Microsoft Azure

\***Free with promocode **\- details below “Human nature is not a fixed point; it is a work in progress,” philosopher Nick Bostrom tells us. ​But what does it really mean to improve human beings, and who should decide? What would you change about us if you could? ​Join the Reel Philosophers for another exciting event, this time featuring selected scenes from Andrew Niccol’s 1997 film Gattaca, using its vision of genetic selection to start us off on a discussion about the promises and risks of human enhancement. ​**Please note that we'll screen film clips only, not the entire film.** ​Inspired by ancient Greek symposia, Reel Philosophers nights help sharpen** critical thinking **through film discussions, gently guided by professional philosophers. ​Philosophy meets art at the [Vorboss](https://vorboss.com/) office, connecting the local business community. ​*Vorboss is built for London, delivering world-class connectivity and tech services that are simple, transparent, and built for the future. We own our network and service end-to-end, and whilst others compromise, we don't: no contractors, no hidden costs, no nonsense. Our mission is to set a new standard for reliability and service in telecoms.* ​**The Flow** ​9:00 Coworking (registration link above) ​17:30 Doors open: enjoy free drinks and mingle ​18:00 Join discussions led by PFA philosopher Anja Steinbauer and sparked by cinematic vignettes (no full screening) ​19:20 Curtain falls. Credits and reflections ​19:30 Socialising over drinks ​20:00 Doors close, yet conversations tend to wander through the streets and minds long after ​The office space accommodates up to 30 seated guests. Use promocode "Free" if you'd like to book a free place, and arrive promptly to ensure admittance and a seat. Alternatively, pay the optional fee of GBP 10 for guaranteed admittance and a reserved seat (by paying this fee you will also support PFA and enable us to offer more exciting events to the general public). [PFA financial members](https://pfalondon.org/#members) can reserve a seat for free - [e-mail](https://pfalondon.org/#contact) us if you'd like to excercise this option. — φ — λ — φ — Film clubs form part of the Human RenAIssance series of interdisciplinary events in [Fleet Street Quarter](https://www.fleetstreetquarter.co.uk/) and beyond, organised by members of [Philosopfy For All](https://pfalondon.org/), [GTA Future of Work ](https://www.globaltechadvocates.org/community/future-of-work/)and [GTA Data and AI ](https://www.globaltechadvocates.org/community/datatech/)groups. ​If you wish to become an event partner, contact [Helen Rantsevitch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/web3-strategy-startup-founder/). Media Partners: [Philosophy Now](https://philosophynow.org/) and [London Daily](http://ldd.news/).

Agent memory is a mess. Most teams are stitching together a vector store, a graph database, and some middleware - three systems to manage, three potential failure points, and no guarantees that any of it stays consistent. It works until it doesn't. In this meetup, we're looking at what it actually takes to solve this properly. Not a quick fix, not another abstraction layer - memory that's transactional, structured, and built into the database itself. We'll look show what that looks like in practice with Spectron, SurrealDB's brand new agent memory system. We'll also walk through a full-stack knowledge graph RAG system - end-to-end, real code, real trade-offs - plus a guest talk from LangChain. Hard questions welcome. Drinks & pizza on us. *** **Talks** Tobie Morgan Hitchcock (CEO, SurrealDB) **Spectron: What agent memory looks like when it's built into the database** Martin (Solutions Engineer, SurrealDB) **Full-stack knowledge graph RAG with agentic memory** Igor Repka (Solutions Architect, LangChain) **Details coming soon!** *** **Agenda** * 18:00 - Doors + drinks + pizza * 18:30 - Welcome * 18:35 - Talks + Q&A * 20:00 - Drinks + networking * 20:30 - Close *** **About the speakers** **[Tobie Morgan Hitchcock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiemorganhitchcock/) (CEO & Co-Founder, SurrealDB)** Tobie Morgan Hitchcock is CEO & Co-Founder of SurrealDB, an AI-native, multi-model database for modern applications. A tech entrepreneur and software engineer with 17 years in the software and cloud-computing industries, he founded SurrealDB in 2021 with a focus on distributed databases and highly-available architectures. **[Martin Schaer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinschaer/) (Solutions Engineer, SurrealDB)** Martin is a computer science engineer working at SurrealDB and his own GenAI startup. He recently worked in lab automation designing declarative frameworks for instrument drivers, and his background spans everything from 3D visualisation for robotic systems to founding an advertising agency in Costa Rica. **FAQs** **Is the venue accessible?** Absolutely! There is a lift that takes you up to Level 4 where the event is held. **Is this event for me?** SurrealDB events are for software engineers, developers, architects, data scientists, data engineers, or any tech professionals keen to discover more about SurrealDB: a scalable multi-model database that allows users and developers to focus on building their applications with ease and speed. **Am I guaranteed a ticket at this event?** Our events are tech-focused and in the interest of keeping our events relevant and meaningful for those attending, tickets are issued at our discretion. We therefore reserve the right to refund ticket orders before the event and to request proof of identity and/or professional background upon entry. **Are there any House Rules?** At SurrealDB, we are committed to providing live and online events that are safe and enjoyable for all attending. Please review our [Code of Conduct](https://surrealdb.com/legal/code-of-conduct) and [Privacy Policy](https://surrealdb.com/legal/privacy) for more information. It is compulsory for all attendees to be registered with a first **and** last name in order to attend. Any attendees who do not adhere to these requirements will be refused a ticket.

