Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Robotics

The era of the text-only chatbot is over. Join GDG Essex for an intensive, hands-on workshop where we shift from building basic applications to engineering highly agentic systems that interact with the world just like humans do. We are bridging the gap between a "cool demo" and a "production-ready AI Agent." In this multi-session event, we will dive into the AI models, scalable architecture, cloud security, and database foundations you need to ship intelligent, multimodal agents powered by Google Cloud and Google AI. Speakers and Session Details: Keynote Session -The Growth Catalyst: Turning AI Fear into Real-World Impact Speaker: Natalia Julio-Finnan (Strategy and Operations Lead, Google) Description: In a fast-moving AI landscape, the biggest threat to success isn't technical—it's the rising tide of uncertainty and fear. Natalia brings her business-side expertise to show how to prevent project failure by transforming these crises into powerful catalysts for growth. This session provides a non-technical framework for building resilience and navigating the human side of tech, offering practical strategies to turn AI challenges into tangible, real-world impact. Hands-on Workshops (Codelabs) Build a Photo Restoration App using Genkit Go and Nano Banana Pro Speaker: Daniela Petruzalek (Senior Developer Relations Engineer, Google Cloud) Description: Build "GlowUp," a photo restoration tool that uses AI to restore old, damaged, or black-and-white photos into high-quality 4K color images. You will use Genkit Go to implement the application logic and Gemini 3 Pro Image (Nano Banana Pro) as the model to process the photos. You will learn Genkit concepts like flows, plugins, prompts, and how to handle multimodal model responses. How to Add Short-Term Memory to Your AI Agent with ADK Speaker: Buchi Michelle Okonicha (Google Developer Expert, Software & ML Engineer) Description: Learn how to pass information between agents using short-term memory. This workshop breaks down the Google Agent Development Kit (ADK), explaining how sessions, events, and state work together to keep your agent context-aware. It includes a "Memory loss vs. memory fixed" codelab comparison to help you implement intelligent, stateful automation. Advancing Generative AI integration with Vertex AI Node.js SDK Speaker: Patricia O'Callaghan Olivo, Google Developer Expert, Head of AI Architecture and Engineering Group. Description: This session explores the Vertex AI Node.js SDK, which allows developers to integrate Google's advanced generative AI models, such as Gemini, into their applications. It offers a comprehensive guide on leveraging these technologies for creating AI-powered features. Technical Deep Dives Beyond the Prototype: Autonomous Agents with Go and Google ADK Speaker: Nicholas Breckwoldt, PhD (Lead AI & ML Engineer, Alis Exchange) Description: Shift from local prototyping to orchestrating autonomous agents at scale. This session makes the case for the Go programming language as the ideal candidate for high-concurrency, low-latency agent deployments. Featuring a head-to-head comparison of Go and Python ADK agents, attendees will gain data-driven insights into how runtime decisions affect performance in the full agent lifecycle. Build Healthcare Assistant with VertexAI, MedGemma, and Gemini Speaker: Gabriel Preda (Principal Data Scientist, Endava & Kaggle Grandmaster) Description: Discover the architecture behind a specialized healthcare assistant. Move from a simple medical image interpreter to a sophisticated agentic application powered by multiple multi-modal models including MedGemma and Gemini. This session covers the implementation of orchestration, validation, and guardrails using the Antigravity framework. Enhancing SRE with Google Cloud's Gemini Cloud Assist and Code Assist Speaker: Jai Ian Fuller Campbell (SRE Expert) Description: Explore how Gemini is transforming Site Reliability Engineering (SRE). Learn how Gemini Cloud Assist empowers teams with proactive SLA creation and root cause analysis, and how Gemini Code Assist optimizes infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, YAML, Bash). This session features a live demo of AI-driven remediation and toil reduction in modern cloud workflows. Building a Better AI: Practical Steps Towards Responsibility and Ethics Speaker: Dr. Roushanak Rahmat (Google Developer Expert, Lead Data Science Consultant at IBM) Description: Moving beyond theoretical discussions, this talk focuses on the practical frameworks necessary to build responsible AI. Explore actionable strategies for addressing bias, promoting fairness, and ensuring transparency. This session prioritizes ethical considerations in the creation and deployment of data-driven technologies to ensure AI remains human-centric. Out the Black Box: Standardizing AI Agent Observability with Google ADK Speaker: Santosh Kumar Perumal (Google Developer Expert, Senior Lead Cloud & DevOps Consultant expertise, Tata Consultancy Services) Description: As Generative AI moves from simple chat prototypes to production-grade systems, monitoring the multi-step reasoning of AI agents has become a critical challenge. Agents dynamically call tools, chain prompts, and make autonomous decision often turning into operational black boxes when things go wrong. In this talk, we will explore how Google's Agent Development Kit (ADK) solves this observability gap by natively adopting industry-standard telemetry protocols. Rather than introducing yet another proprietary logging framework, ADK emits standardized, vendor-neutral traces right out of the box. Scaling Security: Training and Deploying a GRPO-Aligned Multi-Agent SRE on TPUs Speaker: Mohammad Alamin (Google Developer Expert, Senior Solution Architect, Aiiotsys) How do you trust an autonomous AI agent with your cloud infrastructure? In this session, we break down Agentic-Shield, an autonomous Cloud