Amazon Web Services

💘 **Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with MongoDB Skill Badge** **Rescheduled due to hazardous winter weather for Toronto.** Fall in love with building smarter AI applications using Retrieval Augmented Generation with MongoDB. In this Valentine-themed session, you will learn how to design RAG applications, use vector search effectively, apply smart chunking strategies, and build an LLM-powered app with LangChain and MongoDB using your own data. 🎓 **Skill Badge** Complete the skill check at the end of the session and earn a Credly Badge to share with your network. **💚 Why Attend** • Learn RAG architecture, chunking strategies, and hands-on implementation • Connect with MongoDB users, engineers, and AI enthusiasts • Free community event with complimentary food **🕠 Agenda** **5:30 PM** Meet & Greet - refreshments **5:45 PM** Talk: [Dev J. Shah](https://www.linkedin.com/in/busycaesar) (SWE @ [TribalScale](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tribalscale)) - RAG with MongoDB: Learn and get a [Credly Skill Badge](https://learn.mongodb.com/courses/rag-with-mongodb) **6:45 PM** Networking and connecting with your peers **7:30 PM** Event ends **⚠️ Important RSVP Notes** • When you arrive, please take the **elevator to the 4th floor, turn left, and follow the signs** • We kindly ask that **you arrive on time** so we can keep the event running smoothly • If you arrive **after 6 PM and the building doors are locked**, please signal the **security guard** at his desk for assistance • You may use a **fully charged laptop or a smartphone** to participate in the session • Please note that this event **will end firmly at 7:30 PM** 💡 Join us for an evening of learning, sharing, and community-building. We look forward to seeing you there! ✅ Thanks to our sponsors **[@MongoDB](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mongodbinc)**, **[@Slalom Consulting](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting),** and **[@Delbridge Solutions](https://www.linkedin.com/company/delbridge-solutions)** 💚 We’d love to hear from the community. **Are you doing something cool with MongoDB you’d like to share?** Message our MUG leaders [@Ian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iancloves) / [@Leonardo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leogomesdev) 🌎 Sessions will be presented in English

SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE! If you’re interested in improving your public speaking and leadership skills at an entertaining, educational and inspirational meeting, please visit us … it’s free! We meet weekly on Wednesday evenings. The location or link will be sent to those who confirm attendance. Brainwave Speakers Toastmasters club is a place where strangers become friends, where new ideas and experiences are shared. With a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and experiences, our members are an interesting and diverse group. Regardless of whether you are a professional, student, stay at home parent, job seeker or a retiree, you will find something of value at Brainwave Speakers Toastmasters club. Please feel welcome to visit us! Contact our Vice President of Membership at karen.goodyear333@gmail.com for details.

Many hold the belief that work, as appearing around us in advanced economies, compromises freedom. But this claim raises a number of theoretical difficulties and puzzles. This talk surveys the different articulations of this freedom problem that the philosophical literature has offered, and argues that they are all unsatisfactory — for either analytic shortcomings or empirical inaccuracies. But this doesn’t entail that this intuition is mistaken. I present an alternative formulation — an argument from conformity pressures. I suggest that the structure of work in advanced economies is inconsistent with our freedom intuitions because market environments, in an overlooked manner, attempt to maximize the diversion of people from their own plans and projects. This new diagnosis also implies new remedies; I conclude by offering four modest “imaginaries” for enhanced individual autonomy inside a market-centred world of work. Iddan Sansino https://www.politics.utoronto.ca/people/directories/graduate-students/iddan-sonsino PhD Candidate Department of Political Science University of Toronto **About the Speaker:** Iddan’s research mainly lies at the intersection of political philosophy and political economy. He employs a variety of normative and empirical perspectives to gain a better understanding of the desirable attributes of economic institutions. Iddan also has broader interests in political theory, in particular in democratic theory and in philosophical theories of freedom. The working title of his dissertation is "The Impulsive Society: a Political Theory of the Market in the New Economy". **\* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \*** This is a talk with audience Q&A presented by the University of Toronto's Centre for Ethics that is free to attend and open to the public. Free pizza and refreshments will be provided at the event. The talk will also be streamed online with live chat here [to be posted]. About the Centre for Ethics (http://ethics.utoronto.ca): The Centre for Ethics is an interdisciplinary centre aimed at advancing research and teaching in the field of ethics, broadly defined. The Centre seeks to bring together the theoretical and practical knowledge of diverse scholars, students, public servants and social leaders in order to increase understanding of the ethical dimensions of individual, social, and political life. In pursuit of its interdisciplinary mission, the Centre fosters lines of inquiry such as (1) foundations of ethics, which encompasses the history of ethics and core concepts in the philosophical study of ethics; (2) ethics in action, which relates theory to practice in key domains of social life, including bioethics, business ethics, and ethics in the public sphere; and (3) ethics in translation, which draws upon the rich multiculturalism of the City of Toronto and addresses the ethics of multicultural societies, ethical discourse across religious and cultural boundaries, and the ethics of international society. The Ethics of A.I. Lab at the Centre For Ethics recently appeared on a list of 10 organizations leading the way in ethical A.I.: https://ocean.sagepub.com/blog/10-organizations-leading-the-way-in-ethical-ai

