Leadership

Medals, titles, and records look like success – but they do not make you a champion. In this ESMT Insight Hour, **[Tina Manker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinamanker/)**, Olympian, world champion, and coach for high-performance teams, invites participants to rethink what performance and leadership really mean. True champions are not defined by what they win, but by how they behave, especially when no one is watching. Drawing on her experience in elite sport and her work with leadership and startup teams, Manker will explore how high performance is built collectively, sustained over time, and tested under pressure. * What does it actually mean to be a champion when no one is watching? * Which conversations are teams most likely to avoid, and why? * Do you really want feedback? * Performing on your best day is easy. But how do you perform on your worst? * What difficulties await you when you leave your comfort zone? Participants will leave with new perspectives on behavior, pressure, and responsibility, as well as practical insights into how teams can “raise the floor” to perform – and achieve – consistently. The session concludes with an experiential element that brings the realities of preparation, pressure, and performance vividly to life. Moderated by **[Hilde Rosenboom](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilde-rosenboom-9bb7a2140/)**, Program Director, Executive Programs, ESMT Berlin **About the speaker** **[Tina Manker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinamanker/)** is a coach, teacher, and Olympic rower. She represented Germany at the London 2012 Olympic Games and achieved multiple international successes, including World Champion in 2011 and World Championship Bronze in 2010. She has worked as a performance life coach at High Performance Sport New Zealand and currently serves as team coach for startup and high-performance teams in the DEEP Pioneers program of DEEP – Institute for Deep Tech Innovation at ESMT Berlin. Manker is also a TEDx speaker. Her talk, “[Emotions help us create connection](https://youtu.be/nJHWGDXdRsI?si=A-5ANKF2VVfWv2Bk),” focuses on the role of emotions in performance, leadership, and human connection. **About the moderator** **[Hilde Rosenboom](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilde-rosenboom-9bb7a2140/)** is a Program Director at ESMT, where she designs and delivers Executive Education programs, including *[High Performing Teams führen](https://esmt.berlin/de/executive-education/seminare-fuehrungskraefte/high-performing-teams)* and a range of customized corporate training programs.

**Center Berlin Toastmasters: Put your words into action** Starting at 7pm from March 2026 Join us for an exciting event where you can **put your words into action**! Toastmasters Berlin is hosting this **in-person event** at the **St. Lukas Church**. It's the perfect opportunity to enhance your public speaking skills, gain confidence, and connect with like-minded individuals. At Center Berlin Toastmasters, we believe in creating a supportive and encouraging environment for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned speaker or just starting out, you'll find a place to grow and improve your communication skills. Our experienced members will provide valuable feedback and guidance to help you become a more effective speaker. Don't miss this chance to **challenge yourself** and expand your horizons. Join us at the **St. Lukas Church** at 7:15 PM and let your words make an impact! **Agenda of the evening:** **Welcome and Introductions:** The Toastmaster of the Day (TMOD) often opens the meeting, who welcomes everyone and introduces the meeting's theme or agenda. The TMOD also introduces the key roles and functionaries for that session. **Prepared Speeches:** A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to prepared speeches. Members working through various projects in the Toastmasters education program deliver speeches based on their chosen projects. Each speech is evaluated by a designated evaluator who provides feedback on strengths and areas for improvement. **Table Topics:** Table Topics is a segment where impromptu speaking skills are tested. The Table Topics Master presents a series of short, unprepared speaking challenges or questions, and members or guests are invited to come to the podium and give a brief, improvised response. **Evaluations:** Following the prepared speeches and Table Topics segment, evaluators provide constructive feedback to speakers. These evaluations focus on content, delivery, body language, and time management. The goal is to help speakers improve their speaking skills. **Reports and Functionary Roles:** The meeting may include various functionary roles, such as the Timer, Grammarian, Ah-Counter, and others, who report on their observations and contributions to the session. These roles help members improve their language and time management skills. **General Evaluator:** The General Evaluator provides an overall assessment of the meeting, highlighting what went well and offering suggestions for improvement. They may also evaluate the evaluators' performance. **Awards and Recognitions:** Toastmasters sessions often conclude with awards and recognitions, including the Best Speaker, Best Evaluator, and Best Table Topics Speaker. These awards encourage members to strive for excellence in their speaking and leadership abilities. **Closing:** The meeting concludes with closing remarks from the Toastmaster of the Day, who may express gratitude to participants and encourage them to continue their Toastmasters journey. **Networking and Socialising:** After the formal meeting, members and guests often have the opportunity to network, socialise, and discuss their experiences in a more relaxed setting. Address: Bernburger Straße 4-5, 10963 Berlin Phone: +49 160 2376546 Email: [cb.toastmasters.d95@gmail.com](mailto:cb.toastmasters.d95@gmail.com) See you there!

