Leadership Development

**What if consciousness isn’t something the brain produces — but something the universe is?** Most of us have absorbed a picture of reality in which matter comes first: the brain generates mind, and when the brain stops, the mind vanishes. It feels like common sense. But a growing number of analytic philosophers and scientists are asking whether that picture can actually hold together — and **whether idealism, the view that consciousness is fundamental to reality, deserves a serious second look**. **Analytical Idealism is not mysticism in disguise. It’s a rigorous, philosophically precise position that engages directly with the hard problem of consciousness, the findings of modern physics, and the limits of materialist explanation**. It takes the tools of analytic philosophy seriously — and uses them to challenge one of our deepest assumptions about what exists. In this session, we’ll explore: • Why materialism struggles to account for the existence of subjective experience • What Analytical Idealism actually claims — and what it doesn’t • What it might mean, practically and existentially, if mind is primary No prior background in philosophy is needed. We’ll build up the ideas together, and the emphasis will be on genuine inquiry rather than expertise. About the host: Corrado Alesso is a software engineer working across mobility, big data, security, and energy — and, more recently, a newly-minted carpenter. When he’s not chasing his interests in electronics, astrophotography, or music, he reads philosophy — particularly metaphysics (to peek behind the veil), philosophy of mind (can’t wrap my head around the C-problem) and ontology (so that I can drop this word at parties). It started with a suspicion that blaming consciousness on complexity feels a bit cheap. That suspicion led him to Analytical Idealism, which he finds deeply grounded — and, uncomfortably, quite convincing. He’s looking forward to dissecting it together.

I’m attending the panel talk about AI adoption in organisations. You are welcome to join me:) AI is becoming a co-decision-maker. The panel of experts will dig into what's really changing, where AI creates genuine value (and where it doesn't). The panel brings together combined expertise spans innovation, business, internal processes, and practical work with technology. More about the event: [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/european-leadership-%26-academic-institute_minulý-měsíc-proběhlo-první-letošní-setkání-activity-7460607352736583680-uvXP](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/european-leadership-%2526-academic-institute_minul%C3%BD-m%C4%9Bs%C3%ADc-) 📅 May 27th 🗣 Language: Czech 🎟 Free entry Register here: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsGptqTAqMZrwXPcn5j0Ukt0o19a7MzIdiZE0YP17HZnrwdg/viewform](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsGptqTAqMZrwXPcn5j0Ukt0o19a7MzIdiZE0YP17HZnrwdg/viewform)

Learning Czech can be hard and demotivating, especially when studying alone. **This meetup is a shared study session where we come together to stay focused, motivated, and make progress — each in our own way.** This is a co-learning / co-studying session, not a class. There is no teacher, no lesson, and no study material provided. Everyone comes with their own resources and studies independently, in a shared environment. 🧠 **How it works** • We all bring our own material: • textbooks • homework from a Czech course • Duolingo or other apps • reading practice • vocabulary review, etc. • We mainly work individually • We are free to: • ask questions • help each other • share tips and resources • No teacher, no formal structure, no pressure 👥 **Who is it for?** • Czech learners of all levels • Non-Czech speakers (expats, internationals) • Czech native speakers are welcome if they want to help, but this is not a language exchange ⏱ **Practical info** • Location: Cafedu 12, Škrétova 490, 120 00 Praha 2 (Metro A and C, Muzeum station) • Duration: 2 hours, or less or more, as you want • Group size: small group for now • Free event — please support the café by ordering a drink ☕ If you’re learning Czech and lack motivation when studying alone, come join us — let’s find it together 🙂