**Visitors are always welcome!** Drop by and experience a Toastmasters club first hand. Brainwave Speakers is an open club Toastmasters Club. Everyone is welcome. If you are committed to growing as a speaker and leader, and want to do it in a supportive social atmosphere, we'd love to meet you! **Meetings are every Wednesday 6:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.** Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. for a social/networking session. Directions and information can be found at https://1001005.toastmastersclubs.org/ Contact us at vpm-1001005@toastmastersclubs.org

[Summary] This meetup is for those who are interested in code, web development, design, cloud, or AI. All levels are welcome, so feel free to bring your laptop and discuss what you are working on or what you are learning. You can share your projects and ideas with other participants freely. There are outlets and WiFi, drinks are about $5 for tea, they take card only. [Price] Attendance is FREE. But you need to buy something from the venue. [Policies] \- We do not tolerate harassment of our members \- We remind users that that this meetup is intended for networking and hobby development\, and any attempts at using this meetup event as a dating platform will not be not be tolerated Further information: https://torontostack.exchange/

🎟️ **\*\*\*Please get your tickets here\*\*\*** 🎟️ [https://register.evolvedigital.com/events/evolvedigitalsummits/2032056](https://register.evolvedigital.com/events/evolvedigitalsummits/2032056) **Join us for the eleventh EvolveDigital (formerly EvolveDrupal) summit – returning to Toronto at the MaRS Centre on March 6!** **Immerse yourself in dozens of sessions covering diverse topics from web development and site-building to AI, digital and content strategy, UX design, and more.** 🧐 Our summit features +30 talks over a range of **distinct** **themes that shape open source and the digital space:** 1. Marketing & Comms Strategy 2. Digital Craftsmanship 3. Tech & AI 4. Higher Ed 5. Drupal 6. WordPress 7. Design & Creative 🔹 See more at [evolvedigital.com](http://evolvedigital.com/) 🔹 **✅ Why attend?** EvolveDigital (formerly EvolveDrupal) summits attract 150-200 participants from diverse professional backgrounds, offering robust networking opportunities with peers and experts, including our distinguished speakers. **Even more on what to expect:** 🎯**Marketing & Comms Strategy** Learn how to enhance your online presence and effectively connect with your audience. Explore unique challenges and opportunities in higher education and research institutions. **🤖Tech & AI** Stay ahead of the curve by exploring how emerging technologies, automation, and ethical AI are driving real-world innovation. 🎨**Design & Creative** A curated selection of sessions for designers, product owners, and other creatives. **🛠️ Digital Craftsmanship** Bridge the gap between strategy and execution with proven best practices in SEO, AEO, accessibility and technical excellence for building smarter, more resilient digital experiences. **🌐 Drupal, WordPress and Open Source** Champion the open web by leveraging the community-driven power and flexibility of open source platforms like Drupal and WordPress to build scalable digital experiences. **👩‍🎓 Higher Ed** See how top institutions are navigating digital transformation to create scalable solutions and inclusive student experiences. **🤝Even More Networking Opportunities** Beyond the summit’s networking reception, join us for an afterparty in Toronto, maximizing your chances to build and strengthen business relationships. 🎤 **Interested in speaking?** We’re currently accepting proposals for 20-minute sessions on a variety of topics. Whether you're a seasoned presenter or a first-time speaker, we’d love to hear from you! 👉 Submit your session here: [evolvedigital.com/apply-to-speak](https://www.evolvedigital.com/apply-to-speak) 📣 **Become a sponsor** Want to showcase your brand to a vibrant tech community? We're currently welcoming sponsors for the summit. 📧 Reach out to us at info@evolvedigital.com to explore sponsorship opportunities. Learn more at[ ](https://www.evolvedrupal.com/)[evolvedigital.com](http://www.evolvedigital.com/)[,](https://www.evolvedrupal.com/boston) email info@evolvedigital.com with any questions, or[ sign up for our newsletter](https://share.hsforms.com/1I1SBadMPSa2-YDdPoan1mQ1qwun?__hstc=131413968.236cffcfa389e8f6bf02ff323070c948.1740157384451.1740595281730.1742237990042.5&__hssc=131413968.1.1742237990042&__hsfp=2850574025) to stay updated on this and future events 💙💚 **The EvolveDigital story so far** EvolveDigital (formerly EvolveDrupal) is in its fourth year and has welcomed 1500+ professionals over its past summits in Atlanta, Boston, Toronto, and Ottawa. Participants come from a range of backgrounds: digital strategy, web development, UX/UI design, marketing, and project management. EvolveDigital has hosted high-profile speakers from various sectors including government, higher education, healthcare, not-for-profit, and technology. Explore some of our past summits to see what to expect: [evolvedigital.com/past-events](https://www.evolvedigital.com/past-events) **Sponsors** [Evolving Web](https://evolvingweb.com/) [Pantheon](https://pantheon.io/)