**\*\*\* SIGN-UP on LUMA ONLY to get the address and attend!\*\*\*** **A Small Update for 2026** Thanks to those who took the LSLab survey. We learned a lot, and will use that feedback to continue creating a dynamic, safe and relevant learning community. Starting now, there will be a few small changes, beginning with this meet-up, so we can test as we go. So after many years on Meetup, LSLab Berlin is evolving. **From now on:** * Events will be announced inside Meetup, but *organized on LUMA* (**Link to sign up here:** [https://luma.com/vs42c5uc](https://luma.com/vs42c5uc)). * We’ll charge a small participation \*fee when you sign up. * Sign-ups to the email so updates can come from LUMA - no spam, just updates on LS events (address or date change, opportunities to be on the design team, events relevant for LS!) This helps: * Cover admin and multiple platform costs * Support behind-the-scenes coordination * Encourage attendance commitment * Give our hosts a more accurate guest count It’s about sustainability and respecting everyone’s time. We will see how it all works and make adjustments as we go. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* **Here we come, Deutsche Bahn** 🚆 We’re on fire in 2026, our second Lab this year and we’re not even out of Q1. As always, we are looking to make it: fun, practical, slightly surprising. **Theme:** TBD – our design team meets next week and we’ll post the theme and string as soon as it’s ready. **Our Host:** We’re excited to be hosted by Deutsche Bahn. Their space gives us plenty of room to move, work in small groups, and play. **What Happens at an LSLab?** Every Lab includes: ✔️ Networking & connecting ✔️ Giving and Getting Help ✔️ A thoughtfully designed Liberating Structures “string.” ✔️ Action planning We don’t do long debriefs during the session, on purpose. LSLab is a practice space, mostly for the Design Team, and the participant, you, learn by doing! By participating. By seeing what it’s like to be part of the collective intelligence. Questions are welcome during the break and after we close. **New to Liberating Structures?** Totally fine. You don’t need experience. We’re a mix of beginners, experienced facilitators, agilists, OD/L&D folks, coaches, leaders, and curious humans who want better collaboration. You’ll learn by being part of it. **Language** Intro and instructions are in English. Small group work can happen in whatever language works for you. Mark your calendar. Come practice. Bring your curiosity. See you there, Sylvia \*If you are facing financial hardship or have been laid off, we'll waive your fee. Just reach out to us and let us know. We want you to be able to contribute and connect with us!

Dear Developer- & CyberSec Community! You’re invited to Cloudflare Immerse Berlin on 3rd March at Data Space - a flagship hands-on event for developers, architects, engineers, and builders tackling modern application and AI challenges. For anyone with passion from hands-on up to technology leadership. What you’ll learn: * Build: Ship globally in seconds with Cloudflare Workers and serverless primitives—no infrastructure overhead, scale to zero by default. * Connect: Run distributed workloads without egress fees using R2 storage—no vendor lock-in, full flexibility. * Protect: Secure AI by design with Firewall for AI and the Model Context Protocol (MCP). * Accelerate: Move from idea to production faster with API-first tooling and IaC—focus on features, not ops. Get hands-on: Join developer breakouts and workshops using Cloudflare’s global GPU network, and hear from local customers modernizing apps into edge-native micro-services. **Date: 3rd March** **Location: Data Space, Berlin (Rosenthaler Str. 38, 10178 Berlin)** **Check out the agenda and [REGISTER HERE](https://fieldmarketing.www.cloudflare.com/immerseberlin2026)** **Free of charge. Feel free to share!** **The event will be held in English language.** Contact Mathias beforehand if you wish for an individual meeting with him or one of the Solutions Engineers onsite. We look forward to building with you in Berlin. Your Team Cloudflare **P.S. register with the Cloudflare link above - the Meetup acceptance alone is no official registration.**