**MigAct Networking Event** How do we build strong, open communities in Prague? Is “community organizing” just a concept, or is it what happens in our neighborhoods every day? Join us for ***Community Organizers in Action***, an afternoon of networking and honest conversation about what it takes to act together in the Czech Republic. **What will happen:** **Real Talk:** Discussion with the with experts from the field about what community organizing really looks like. **Projects in Action:** Our training participants will pitch the local projects they’re launching right now. **Speed Dating & Networking:** A quick, fun way to meet everyone in the room and find new allies. **Networking Wall:** Bring your flyers or business cards! We’ll have a space for you to share your work and find collaborators. 🗓️ May 27, 2026 ⏰ 16:00–18:30 📍 Podnikatelské a inovační centrum hl. m. Prahy (PIC), *Škodův palác*. Charvátova 41/6, Praha 1 Please RSVP here by May 25th: [https://forms.gle/anbrdkVHTNbJKXiF9](https://forms.gle/anbrdkVHTNbJKXiF9?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwRUg1WVFsa1Nyd0NWUlQwd3NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR75UCdeOR1Df2AyO9jMzkiPjCIIDmRAfw_HdpBkQ4BVk1C1W9i7ddr_gZ1htA_aem_ZtxTRKkjJtpAFZDCYAwQ1w) We’re excited to meet you! This Project has been supported by the European Philanthropic Initiative for Migration (EPIM), a collaborative initiative of the Network of European Foundations (NEF).

Rádi bychom vás pozvali na další setkání naší datové komunity **Data Punkers**, které se tentokrát zaměří na to, proč **AI needs better data** — a jak to vypadá v praxi 🤖📊 Čeká nás večer věnovaný reálnému nasazení AI ve firmách — od prvních kroků až po produkční řešení. Žádná teorie od stolu — jen konkrétní zkušenosti lidí, kteří AI dnes skutečně používají. Krátké přednášky, konkrétní zkušenosti a pak klasický komunitní networking. **💡 PROGRAM** **🤖 AI v datech: Jak jsme to rozjeli v Shoptetu a co jsme cestou zjistili** *[Aleš Tygl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ales-tygl/), Head of Data, Shoptet* Jak v Shoptetu přistupují k AI readiness jako k procesu, ne jednorázovému projektu. Aleš nasdílí konkrétní zkušenosti s implementací a adopcí AI agentů a ukáže, kde je hranice mezi hype a realitou. **🤖 100k+ requestů měsíčně: Jak mít AI pod kontrolou** *[Adam Dobiáš](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamdobias/), Data Director, Dateio* Jak postavit vlastní AI pipeline, která zvládne velký objem requestů a přitom zůstane plně pod kontrolou. Adam ukáže, proč se rozhodli opustit black-box řešení, jak funguje jejich přístup k přesnosti a auditovatelnosti — a co všechno obnáší provoz AI v produkci. **🤖 PBI Speedrunner aneb Jak jsme přestali klikat dashboardy a nechali to dělat agenta** *[Luboš Vaindl,](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubo%C5%A1-vaindl-b85351104/?skipRedirect=true) Data Engineer, Revolt BI* Jak si pomocí AI urychlit práci a soustředit se na to, co má skutečně smysl. Luboš ukáže, proč samotný Copilot nestačí, co dnes AI zvládá lépe než člověk a kde má naopak stále své limity. **🤖 Jak dostat AI do každodenního fungování firmy** *[Tiep Luu Danh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiep-luu-danh/), Chief Product Officer, Vilgain* Jak zvládnout migraci datové platformy a zároveň začít smysluplně pracovat s AI. Tiep sdílí zkušenosti s přechodem na moderní datovou architekturu a s nasazením AI agentů do praxe — co to obnáší, kde to přináší největší hodnotu a na co si dát pozor. 📅 **Kdy:** 27\. května 2026 🕔 **Open door:** 17:00 🎤 **Začátek přednášek:** 17:30 📍 **Kde:** [Shoptet, Pod Dráhou 1637/6, Praha 7 (Port7, budova E3)](https://share.google/4oLqceg6bgY9VSKom) Těšíme se na vás! **Data Punkers**

**5-a-side Football** practice at Rajská Zahrada artificial grass pitch. No cleats shoes. Maximum of 15 participants for a 3 teams of 5 rotating. **Kick off at 18h00**. Everybody is welcome, no age, gender nor any restriction of any type to join. Cost: **90 crowns**. Please send the money using the **QR Code** stored here: https://imgur.com/a/G8NWGjM In case of any Opt-out within 24h of the session, or no show, the payment will be due (you still can ask someone to come instead of you, as your spot will be booked)

We are a group of runners who meet most weeks for a run around the beautiful Vltava River's edge. You can bring your running shoes straight from the office/home office if you don't have time to stop at home. There will be a place to put your bags in the Cafe. We will run about 9 km along the river and have a drink afterwards. Paces vary! We will meet in the square near Kavarna Liberal (Hermanova 6), near the Vltavska metro/tram stop at 6:30 on Wednesday. See you there!