**Venue Update** We’re excited to let you know that this event will be taking place at a new venue. **Description** This event will feature two fantastic talks, covering both real-world impact with Microsoft Power Platform and modern approaches to building resilient software systems. **Talk 1: Power Platform for Good - Making a Real Impact** Delivered by Melissa Hale This talk gives attendees insight into how someone with a scientific, non-technical background transitioned into a developer role within a consulting company, while also contributing to a charity – *“Collaboration for Kids”*. **What:** Learn how Power Platform was used to transform a charity’s digital space in a meaningful way. You’ll see how an intranet and process automations were created to support healthier choices for children and adults — all powered by Microsoft Business Applications and Modern Workplace technologies. **Why:** Non-profit organisations are under increasing pressure to optimise operations and focus their time on supporting their cause. Technology can play a huge role in reducing manual workloads and improving communication. This session will show how you can use your existing skills to make a real difference. **How:** Expect engaging storytelling, live demos, practical use cases of Power Automate and SharePoint, and tips for working with diverse stakeholders. **Takeaways:** * Real-world examples of Power Platform in non-profits * Strategies for collaboration and user adoption * Inspiration to use your tech skills for social good **Talk 2: Building Self-Healing Pipelines** Delivered by Faith Sodipe This session introduces the core ideas behind systems that can detect problems and recover automatically — without constant human intervention. **What:** Explore how modern systems evolve from traditional monitoring into intelligent pipelines that can observe behaviour, detect issues, and trigger safe recovery actions. **Why:** As systems grow more complex, resilience becomes critical. Designing for failure and recovery is essential for building trustworthy software. **How:** Through simple examples and real-world analogies, you’ll learn how observability, automation, and intelligent decision-making come together to create self-healing systems. **Takeaways:** * What “self-healing” means in modern software * Why designing for failure is essential * Core components of a self-healing pipeline * How to gradually introduce resilience into your systems **Food** We have a selection of food available including Vegan options but if you'd like to know more please drop one of our organisers a message before the event via the group message forum. (https://secure.meetup.com/messages/) If you would need assistance to leave the building in the event of an evacuation then please let us know via the group message forum. (https://secure.meetup.com/messages/) **Schedule** Doors open from 18:00 Pizza at 18:20 Intro and welcome 18:40 First Speaker Starts 19:00 break 19:30 Second Speaker Starts 19:40 Close \~21:00 (Don't feel bad if you have to leave early for a train/bus/lift home - no one will be offended) **Live Steam Link** (Please like and subscribe to show your support) https://youtube.com/live/Ar82z4wnyvc **Travel** We're hosting our upcoming events at Baltic Ventures, located in the heart of Liverpool's vibrant Baltic Triangle. For information on how to find us visit http://dotnetliverpool.org.uk/how-to-find-us