Let’s do some coding together at a cafe! No more working alone in the weekend. Here, we write code together. And I mean together together. Not occupying-the-same-space-but-separate together. Here’s how it works: Jennifer brings her mobile app project, tells everyone that it is like Pinterest for recipes and she’d like to work on the nav bar. Paul and Chloe think Jennifer's project is fascinating, and they join the group. They gather around Jennifer’s laptop and work on the nav bar for 2 hours. Jennifer is the one typing out the code while Paul and Chloe research, brainstorm, and offer suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck on your own project or need a motivation boost, bring it to mob programming! Want to learn by watching how others code and solve problems? Join someone else’s project at this event! Oh and we love your half-done projects that you are a bit embarrassed to share. Absolutely bring those to the event! **Discord**: We use Discord to share screen & code snippets during the event. Also feel free to share your projects here before the event! https://discord.gg/Da9fZFxPfs **Event policy**: * We have 0 tolerance for harassment. * We don’t allow the projects that are not meant to be shared in public such as school assignments, interview tasks, or trade secrets. * The goal is to write code. We discourage you from pitching business ideas here, doing code reviews, or spending the whole event on planning what to do. * Please buy a drink, and tip the barista well.

Please join us for a traditional worship service every Sunday, with music from our wonderful choir and organist. Communion (the Lord’s Supper) is a part of every Sunday service. Join us for coffee hour after the service for conversation and a snack