Security SRE built during the Google TPU Sprint that analyzes GCP audit logs and executes policy-aligned remediations safely. Discover how we used Gemma-3 and Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO) via the Tunix library on Cloud TPU v5e (v5litepod-4) Spot VMs to eliminate hallucinations and enforce strict security constraints. We will walk through the entire pipeline: from JAX-native training mechanics that cut VRAM overhead by 50% without a critic model, to cost-optimized real-time inference. What Attendees Can Expect Step-by-Step Learning: Focused sessions breaking down models, architecture, security, and databases for agentic systems. Hands-on Labs: Build working agent prototypes using Google AI APIs and cloud-native developer tools. Expert Guidance: Learn directly from cloud architects and AI specialists. A Complete Blueprint: Walk away knowing exactly how to launch a secure, autonomous AI-powered product. Local Networking: Connect with Essex’s community of engineers, architects, and innovators. Who Should Attend Students, Developers & Software Engineers Cloud Architects & AI/ML Engineers Data scientist and Database engineer Security & DevSecOps Professionals Product teams building next-generation AI features Ready to build the future? Secure your spot and RSVP today! Hosting Sponsor We thank our Hosting Sponsor, University of Essex, for providing the venue and support. 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Agenda --- Speakers Natalia Julio-Finnan - Google (Google, Strategy and Operations Lead) Born and raised in Brazil, Natalia is a multilingual business strategist, currently driving key initiatives at Google, where she has been working for over 7 years. Her background includes roles at YouTube (Lead for Scaled Support and Business Development Manager), Napster, and Globo Group. A passionate advocate for belonging and inclusion, Natalia co-founded a LatinX employee resource group ch… Daniela Petruzalek - Google (Senior Developer Relations Engineer @ Google Cloud) Dr Roushanak Rahmat - IBM (Google Developer Expert, Lead Data Science Consultant - AI, Automation and Analytics) Dr Roushanak Rahmat is a Google Developer Expert and seasoned AI Strategy Leader with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, specializing in computer vision and image processing. With over a decade of hands-on experience in designing, delivering, and scaling AI and Generative AI (GenAI) solutions, she has partnered with leading organizations including IBM, the NHS, Elekta, Coca-Cola, Lloyds, an… Jai Campbell - Jellyfish (Lead Cloud & Security Engineer / Google Cloud GDE) My names Jai Campbell, I am a software engineer from the UK working with a wide range of organisations leveraging cloud technologies to enhance their engineering and customer experiences. I specialise on the Google Cloud Platform in the following areas; cloud adoption, application modernisation, digital transformations, cloud migrations, SRE, DevSecOps, FinOps, architecture, endorsing cloud, o… Gabriel Preda - Endava (Principal Data Scientist / Kaggle GDE) Gabriel is a Romanian engineer living in Bucharest. He has +25 years of experience in the tech industry and has a PhD in Computational Electromagnetics. He is a Principal Data Scientist at Endava, working for a range of industries, from banking and insurance to telecom, logistics and healthcare. In his free time, Gabriel contributes to Kaggle (he is a triple Kaggle Grandmaster). He is a … Mohammad Alamin - Aiiotsys (Cloud and Solution Architect) As a Google Cloud Innovator Champion and Google Developer Expert (GDE), I architect cutting-edge cloud solutions at Aiiotsys—backed by 14x Google Cloud certifications and multi-cloud expertise. My journey spans hands-on software engineering to large-scale system design, including a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s National ID & Voter List project. Passionate about knowledge-sharing, I was mode… Nicholas Breckwoldt, PhD - Alis Exchange (Lead AI & ML Engineer) Nicholas Breckwoldt, PhD is the Lead AI & ML Engineer at Alis Exchange, where he leverages nearly seven years of experience to build and scale sophisticated machine learning systems. A Google Certified Professional Machine Learning Engineer, Nicholas combines deep academic rigor with practical industry expertise. He earned both his PhD and… Buchi Michelle Okonicha - Aricah (Software & ML Engineer, Google Developer Expert) With a Bachelor's degree in Microbiology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and multiple certificates in Computer Science, Software Development, Software Engineering, Computer Programming, Customer Discovery, and Digital Marketing from various institutions, I have gained a diverse and comprehensive skill set that allows me to tackle different challenges and opportunities in the tech f… Patty O’Callaghan - Charles River Laboratories (Head of AI Architecture and Engineering Group) Patty is a Venezuelan living in Scotland. She has +20 years of experience in the tech industry and a background education in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. She is a Technical Director at Charles River Laboratories. In her free time, Patty is a dedicated mentor and educator, leading a Code Club for 10-15 year-olds at her local school. Additionally, she's an organiser at Goo… Santosh Kumar Perumal Host Mohammad Alamin - Aiiotsys (Cloud and Solution Architect) As a Google Cloud Innovator Champion and Google Developer Expert (GDE), I architect cutting-edge cloud solutions at Aiiotsys—backed by 14x Google Cloud certifications and multi-cloud expertise. My journey spans hands-on software engineering to large-scale system design, including a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s National ID & Voter List project. Passionate about knowledge-sharing, I was mode… Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-essex-presents-the-agentic-future-building-ai-that-sees-hears-and-acts/.

