Apps for Smart Cities

Come grab a coffee and chat about startups, growth, and investing with fellow entrepreneurs, advisors and investors! This Startup/Investor Open Coffee, organized by [SIA](https://taac.startupinvestoraccelerator.com/ "https://taac.startupinvestoraccelerator.com/"), [Founder Institute](https://fi.co/ "https://fi.co") and [Adelantum Services](https://adelantum.eu/ "https://adelantum.eu"), will be hosted by [hub.brussels](https://be.linkedin.com/company/hub-brussels "https://be.linkedin.com/company/hub-brussels") (more about them below)! **❯❯ Guest Speakers include Bob De Wilde (Founder, ADELANTUM Services).** **❗️IMPORTANT:** * The goal of this event is to be more than just a networking opportunity, it's a shared learning experience for everyone. Please arrive on time so you don't miss the first questions and insights, which the rest of the conversations will build on. * NO PITCHING❗ Just sincere sharing of challenges you face and insights that might help others! **❯ DETAILS:** Building a startup takes more than a good idea—it takes the right network, insights, and support. Our Open Coffee sessions bring together founders, investors, mentors, and startup enthusiasts for meaningful conversations, shared experiences, and fresh perspectives. Each session is informal and shaped by the needs of those attending. You’ll introduce yourself, share current challenges, and get feedback, contacts, and advice from a supportive community. **❯ Who joins:** Startup founders, teams, investors, mentors, and career changers entering the startup world. **❯ How to prepare:** * Bring a notebook—plenty of wisdom is shared * Prepare a short intro: who you are and what brought you here * Think of 1–2 key challenges to discuss **❯❯ This is an in-person event, so be sure to RSVP at [https://fi.co/e/401513/meetup](https://fi.co/e/401513/meetup) to secure your spot and receive further details.**

[Grab your ticket here! 🎟️ 🔗](https://luma.com/ftst5brussels) Maybe in the end, it's mostly about the friends we make along the way, and the moments we get to share in connection... 🧀 but true! **📦 WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?** FTST is an out-of-the-box **social experience** where strangers come together for an afternoon of meaningful, fun, and deep conversation. It’s also a different & cool way of meeting new people by getting a bit out of your comfort zone and skipping the small talk! Join us for **games**, **talks**, and **connections** with **friends you haven’t met yet**. Join if you get annoyed after being asked what you do, where you are from, and how long you've been in Brussels every single time you meet someone. If you feel that there are better questions in life, this is the place for you. 🙌 **📓 HOW DOES IT WORK?** We start with a short & sweet intro talk followed by a few light-hearted group games to warm up. After that, we split you up into small groups and start with the conversation rounds (with 3-4 people). We'll have awesome question cards that will guide the flow of the conversation. You'll be guided by an experienced host who'll make sure everything goes smoothly. 🍭 **🕹 HOW TO JOIN?** **[Take 1 minute to sign up 👈](https://luma.com/ftst5brussels)** Our events are **limited to 30 handpicked guests** to ensure a cozy atmosphere. **Confirm your spot on the link above** to make it happen! We prioritize a balance of gender and age. If you're invited you'll receive a confirmation within 48 hours via Luma (our ticketing platform) NOTE: We won't validate your payment unless you've been accepted! (which you most likely will ❤️) **Sold out or can't make it?** [Drop us your email ](https://epicllama.myflodesk.com/brussels)and we'll keep you in the loop for the next one! 😎 **🧧 HOW MUCH IS IT?** The cost to attend is €15 (early bird) or €18 (general), and includes the following: ⏰ 3 hours of facilitated and curated activities 🙌🏽 Access to the Llamas in Brussels WhatsApp community 👥 A space to meet new people in the least boring way possible 💛 Supporting our mission to spread human connection events around the world *(🎫 also includes those annoying ticket fees!)* **🌳 WHERE IS IT?** We host our events in awesome bars & parks across the city. *We only **reveal the location** upon confirmation.* **💛 WHAT THEY SAY** 🗣 “This is the kind of activity **humanity needs every weekend**. Thank you for all.” - *Sonya* 🗣 “F\*ck the Small Talk changes the narrative from "Where are you from?" to "When was the last time you laughed uncontrollably?" and I think that's beautiful.” - Monika 🗣 "It’s a **wonderful** **experience**, it’s like being a kid again, when you were at the park, playing with other kids, and just decided you were going to be best friends for the next hours. Maybe you’ll never see those kids again. But that hour was amazing because you both opened up and trusted each other." - Sara **[Read our 130+ Google reviews here 👈](https://goo.gl/maps/TpZy77bfPFkGoikn7)** **🤓 FAQ** **• Can I come alone?** Of course, we encourage it :) **• Can I be late?** Please don't! Late arrivals will disrupt the floooooooow. **• I signed up but never got an invite. Why?** We usually get a high volume of sign-ups yet we like to keep it cozy & only invite around 30 people. Please try again next time if you do not receive an invite - no hard feelings 💛 **• Why do you charge?** We value our time and put a lot of love, planning, and effort into creating & designing these experiences. ♥️ This is our project/business and what we give to the world and we think everything should be a fair exchange! 🎈 However, money should never be the reason for people not to attend. If you can’t afford it send us a message! **• Is this a networking or dating event?** Nope! Think of us as the\* anti-networking *and* anti-speed dating *event. There’s no pressure, no pitches, and no cringy icebreakers. Instead, we create spaces where strangers can connect through fun & meaningful conversations. It’s all about authentic connection—no business cards or romantic expectations required. (doesn’t mean it* can’t \*happen—it’s just not the intention!) 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙. ✨ \* Location is only revealed to ticket holders! 🙅‍♀️📱This event is a no-phone experience. 🙅‍♀️📱 We started in Berlin back in 2019 out of the frustration of being asked 'Where are you from?' multiple times at every single meetup! Now there are chapters in 15 cities including Medellin, Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Zurich, and London! 🗺️ \*\*\* Follow us on[ Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/epic.llama/)👈 Our [website](https://epicllama.com/fuckthesmalltalk)[ ](https://epicllama.com/)👈