**Note: This is a Waiting-List-Only Event: There is a $5 Meetup fee that must be e-Transferred to me before your spot can be confirmed.** **• *Please be on time* \- we're looking forward to hitting the buffet as soon as it opens\, to give us maximum opportunities to network and engage with our group members\!** I’ve made a reservation for a group of 14 people at **Bangkok Garden** (18 Elm St) for an intentional networking lunch. This session is strictly for **AI Professionals (AIP)**: founders and practitioners in the AI space. Whether you're deep into Machine Language, deep learning, data science, blockchain, GenAI or training your own LLM, this is your opportunity to actually meet some of your peers out in the real world, to have some high-level technical and strategic conversations. **THE EXPERIENCE:** * **The Venue - Bangkok Garden:** A soaring, high-ceilinged Thai "oasis" near Dundas Station. * **The Meal:** A full Thai lunch buffet. * **The Cost:** You are responsible for your own buffet bill at the restaurant (approx. **$24.00 + tax + 18% gratuity**, totalling roughly **$32.00**). **HOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT:** 1. **Join the Waitlist.** 2. I will DM the first 20 people on the waitlist with e-Transfer details. 3. A **$5.00 non-refundable commitment fee** is required to move from the Waitlist to the "Going" list. 4. Your seat is only confirmed once the fee is received. Unpaid spots will be offered to the next person on the waitlist after 2 hours. **THE GOAL:** To cut through the noise and meet the actual builders in the Toronto AI scene. No generic "small talk" needed - this is just a group of 15 AI practitioners discussing all things AI, from LLM implementation to agentic workflows, the latest GenAI models, and the future of the stack.

Artificial Intelligence is a new thing for us where we are learning what are its limit and what we can do with it. Here is the place to discuss any quirky projects you are using working with AI. Or you are happy to share how AI has enhanced your workflow utilizing it in your day to day job whether that be programming, product development, sales or marketing. This is a informal discussion for us to share, collaborate and meet together to explore this powerful tool.

There is a rich philosophical literature on skills (e.g., chess, ballet, cricket) which focuses both on the mental states of performers (e.g., what is the phenomenology of doing something well?) and on the evaluative dimension of skill and talent (e.g., what makes skilled achievements valuable?). Within this literature, there is a glaring omission of any discussion of skills acquired and expressed in standard workplace contexts, from cafés to warehouses. This talk considers the significance of that omission, both for our philosophical conception of skill and our understanding of action in the workplace. I argue that the phenomenology of workplace skill (which should account for feelings like boredom and fear) complicates our evaluative notions about skill and talent, mainly because it elucidates and reveals as untenable certain assumptions within the philosophy of skill about the evaluative implications of phenomenological states. Zara Anwarzai https://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/people/profiles/zanwarza/ Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy Simon Fraser University **About the Speaker:** I received my PhD from Indiana University in Philosophy and in Cognitive Science in 2024. My current work focuses on the social dimension of skill and expertise. Specifically, I'm interested in how to apply traditional inquiry into the cognitive and epistemological mechanisms involved in skill (which mainly focuses on individual skilled performers) to skills acquired and expressed by pairs or groups, like team sports or ensemble performances. I have done empirical work on the evolution of human tool use and manufacture. I also have broad interests in social ontology (e.g., the nature of collectives, shared agency, and group dynamics) and the philosophy of work (e.g., the phenomenology of automaticity in the workplace, the structure of skilled action at work, the relationship between standards of expertise and capital). I am co-organizing the upcoming workshop, ["Can Social Ontology Change the World?"](https://sites.google.com/view/social-ontology-and-the-world/home) in October 2026. **\* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \*** This is a talk with audience Q&A presented by the University of Toronto's Centre for Ethics that is free to attend and open to the public. The talk will also be streamed online with live chat here [to be posted]. About the Centre for Ethics (http://ethics.utoronto.ca): The Centre for Ethics is an interdisciplinary centre aimed at advancing research and teaching in the field of ethics, broadly defined. The Centre seeks to bring together the theoretical and practical knowledge of diverse scholars, students, public servants and social leaders in order to increase understanding of the ethical dimensions of individual, social, and political life. In pursuit of its interdisciplinary mission, the Centre fosters lines of inquiry such as (1) foundations of ethics, which encompasses the history of ethics and core concepts in the philosophical study of ethics; (2) ethics in action, which relates theory to practice in key domains of social life, including bioethics, business ethics, and ethics in the public sphere; and (3) ethics in translation, which draws upon the rich multiculturalism of the City of Toronto and addresses the ethics of multicultural societies, ethical discourse across religious and cultural boundaries, and the ethics of international society. The Ethics of A.I. Lab at the Centre For Ethics recently appeared on a list of 10 organizations leading the way in ethical A.I.: https://ocean.sagepub.com/blog/10-organizations-leading-the-way-in-ethical-ai

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **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

