Selbe wie etwas zu verstehen?" \~> Tja, jetzt wird's schwierig! Und es wird spannend... Nichts regt dermaßen zum nachdenken an wie dieses neue Gesellschaftsspiel. Die Spielregeln: 1. Jeder schreibt einen Begriff auf einen Zettel. 2. Die Zettel werden paarweise gezogen. 3. Per Beamer werfen wir die Bedeutung der zwei Wörter an die Wand. 4. jeder kann per Laptop (zur Not auch per Smartphone) die Bedeutung ergänzen / editieren, muss dafür ggf. Beispiele angeben warum etwas gleich sein können soll, oder nie gleich sein kann. 5. nach einer Zeit fällt niemandem mehr etwas ein. Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den beiden Begrifflichkeiten sind deutlich herausgearbeitet. Dann wird der Punktestand gezählt: (+1) Jeder verbliebene neue Beitrag in der Bedeutung ergibt einen Pluspunkt (-2) aber jeder wieder gelöschte neue Beitrag gibt zwei Minuspunkte. (+5) jede Verbesserung der bisherigen Bedeutung in Reclue ergibt plus 5 Pluspunkte Die Auffassungen aller Mitspieler werden viel klarer, erst recht wenn man häufig mitspielt. Ziel des Spiels ist nicht, dass irgendwer am meisten Punkte sammelt, sondern, dass alle zusammen überhaupt auf mehr als 50 Punkte kommen. Das Spiel funktioniert auch mehrsprachig. Man kann auch von Zuhause aus online mitmachen. Den Zugang können wir dann über die Kommentare hier organisieren. Bring deinen Laptop mit, dann wird es einfacher... Warum macht das Spiel klug? Schach trainiert das Konzentrationsvermögen. Aber es hat mit der Wirklichkeit nichts zu tun. Dieses Spiel hingegen schon, denn genau mitdenken zu können setzt voraus genau zu unterscheiden. Andernfalls assoziiert man das eine sprunghaft mit irgendetwas anderem. Aber ob die Assoziationskette notwendiger Weise der Fall ist, ist nicht klar - und andere Aspekte sind vll. viel wichtiger. Und dann irrt man in wirren Assoziationen, entscheidet wenig optimal, verliert Zeit, usw. Mit der Übung über dieses Spiel nicht mehr! Wer die Bedeutung der Wörter sauber ausdifferenziert wird immer klüger. \*\*\* english version \*\*\* "Can a whale be a parakeet?" \~> Of course not! "Can a window be a drink?" \~> Everyone knows that's impossible. "Can a democracy be a republic?" "Can a conjecture be an opinion?" "Is grasping something the same as understanding something?" \~> Well, now it gets tricky! And it gets exciting... Nothing stimulates thought quite like this new party game. The rules: 1. Everyone writes a term on a slip of paper. 2. The slips of paper are drawn in pairs. 3. We project the meaning of the two words onto the wall using a projector. 4. Everyone can add to/edit the meaning using a laptop or smartphone, and must provide examples of why something could be the same, or could never be the same. 5. After a while, no one can think of anything else. The differences and similarities between the two words are clearly highlighted. Then the score is tallied: (+1) Each new entry adding meaning earns one point. (-2) However, each deleted entry deducts two points. (+5) Each improvement on the existing meaning in Reclue earns five points. The understanding of all players becomes much clearer, especially with frequent play. The goal for the entire group is to reach at minimum 50 points. The game also works in multiple languages. You may join us from home using the internet. Comments in meetup-app will be used to organize that it works. The location (somewhere in Prenzlauer Berg) will be published the day when it takes place.

Let’s meet for a coffee/tea and hang out at the Michelberger Hotel: no structure, no pressure, just conversation and connection. This meetup is for individuals who identify themselves as men who want a sober-friendly space to meet others in Berlin without alcohol or substances. **Details**: 📅 Sun Jan 25. ⏰ 12:00–14:00. 📍 Michelberger Hotel (Warschauer Str. 39-40, 10243 Berlin). **Meeting point**: Inside the hotel, in the Café area or the Lounge area with the big sofas. Feel free to invite someone who might enjoy this event. Come as you are. Looking forward to meeting you!