This event is open to anyone who works in or is interested in the tech industry, whether you are a developer, designer, engineer, entrepreneur, student, or hobbyist. You will be able to meet new people, share your experiences, learn from others, and find potential collaborators or mentors. Attending our events earns you [Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points](https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/how-to-get-cpd-points). CPD offers numerous benefits, including skill enhancement, career progression, and up-to-date knowledge. It helps professionals stay competent, advance in their careers, and maintain professional credibility. We usually start around 2 p.m. at The Crown pub, following the earlier Brunch event. The Crown offers a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to suit all tastes and pizzas for those who missed the brunch. It is worth noting that whilst the event is free, the food and drinks aren't. Come thirsty, curious, and ready to have a great time!

Connecting people into Philosophy. All welcome. No previous philosophical experience needed. **What it is** Philosophy in the Park is a fun and friendly space for people to come together and have discussions that get deep. It’s a safe space where active creative thinking is encouraged and enjoyed, and where everyone can explore abstract concepts in a way that combines both sincerity and playfulness. Where the most important question is always - what do you think? **What is Philosophy?** Philosophy is about analysing concepts. It's thinking about thinking. It's not about empiricism or the physical world (eg Science and statistics). It's about abstractions, concepts and ideas (eg Identity, Morality, Mind and Truth). **How Philosophy in the Park Works** * Each hour begins with a group vote on which questions to discuss. You can vote for more than one question if you'd like. * We then break out into groups, each focusing on one of the chosen questions. The question is just a starting point and it's cool if you go on tangents and end up talking about different things. You're welcome to join in and participate or if you'd prefer to sit back and enjoy the conversation, that’s also welcome. * After an hour we regroup, take a quick break and then repeat all over again. So across the 3 hours, we’ll break out 3 times. **Where it is** We meet at Baroness Burdett Coutts Drinking Fountain in Victoria Park (East Park). It is marked down as "13" on the official maps found in the park. Please feel free to bring snacks and drinks with you if you want. After the event finishes most people stay and hang out. There’s a local supermarket to get drinks and snacks, or bring your own. You are very welcome to join us. **Guidelines** In order to make the conversations as fun, interesting and productive as possible please follow these simple guidelines: 1. Keep it Philosophical (No Science, no History, no Sociology, no Evolutionary Psychology, no contestable facts, personal anecdotes etc). 2. Think for Yourself (No phones, no looking up definitions, no name dropping Philosophers / books you've read). 3. Tangents are Cool (Don't worry too much if the subject drifts and you don't answer the question). 4. Keep it Succinct (Like this). 5. Be Excellent to Each Other (But of course). Please remember: It's not about debating and trying to win - it's about listening to people and working collaboratively to increase our collective understanding. **Community** We have a WhatsApp group if you'd like to continue these conversations between meetings. To join the Philosophy in the Park WhatsApp Group please click here: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdFaxJHbeOw9UOfuk7spiK](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdFaxJHbeOw9UOfuk7spiK) In order to stop spam bots this will take you to a Waiting Room. Once in please write your name, answer the joining question and we will add you to the main chat. **Say Thanks** If you would like to help support Philosophy in the Park you can buy me a coffee here: [https://buymeacoffee.com/philosophyjoel](https://buymeacoffee.com/philosophyjoel)