Topic to be announced! **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/ **THANK YOU** *Leading EDJE* for hosting our meetup! Leading EDJE specializes in helping organizations innovate and solve complex problems. EDJE does this with their "A" player team of professionals using agile methodologies and SCRUM management techniques to give organizations a competitive advantage that sets them apart. Learn more at https://www.leadingedje.com/ **THANK YOU** *Amazon Web Services* for sponsoring pizza! Learn more at https://aws.amazon.com/. **DIRECTIONS** 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300 Dublin, OH 43017 (3rd floor) **FREE PARKING** at the Endres Garage across the street, 6540 Riverside Dr, Dublin, OH **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab for a future meetup?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Join the CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group for a dynamic afternoon of B2B networking! This event is perfect for professionals looking to expand their business connections, share insights, and foster collaboration within the community. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and grow your network in a supportive environment. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore potential partnerships, and discover new opportunities for professional growth. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your business network and take your career to the next level with CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group! We meet the 4th Monday of every month from 11am-1pm. Welcome and general networking from 11am - 11:30am with core meeting 11;30 - 12:30 and a final round of networking from 12:30 - 1pm.

Builders, creators, architects, admins, consultants - come one, come all. This one's for you. We're bringing a little friendly competition to the Columbus ServiceNow community while highlighting the cool things people have built on the platform. Five presenters will take the stage to showcase something they've built, solved, designed, or imagined on the ServiceNow platform - and a panel of judges (plus YOU, our amazing audience) will score them live. So basically, America's Got Talent but make it ServiceNow's Got Talent. Bring a notepad if you'd like 'cause you'll definitely be learning something new. Each presenter gets 10 minutes max to wow the crowd with: • A demo • A real-world business solution • A bold idea • A UX transformation • Or a creative use of the platform Judging Criteria: 🏆 Business Value 🚀 Innovation ✨ User Experience This event is about celebrating ideas, sharing knowledge, and showing how ServiceNow can drive both business impact and meaningful user value. Come learn. Come support. Come get inspired. Refreshments and bites will be provided. And maybe next time… you’ll be on stage.

We will show a variety of methods for building agents that run in Microsoft Foundry. This covers the different types of agents: Prompt, Multi, and Hosted, as well as the development lifecycle using evals and traces.

**Web Design Decoded: Tools, Practices, and Proven Processes:** **Semantic HTML** At WebDev Columbus, we are exploring some of the most important topics of professional high-end web design and page building. Primarily focused on site building in the WordPress environment, our group explores tools, tips, and techniques for building the best WordPress sites possible. Additionally, we focus on disciplines and technologies that take website design from visually appealing to optimized spaces for delivering you and/or your client's message effectively and with a nod towards extended reach. Each session combines practical demonstrations with real-world insights, giving you actionable knowledge you can apply immediately. Whether you're a seasoned developer looking to enhance your design skills or a newcomer wanting to understand design best practices, this series offers valuable insights for every skill level. **What to expect:** * Hands-on demonstrations of popular design tools * Best practices for design-to-development workflows * Tips for creating responsive, accessible designs * Real-world problem-solving scenarios * Interactive Q&A sessions * Networking opportunities with fellow developers **Each meetup features:** 60 minutes of focused presentation 30 minutes of live demonstrations 30 minutes for questions and discussion **See you there!** Our casual, collaborative environment encourages learning from both presenters and fellow attendees. Bring your questions, share your experiences, and connect with Central Ohio's web development community! **Stay tuned for specific session topics and dates.**

Drake Lundstrom is presenting: Code Anywhere by Talking to your Phone Abstract: Have you heard the trend of people deploying code anywhere from checkout lines to doctors' offices? In this talk, you will learn how to talk to your phone and have an app on Azure to show your friend 5 minutes later. The basic DevOps tools you already know, plus a little bit of AI magic, are all you need! If you want to follow along, the demo will be in Azure with GitHub Actions and GitHub Copilot, and you can have it set up on your phone by the end of the session. Just come in with an Azure account and a GitHub repo. Join us for pizza, drinks, and networking @ Improving's office. Doors open at 5:45.