**📅 Week 1 Focus: Kickoff & New Shared Project Theme** We’re starting a new **7-week cycle** with a clear theme: **building one data science project together from start to finish.** 👩‍💻 No experience required Each 7-week cycle focuses on a **small, well-defined part of a larger system**—and over time, these cycles build toward a complete, real-world project (covering data engineering, data science, and deployment). You’re welcome to work on your own project if you prefer, but the shared project gives everyone a common foundation and learning rhythm. 🧠 2026 First Project This cycle’s shared project is an **image-based knowledge extraction system**., including: * Taking photos of book pages or documents * Extracting and cleaning text from images * Structuring that information into something useful (e.g. flashcards, notes, summaries) 📌 By the End of a Full Cycle, You should Have 🎯 A working project in your own GitHub repo 🎯 A small but real portfolio piece you can demo or write about 🎯 Experience going from messy inputs → concrete outcomes Perfection isn’t the goal—finishing something real is. ✨ Who’s Hosting? I’m Lindsey, a senior data scientist working on AI, causal inference, and data products. I’ve built models for fraud detection, uplift modeling, and LLM-based systems—and I care a lot about learning through building, not hype. 📅 When: Saturday, Jan 24 · 9:30–11:30 📍 Where: Torstraße 59, Forward Earth 💻 Bring: Your laptop, an idea—or just curiosity

🍕 **Data & AI Lunch Meetup – Pizza & Exciting Conversations** 🍕 The very first **DVC Data & AI Lunch Meetup Berlin** is coming up! We’ll gather for a **shared lunch** and discuss everything around **Data & AI**. **When:** January 22, 2026, 12:30 PM **Where:** Monte Mente, Das Center am Potsdamer Platz **Cost:** Self-pay **Topic:** Exchange on Data & AI Join us for a great time of pizza and discussion on the latest developments in the **data world**! Looking forward to an exciting exchange with you! 🍕🤝 [#Data](https://www.datavaluecreation.com/search/posts?query=%23#Data) [#AI](https://www.datavaluecreation.com/search/posts?query=%23#AI) [#Meetup](https://www.datavaluecreation.com/search/posts?query=%23#Meetup) [#Networking](https://www.datavaluecreation.com/search/posts?query=%23#Networking) [#Innovation](https://www.datavaluecreation.com/search/posts?query=%23#Innovation) [#DataStrategy](https://www.datavaluecreation.com/search/posts?query=%23#DataStrategy)

Open Source Frühstück: enjoy food and deep technical talks Open your day with a solid breakfast and practical discussions on **Apache Kafka**, **ClickHouse**, **PostgreSQL** and much more. Enjoy a session designed for data engineers, architects and technical decisions-makers like you, who want to address the challenges they face in data-infrastructure. No high-level pitches but straight into practical discussions on how to build scalable, efficient open sourced-powered data platforms. What's on the menu (other than a delicious breakfast): * **Deep dives** into new features and upcoming technical roadmaps, including **Aiven Inkless**, **Kafka,** **Apache Iceberg**, **OpenSearch**, **PostgreSQL**, and **ClickHouse** * **Real case studies** demonstrating how top engineering teams are solving core data problems with these stacks, including search, observability, and analytics use cases powered by OpenSearch. * **Optimization techniques** for performance, cost-efficiency, and operational simplicity. So what are you waiting for? Secure your seat now!

**The Vibe:** Agentic AI is moving too fast for „best practices.“ We are here to experiment, debug, and learn from each other. **The Plan:** I’m hosting a micro-meetup for software engineers who are actively exploring autonomous AI agents. Whether you are building with CrewAI, LangGraph, AutoGen, or experimenting with local LLMs – let’s compare notes. This is a „Lab“ session. We will: \* **Show & Tell:** Share what you are working on (even if it’s broken). \* **Dissect Approaches:** Discuss how to handle context, loops, and hallucinations in production. \* **Hands-on:** Bring your laptop. We try different setups live. The Logistics: 📍 Location: My Office in Grunewald area – Boardroom. 🎟 Capacity: Strictly limited to 6 seats. 🍕 Food/Drinks: Snacks and drinks provided. Who is this for? **Professionals eager to actively shape the future and elevate software engineering through Agentic AI.** We are looking for people ready to co-create the next generation of workflows, not just watch from the sidelines. Since we are a very small group, please only register if you are willing to actively participate in the discussion and hands-on lab work.