Jonathan Sattin, the founder of triyoga, and his team invite you to come HOME – to the site of the original triyoga building in Primrose Hill. HOME will be a beautiful, welcoming, warm space. A place for yoga, Pilates and treatments with the best UK and international teachers and therapists. A place for enjoying amazing food and simply hanging out. A place of community. There will be two yoga studios with over 90 classes a week, online classes, workshops, a Pilates equipment and Reformer studio, two treatment rooms, changing areas/showers, a café/hangout area and a far-infrared sauna. **Cost:** £24 for a single visit. Check HOME for all the memberships and packs available Note: We provide this service via HOME. The prices are their centre set fees. We do not set their prices. [Book via Home](https://www.homewellness.uk/book-yoga)

**🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 📓 **HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 14:00-14.15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 14:15-14:20 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 14:20-15:20 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 15:20-15:30 - We do a group conclusion of the things we discussed, and then we typically take a photo and go on our way :) If you don't want to be in the group photo, there's no pressure, it's just a way to close out the meeting. We occasionally have an unofficial social so the different groups can mingle afterwards too! **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend, and we operate on donations. If you'd like to donate to support our running costs, that helps keep our group self-sustaining. Donations are 100% voluntary, but your contribution is appreciated! QR codes to donate will be present. Tea’s and coffees and are paid by the individual should they wish to have them. **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** 🗣 “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * What will we talk about? What's the topic? The topic for the week is shared every week in the Whatsapp group before the session. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS). * Do I need to study or read anything to attend? No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what YOU think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it, but it's not required. * Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on? The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * Is it mostly men that attend? Surprisingly, no! Although philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * Can I come alone? Of course you can, we encourage it :) * Can I be late? Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * Where do you meet? The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in 25+ countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/?hl=en) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club) 👈

Inviting all women and non-binary NSLondoners to a relaxed Sunday morning coffee social ☕️😌 Feel free to bring an app or code project to show and talk about, but no pressure if you’d rather just come along for a chat and to meet others in the community! Please RSVP on Meetup if you’re planning to come. Looking forward to seeing you there! All attendees are expected to follow our [code of conduct](https://nslondon.com/coc.html).

LIGHTS ACTION CAMERA!!! Calling all you big kids! Not only is this workshop fun, it is serious business as well! We're bringing out the toys today - we have ideas for a couple of setups prepared for you, and we also have extra action figures and Lego minifigures for you to collaborate and create! And we have **SMOKE AND DRY ICE EFFECTS** and maybe some sparks (!) depending on the location. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Camera settings * Creating depth * Focus and composition EQUIPMENT * Any camera or mobile phone * Kit lens 18-55 or equivalent OTHER ESSENTIALS * Dress appropriately for the weather * Optional: a plastic bag to kneel on TRAVEL * As usual check the TFL website for any issues that may delay your journey CONTACT * Alex 07956 264049 VENICE PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND - Oct 2026 [https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events/313109095](https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events/313109095) UPCOMING EVENTS [www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events](http://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events) Photo ©Jane Lilley

If you love anime & manga then please join us for our weekly meetups, where we basically just sit, chat and read anime & manga! We usually sit in the back of the pub. If the weather is nice we may sit outside at the back of the pub, or even outside on the downstairs floor. In this meetup, you can BYOM (bring your own manga) or read one from the selection we will bring. See this as an opportunity to discover, recommend or simply enjoy Japanese comics & anime with like-minded people! Note: This is not a book club. Also, the TCR bar is kind enough to allow us to use their space to host this meetup, and has asked if possible for attendees to support the venue by purchasing a drink or food while you're there. Please don't bring your own food or drink to consume at the venue, as the venue does not allow this!