GOOD FRIENDS! - Please follow us on our Luma calendar here: [https://luma.com/the-friendly-data-meetup](https://luma.com/the-friendly-data-meetup) We're considering other platforms due to meetup's costly fees (donations and volunteers welcome). So do follow us on Luma to keep up to date on our events! \-\-\-\-\-\- Hi new friends and old! We're baaack! As a smaller group, we make meaningful connections with like-minded data professionals. Lifelong friendships are forged along the way! Whether you're new in town, want to expand your social circle, get into the data and AI space, or see a friend you know, this is the place to be! No guest speakers nor rigid agenda, just a casual meetup and lots of fun conversation! 🥳 See you soon! NOTE: Please remember to bring your ID with you, as all guests must be of legal age to enter the venue. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **🤝 Code of Conduct:** The Friendly Data Meetup welcomes all genders, nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds, identities etc. There is a strict no discrimination policy in adherence to our code of conduct and our guiding principles. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for hateful or antisocial behaviour. In short, be kind to others. Do not insult or put down others. Behave professionally, don't make others feel uncomfortable. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for The Friendly Data Meetup. **🌱 Donations, Volunteers and Patrons Welcome:** The Friendly Data Meetup is completely volunteer run and not for profit. Donations and ideas are very welcome to fund some more exciting activities as summer is coming up! Buy us a coffee or come and chat with us. Support us: https://bit.ly/support-friendly-data-meetup \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **About Us** 🤗 Welcome data professionals and friends! Sometimes, it can be difficult to make friends within the field, and that's what we're all about! We're a group of like minded individuals who understand the highs and lows of working in data and tech. ✅ Our primary goal is to have **higher quality conversations** that are more meaningful, with smaller groups so that we get to spend more attention on each individual. 💯 If you're already reading this, you're definitely welcome! **We welcome everyone**, whether you're already in the data field, looking to get started or just curious! 🗨️ **Bring your friends**, bring your plus ones, we're all just here to have a good laugh and a good chat about the world, even if it isn't always about our work. **Our values:** 📖 **Openness** \- We welcome everyone 🤝 **Trust** \- Build long\-lasting friendships together 💝 **Care** \- Be kind to others and help each other out **Who it's for** \- Data Scientists \- Data Engineers \- Data Analysts \- AI Engineers \- ML Engineers \- Software Engineers \- Data Product Managers \- Financial and Quantitative Modellers \- Entrepreneurs\, Contractors \- Anyone who works with Data \- Anyone looking to get into the space \- Friends **How to Make the Most of the Meetup** The Friendly Data Meetup has one simple purpose - meaningful connections. We're not just a community of people, **we're friends** who get invested in each others lives. We check in on our friends regularly, and personally. So come and join us, **more than just once or twice!**

**Aachi's Indian Cuisine** is a well-reviewed restaurant in the centre of Croydon that serves authentic South Indian dishes. Their [website](https://www.aachisindiancuisine.co.uk/) provides more information along with a [menu](https://www.aachisindiancuisine.co.uk/menu.html) and there are reviews on [Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/u9brjY5edrXcM9RM9). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Travel: If you are arriving by public transport, please use the TFL journey planner (https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/) to review your travel time and plan your journey to the restaurant. If you are arriving by car, please use the awesome power of Google Maps to plot the best route - unless you have your own GPS. Important notes: * If you will be arriving after 7.15pm, please send Ben or Katherine a heads-up message. Sometimes restaurants request that unoccupied places are put up for grabs for walk-in customers so your place can't be guaranteed if you're unexpectedly late. * The organiser fee of £2 per person (including guests) will be collected on the night, so please bring some coinage. We also ask that you stay until the bill is paid in full to be fair to everyone. * If you cannot come, please change your RSVP in advance. This ensures members aren't disappointed in missing out. Regular "No-Shows", those who RSVP yes but don't turn up, will be removed from the group to enhance the experience for others.

We're back to our usual format of 3 speakers + Q&A followed by networking. 18:30: Doors open 19:00 Welcome by Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino (organiser since 2011) 19:10 [Scott Makenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-mackenzie-50a7ab1/) (Director at Acqua Libra) 19:30 [Suyash Joshi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suyashj) **From Code to Motion: Programming a Dancing Robot** 19:50 [Luke Talbot](https://luketalbot.co.uk/) (Designer and researcher) 20:10 Networking 21:00 End of event and move to a nearby pub There will be drinks (including non-alcoholic) and nibbles. **About our sponsors:** [Green Custard](https://www.green-custard.com/) is an award-winning AWS IoT specialist consultancy that helps organisations design, build, and scale secure cloud-connected products and solutions. With deep expertise across IoT architectures, data lakes, ML and agentic AI our IoT expertise spans from product innovation to smart factory innovation. We have full stack capability from embedded & mobile to cloud-native development. Green Custard partners with clients to deliver on their business outcomes whether modernising legacy devices, unlocking new value from existing data, or accelerating the delivery of production-ready solutions. Customers trust Green Custard for its technical excellence, pragmatic delivery, and we are proud of our customer success. [Aqua Libra](https://aqualibra.com/pages/flavour-tap) is redefining sustainable hydration through innovative, low-impact dispensing technology. Beyond its zero-sugar infused drinks, the brand has pioneered solutions such as the Aqua Libra Flavour Tap, a digitally controlled dispensing system that delivers chilled, filtered water with natural flavours on demand. By removing the need for single-use bottles and reducing transport emissions, the Flavour Tap enables offices, venues, and public spaces to offer great-tasting drinks with a dramatically smaller environmental footprint. Aqua Libra’s approach blends sustainability, smart technology, and convenience to meet the growing demand for healthier, greener beverage options.