Hi everyone, join us on Sunday, January 25th, at Castle Mitte for a fun afternoon to connect and discuss MBTI personality, psychology and other interesting topics. Looking forward to seeing you there! Take a test to learn your type: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test https://sakinorva.net/functions Some basic info on functions and type: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-myers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583 https://www.truity.com/blog/beginners-guide-understanding-mbti-cognitive-functions Our group aims to bring together people who are interested in self-development and self-improvement using MBTI and cognitive functions, in order to learn more about the theory and share our experiences with it. Another reason for this meetup is to meet people with whom you might potentially get along really well based on your type. This can lead to meaningful connections :)
Although the meetup is geared towards people who are interested in learning about MBTI theory and using it to improve their lives, our conversations aren’t only about that! We talk about anything and everything. So it's more like a regular social meetup with the aim of avoiding small talk :) 
You can also join our WhatsApp group chat here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KzEwl2YD5K9F6adO7kvqPO

Join us for an upcoming in-person Lean Coffee meetup. Lean Coffee is a lightly-structured meeting format where the attendees create the agenda. Bring your management challenges; whether you're managing people, products, processes or beyond, and solve them together with peers from a diverse set of backgrounds. This event is great for anybody trying to create better ways of working and wants to share with + learn from others trying to do the same.

Hello group! Let's start the new year with an awesome event full of music, dances and food from all over the world. We don't need to leave the country to enjoy other cultures's traditions. I hope you can join me at this new adventure, I can't wait to meet you all and have a great time! Address: 24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, VA 20152

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

Hello everyone! Who doesn't love Pizza! We'll be meeting at Andy's Pizza in Tyson's Galleria and doing some old-fashioned networking, beer-drinking, and pizza-eating. I guarantee a fun time, or else your pizza is free :) **Location:** Andy's Pizza, Tyson's Galleria, 2001 International Dr, McLean, VA 22102 **Overview:** Join us at AI Innovators Network for our upcoming meetup in Tysons 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.

HYBRID EVENT, VIRTUAL SPEAKER In this talk, Sean Hoar will explore the transformative journey of AI’s role in modern software engineering, from rapid prototyping (“Vibe Coding”) to strategic AI integration by skilled practitioners. It clarifies the distinctions between AI-assisted, AI-enabled, and practitioner-led approaches, offering insights into how developers can effectively adapt to and harness AI tools. The presentation also highlights recent advancements and practical strategies for leveraging AI in daily workflows and long-term development.

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun Workshop: How AI Can Work for Your Business** **Wednesday\, January 28 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun – Ashburn** Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword — it’s a practical tool that businesses of all sizes can begin using today. Join **1 Million Cups Loudoun** for a special **workshop-style presentation** led by **Victor Meer of AI Prime** and **Jay Jay Billings of Band Gap AI**, designed to help entrepreneurs understand how AI can realistically support their business operations. This workshop will provide: * A clear, practical overview of what AI actually is * Real-world examples of how businesses are using AI today * Insight into where automation can save time and reduce friction * Guidance on how to start leveraging AI without needing technical expertise Whether you’re AI-curious, overwhelmed by the noise, or ready to explore automation in your business, this session will help you think clearly about where AI fits — and where it doesn’t. As always, coffee, conversation, and community are at the heart of 1 Million Cups Loudoun. ### What Is 1 Million Cups? 1 Million Cups is a national program powered by the Kauffman Foundation that brings together entrepreneurs and community members for weekly conversations that educate, support, and inspire. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Join us on **January 14 at 9:00 AM** for coffee, connection, and a meaningful conversation about reimagining after-school education in Loudoun County. **We look forward to seeing you there.**

if you can make it in person - it’s definitely worth it. We had a great outcome last meetup! The address is right next to Penn Station 134 West 29th Street 2nd floor We will be going over stocks, options, forex and futures as well as a touch of crypto. We have trading experts with financial industry experience that will help explain the charts that we are analyzing. This is also a zoom event however we hope to see you in person! https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e9WARUrfQXG8ui-acwOo7w *Please feel free to to bring your own food* Although pizza is usually served Any questions please reach out Daniel - 732 754 6213 Insta - @TheTraderDaddy TheTraderDaddy.com

**What makes one market a goldmine and another a money pit?** Success in real estate starts long before you make an offer. Choosing the right market and knowing how to analyze a deal are what separate confident investors from expensive mistakes. At this month’s meeting, we’ll talk about how to evaluate markets, spot demand drivers, and understand local fundamentals. We’ll also walk through how to analyze properties, run the numbers, and determine whether a deal actually makes sense before you move forward. Come for the training, stay for the networking! ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Did you miss it?** [Watch all GRID Reston event playback on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTh5kxLLJI1G3VH6Pqhlhu0uTA8yrdpi) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Join the GRID Facebook Community** [Join the online GRID community here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/gridinvestor) to post deals, ask questions, and connect with other investors across the globe.