Getting angry might feel justified but, what’s the price we pay for getting angry or when we bottle it up? And how does it affect not just us, but the people and environments around us? This two-week course dives into: * both the visible and hidden layers of anger, how it works and its effects * tools for turning anger into constructive, empowered responses * strategies for staying cool and calm **This is a free 60-minute in-person seminar.** **If you would like to make a voluntary donation, please click** [here.](https://www.innerspace.org.uk/donations/ "https://www.innerspace.org.uk/donations/") \* I consent to my submitted data being collected and stored. We will process your personal data in line with the GDPR requirements and always store it securely and use it only for the purpose for which it has been collected. We will not pass on your details to any third parties without your consent.

**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/49559 **Game Description:** Join us for a fun evening of social volleyball games on the weekend. Please consider bringing your volleyballs to speed up the warm up and maximise game time. Mixed height net. Free parking available on site. Please note this session is NOT suitable for beginners. Players are expected to know 5:1 rotation for at least two positions. We will make teams after the warm up. **Rules** 1️⃣Kick things off - 🤾🏻‍♂️Warm up and hitting lines. 2️⃣🏐Games (5:1 rotation) Winner stays on. Max. 2 games per team.

Ultimate Frisbee Pickup! All experience welcome! Main details: • For first-timers: you're very welcome, no experience necessary, we can teach you the rules and how to play. You just need a willingness to run around a LOT! Bring trainers (or cleats/football boots) and clothes you can run in and plenty of water • Please try to bring both a light top and a dark top as this makes splitting into balanced teams easier • Throwing from 2:00pm ish, we'll kick off a friendly pick-up game around 2:15. It's fine if you can only make it later on - we play with substitutes so you can join in at any point. If no one is there when you arrive, don't worry, people are probably just late! If the meetup is not cancelled, frisbee will be happening! • Afterwards we always head to a pub garden and have a drink or two :) • Frisbee is a non-contact sport, but the occasional bumps can happen, we're all playing at our own risk

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

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.

## 🤝 Host Information A co-hosted event by ProductTank Columbus & Women in Product Columbus 💡 About the Workshop AI adoption is stalling across organizations — not because of a lack of motivation or tools, but because it's fundamentally a behavior design challenge. This hands-on workshop applies proven Behavior Design models and methods to help you move from a vague organizational wish to boost AI adoption to 3-5 concrete, testable interventions you can act on starting tomorrow. Whether you're a product manager, on a product team, or just someone trying to get AI to actually stick at work, you'll leave with a clear picture of what's worth focusing on, what to ignore, and how to drive real, sustained adoption — no guesswork required. 🛠️ What to Bring Laptop: Fully charged and ready to go. AI Assistant: Have your favorite AI assistant pulled up. (Dom will be using Claude, but feel free to use whichever assistant you prefer!) 🍕 Logistics & Perks Food & Drink: Pizza and drinks provided! Parking: Plenty of free spaces available on-site. ###

Topic to be announced. **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

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.

**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose** Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap. Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn: * Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge * How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change * Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction * How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work. **About Our Speaker** [Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use. 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)

PLEASE NOTE!!! This event will be In-Person for our very 1st Improving collab! If you know the [Columbus Unity group](https://www.meetup.com/columbus-unity-user-group/) location, we'll be at the same place. This is our 1st event and are doing a soft launch with limited attendance. 1st come 1st serve. If you want to be there and we fill up, please email me at [info@thecogg.com](mailto:info@thecogg.com) and I'll be in touch. All street parking is free on Sundays but you can also pay to park in any of the local garages. See image of [parking map here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mr9_LFIggbs-0_Zd3AJTGNqEhgMf2TzQ/view?usp=sharing). \-\-\- On the last Sunday of the month, we're having our usual end-of-the-month social gathering with our GameDev Meetup meeting. There will be announcements and presentations followed by some social networking Let's continue the conversations with good vibes and friends. All are welcomed from all ages and backgrounds to this public event. If we can, we'll be streaming or uploading the video later via our COGG YouTube channel here: [https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams](https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams) (Also please do subscribe if you have not done so!) No game development experience required! If you are interested in doing a 20 minute game development related presentation, please fill out our form online here: [https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1](https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1) Or e-mail us at info@thecogg.com with the following: Your Name, Company/Affiliation, Name of Your Game/Topic, Description, Tech Needs, and Your Contact. Be sure to check out our Discord for real time news updates: [https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ](https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ)