Leadership

Is public speaking something you’ve always wanted to learn? Then you’ve come to the right place! Experience a safe and playful environment at U-Speak Toastmasters where you can develop your public speaking, communication, and leadership skills! ## **Welcome to U-Speak! Toastmasters** Join our vibrant community at U-Speak!, where internationals and Dutch locals from Utrecht and its surroundings come together. U-speak! Toastmasters is a welcoming, safe, supportive and playful environment where you can work on your public speaking, communication and leadership skills! ## **Discover our meeting experience** Curious about what happens during our meetings? Here’s a glimpse into a typical evening at U-Speak! Our gatherings feature a lineup of three prepared speeches, engaging evaluations and impromptu speaking sessions. At U-Speak!, every member gets their chance to shine. Whether you’re delivering a speech, providing feedback, or stepping up for impromptu speaking, our supportive environment ensures that everyone’s voice is heard and valued. * ⏰ Time: 19:15 - 21:30 (7.15pm to 9.30pm) Walk-in at 19:15; Start of the meeting at 19:30 * 🌐 Venue: Room 8, Top Floor, Pub Florin, Utrecht * 🙋🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️Attendance: Typically, 15-20 people attend each meeting Many of our club members are not on Meetup, so the number of people attending as indicated here is not reflective of the actual number of people attending on a night. * 🙋🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ Guests are welcome; rsvp is encouraged

Hi Everyone, This is our weekly open hackerspace evening! Usually from 19:00 :-) Feel free to drop by, come and nerd with us! See this Tuesday! We're in room 126, ring the room number and we'll open the door. We're located on the first floor

** Registratie voor deze editie gaat vier weken voor aanvang open! ** **17.00 - 18.00** Inloop & eten **18.00 - 18.10** Openingswoord Rubicon **18.10 - 19.00** **Stefan Strube** - *Entra Verified ID: Good, better, best option to secure issuance of Verifiable Credentials* Met Entra Verified ID kun je je eigen aangepaste Verifiable Credentials maken, en je wilt er zeker van zijn dat deze credentials aan de juiste personen worden uitgegeven. Er zijn verschillende opties om het uitgeven van Verifiable Credentials te beveiligen, en Stefan neemt je mee langs zijn good, better en best opties. Doe mee aan deze zeer technische sessie met live demo’s en leer hoe je de uitgifte van Verifiable Credentials veilig inricht. **19.00 - 19.10** Break **19.10 - 20.00** **Vito Minheere** - *Azure Managed HSM: Veilige sleutelbeheer en compliance in de praktijk* Met de komst van de Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) in 2027 en de groeiende eisen aan databescherming, wordt het gebruik van HSMs steeds kritischer voor organisaties. Maar wat is een HSM precies, en hoe pas je dit toe in Azure? Ik leg uit hoe Azure Managed HSM integreert met Azure Key Vault, en hoe je lokale en Azure RBAC kunt inzetten voor een robuust beveiligingsmodel. Tot slot deel ik praktische tips voor het beheren van HSMs met Terraform en Azure DevOps, gebaseerd op mijn ervaring hiermee in mijn dagelijkse werk. **20.00 - 20.10** Break **20.10 - 20.30** Pubquiz! **20.30 - 21.30** Borrel en einde

**3D Workshop** * **Ontwerpen met Fusion360** * **Scannen in 3D** * **Het gebruik van 3D printers** **Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark** Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen. Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D. Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D) [(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)

We delen onze doelen en maken plannen voor de komende week. Iedereen is welkom. We kijken er naar uit om jouw verhaal te horen.

**Azure Heroes Netherlands – March 2026 Meetup @ i8c** Join us for the March edition of **Azure Heroes Netherlands**, an evening packed with Azure insights. Lets KICK OFF 2026 with a bang.. i8c Will be our amazing host for this event. 📅 **Date: Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026** ⏰ Time: 18:00 – 21:30 (CET) 📍 Location: i8c, Utrecht, NL **Schedule:** ⏰ 18:00 - Walk-in, food, drinks and networking ⏰ 19:00 - Session 1 ⏰ 20:00 - Session 2 ⏰ 21:00 - Drinks, snacks, networking 🎤 Session 1 – **Hans Muns** [LinkedIn Here](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-muns-78a50b197) **Event-Driven DevOps: Automating Azure with Event Grid System Topics** Modern DevOps on Azure isn’t just about pipelines, it’s about making your platform reactive. With Event Grid system topics, you can automatically respond to changes in your Azure environment, triggering workflows the moment resources are created, updated, or deleted. In this session, we’ll cover: \- How system topics work and how they fit into DevOps workflows \- Connecting Event Grid to various automation and orchestration tools \- Different practical use cases for event\-driven automation \- A live demo where a resource change triggers a deployment\-related automation After this session, you’ll walk away with practical techniques to make your Azure platform more event-driven, reducing manual steps, closing feedback loops, and bringing DevOps automation to the next level. **🎤 Session 2 – Sagar Sharma / Steef Jan Wiggers** [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steefjan/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/steefjan/) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsharmasagar/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsharmasagar/) **Beyond Building an AI Agent!** Build and launch AI agents faster by prototyping with open models and scaling to production using Microsoft Foundry and the AI Toolkit

Meld je aan voor onze volgende WordPress Meetup in Utrecht op **dinsdag 3 maart 2026**. Zoals gebruikelijk zijn we weer welkom bij [Wonders of Work](https://wondersofwork.nl/), onze locatiesponsor. We beginnen om 19:30 uur (zaal open vanaf 19:00). **Programma** We hebben weer twee inspirende sprekers Je hebt vast wel eens meegemaakt dat je hostingserver trager en trager werd. **Arjan Olsder** gaat ons daarom de ins en outs van hosting uitleggen. En **Samir Rafiq**, onze builder expert, werkt inmiddels ook met Etch. Etch belooft de wereld van builders op zijn kop te gaan zetten! Je hoort wat hij ervan vindt. Om 21:30 eindigen we met een borrel die gesponsord wordt door [Klarned](https://www.klarned.is/nl/), [Webscout](https://webscout.be/) en [Kinsta](https://kinsta.com/nl/). **Hosting \| Arjan Olser** Is jouw webhosting een goed onderbouwde keuze of gewoon onderbuikgevoel? En kun je die keuze wel goed onderbouwen? Arjan Olsder bouwde 25 jaar geleden het bedrijf Digishock op. En 16 jaar geleden kwam daar WebsiteNazorg.nl bij. Binnen beide bedrijven was het een komen en gaan van webhostingbedrijven en werden keuzes door klanten vooral op emotie en ‘van horen zeggen’ genomen. Terwijl webhosting in de praktijk het meest vitale element is in de kwaliteitsbeleving van een website. En vaak ook het eerste waar iedereen op bezuinigt. Inmiddels is Arjan niet meer werkzaam in de industrie, dus tijd genoeg voor hem om een deepdive te doen en zijn kennis te delen. Hoe kies je de juiste webhost? Wat zoek je qua technologie, qua service en bereikbaarheid. En welke juridische angels kunnen op jouw pad komen. Of het pad van jouw klant. Want met de huidige geopolitieke spanningen is het belangrijk dat de Nederlandse WordPress sector weerbaar wordt en haar klanten goed kan beschermen. **Etch Builder \| Samir Rafiq** De markt zit vol met opties, elk met hun eigen aanpak. Van gebruiksvriendelijke drag-and-drop builders zoals Divi en Elementor, tot meer geavanceerde tools zoals Bricks en Oxygen voor developers. Of juist full site editing met WordPress blocks al dan niet ondersteund door een Greyd of Kadence. Samir Rafiq is ervaren low-code WordPress developer met meer dan 10 jaar ervaring als ontwikkelaar en trainer. In deze talk neemt Samir je mee in EtchWP, een opkomende builder die een frisse kijk biedt op hoe we websites bouwen. Wat maakt deze builder anders dan de rest? En is dit misschien wel de builder waar jij naar op zoek bent? **Zeepkist** Wil je een vraag stellen aan de aanwezigen op de avond? Of wil je een korte presentatie doen van het werk waar je mee bezig bent (max 10 minuten), dan willen we je ook ruimte geven om even op de zeepkist te klimmen. Meld je van tevoren aan via info@wpmeetuputrecht.nl. **Nieuwe onderwerpen voor talks** We zijn altijd op zoek naar leuke onderwerpen voor een talk. Is er een onderwerp waarover je meer informatie zou willen? Kun jijzelf misschien wat meer vertellen over WordPress, SEO, hosting, contentcreatie of iets dergelijks? Of wil je gewoon eens laten zien wat jij of jouw bedrijf maakt met WordPress? Vertel het ons via info@wpmeetuputrecht.nl. **Wonders of Work** We zijn weer welkom op de locatie van [Wonders of Work](https://wondersofwork.nl) (voormalig Seats2Meet Utrecht CS), onze locatiesponsor. WoW is gevestigd in Hoog Catharijne (Boven Vredenburgpassage, Kantoren Connect Offices R1, 6e etage). Je vindt WoW het makkelijkst als je Hoog Catharijne vanaf het Centraal Station inloopt, linksaf langs Ziggo/Vodafone, en dan net voorbij de Rituals. **WordPress Community** Wij zijn onderdeel van de wereldwijde WordPress Community. WordPress is open source en daaraan wordt belangeloos gewerkt door vele enthousiaste gebruikers over hele wereld ([https://make.wordpress.org/](https://make.wordpress.org/)). Deze Meetup wordt georganiseerd door: * Han Hegeman ([https://www.haicu.nl/](https://www.haicu.nl/)) * Roel Veldhuizen ([https://inesta.nl/](https://inesta.nl/)) * Berry van Es ([https://www.digitalfootprint.nl/](https://www.digitalfootprint.nl/)) * Frank Olthof ([https://forte.nl/](https://forte.nl/))

'ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE' by Anthony Doerr 'Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the Resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge. Doerr's stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors”(San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” ( Los Angeles Times). ***Please read the book and join us for a lively discussion (in English) about the contents during our afternoon book club meeting.*** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **PLEASE NOTE:** This is an IN-PERSON event in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Please cancel your attendance in advance if you are unable to join, so that those on the waitlist can participate. Looking forward to seeing you all IN REAL LIFE then! Best regards, Sandra

## 🎨**Activity for EXPATS & English Speakers** ☕ Are you an art enthusiast living in or around **Amersfoort, Hilversum, Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsseltein, De Bilt and the rest of cities of the Utrecht's province** who love painting or drawing? Maybe you've felt the joy of creating but struggled to find others who share your passion and speak **ENGLISH**? **You're not alone! 😉** ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## 🖌️**About this event** You will meet other Art Lovers like you to Draw, Paint and have some drinks Together ! Our events are not just about sketching or creating art—they’re about building connections. Every two weeks, we meet at a café to have a relaxing time drawing a painting. Please keep on mind that **ENGLISH i**s the official language we will use to integrate everyone in our conversations. ⭕⭕⭕➡️ **IMPORTANT ⬅️** ⭕⭕⭕⭕ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**Book formally your Seat 🪑via [WHATSAPP](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** **If you want to confirm officially your attendance and separate your seat🪑. Book your seat in meet-up, and contact us via [WHATSAPP HERE](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f) to receive more information on the address of our activities.** **Thanks a lot for your understanding!** 💐🥰 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**How Does It Work?** This event is simple, this initiative takes 2 Hours. Most of the participants use pencils, water pencils or watercolours. Main aim is to socialize while we draw. There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. We have to mention that this event is suitable for all levels. Many have started to draw in our event actually. Also it is very important that you **[JOIN US AT OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f),** to stay up to date on our upcoming events and participate in our Drawing and Painting Contests! **👉: [https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** 🍀 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### ☕**Where?** We will meet in different cafes mainly in the *center of Amersfoort ( and some occasions in other cities around)*. I will inform you of the exact place some days in advance this event. The place will depend on the number of attendees. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### **🎟️ What is included?** 🟢 **2 HOURS TO HAVE FUN!** 🟢 **15 mins warming-up creative activity and paper material**🖌️🎨 🟢 New friendships and **conversations in ENGLISH** in a relaxed atmosphere 🟢 **Souvenir picture** with you and the rest of Art Lovers 📷 🟢 Exclusive **access to our Art Lovers Community** on which you will receive: ***\~\~\~ Drawing challenges,*** ***\~\~\~ Training content,*** ***\~\~\~ FREE Entries only to members*** ***\~\~\~ Drawing Competitions*** 🟢 Time to **create alongside fellow artists and amateurs** 🟢 The freedom to **work at your own pace** 💃🕺🎈 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 🖼️**Art Materials?** Bring your own practical art materials to be adaptable to sketch on a coffee table. Like your sketchbook, pencils, watercolor, markets, pencils, your Tablet..etc ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## **See you to Paint, Draw, and drink together!🌟☕🍷🍪🍰**

***In this meetup, we explore why traditional feedback systems fail and what it really takes to build a culture of dialogue.*** ***\*\*\*Attention! This is an in-person event only. We need a minimum of 10 attendees for gaining the most value (besides the hosts). We will notice you in advance for a go/no go around February the 20th, 2026 \*\*\**** *Drawing from real consultancy experience and organizational case studies, we’ll unpack how feedback is shaped by deeply embedded systems of judgment, social conditioning, business culture, and biological responses to threat.* **Cool concrete case studies shared of different organizations with a diversity of challenges.** Let’s be honest: the word “feedback” can make your stomach clench. We brace for awkward conversations that end in painful silence, or we swallow our frustration to keep the peace. We worry about disrupting relationships or being misunderstood, so we often say nothing at all. But what is the true cost of this silence? Misunderstandings fester, trust erodes, and team morale quietly slips away. Ironically, by avoiding feedback to protect our relationships, we often end up creating the very disconnection we feared. As a result, we've developed a deeply unhelpful relationship with feedback treating it as a confrontation to be dreaded rather than a conversation for connection and growth. **Shift consciousness, habits, and leadership behavior at every level. Explore how to create cultures of dialogue instead of confrontation, where people feel seen, heard, and able to grow.** *** ### **Agenda** 17:30 - 18:00 Walk in 18:00 - 18:45 * Welcome & personal story * Current Systematics of Feedback 18:45 - 19:15 FOOOOD 19:15 - 20:30 * Clear Case Studies Example(s) of Feedback Systematics * Change the System of Feedback 20:30 Netwerk + Walk Out 21:00 Please go home you lovely people **Who Should Attend:** * Leaders * HR Professionals * Scrum Masters * Agile Coaches * Change Agents * Anyone who want to move beyond labels and is interested in creating a feedback culture.

We’re heading out onto a **brand new trail** on the Veluwe, one we’ve never walked before. That alone makes this hike extra exciting. New paths, new views, and that lovely feeling of discovery from start to finish. From the start we dive **straight into the forest**, following winding woodland paths that slowly pull us deeper into the heart of the Veluwe. The forest feels calm and spacious, and with spring just around the corner you’ll notice nature quietly waking up. Budding trees, fresh greens, birds getting busier. It’s that in between season where everything is preparing itself. After several kilometers of forest walking, the landscape opens up as we reach the **Hoog Soerensche Veld**. Wide open fields, big skies, and that classic Veluwe contrast between forest and heath. From here we continue towards the **Asselsche Heide**, one of the quieter and more scenic parts of the Veluwe. This section offers lovely viewpoints, open heathland, and long sightlines that really give you that spacious Veluwe feeling. We finish where we started, completing a **full loop hike** through forests, open fields, and heathland. **📍When and where to meet?** We’ll meet at 11h30 at busstop Hoog Buurloseweg https://maps.app.goo.gl/sCMJ8Kg7MTUcYu1j7 ⏰ **We start walking a few minutes after meeting up** — we don’t wait for latecomers, as the forest calls and daylight is short this time of year. **🚗 Coming by car?** You can park here but please also do your own research: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sCMJ8Kg7MTUcYu1j7 **⏸️ Planned Breaks** After 9 km: 30 min lunch break in nature After 15 km: 15 min break in nature **💸 Payment** Please pay as soon as you sign up: To keep things fair for everyone, if we don’t receive your payment within 48 hours, we will need to remove you from the participant list. If there’s a waiting list, this will happen sooner (in less than 48 hours). If that happens, no worries — you’re always welcome to sign up again if there’s space. 🌟 Early Bird Deal! Join now for just €4 — available for 3 days (72h). After that, the price will be €5. Please pay here: [https://tikkie.me/pay/jto80gauep7vg7g1s9gp](https://tikkie.me/pay/jto80gauep7vg7g1s9gp) **👟 Good to know** * Refund policy: Cancellations are fully refundable up to 1 week before the event (This is Monday 2 March at 23h59). After this period, the fee becomes non-refundable. * Hike difficulty: Our hikes are moderately challenging. Please only join if you’re confident you can keep up with the group’s pace (5 km/ h)— it’s more fun for everyone when we can walk together without long waits. * If the pace is too challenging: We may kindly suggest you continue at your own pace. We’ll give you clear directions to the nearest bus or train so you can return comfortably. * At your own risk: You participate at your own risk, so please make sure you have appropriate insurance coverage for outdoor activities. * Payment note: With Tikkie we only see initials (e.g., J. Doe instead of John Doe). Please include your Meetup name in the payment note so we can match it easily. * Friends joining: If you bring a friend, make sure they also register and pay. * What to bring: Snacks, lunch, and water/ or hot thee/ coffee. * Stay connected: Join our WhatsApp group to be the first to hear about future hikes — ask for the QR code during the hike. * T-shirts: Fairwear-certified organic cotton, eco-friendly inks — €25. Sustainable, odor-resistant, and perfect for hiking. Let us know your size and we’ll bring one for you.

Hey Everyone! 👋 **Location:** \- On\-site: Dataroots Offices\, Arnould Nobelstraat 32 Leuven \- Online: Zoom link TBA **Practicalities for the evening on Thursday, March 5th:** \- 18:00: Doors Open\, pizza & drinks \- 19:00: Speaker Talks \- 20:30: Networking & Drinks **Welcome to edition 14 of the Generative AI Belgium Meetup! 🚀** This time, we go on a quest. Many epics speak of the brave and the adventurous going on a quest to conquer, slay, tame, or train a dragon along the way. The last three years of AI developments have their own stories of creativity, novel paths, and unforeseen challenges that seemed too big to tackle. In this edition, we want to bring some stories of people and teams who didn't choose the easiest path, but the most interesting one. Join us on March 5th at Dataroots, Arnould Nobelstraat 32, Leuven, to meet these brave souls and get a feel for what it takes to tackle a challenge from scratch. Whether it's navigating the dragon that is the EU AI Act, training and running a custom language model, or building production-ready systems, every path has its own fire-breathing challenges. See you there! **Line-up:** \- 🐉 [Niels Tack](https://www.linkedin.com/in/niels-tack/): Taming The EU AI Act - Compliance as code \- 🏰 [Sohum Bhatt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohum-bhatt-530114230/): Taming Local LLMs to build applications \- ⚔️ [Maarten Vandeperre:](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maarten-vandeperre/) Taming AI Sovereignty \- 🤺[Lode Nachtergaele:](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lodenachtergaele/) Taming Agentic RAG - How Agentic Beats RAG Big thanks to Dataroots for hosting us and to our sponsors: In The Pocket, BruCON, Red Hat, Collibra, Plainsight & Volta Ventures for supporting the community.

**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