https://www.strava.com/clubs/socialrunning SYNC is a weekly social run in Brussels. Every Wednesday at 6PM Parc du Cinquantenaire \| meeting point under the main arch\. 8KM at a conversational pace. No pressure. No racing. Just movement and meaningful connections. Whether you’re new in Brussels or have lived here for years, SYNC is about running together and building community. All levels welcome. Just show up. Let’s sync.

In a series of 2-hour art workshops, I invite you to explore our core human needs through sculpting and painting as a certified art therapy coach. 🎨 We all share the same fundamental needs: emotional closeness and connection, the free expression of our identity, self-expression and spontaneity, healthy boundaries, connection with nature, self-coherence, a meaningful and comprehensible world, and an environment where fairness is present. Let’s discover them together! **🌝** **Each session includes:** **45 minutes of sculpting** **45 minutes of painting** **Group reflection & discussion** *All materials are provided.* **Register here: https://forms.gle/7huQKEdntzoRVjKN8**

Hosted by Maddie Corley (Madelinksi) - 10€ at the door (cash or IBAN okay)! Do you write poetry? Have a thing for melodies? Play an instrument? Are you stuck in your writing process? Or you have something you want to share? Well, then this space is a great fit for you. You are welcome to our bi-monthly songwriting group designed for artists who want to create, explore, and grow in a supportive environment. Whether you’re just starting or already writing, this is a space to connect with other musicians and share your work in a safe and constructive environment. **What you’ll gain:** * A community of like-minded artists * The opportunity to share your art * Constructive and critical feedback *** #