This is an [in-person communication lab](https://www.presentation-school.com/berlin-presentation-lab) that helps professionals speak clearly and confidently under pressure using proven methods. Most people don’t struggle because they don’t practice enough. They struggle because they practice without the right principles. This session focuses on deliberate, guided practice informed by performance psychology, neuroscience, and modern communication training. **What You Will Do** * Learn one science-based communication principle that improves real-world performance. * Train that principle in structured speaking exercises designed for skill development. * Receive clear, professional feedback you can apply immediately. Practice and feedback are guided by experienced communication professionals who work with executives and senior professionals. This is not peer-to-peer feedback or open discussion. **Who Should Attend?** * Non-native English speakers * Professionals who present, lead meetings, or speak up at work * Anyone who overthinks, freezes, or loses clarity under pressure * People who want structured improvement, not just repetition No prior experience is required. **What This is NOT** * A lecture. * A motivational talk. * A public performance. * Unstructured open practice. * Peer-led feedback or opinion-based critique. **Before The Session** Before the session, participants complete a short preparation form to clarify their goals and common communication challenges. This helps ensure the practice and feedback during the lab are as relevant and effective as possible. **Optional:** Participants may submit a short video (1–2 minutes) or written questions. This is optional and used to personalise focus areas and examples during the session. No individual coaching is provided. **After the Session** Participants receive a short follow-up pack with key takeaways, practical drills, a reflection question, and guidance on next steps. **Practical Information** Language: English Duration: 2 hours Format: In-person, structured group lab Address: Chausseestraße 86, 10115 Berlin Healthy snacks and water provided. Price: €25 per session If you are looking for a professional, practical way to improve how you communicate and want to train using principles that actually lead to results, this lab is a good place to start.

Cuban salsa classes every Tuesday. Join us, improve your skills, save lives and make friends! **Classes:** 19:00 - Improvers 2 (New routine starting every month) **Price: (Card payment only)** 1 class - 7€ 10 class pass - 49€ or 42€ reduced* (To use within 11 weeks. Valid for all our classes. It can only be used by one person per class. No refund possible) * Reduced price for students, Schüler, Azubis, H4-Empfänger, and pensioners/retired folks. A valid proof is needed. **Why should you learn Salsa, and why with us?** - It's great fun! - You get to know loads of new people. - No fix starting date - you can start any week. - No dress code - come in whatever you feel comfortable in. Note:No outside shoes in the room: socks or a pair of clean shoes will be required - No partner needed - we change regularly during the classes (bring all your friends though!) - You can help us make a difference! **What is Salsa4Water?** Simple! We teach Salsa and donate all our profits to the NGO Welthungerhilfe, which uses these funds for their local projects in Malawi. Welthungerhilfe fights for equal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in nearly 40 countries world wide. This gives you the chance to save lives while dancing!

We’re excited to invite you to a **partner meetup with Alpic and Slite**, focused on the **practical implementation of MCP** in production AI systems. ✅ **Registration** is managed exclusively via Luma. Please **reserve your spot** through the **official MCP Connect event page**: https://luma.com/olsyxsvn **Entry is reserved for confirmed guests.** ​🚀 **AI at Superhuman**: **Better Models or Better MCPs?** [Viktor Zamarueiv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktor-zamaruiev-99a2bb25/), Director of Engineering at Superhuman Generic wrappers let you easily wrap any APIs as MCP tools accessible by Claude and other MCP clients. However, existing APIs might be challenging for LLMs, especially for cost-efficient models. This talk explores shifting complexity out of probabilistic models into deterministic interfaces through MCP in order to build reliable AI systems. 🚀 ​**How to implement progressive tool/MCP calling** [Christophe Pasquier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophepasquier/), CEO at Slite ​Our journey on how we implemented a progressive tool calling to open to MCPs, solving this through disambiguation layers and on-demand tool loading, letting agents discover only the tools they need, when they need them. 🚀 ​**Designing MCP Apps with Skybridge** [Fredéric Barthelet](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederic-barthelet/), Co-founder and CTO at Alpic ​Lessons learned from building dozens of ChatGPT Apps and an introduction to Skybridge, an open-source framework for MCP Apps ​ 🗓 **Agenda** ✨ 18:30–19:00 — Doors open, check-in & refreshments **We'll be welcoming guests with confirmed registrations.** ✨ 19:00–20:30 — Talks ✨ 20:30–21:30 — Networking & mingling