**Building a World Model for your organisation in Microsoft Azure** In this session, Raj Toora will explore how organisations can build a “world model” of their business using Microsoft Azure. By combining knowledge graphs, ontologies, and modern AI tooling, firms can move beyond fragmented data into a connected, queryable representation of their operations. We’ll look at how technologies like Neo4j and Cypher enable rich relationship modelling, and how emerging Fabric capabilities around graphs and ontologies are bringing these concepts closer to mainstream data platforms. We’ll also examine how Azure AI Foundry and GraphRAG patterns can sit on top of this graph foundation, enabling LLMs to reason over structured relationships rather than isolated documents. This allows organisations to ground AI responses in real business context, improving accuracy and relevance. The session will demonstrate how combining vector search with graph traversal unlocks more intelligent, explainable AI experiences. Security and governance are critical in this space. Raj will cover how Open Policy Agent (OPA) can be used to enforce fine-grained access controls across graph data and AI workflows, alongside techniques such as data obfuscation and masking to mitigate data leakage and insider risk. These controls ensure sensitive information remains protected while still enabling meaningful analysis and AI-driven insights. Finally, we’ll bring this to life in a legal context. For law firms, a world model enables powerful new questions: “Find similar client,” “Analyse similar contracts” or “How are clients, cases, and outcomes connected?” By structuring knowledge in this way, firms can unlock institutional intelligence, accelerate case preparation, and gain a competitive edge through better-informed decision making. **About the Speaker** Raj Toora is the Principal Strategist for Emerging Technology for HSFK, a top international law firm, where he leads the translation of cutting-edge innovation into practical enterprise strategy and execution. He is responsible for shaping the firm’s direction across AI, data, and digital platforms, ensuring alignment with long-term business outcomes and its Target Operating Model. Raj works across architecture, security, operations, and practice leadership to turn emerging trends into actionable investment and delivery decisions, with a focus on scalable, sustainable transformation. His work centres on building systems of intelligence, advancing AI platforms, and enabling data-driven decision making that improves both client value and organisational performance.

Hi Architects, Welcome to our the third AWS London Well-Architected User Group Meetup!!! 🥳🥳🥳 Our third meetup will take on a Security Theme. Dragon Hall Trust, 17 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LT The AWS London Well-Architected Meetup is the latest chapter in the most popular AWS Meetup group globally. At each meetup we cover off various pillars of AWS best-practice in detail including insights from industry leaders that specialise in the Well-Architected Framework. **Speakers** * "Detection Engineering on a Budget" - Tom O'Connor - Senior Content Engineer @ Try Hack Me * "Ransomware protection with immutable AWS backup ... it's complicated" - Paul Schwarzenberger - Cloud Security Engineer & Kurtis Mash - Lead Technical Architect from The National Archives (UK) **Detection Engineering on a Budget** AWS's Well-Architected Security Pillar tells you what to detect. It doesn't tell you how to do it without a SIEM contract and a six-figure budget. This talk covers building a credible detection engineering capability on AWS using native tooling, a bit of open source, and no enterprise spend. **Ransomware protection with immutable AWS backup ... it's complicated** You’ll hear how The National Archives used AWS Backup to implement centralised, immutable backups of critical data, to protect against ransomware attacks. You’ll see a live demo of the solution, and learn how you can use their open-source Terraform module for your own organisation’s backup and compliance needs. So come join us at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start, including drinks, snacks and friendly networking after our talks :-) \*\*\*NB: No entry to the building after 7.00pm.\*\*\*