**Welcome to The Club.** A **curated** social community in Brussels for people who want real connections, memorable experiences, and **better energy than the usual random meetup chaos**. Most of our events happen in **private homes**, gardens, hidden places around Brussels, or unusual locations outside the city. The goal is simple: create the kind of atmosphere where people actually talk, laugh, connect, and want to come back. We organize things like: • gourmet lunches & dinners • picnics & roadtrips • cooking nights • walks around Brussels • karaoke & movie nights • debates & discussions • card and social games • occasional “chaperoned” social evenings where people can meet naturally in a safe environment The difference is that we personally curate and vet new members. The host actively introduces newcomers, helps people integrate into the group, and keeps the atmosphere respectful and relaxed. We have zero tolerance for creepy behavior, unwanted pressure, spam, random uninvited people, or drama. *Unfortunately, posting too many details publicly on Meetup or on the internet in general quickly attracts bots, scammers, fake profiles, crypto weirdos, and people who completely ruin the vibe for everyone else.* That’s why most of our real coordination happens privately through our ***vetted WhatsApp community***. To join, simply scan the QR code in the image. If you are on your phone and cannot scan it directly: • take a screenshot of the image • open the screenshot in your photo gallery • most phones can automatically detect QR codes from photos by long pressing or using Google Lens / iPhone scan feature Then request access to the group and introduce yourself briefly. See you soon

Join our next meetup on June 25th! We will have 3 talks and will share some food and drinks while networking **Location:** Infrabel, Rue des Deux Gares 82, 1070 Anderlecht, Belgium **Agenda:** 17:45 : Doors open 18:00 - 18:40 : Drinks and pizza 18:40 - 18:45 : Welcome 18:45 - 19:00 : Elastic @ Infrabel 19:00 - 19:15 : Real life never-seen-before railway project 19:15 - 19:55 : From unknown and raw to real value 19:55 - 20.20 : What’s new in Elastic v9 20:15 : Wrap up **Talks:** **Elastic @ Infrabel** In this presentation, we will explain how Infrabel uses Elastic today and how it supports our current needs. We will briefly outline some future optimizations and the integration of OpenTelemetry to further strengthen and extend our Elastic platform. To showcase how we use Elastic for addressing real business use case, we will demo a never-seen-before application build in collaboration with Elastic Belgium. *Safia Souabi – Big Data Engineer at Infrabel* *Olivier-Désiré Muhimpundu – Big Data Engineer at Infrabel* **Real life never-seen-before railway project** *How Elastic helps ensure the punctuality of rail services by detecting and correlating events in real time to anticipate disruptions, ensure operational continuity and optimise the flow of rail traffic."* *Vanessa Coeurnelle – Cyber Resilience Data Analyst at Infrabel* **From unknown and raw to real value** In this talk, Chris shares how he transformed a legacy log ingestion pipeline into a structured, scalable, and insight-ready ELK-based system. Starting from loosely indexed XML/SOAP logs with minimal configuration, the project required rebuilding the data model to handle multiple message types, complex nested structures, and inconsistent field representations. Without the luxury of a full upfront redesign, Chris adopted an iterative, data-driven approach: combining exploratory analysis with dynamic mapping strategies to progressively shape the data into a usable format. He will discuss how this led to the design of flexible ingestion pipelines, including XML parsing, normalization, and generic handling of heterogeneous payloads. The talk also covers practical techniques for managing sensitive data, reducing storage overhead, and improving query performance—such as selective data retention, hashing and fingerprinting strategies, and the use of data streams. Finally, Chris will touch on how structuring the data effectively enables higher-level capabilities like anomaly detection and automated alerting. This session is aimed at practitioners dealing with messy, real-world data and looking for pragmatic ways to make Elasticsearch pipelines more robust, maintainable, and valuable. **Bios** **Christoph Evers** is a Senior Data Scientist and Data Engineer based in Brussels, with over 15 years of experience in data systems, search technologies, and analytics. He has been working with Elasticsearch since its early days, contributing to the project between 2010 and 2012 and applying it extensively as a search engine, document store, and log ingestion platform. At OpenLex, he designs and builds advanced data solutions for legal research, including full-text search engines, NLP pipelines for entity detection and anonymization, and large-scale analytics systems. His work also includes operating and optimizing ELK-based observability stacks in Linux and Docker environments. Previously, Chris held roles spanning software engineering, data science, and R&D leadership across sectors such as social media analytics, mobility and market research. His experience combines hands-on engineering with business-oriented data applications, delivering scalable systems and actionable insights for both startups and multinational clients. He mainly focuses on search relevance, data observability, and the practical use of ELK in production environments. **Olivier-Désiré Muhimpundu** is a Data Engineer at Infrabel, where he has been working for more than three years on large-scale data platforms and data projects. He holds an engineering degree from University of Mons Faculty of Engineering and a Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence. In his current role, Olivier focuses on designing, operating, and evolving enterprise data platforms based on technologies such as Apache Kafka, Elastic Stack, and Cloudera. His work spans data ingestion, real-time processing, monitoring, observability, and platform engineering in a large-scale railway environment. **Safia Souabi** is a Data Engineer with 6 years of experience at Infrabel in Brussels. With a BSc and MSc in Physics from London, she combines a strong analytical background with expertise in building and operating large-scale data platforms for mission-critical operational and asset data. Experienced with Apache Kafka, Elastic Stack, and the Cloudera ecosystem (Hadoop, Spark, Hive/Impala), she delivers scalable batch/real-time data pipelines and optimized ETL/ELT workflows. She works closely with stakeholders to translate requirements into reliable data products, with a strong focus on data quality, governance, security, performance, and platform resilience.