Finally, it’s happening! [Value Rebels](https://www.valuerebels.com/) are thrilled to invite you to another [Product Management Night](https://productmanagementnights.com/), this time in the inspiring office of [Babbel](https://uk.babbel.com/). Under the banner “Staying Relevant: Data, innovation, and the architecture of decision-making”, we’ll explore how to stay innovative in a fast-changing environment and what it really takes to make meaningful, data‑informed decisions in a world saturated with signals. 📅 **Date**: March 5th 📍 **Location:** Babbels office at [Andreasstraße 72, 10243 Berlin](https://maps.app.goo.gl/PNNNehcW9GmBdf6T7) 🥂 Drinks & Finger Food Provided (veggie/vegan) **Timetable** 18:00 \| Doors Open: Networking over drinks and light food 18:45 \| Intro and hello from Value Rebels and Babbel 19:00 \| “Escaping the innovator’s dilemma: How established companies stay disruptive” \- An on\-stage discussion with [Diana Pulnar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-pulnar-51781b13/) 19:30 \| Break 19:40 "What data-driven, actually means in 2026" - A talk by [Markus Kiefer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-kiefer-979372388/) 20:10 \- 21:00 \| Closing & Networking (Please note: times are approximate) **Get to know our experts & speakers** 🎤 **[Markus Kiefer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-kiefer-979372388/)**[ ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-kiefer-979372388/)is a Tech & Data Consultant passionate about turning data into better product decisions. He works with product and engineering teams to design data-driven systems and helps organisations not just to understand their users but the systems that increasingly decide for them. 🎤 **[Diana Pulnar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-pulnar-51781b13/)** is VP Product at Babbel, where she leads teams that translate speech technology and learner insights into concrete outcomes. She focuses on product strategies that balance data with real learner behaviour and uses experimentation to keep decisions anchored in results for learners. **Why join us?** * **Discover how to stay relevant:** explore how established teams handle innovation, trade‑offs and the tension between today’s business and tomorrow’s bets. * **Rethink what “data‑driven” means:** move from more dashboards to understanding the whole system behind your product decisions. * **Connect with peers who get it:** share experiences with senior product, tech and data people facing similar constraints and ambitions. **Who should attend?** Product Leaders & Drivers C-level & Business Leaders Experienced product contributors 🚨 Limited spots available - reserve yours only if you’re sure you can join! 📸 **📸 Please note:** We will be capturing event photos for promotional use. Let us know if you prefer not to be photographed. Photos are only taken of people who give consent on site. You can always say no or change your mind on the day or by emailing employerbranding@babbel.com 🔜 Looking forward to seeing you on March 5th

Ready to captivate any audience, nail your next presentation, or give feedback that people actually enjoy hearing? Then come check out **First Berlin Toastmasters**, Berlin's oldest public speaking club. We're a warm, supportive, and international community here to learn, practice, and grow together. Our meetings are full of laughter, and every voice adds something special. The stage is a safe space, so come by, listen, and see how much fun communication can be. Please, be our guest! The most important people in the room aren't the speakers, they're the audience. Your presence, energy, and reactions are what bring the evening to life. **When** 🗓️ Every **1st & 3rd Wednesday** of the month 🕒 Doors open at **6:30 PM** \- Event starts at **6:45 PM** sharp **Where** St. Lukas-Kirche (near Anhalter Bahnhof) Bernburger Straße 4-5 10963 Berlin 📍 [https://goo.gl/maps/AhDfDmVndqbC9A1C9](https://goo.gl/maps/AhDfDmVndqbC9A1C9) You’ll find us in the **Gemeindesaal** on the first floor of the building to the right of the church. We look forward to welcoming you! Best wishes, John aka Yevgen Schweden - VP Public Relations Important note: We take pictures and clips during our meetings for promotional use only. By attending our meetings, you agree to that by default. If you don´t want to be on any picture, please let the VP PR or another representative from the board know (for example the president.)

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

Welcome to Sunday Tech Coffee. This is a **networking** event for those in the tech industry in Berlin. We are usually inside and to the right. Ask the barista/bartender if you can't find us.

Nice! You are looking for real long time friendship! You might have already lived in Berlin or other big cities and experienced the "Anonymous" culture for a while. Meeting random people over and over and never see the same person again! In order to find "Real Long Term Friendship" in Berlin, do as follows: * You should not care how many people are joining this meetup. You RVSP. Even if only one person is joining. Because if everyone are waiting for everyone else to RVSP, nobody joins and nobody finds a new friend. * You do not care how many people of the opposite sex are joining. You are looking for friends. Finding the best romantic partner in the world, while avoiding not very attractive others, can be your other goal, for another time. Here we are looking for Friends. Real ones. * You are going to risk a very precious property of yours: Your time! Yes, there are thousands of opportunities in Berlin, there might be a rock concert for free, a birthday party you might miss, an important person might call you and invite you spontaneously, but you never find new friends until you decide to risk your time and meet people anyway. "I will check my calendar and get back to you" also does not work. Commit your time and spend it. Trust me, you won't go bankrupt ;-) * You are ready to use your phone as a real phone! You might have been using your phone as a tablet to visit Instagram and Facebook and watch movies. But if you want to find friends, you must know that people might take your phone number and give you theirs. That means they will Call you! And you have to pick up the phone and answer it. If you want to find new friends, you must be ready to do something really hard for the first time after years: Call people first, and if they called you: Answer your phone! * You are going to meet some people twice! That's the point of friendship. We already can experience random encounters with random people in random places one at a time. But that is not called friendship. If you want friends, you must be ready to meet the same person more than once. If you agree with above, RVSP and COME! You will meet other people who think the same way. P.S: Now that you've read all the way down to here, I suggest you [watch this animation](https://player.vimeo.com/video/547249272?h=22f3dd0f6f).

**PLEASE NOTE THE ADDRESS CHANGE! We're now at [w3hub.berlin](https://w3hub.berlin)** *[Qase](https://qase.io) is presenting the **eleventh** Meetup on Quality Engineering in Berlin.* *This time, we’re bringing you three deep-dive talks — all designed to challenge the way you think about quality, testing, and collaboration.* *As always, expect great conversations, snacks, and drinks. See you there!* **AGENDA** **1\. Mitesh Patel\, Technical Consultant \- Scientific Instruments @ Altum Solutions: *Food QA: Testing Tasting*** On this fine evening, we shall enjoy some food … and also learn why we enjoy it. Because tasting is really a form of testing for our brains — wetware QA in essence. But how do we reformulate this wetware testing into those familiar realms of software and hardware testing? It is not as simple as exchanging taste buds for test suites and bites for bytes. Just ask Big Food which spends billions on this same question: How can computers do taste tests like humans? Guided by the example of an ML/AI-powered scientific instrument for chemical analyses, namely, a spectrometer, this session addresses this question and explores the broader topic of QA in the food industry. Discover how food companies scale testing across scientific software, device hardware, and food/human wetware. So grab a spoon for this insider scoop on QA for food. **2\. Vitaly Sharovatov\, developer advocate @ Qase: *QA Myths Busting: A Practical Guide to Higher Quality*** Have you ever felt the urge to increase the amount of testing or hire more testers, thinking it would improve product quality? As a tester, have you ever been held “accountable” for quality or pressed for time, leaving you feeling helpless? Or perhaps you’ve been asked to justify quality assurance initiatives with numbers? Our industry is filled with myths: from “quality can be measured” to “more testing means higher quality” and from “QA slows down work” to “testers are responsible for quality”. In this talk, I will present the myths I once believed, explain the dangers they pose to both teams and products, and demonstrate how they should be debunked and overcome. **3\. Asya Isakova\, Co\-Founder @ TECH_Connect: 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵\, 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘑𝘰𝘣** The job market is wild: it’s hard to get hired, and sometimes even harder to stay hired. In a new role (or a new team), one of the fastest ways to reduce uncertainty and accelerate collaboration is to build trust quickly. But how do colleagues and managers decide you’re trustworthy? It’s rarely just about closing Jira tickets or moving cards on a Kanban board. People assess trust through patterns of behavior: what you do, how consistently you do it, and how do you act towards others. In this talk, you’ll learn an evidence-based approach to building trust at work using three practical components: integrity, reliability, and benevolence. We’ll unpack what shapes people’s trust judgments (including context, risk, and prior experiences) and translate research into concrete behaviors you can apply immediately: especially in multicultural and cross-functional teams.

🎙️ **Redewettbewerb – Die Bühne gehört den Mutigen\! \| 4\. März** Am 4.3. wird es kraftvoll, persönlich und inspirierend: Unser **Wettbewerb für vorbereitete Reden** steht an! ## 🏆 Vorbereitete Reden (5–7 Minuten) **8 Teilnehmer** betreten die Bühne – jede Rede sorgfältig vorbereitet, jede Botschaft mit eigener Handschrift. 5 bis 7 Minuten Zeit, um zu berühren, zu überzeugen oder neue Perspektiven zu eröffnen. Wichtig: Wer die Mindestzeit unterschreitet oder die Höchstzeit überschreitet, wird disqualifiziert. Präzision ist hier kein Detail, sondern Spielregel. Die Gewinner dieses Abends qualifizieren sich für den **Area-Wettbewerb** am 21. März und vertreten unseren Club auf der nächsten Ebene. ☕ **Pause** Zeit zum Durchatmen, Austauschen und Staunen über das Gehörte. ## 🎯 Zielrede & 12 Feedbacks Nach der Pause erwartet uns eine besondere Herausforderung: Eine **Zielrede (5–7 Minuten)** von einem Redner von außerhalb. Und dann wird es intensiv: Diese Rede erhält **12 Feedbacks**, jeweils 2–3 Minuten. Zwölf Perspektiven. Zwölf Blickwinkel. Zwölf Mal konstruktive Rückmeldung. Ein Abend voller Redekunst, Präzision und wertschätzender Analyse. Wenn Worte Gewicht bekommen und Feedback zu Wachstum wird, dann weiß man: Hier entsteht Entwicklung live auf der Bühne. 🎤✨ Komm vorbei, lass dich inspirieren und wachse mit uns!

**Confidence in Bloom: How Creativity Builds Confidence** What happens when creativity becomes an intentional practice? In this month’s Confidence Lab, we’ll gather at **Petals That Inspire: The Flourish Studio** for an evening exploring the connection between creativity and confidence. How making with our hands, engaging our senses, and allowing space for expression can shift how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible. Our featured speaker, **Amanda Lorenzetti**, owner of Petals That Inspire, will share how creativity has shaped her own confidence journey and why creative environments play such a powerful role in well-being, resilience, and personal growth. Drawing from her work leading an experience-driven floral studio and a community-centered workforce development program, Amanda will reflect on creativity as both a personal and collective catalyst. Amanda will also guide us through a **hands-on floral design experience**, creating a fresh arrangement in a wide mouth mason jar. No prior floral experience is needed, just curiosity and a willingness to engage the process. This evening is an invitation to slow down, create, and reconnect with the part of yourself that grows through care, attention, and imagination. You’ll leave with a floral arrangement to take home, and a deeper understanding of how confidence can be cultivated through creative practices. **Featured Speaker: Amanda Lorenzetti** Amanda Lorenzetti is the owner and founder of [Petals That Inspire](https://www.petalsthatinspire.com/) and The Flourish Studio, a social enterprise florist based in Columbus, Ohio. She brings more than a decade of experience in wedding and event sales, paired with hands-on expertise in floral and event design. Amanda’s connection to the floral industry began early, spending time alongside her godmother, a professional florist on the East Coast. After earning her business degree, she returned to her hometown in Connecticut to work as a floral and event designer, blending creative artistry with strong operational and client-focused skills. In 2020, Amanda returned to the floral industry with a renewed purpose, driven by a desire to build a business rooted in creativity, community impact, and sustainability. During this pivotal time, she founded Petals That Inspire—an innovative floral concept that reimagines the traditional florist model by combining event florals, workshops, and experiential offerings with a mission-centered approach to workforce development. Today, Petals That Inspire is a thriving social enterprise known for its thoughtful design, educational experiences, and commitment to empowering young adults facing barriers to entry in the workforce. Amanda is deeply passionate about building businesses that are both profitable and purpose-driven, and she leverages her strong business acumen to create a scalable & sustainable model that inspires creativity while giving back to the community. **What is Confidence Lab?** Confidence Lab is a monthly community experience for bold, thoughtful leaders building confidence from the inside out. Whether you’re launching a business, leading a team, navigating change, or simply striving to show up more fully—you belong here. Our work demands clarity, courage, and conviction—but the pace of daily life can erode our sense of self. Confidence Lab creates space to reflect, reconnect, and grow with others doing purpose-driven work. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, creatives, corporate professionals, activists, and anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact. ***Please note:*** *All are welcome! If cost is a concern, please use promo code PUBLIC to access a free ticket—we want you to join us.*

**Confidence & Connection: Using Your Authentic Truth to Find Your People** Confidence isn’t just about believing in yourself, it’s about knowing where you belong and who you can grow alongside. In this April Confidence Lab Happy Hour, we’ll explore how living in your authentic truth helps you find your people, build meaningful collaborations, and create spaces where vulnerability is met with respect rather than risk. Together, we’ll reflect on what it looks like to advocate for yourself with clarity and care, and how confidence deepens when it’s rooted in connection rather than comparison. Featured speaker **Lachandra Baker**, founder of **[LBB Edutainment](https://www.lbbedutainment.com/)** and author of *Your Own Biggest Cheerleader*, will share reflections on authenticity, psychological safety, and the power of community over individual achievement. Drawing from personal stories—including the significance of turning 53—Lachandra will invite us into a conversation about showing up fully, being seen, and choosing relationships that support who you truly are. Expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere with space for reflection, shared insight, and intentional connection—plus drinks, light bites, and the kind of conversations that remind you you’re not meant to do this alone. Come as you are. Leave feeling clearer about your voice, your people, and the confidence that grows when both are aligned. **What is Confidence Lab?** Confidence Lab is a monthly community experience for bold, thoughtful leaders building confidence from the inside out. Whether you’re launching a business, leading a team, navigating change, or simply striving to show up more fully—you belong here. Our work demands clarity, courage, and conviction—but the pace of daily life can erode our sense of self. Confidence Lab creates space to reflect, reconnect, and grow with others doing purpose-driven work. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, creatives, corporate professionals, activists, and anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact. ***Please note:*** *All are welcome! If cost is a concern, please use promo code PUBLIC to access a free ticket—we want you to join us.*

## Overview Networking event for aspiring school leaders interested in building their own high-quality K-12 public school in their community. **About the Event:** Aspiring school founders in the Columbus, OH, area are invited to join us for this special in-person networking event where you will be able to ask questions, learn more about the BES Fellowship and make sure you are prepared for the application process and beyond. In addition to meeting like-minded leaders who are also committed to transforming education and bringing a high-quality K-12 option to their community, you’ll have the opportunity to meet our team and gain special insights from Dr. Chaundria Smith, BES Senior Director of Fellowship Coaching, who works closely to support BES Fellows. During this event, you can also learn more about the various regions across Ohio we are prioritizing for the BES Fellowship to ensure that new schools will respond to the needs of their community. **About the BES Fellowship:** Leaders in the BES Fellowship embark on a multi-year process to design, found, and lead an excellent K-12 public school that reflects and responds to community needs. We are currently accepting applications to the 2026 BES Fellowship. The extended deadline is March 30, and the 2026 Cohort will begin August 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. Learn more at [bes.org/fellowship](http://bes.org/fellowship "http://bes.org/fellowship").

## Hey Columbus WIP peeps! ## Are you ready for an event that actually gives you what you asked for?? **\-\-\-\-\-\-** **A Small-group coaching conversations for women in product navigating growth, leadership, and career decisions.** **March 10 \| 5:30–8:00 PM** **Rev1 -- NEW SPACE** **330 Rush Alley #100** **Parking Options:** • **Rev1 at The Peninsula** • **Starling St. Garage South** – 377 W. Capital St. • **LAZ Parking (COSI)** – 50 Belle St. • **LAZ Parking Limited** – 375 W. State St. • **Veterans Memorial Lot** – 300 W. Broad St. • **Metered Street Parking** **What moves are you making?** A promotion you’re working toward. A role change you’re considering. A bigger leadership opportunity. A conversation that needs to happen. A decision that’s been sitting in the back of your mind. For our Q1 Women in Product Columbus event, we’re creating space to actually work through those moments. **Making Moves** is an evening of focused, facilitated coaching conversations with experienced mentors from our local product community. This isn’t a panel. It’s not passive networking. It’s small-group dialogue designed to be thoughtful, practical, and worth your time. Here’s how it will work: • You’ll choose a topic that reflects what you’re navigating right now • You’ll join a small coaching circle (5–7 participants) • Each circle is led by a mentor who has lived experience in that area • We’ll run two rounds so you can go deeper or explore a second conversation ### Coaching Topics: • Communicating the Value of Your Work (or Team) • Career Transitions & What’s Next • Growing Into Leadership • Staying Relevant as Technology (and AI) Changes • Getting Alignment and Decisions from Leadership Our goal is simple: you leave with clearer thinking, practical perspective, and at least one next step you feel confident about. Space in each circle will be limited to keep conversations meaningful. If this sounds like the kind of room you’ve been wanting to be in, we’d love to see you on March 10. RSVP here! [https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event](https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event "https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event") *And if you haven't joined the WIP group - do that too, would ya?!?!* — Your Columbus Chapter Leads - Amber, Leah and Liz!

This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

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