**Welcome to our Official Members Club Night!** * See our new payment terms, prices & updates below! * **Suitable for Higher Intermediate to Advance players!** Many of our players compete at a Division 1 Level in the local leagues! * **Guests of a suitable standard welcomed (if interested in playing league matches do enquire)** * To maintain the level of the session, it may be necessary to direct a player to one of our other nights at their suitable level! **New Payment Terms, Prices & Updates (from 9/9/25)** * **Make your payment when you RSVP** (bank details below), don't leave it till later! (unless on waiting list) * If you don't complete the above you will be removed from the list/added to waiting list! See T&C's below! * **Members and Guests prices have increased!** (see below) **SESSION DETAILS** **VENUE** \- Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich\, SE22 0NR **TIME** \- 7\.30pm till 10pm **COURTS** \- 4 **SHUTTLES** \- Quality Feather Shuttles **COST** - **Annual Members £10 per session / Non-Members £14** * Pay when you RSVP, or you will be moved to 'Not Going' * Membership (only applicable for Wed sessions) For details regarding membership email - [sandra1.crossfire@gmail.com](mailto:sandra1.crossfire@gmail.com) Please note Membership may not always be available for different reasons! **BOOKING YOUR SPACE** **1 - RSVP & Pay via Bank Transfer to NatWest Account Details below** * **PLEASE MAKE YOUR PAYMENT WHEN YOU RSVP!** If you delay in making your payment, your spot will be removed without notice, and placed in the the waiting list or not attending **PAYMENT DETAILS** * Bank - NatWest * Account Name - Crossfire Badminton Club * Sort Code - 60-24-25 * Account no - 10579109 * Reference - Your Name & Session date * * **Waiting List** \- Be sure to have notifications on from Meetup to know if/when you are allocated a spot\! It is your responsibility to keep update\. Payment will be required promptly to secure your place\! Cancellation & No\-Show policies apply\. * If you take to long to secure your spot, you will be removed from the waiting list, giving other players a chance to book! **\*\*\*\* TERMS & CONDITIONS \*\*\*\*** **RSVP & UPDATING STATUS -** \~ You can only RSVP on this website! A prompt payment will be required unless you're on the waiting list. ( a delay in payment could mean you lose your spot! \~ **You can RSVP until 7pm the latest on Wednesday!** However do note the cancellation policy/times below! \~ If you have **RSVP'd and your plans change, please update/change your RSVP immediately!** So that other players have a chance to book! \~ No rackets are provided **CANCELLATION /NO SHOW POLICY & PENALTY FEE** **This session does not give a refund**, however, if you cancel your RSVP before 48hrs of the session start time, we are happy to transfer your payment to the following Wednesday session upon request! (Contact Sandra) **No Show Penalty**. A £5 penalty will be enforced which is payable before attending a future session. Repeat offenders will not be allowed to attend other sessions! \~ **Waiting List** **\- Please do keep an eye on any updates as you will be automatically added if someone cancels\, and required to make your payment ASAP to secure your place**. Cancellation/ No-Show policies apply! \~ Please understand that a 'No Excuses accepted!' policy will be taken, and understand that purpose of the penalty system is to maintain the value of the session, and allow us to plan accordingly. We thank you for your understanding and support! Toilets will be available, but changing rooms & showers will be closed, so arrive dressed to play **DRESS CODE, WELL-BEING, CONDUCT & EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:** Please ensure that you wear suitable clothing and footwear for indoor sporting activity. Ensure than your jewellery is also kept to a minimal, and avoid wearing large ear rings, chains or bracelets/bangles. If your footwear and/or clothing is not suitable you might not be able to participate in the session. No refund of transfer of session fees applicable! Your health and safety in important to us, so if needed please seek advice from your doctor before playing any sports. You are also responsible for warming up/cooling down stretches to reduce the risk of strains/ injuries. Please understand that you play at your own risk as Crossfire Badminton Club will not be held responsible for any injuries incurred. We welcome players of all backgrounds, and treat everyone equally with respect. This is also expected from our participants. If you fail to do this, you may be asked to leave the session, or even banned from future sessions Thank you for all your understanding and support CrossFire Badminton Club

Databricks are bringing **DevConnect** back to London for an evening of technical chat, practical demos, and time with people who build the platform. This one is **organised and hosted by the Databricks Developer Relations team**, at the Databricks London office. Expect a mix of new features, real-world lessons, and the sort of “how does that work then?” conversations you do not get from a slide deck. **Important! To attend, register here:** [events.databricks.com/devconnect-london](https://events.databricks.com/devconnect-london) **Who’s it for?** If you work anywhere around data engineering, analytics, ML, or GenAI and you like getting into the details, you’ll be in good company. **What you’ll get out of it** * **Deep dives** into Lakebase, Genie, Knowledge Assistant, Unity Catalog, and getting AI agents into production with MLflow. * **People you can actually ask questions to**: Databricks folks across DevRel, product, field engineering, and MVPs. * **Networking, bites and beverages** (translation: you won’t be surviving on conference mints). * **Swag raffle**, plus **access to hands-on training and guided labs via Databricks Academy Labs after the event**. **Agenda** * **5:00pm – 6:00pm:** Registration & mingling * **6:00pm – 6:15pm:** Welcome remarks * **6:15pm – 6:45pm:** *Lakebase: unlock operational use cases with agents and apps on your lakehouse data* * **6:45pm – 7:15pm:** *Simplify your stack: Genie, Knowledge Assistant, and IDP (with Unity Catalog as the governance layer)* * **7:15pm – 7:45pm:** *Operationalising high quality AI agents: experimentation and evaluation through to production with MLflow* * **7:45pm – 8:00pm:** Closing remarks * **8:00pm – 9:00pm:** Networking reception *Speakers are listed as “coming soon” on the event page, so keep an eye on the registration link for the latest.* #### **When & Where:** **Wednesday 29 April 2026, 5:00pm – 9:00pm** **Databricks London, 11–14 Windmill St, London, W1T 2JG** **⚠️ *Important: you must register via Databricks*** **To attend, register here:** [events.databricks.com/devconnect-london](https://events.databricks.com/devconnect-london)

Register on the [Event Website](https://bit.ly/devconnect-london-ac)[ ](https://bit.ly/devconnect-denver-AIcamp)is required for admission. RSVP on meetup is turned off. **Databricks DevConnect** is a technical meetup where data and AI practitioners dig into the details, collaborate, learn, and find their people. Together, we’ll chat about new features, dive into meaty topics, share real-world experiences, and explore new ways to use Databricks so you can become the best developer you can be. **​​Why You Can't Miss This Event:** 🏆 **Become a 10x data and AI practitioner** by using the best of Databricks for your Data + AI projects. 🧠 **Learn from exclusive experts** you won’t hear anywhere else, including Product Managers, DevRel, Field Engineers, and MVPs. ​​​🤝 **Connect with your community** and build lasting relationships with fellow practitioners and Databricks Developer Advocates, MVPs, and Product teams. ​​👕 **Get those goodies:** Swag will be raffled off throughout the event and attendees will get access to hands-on training and guided labs through Databricks Academy Labs post event! | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Registration & Mingling | | ----------------- | ----------------------- | | 6:00 PM - 6:05 PM | Welcome Remarks | | 6:05 PM - 6:15 PM | Partner Welcome | | 6:15 PM - 6:45 PM | Session #1: Lakebase - unlock operational use cases with agents and apps on your lakehouse data | | 6:45 PM - 7:15 PM | Session #2: Simplify your stack so business users never message you again: Genie, Knowledge Assistant, and IDP | | 7:15 PM - 7:45 PM | Session #3: Operationalizing High Quality AI Agents: From Experimentation and Evaluation to Production with MLflow | | 7:45 PM - 8:00 PM | Closing Remarks | | 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Networking Reception with bites and beverages | **Speakers:** * **Holly Smith,** Staff Developer Advocate, Databricks [LinkedIn](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/holly-smith-data) * **Oleksandra Bovkun,** Sr. Developer Advocate, Databricks [LinkedIn](https://nl.linkedin.com/in/oleksandra-bovkun) * **Robert Pack,** Staff Developer Advocate, Databricks[LinkedIn](https://de.linkedin.com/in/robert-pack) * **​Gavita Regunath,** Advancing Analytics *CAO* * **Simon Whiteley,** Advancing Analytics, *CTO* [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-whiteley-uk) * **Huong Vu,** Databricks *Sr. AI Engineer, AI FDE* [LinkedIn](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/huong-vu)

## Details Welcome to the DevSecOps London Gathering April Event on Wednesday 29 April! We bring you two speakers, as well as the usual conversations, pizza and beer! 📍 **Hosted at Civo Tech Junction, 1st Floor, 32-37 Cowper Street, London, EC2A 4AW** 📅 **Wednesday, 29 April** 🕕 **6:00–8:00 PM** ## **Talk** **Abstracts:** **Talk 1** APIs are the hidden infrastructure that connects everything, like the plumbing of the modern age – though much like plumbing, **you don't realise you've got a problem until it’s too late**… This is doubly true for the AI era. It doesn't matter if you're orchestrating agents through OpenClaw, Warcraft 3 or MCP – **APIs remain the way AI escapes the bounds of the chat box into the real world**. But this new modality of APIs unfortunately didn't ship with more security. We’ve spent years lumping APIs into “web security” and calling it a day. As AI adoption accelerates, **API abuse is becoming the easiest way to escalate impact**: broken object-level auth, excessive data exposure, workflow manipulation, and agent overreach. **So what actually matters and how are attackers exploiting it?** Join **Dr Katie Paxton-Fear** as we explore API hacking as its own discipline, in the AI era. No generic web security theory. Instead, you’ll walk away understanding: * What makes **APIs uniquely vulnerable** * The bugs attackers **actually look for** * How **AI-driven workflows** expand impact * How to **test your own APIs effectively** **Katie's bio** Dr Katie Paxton-Fear is a hacker and security advocate at Semgrep – she used to make applications, and now she breaks them. A former developer, she sees security vulnerabilities as small mistakes by overstressed developers, and wants to find ways to make their life easier while making sure that we are all secure. She's found vulnerabilities in everything from the military to AI, in her own words 'without really knowing what I was doing'. She is passionate about giving back to the security community, delivering security training, writing and sharing her security research, and also through her YouTube channel – where she teaches almost 100,000 subscribers how to follow in her footsteps! She combines easy-to-understand explanations with key technical details, turning security into something everyone can understand and engage with. She's been featured as an expert in the Wall Street Journal, BBC News, ZDNet, The Daily Swig, Vodafone and more. **Talk 2** APIs are the hidden infrastructure powering modern cloud systems connecting services, platforms, and now increasingly, AI agents. In the AI era, APIs are no longer just consumed by users, they're being called, chained, and orchestrated by autonomous systems at scale. Whether it's agent workflows, microservices, or cloud-native platforms, APIs are the bridge between intelligent systems and real-world actions. However, while adoption has accelerated, security has not kept pace. Many organisations still treat API security as an extension of traditional web security, overlooking critical gaps introduced through architecture, identity design, and DevSecOps practices. So where are things actually going wrong? Join me to explore how modern cloud architectures unintentionally expose APIs from misconfigured gateways and over-permissioned identities to weak trust boundaries across services. The session will also examine how AI-driven workflows amplify these risks, turning small design flaws into large-scale vulnerabilities. **Sriram's Bio** Sriram Kumar is a Solution Designer with multiple years of experience in cloud and DevOps engineering, specialising in Microsoft Azure. He has a strong background in designing and securing cloud-native architectures, including API Management, identity-driven access, and enterprise-scale infrastructure. Sriram has worked across multiple organisations delivering secure, scalable solutions, with hands-on experience in Cloud networking, CI/CD pipelines, and DevSecOps practices. His work often involves solving real-world challenges around API security, cloud governance, and system resilience in complex environments. Beyond his professional work, Sriram actively contributes to the community through NGO initiatives and mentoring students, supporting them in building careers in cloud and technology. With a practical, architecture-first approach, Sriram focuses on bridging the gap between development, operations, and security, helping teams build systems that are not only functional but secure by design.

**Welcome back you fine, FINE people!** We do apologise for the two month hiatus, we've missed you terribly! I'm glad to say that, of course, our hearts HAVE GROWN EVEN FONDER for missing you and we couldn't be more excited to see you all at **APRIL GOPHERS @ AUTOGENAI!!!** So come and join us for some food, drinks and top notch (\*aspirational\*) programming chat, or at the very least some chat about the last most interesting thing you made Claude Code do. Top points for "the dishes". As always, a huge thank you to **AutogenAI** for hosting us this month, and **Dexory** for sponsoring the event! ==== 📓 **Agenda**📓 ===== (Certain timings and orders may be subject to change) **6:30pm:** Arrival, Food & Refreshments **6:55pm:** Introduction **7:00pm:** 🗣️ **Joshua Oluikpe - Real-Time Event-Driven Systems in Go: Patterns from Production** Explaining how I was able to utilize gorountines concurrency to improve high throughput in Kafka **7:25pm**: Lightning Talk ⚡ **David Coles - XDP Virtual Server: An eBPF Load Balancer library for Go** We migrated streaming and websites for the UKs largest commercial radio broadcaster to an open-source, Go/Linux based, load balancer **7:40pm:** Raffle and Break **8:00pm: 🗣️** **Rahim Kristopher Afful-Brown - Pass It On** Deep dive into CSP and actors. How it made reasoning with concurrent software easier than locking. Followed my real world examples **8:30pm:** Raffle Winners! **9:00pm:** Pub! ==== 💡 **RSVP Details** 💡 ===== When submitting your RSVP for this event, please be sure to use your **full first name and last name**, as some of our venues require these in order to let you in on the door. Submitting your name as e.g. "John D" won't be enough! We also keep track of no-shows, so **if you can't come, change your RSVP in advance!** ==== 🎉 **Prizes & Discounts!** 🎉 ===== **JetBrains Raffle!** \- We have 3 free JetBrains Product licenses to give away to some of our lucky attendees\! **Ardan Labs Raffle!** \- We're giving away one course license for Ardan Labs' Ultimate Go Bundle\! **Manning Publications Raffle!** \- We're giving away 4 free Go e\-books\! **45% Manning Publications Discount** \- a massive discount provided by the fine people at Manning\! You can also support London Gophers Events by purchasing via our affiliate link [HERE](https://mng.bz/oKqM) \- Use Code "**LGMeetup45**" for 45% off! **GopherConUK Raffle!** \- We're giving away one free ticket\!\!\! **10% GopherConUK Discount** \- The lovely people over at GopherConUK have provided a discount code for [GopherConUK 2026](https://www.gophercon.co.uk/tickets)! At checkout, use code "**GCUK26LGM"** for 10% off! ==== 💡 **Priority Queue** 💡 ===== We reserve 20% of the attendee spots at our events for those who are underrepresented in tech. If they join the waitlist and there is a reserved spot open they will be bumped into going! These spots are reserved until the last Sunday before the event. How do we define underrepresented? We use public surveys done by the tech community such as the ones linked below. https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022/#section-demographics https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/devecosystem-2022/#gender-and-development ==== [📢](https://emojipedia.org/loudspeaker/) **Become a Speaker!** [📢](https://emojipedia.org/loudspeaker/) ===== Have something to say? We want to listen! We are always looking for new speakers who want to share their adventures with Go and have mentors who can help. You can sign up to be a speaker here: https://gophers.london/apply ==== 🧳**Looking For a New Adventure?** 🧳 ===== On the Gophers Slack (https://gophers.slack.com) there is a **#london-jobs** channel where company and recruiters can post job opportunities. ==== [📞](https://emojipedia.org/telephone-receiver/) **How To Reach Us** [📞](https://emojipedia.org/telephone-receiver/) ===== **Email:** contact@gophers.london **Linkedin:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/london-gophers/ **Twitter / X:** https://x.com/LondonGophers **YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/c/LondonGophers 📜 **All London Gophers events operate under the Go Community Code of Conduct** \- https://golang\.org/conduct * **Treat everyone with respect and kindness.** * **Be thoughtful in how you communicate.** * **Don’t be destructive or inflammatory.** **Please do not message members without their consent** If you encounter an issue, please mail contact@gophers.london or conduct@golang.org

We will show how to build custom agents with Microsoft Agent Framework. Attendees will learn how to build and custom host agents when Microsoft Foundry is not a viable option.

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

The May Ohio North Database Training user group meeting will be held on **May 5th, 2026 at 5:00PM**. This will be a **HYBRID** event and we will be joined in person by **Sam Nasr.** You're welcome to come meet in-person at our meeting location, the offices of Improving at **[6000 Freedom Square Dr,](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** **[Unit 110,](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** **[Independence, OH 44131](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** [Teams Link ](https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/287759659366576?p=kCaammjECnUCvZzEJv)if anyone needs it after RSVP-ing for in person. If you would like to subscribe to our email list outside of Meetup, we have changed platforms recently and you will need to register [here in Kit ](https://ohio-north-data-training.kit.com/b8f036f615)instead to receive emails. Agenda: **5:00 PM EST**: Online and in-person meeting begins with a social hour. This is an unstructured hour where you can join us to catch up and meet other group members before the session starts. There will be food brought in for in-person attendees. **6:00 PM EST**: Elections, announcements, followed by our feature presentation. See below for presentation details. **7:30 PM EST**: Optionally after the main presentations, the in-person crowd may go out for snacks and drinks at a local establishment. We hope to see you there! Session Abstract ### Data Cleansing using Data Bricks Machine Learning is highly dependent on adequate data. Not only does quantity matter, but more importantly quality. In this session we’ll cover how to build a custom automated process using Data Bricks. This will provide methods for cleaning data in a data lake using functions in Azure. \*Please note, that we will be using Microsoft Teams for the online portion of this meeting. You may want to join a few minutes early to ensure you do not have any issues. If you are attending in person, there are large TVs at the office, and you do not need to bring a laptop or use Teams.

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

Join other experienced and aspiring agile coaches and professionals to: * develop and practice your coaching skills in a peer-to-peer environment * share current successes and challenges in your work environment and get support from each other * learn from each other, build better relationships and experiment with new ideas ***NOTE:*** Pre-registration is required for this event. **Please arrive 10 minutes early** to check in at the security desk.

Let's Crop!

It feels like we just saw each other 🤷. Join members of the local design and UX community for our monthly breakfast. For May we’re stopping in for Rooh’s popup breakfast/cafe concept. You know someone is getting the lobster yuzu croissant, and that’s not even the prettiest thing on the menu!.