**27th June Nude Art Class – Drawing and/or Painting – Grand Hospice** Welcome to the June session of the nude drawing and painting classes, which will take place at Grand Hospice, in Brussels city centre! When: **Saturday 27th June,** **1.45 - 4.30 pm**. The class will focus on drawing and painting the human figure, using both previously seen and new live models. We will continue studying the human figure, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with multiple poses and different posing times. Objects will be integrated in the composition. Whether you're an experienced artist or just starting, this art class is open to all skill levels! This time, we will have a male model. Fitness equipment will be integrated in the composition. Two tickets possible: only with **drawing material**, or **drawing + painting** material. Limited "**pay 1 get 2"** tickets have been added: get them quickly! Please book via **this Eventbrite link**. Only Eventbrite tickets will count as participation, due to limited capacity: **https://www.eventbrite.be/e/1991473780687?aff=oddtdtcreator** Where: **Jardin Hospice**, **Rue du Grand Hospice 7**, 1000 **Bruxelles**. Meeting point: at the **main door** of Jardin Hospice, **at 1.45 pm**. The group will be guided upstairs. **The session will start at 2 pm o'clock**. If late, please contact Elio via WhatsApp: **+39 324 62 17 652**, in order to allow the other participants to start on time. This is the last session before the summer break; we will restart again in September. Refreshments and finger food provided as usual. Hope to see you soon at Grand Hospice!

Welcome to the #1 edition of the **AI-Native Meetup** 👋 **📅 Meetup Agenda** * 17:30: Doors Open, welcome & drinks * 18:15: Opening Remarks * 18:20: Talks * 19:30: Closing Remarks * 19:35: Networking Drinks & Bites **🚗 Getting there** Accenture office located in Tour & Taxis - Gare Maritime * **Parking**: Rue Picard 13, 1000 Brussels - 900 spaces (**±5 min walk**) * **Bike**: Bike racks available 86C Avenue du Port - 1–11 Rue Picard * **Bus**: Lines
14, 15, 57, 88, 89 Tour & Taxis stop (**In front of the site**) * **Tram**: Lines 51, 93 Sainctelette stop (**±5 min walk**) * **Metro/Subway**: Lines 2, 6 Stops Yser & Ribaucourt (**±10 min walk**) **ℹ️ Practical Information:** \- The first edition of the AI\-Native Meetup will take place on Thursday 25th of June 2026 \- Accenture office is located in boîte 100 Rue Picard 11\, 1000 Brussels [get directions](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=1363199207277627398) AI moves fast. Keeping up is exhausting. This meetup is built for the people in the trenches, Software Engineers, Data folks, Analysts, Managers and AI leaders to help them keep-up with latest ways of working with Agentic AI. Specialists and generalists welcome. **🗣️ Speakers:** **#1 Arnaud Gueulette** (Datashift): Ship It With AI: From Idea to Prototype in Days, Not Months #2 Gaël Mercier (STIB-MIVB): who’s driving? AI, your brain, and the autopilot trap. #3 Siwar Dean Madrane (Accenture): Beyond Vibe Coding: The Developer’s New Craft Thanks to Accenture for sponsoring and hosting the AI-Native Meetup.

This Saturday 27.06 – Brussels Main Event ✩ Mont des Arts PARTY • BACK 2 MUSIC 2000-2010 • International Party at Plein Publiek •SAMEDI 27/06✩ →FACEBOOK INFO / [https://fb.me/e/5N7cBUNH1](https://fb.me/e/5N7cBUNH1) →PRIORITY PASS: SKIP THE LINE / [https://pleinpubliek.stager.co/shop/brussels/events/111649814](https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpleinpubliek.stager.co%2Fshop%2Fbrussels%2Fevents%2F111649814&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cc45113db850a48fbb40408de95755b42%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639112528432655513%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GZObVxLjpWBvHlKa4baGv31ewdTL9m%2BpLmx6RZnV7Do%3D&reserved=0 "Protected by Outlook: https://pleinpubliek.stager.co/shop/brussels/events/111649814. Click or tap to follow the link.") ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ So, are you ready to dance to the best hits of the 2000s & 2010s? “Who’ll be there?” Stromae, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, The Black Eyed Peas & many more artists to take you on a nostalgic ride... For some, it feels like yesterday, for others a bit further back. Do you remember? Let’s be honest, the 2000s & 2010s were legendary, right? Don’t miss it! ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Info’s → Saturday, JUNE 27, 2026 from 11:30 PM to 4:30 AM → Plein Publiek, Mont des Arts, 1000 Brussels & its Summer Terrace → Easy access by public transport, bike or scooter! → Management reserves the right of admission → Minimum age: 18 ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Line-Up PALEXX, BOBOUNCE & Z00 UNCAGED FACEBOOK INFO / [https://fb.me/e/5N7cBUNH1](https://fb.me/e/5N7cBUNH1) → Plein Publiek Bxl, Mont des Arts, 1000 Brussels

**Join us for a beautiful summer evening at Bozar Rooftop for the Casavillani Rooftop Sessions — a relaxed open-air gathering with house music, good vibes, drinks, food, and sunset views over Brussels. 🌆✨** Casavillani is bringing fresh house records and DJs to the rooftop, creating the perfect atmosphere to meet new people, enjoy the music, and spend a warm evening together above the city. Entry is free, but spots can be limited. 🎧💃🕺 **📅 Date: Thursday, 25 June** **🕕 Meetup time: 18:00** **📍 Meetup location: In front of Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels** **🎟️ Entry: Free** **🍹 Drinks & food: Available on the rooftop** Important note: I have not booked any table, private area, or reserved place for the group. This is an informal meetup where I simply bring people together to enjoy the evening as a friendly group. We will meet outside Bozar and go up together, but entry and space on the rooftop depend on the venue’s availability and rules. Everyone is responsible for their own drinks, food, and personal expenses. 😊 Come with good energy and an open mind — it’s a perfect event for socializing, dancing, and discovering one of Brussels’ nicest summer rooftop spots. 🌞🥂 Join the WhatApp group: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EimXMXyRBjo7PfHRoVc1j7](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EimXMXyRBjo7PfHRoVc1j7) Personal number: 0471695419

This workshop series is a **follow-up to the ESP32 Robotics workshop**, but with a different concept. Here, there will be no subject set in advance, instead **all participants are welcome to join at any point and at any level, from beginner to expert**. Beginners will be guided though the basics (C programming, how to use measurement tools, soldering, PCB design, etc…) and can get advice on what tools and kits to start with, others can come with their own projects to get help or share some knowledge. ## Requirements * Bring your own laptop (Windows, Linux or Mac) * Any microcontroller/dev kit to develop your project(s). If you are a beginner and don’t know what to buy, come and we’ll find the best starter kit for you ! * A strong desire to learn stuff, good mood and some patience !

Most people still use AI like a search box: type one question, get one answer, repeat. But the next step is AI agents: systems that can take a goal, break it into steps, use tools, remember context, and produce useful work for a human to review. In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll demystify what AI agents actually are — without hype or jargon. We’ll walk through practical examples of how agents can help with research, planning, writing, coding, operations, and personal productivity. We’ll cover: * What makes an AI “agent” instead of just a chatbot * How agents break tasks into steps * Where agents are genuinely useful today * Where they fail, hallucinate, or need human review * How to design simple AI workflows for your own work * A live demo of an AI agent-style workflow from start to finish No coding experience required. This is for anyone who wants to understand where AI tools are going and how to use them more effectively right now. LOGISTICS AND PARKING: The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks! The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.

It's Our Annual Glow Party on the next Latin City Wednesday. We will provide the glow and you just need to bring yourself and friends to dance to the best selection of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and Cha Cha. Food and Refreshments will be provided. Feel free to bring your own enticing drinks. Viva Dance Columbus(2809 Festival Lane Dublin, OH 43017) 830pm-930pm Cuban Salsa (Rueda De Casino) Intermediate Level 930pm-Midnight Open Latin Dance Party 15 With the Lesson 10 Open Dance Party Only Free Parking, No Need to Bring a dance partner, No Sandals Please and Plenty of Space to Move on the Dance Floor.

**Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). Topic: This month Chris Pazsint will be talking about Agentic Coding. How does one use CLI Based Agents, and Agentic IDEs such as Cursor, Kiro, Antigravity? How to include agentic coding plugins for IDEs you already love such as Visual Studio Code. We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com

Click Here For More Videos: [https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17vTa7EuwG/](https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17vTa7EuwG/) The Biggest Salsa Night to hit your mid-week is happening at Latin City Wednesdays. Get the feel of the Latin Beat as your hips and feet groove the right way. Viva Dance Columbus (2809 Festival Lane Dublin, OH 43017) 830pm-930pm Cuban Salsa Lessons 930pm-Midnight Open Latin Dance Party 15 With Lesson 10 Just Open Dance Free Parking, No Need to Bring a dance partner, No Sandals Please and Plenty of Space to Move Around.

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm

The Unity of Columbus Resource Group for the Homeless is seeking compassionate volunteers who would like to help serve and uplift members of our homeless community. This group is dedicated to sharing kindness, resources, and support with individuals who may be experiencing difficult circumstances. Anyone with a heart for service is welcome to join us as we work together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Community members are also invited to contribute by bringing helpful items for those in need. Donations of items can be contributed at the meeting and will be distributed to assist members of the homeless community. Please consider joining us and sharing this opportunity with friends, family, or associates who may also wish to help. Learn more about Unity of Columbus at www.unityofcolumbus.org or call (614) 267-4959. Together we can extend compassion, dignity, and support to our community. 💛

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Customize the IDE: Building Extensions for Visual Studio Code* Visual Studio Code is one of the most widely used development environments today, and much of its flexibility comes from its extension ecosystem. Extensions allow developers to customize the editor with new features, integrations, and workflow improvements tailored to their needs. In this session, we’ll cover what extensions are and the different types available, including full extensions written in TypeScript or JavaScript, along with lighter-weight extensions such as color themes, language packs, language support, code snippets, and keymaps. We’ll also look at practical reasons a developer might create an extension, from automating repetitive tasks to adding custom tooling. The session includes a hands-on walkthrough of creating a new extension, testing it locally, and understanding the basic project structure. We’ll close with a brief overview of how extensions are packaged and published to the Visual Studio Marketplace and other distribution options. **YouTube Link** TBD