At the group's first meetup, we will informally discuss whether self-improvement has an end or is a never-ending process. To inspire the discussion, I selected two short blog posts with opposing perspectives. The [first post](https://markmanson.net/self-improvement#:~:text=There%27s%20a%20paradox%20with,the%20need%20to%20improve%20yourself.) is by Mark Manson, the author of *The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F#ck*. He argues that: “*There’s a paradox with self-improvement (...): the ultimate goal of all self-improvement is to reach the point where you no longer feel the need to improve yourself (…). The whole goal of improving your productivity is to reach the point where you never have to think about how to be more productive. The whole point of pursuing happiness is to reach the point where one no longer has to think about being happy. (…)* *The only way to truly achieve one’s potential, to become fully fulfilled, or to become “self-actualized” (…), is to, at some point, stop trying to be all of those things.”* The [second post](https://maartenvandoorn.medium.com/self-improvement-doesnt-have-an-end-it-is-the-end-6bbb3247ff6f) is by Maarten van Doorn, who wrote it as a reply to Mark Manson’s post. Van Doorn argues that self-improvement doesn’t have an end because it is an end in itself: *“‘The paradox of self-improvement’, as Mark calls it, is not that self-improvement, despite appearances, has as its ultimate goal something that’s ‘in your head’. No, the true paradox of self-improvement is that it’s perhaps the only kind of improvement that is not done for the sake of whatever it is being improved, but for its own sake.* *Self-improvement has intrinsic value and, in contrast to productivity, becoming better and exercising skills are essential components of what makes life worth living (…)* *Personal growth shouldn’t be thought of as a band-aid to fix something. That’s not what it’s for. What it’s for, is to prevent you from settling for eternal boredom — and your life from going by unnoticed*.” What do you think? **Reading the posts beforehand is optional** — Just in case you want to read them, here are the links: * ‘[What is self-improvement’ by Mark Manson](https://markmanson.net/self-improvement#:~:text=There%27s%20a%20paradox%20with,the%20need%20to%20improve%20yourself.). * ‘[Self-improvement doesn’t have an end, it is the end’ by Maarten van Doorn](https://maartenvandoorn.medium.com/self-improvement-doesnt-have-an-end-it-is-the-end-6bbb3247ff6f) We will also have time to talk about ourselves and brainstorm ideas for next meetups. See you soon. Ángel

**IMPORTANT! Please register on Luma page: https://luma.com/0xb0bote** **What is it?** This isn’t your typical networking event. It’s a Fuck-Up Night — a space to share real professional mistakes and what came after. No polished success stories, just honest experiences. **What to expect** • 3 short talks from speakers sharing their biggest fuck-ups Anish Girdhar - Product Owner - Rohlik https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishgirdhar/ Lisa Ljubčič - Marketing & Brand Lead, Ex-Marketing Manager -Manifesto https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ljubcic/ Nando Rossi - Senior Product Designer - Freelancer https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandorocker/ • Open mic - anyone can jump in and share their story • Casual networking, drinks & conversations **Who is this for?** Designers, Product Managers, Developers, Marketers, and anyone in creative or tech who wants to connect, learn from others’ experiences, and share their own. Note - If your plans change, please cancel your spot so someone else can join. **When & where** 📅 28.05.26 🕛 19:00 📍KC Přístav 7: V Přístavu 24, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice 🗣 Language: English **Please** arrive 5–10 minutes early to grab a drink and settle in so we can start on time. **Přístav 7** is a community space where you can buy drinks and snacks during the event. **Who we are 🌍** Projector Global Community by Prjctr Creative & Tech Institute connects designers, developers, marketers, and innovators worldwide. We foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and creative growth. **Hosted by 🎤** Daniella Kovalenko (UI/UX Designer & Art Director) Lesia Astrashanovych (Design & Product Recruiter) Tania Korab (Product Designer at Siemens) **See you at Prague Fuck Up Night & Networking!**

Spring is in full swing, summer is just around the corner, and that means it's time for another Talk .NET with .NET Team! 🚀🌷☀️ Join us for another evening of practical engineering insights, fresh .NET developments, and conversations with fellow developers. This time we'll explore the future of .NET MAUI. Uncover why Process APIs can still surprise you. And peek at the AI infrastructure powering the dotnet/skills marketplace. As always, expect hands-on technical content, and lot of networking in a room full of fellow engineers. Who, like you, enjoy learning, sharing knowledge, and building great software. We can't wait to see you there! Agenda & speakers: * 5\.30pm \| Doors Open * 6\.00pm \| **Less Noise, More Magic: What's New in .NET MAUI 10 and Beyond** \| Kirill Ovchinnikov \(Microsoft\) * 6\.45pm \| **Your Process Code Hangs. Here's Why (and How .NET 11 Fixes It)** \| Youssef Fahmy \(Microsoft\) * 7\.30pm \| **Introduction to dotnet/skills and infra behind it** \| Jan Krivanek \(Microsoft\) * 8\.00pm \| **Networking with food** 🙂☕ * 9\.00pm \| Doors closed **TALK DETAILS:** 🟣 **Less Noise, More Magic: What's New in .NET MAUI 10 and Beyond** with [Kirill Ovchinnikov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirillovchinnikov/) (Microsoft) Join a member of the team behind MAUI and XAML tooling in Visual Studio and VS Code for a look at the latest improvements coming to .NET MAUI. Discover how .NET 10 and the road to .NET 11 simplify cross-platform development with cleaner XAML, new language capabilities, Linux support, and even local AI experiences running directly on mobile devices. 🟢 **Your Process Code Hangs. Here's Why (and How .NET 11 Fixes It)** with [Youssef Fahmy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssef1313/) (Microsoft) Working with Process APIs often seems straightforward - until your application unexpectedly hangs. Youssef will break down one of the most common deadlock scenarios, explain why older APIs are difficult to use correctly, and introduce the modern .NET 11 alternatives. You'll leave with practical patterns, best practices, and a checklist to avoid painful debugging sessions. 🔵 **Introduction to dotnet/skills and infra behind it** with [Jan Krivanek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-krivanek/) (Microsoft) Discover dotnet/skills, the marketplace for coding-agent extensions and plugins. Learn how skills and agents work, explore notable examples from the ecosystem, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the AI infrastructure, evaluation systems, and engineering challenges that power the platform. Our meetup wouldn’t be complete without him - once again, the evening will be moderated by the amazing [Jakub Jares](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jares/) (Microsoft)! 📍 Microsoft Office (Delta Building, Vyskočilova 1561/4a, Prague 4) 📅 Thursday, May 28th, 2026 🕗 5.30pm - 9.00pm CET ☝️ Event Details: * Language: English * Cost: Free entry

What are dbt meetups? dbt Meetups are networking events open to all folks working with data! Talks predominantly focus on community members' experience with dbt, however, you'll catch presentations on broader topics such as analytics engineering, data stacks, data ops, modeling, testing, and team structures. 🤝Organizer: Philip Morris International 🏠Venue Host: Karlovo nám. 2097, 120 00 Nové Město 🍕Catering: Fingerfood and drinks ✨ **Agenda & Speakers** ✨ 5:00 PM **\|** **Registration & Welcome** 5:30 PM **\| Intro** by PMI 5:45 PM \| **"For Builders, by Builders - What's news at dbt Labs"** \- 🎤 Stephan Durry \(dbt Labs\) 6:15 PM \| **1\. Talk**: *Running dbt in a Highly Regulated Enterprise* **-** 🎤 ([Mike Vilimek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalvilimek/), father of dbt @ PMI) 6:45 PM \| 15min Breather 7:00 PM \| **2\. Talk**: *From Fabric to Fantastic: How dbt Makes Your Lakehouses and Warehouses Shine* **-** 🎤 ([Sam Debruyn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldebruyn/), dbt Champion & Microsoft MVP) 7:30 PM \| The dbt Quiz 7:45 PM \| Networking & Community Time **Important Notes:** * The venue has capacity limits. Please RSVP if you intend to come and change your RSVP status on the Meetup to "Not Going". * The doors open at 5pm. If you arrive before, we may not be ready to welcome you yet! * The doors will close at 5.40pm. * To attend, please read the Health and Safety Policy and Terms of Participation: [https://www.getdbt.com/legal/health-and-safety-policy](https://www.getdbt.com/legal/health-and-safety-policy) Since 2016, dbt Labs has been on a mission to help data practitioners create and disseminate organizational knowledge. dbt is the standard for AI-ready structured data. Powered by the dbt Fusion engine, it unlocks the performance, context, and trust that organizations need to scale analytics in the era of AI. Globally, more than 60,000 data teams use dbt, including those at Siemens, Roche and Condé Nast. Learn more at [getdbt.com,](http://getdbt.com,/) and follow dbt Labs on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dbtlabs/mycompany/), [X](https://x.com/dbt_labs), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dbt_labs/), and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/dbt-labs) ➡️ Join the dbt Slack community: [https://www.getdbt.com/community/](https://www.getdbt.com/community/) 🤝Join the #local-czsk channel in dbt Slack ([https://slack.getdbt.com/](https://slack.getdbt.com/)).

This group is for anyone who writes - for any reason. Have a thesis or article you need to write? Trying to finish a novel or an academic paper? This group is for you. We are currently meeting in-person at Locus Workspace. If you have any questions, contact Sonya Lano here or on Facebook or Messenger (https://www.facebook.com/sonya.lano). We start at 9:00, introduce ourselves, and share a few words about what we're working on and what we hope to accomplish during the session. At the end of the session, you can give us a brief recap of how it went. We'll break at noon. The afternoon session starts at 2:00 pm. You're welcome to join both sessions or just one. Please come as close to 9:00 as you can if you come for the morning session. If you come to the afternoon session, we are usually back by about a quarter to 2:00.

\*\*\*\*\* We're meeting both in-person and virtually via Skype depending on the week. Contact Sonya Lano for more information if you want to join \*\*\*\*\* This is for anyone wanting feedback! We mostly focus on novels and longer works, but short stories are welcome, as well. You can submit anything you want feedback on in any genre. Current word limit for submissions is 4,000 words. Send your submissions by 13:30 the Thursday before the meeting (or we have a grace period during which you can submit a lower limit of 2,500 words if you submit by midnight Thursday evening). Also, if you don't have time to read through everyone's submissions, still join the meeting! We know that busy schedules don't always make finding reading time easy. To submit, use the Dropbox folder. If you don't have access to it, send sonyalakadosch@yahoo.com your e-mail address so I can add you. Looking forward to seeing everyone there! My number in case of any confusion the day of the meeting is 737 118 530 - or on Facebook: Sonya Lano (https://www.facebook.com/sonya.lano) DROPBOX INFO: * add new submissions for the next meeting in the " submissions" folder for the meeting date. Put your name at the beginning of the file name (for example: "Sonya Somewhere in the Dark") * When providing written feedback (not required, but deeply welcome), save the file as a separate document on your device, then mark your changes/ feedback in the saved file. After you're finished, put the file in the "Feedback" folder under the folder for the meeting date and then under the person the feedback is for (e.g. "For Sonya"). * The submissions folder will be replaced within a week after the meeting has taken place. Feedback will be deleted within 2 months after the meeting, so if you need it longer than that, make sure to copy it to your own disk.

In a world full of opinions, noise, and quick reactions, we often miss spaces for real dialogue — for slowing down, listening, and connecting with one another. This evening is an invitation to do exactly that. Join us for an open and friendly evening (in English & free of charge) dedicated to How We Die. We will brainstorm together in an Open Space–style format, where participants choose topics themselves about what we want to discuss from this broad topic - questions to help you get inspired: What does it mean to die? Do we have a right to die? Can we lose it? Can we be forced to stay alive? Afterwards, participants will form small groups to explore the questions and insights around the topics 18:00 – Doors open 18:15 – Introduction & topic selection 18:40 - We start discussions 19:40 - Closing session (sharing activities) 20:00 - Networking & Connect What to expect: A welcoming space for newcomers and regulars alike Be slightly pushed to socialize Open, participant-led small-group discussions on diverse perspectives No expertise required — everyone’s opinion matters! Safe, respectful, and judgment-free conversations More about sharing and reflecting than debating or convincing No pressure to speak — listening is just as valuable Not a lecture, not a debate club, and definitely not intimidating! Feel free to bring some snacks to share! Friendly dogs are welcome! If you are a regular that appreciate us and can help, or a newcomer who enjoyed the evening, and wants to help, we have recently set a Patreon page where you can support us! https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarthSocietyDialogues

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

How to be a Better Communicator Communication is everything in life Sunday, 23 February at 2pm. You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

**The idea for this group is to build a community where men can gather together and build connections & learn and grow from each other.** How we start each meeting is by each of us checking in with our "roses and thorns" aka what are the good things and the bad things going on in your life recently? Then we will go into a topic discussion. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS** \*\*THERE WILL BE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR NO-SHOWS. IF YOU RSVP TO A MEETING AND FAIL TO SHOW UP WITHOUT NOTICE, YOU'LL BE REMOVED FROM THE GROUP. THIS IS TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE GROUP\*\* 1. Confidentiality - EVERYTHING that is shared NEVER leaves this space so that this space remains safe and sacred. There is a zero tolerance policy for this. If a man is in violation of this, they will be permanently removed from the group. 2. Non-Judgement - we respect and honor every man’s truth so that we may receive the same from others. While we may not agree on everything, we commit to respecting every man’s perspectives and engaging in honorable discussion with one another. 3. Be committed - honor your commitment to this group and to yourself. If you attend a meeting, please commit yourself fully to the meeting. Also be committed to your own journey. When we fail, we own it & clean it up. 4. Speak from the heart - this is NOT a space to “look good”, have the “right” answers, and have it all together. Relax and know you are not alone. Be exactly who you are within the safety of this space. 5. Be supportive - This means always willing to provide encouragement to your fellow men, encourage action and momentum in each other’s lives.. Be willing to challenge each other. Be willing to hold each other accountable. 6. Participation - what you receive from this community will be a reflection of what you put into it. Period. We ask that you share your perspectives, reflect on others, and give/receive support when and where it’s needed.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** Like it or not, AI agents are now capable of turning a quickly written paragraph of requirements into a pull request that is ready to be integrated into real-world production applications and it's now our responsibility to make sure AI doesn't go rogue and take down prod - or corrupt our data by misunderstanding the requirements or our existing schemas. In this session we'll explore strategies to protect our codebases through unit and integration testing, documentation, and code review along with additional ways of providing context and guard rails to our AI agents as they carry out the work we've assigned them to do. By the time we're done, you'll have a firm grasp of the problem and understand some helpful options for protecting your codebase from vibe coding mishaps getting YOLOed into prod. **YouTube Link** https://youtube.com/live/BltmWMH1zG0?feature=share

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

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT NOTES:** 1. The dates for this series are simply placeholders at the moment. We are working on our 2026 schedule, and adjustments are forthcoming. 2. Each class in this series has an attendance fee. 3. Each class from BOTH a sign-up and fee perspective is a separate entity. **Introduction:** Our Page Building with Bricks web development class provides detailed instruction for using Bricks Builder, a visual site builder for WordPress, to create and manage websites. Widely considered by many of the world's leading web developers to be the most complete page builder on the market today, Bricks Builder offers a wide range of features and comprehensive tools. Our Bricks Builder web development class provides detailed instructions on utilizing the toolset. The series of courses covers the core features of Bricks Builder, enabling users to design and develop responsive, visually appealing websites. Moreover, the courses are oriented to reinforce a focus on professional, scalable web development. Throughout the series, we focus our page-building instruction on the semantic and structural integrity of the pages in a responsive world. By the end of the 10-class series, participants will have a fundamental understanding of proper web page and website development. **The breakdown of the 10-class series is as follows:** * Class 01 - Survey of Page Builders / What Bricksbuilder Does For You * Class 02 - Boxes, Boxes, Boxes / Sections / Containers * Class 03 - Static Units / Relative Units / Responsive Development And Math Functions * Class 04 - CSS Variables And DRY Development / Classes And Global Styling * Class 05 - CSS Grid And CSS Flexbox * Class 06 - Responsive Development / Breakpoints And Media Queries * Class 07 - Effective Use Of Color / Effective Use Of Images * Class 08 - Beginning To Think Dynamically / Using Templates And Components * Class 09 - Dynamic Styling / Data Attributes And Attribute Selectors * Class 10 - Pseudo Elements / Programmatically Styling With Pseudo Classes Throughout the class sessions listed above, we cover the following key areas of web development with Bricks Builder: * **Introduction to Bricks Builder Interface:** * Familiarization with the builder's layout, including the toolbar, panel, and canvas, and understanding how to navigate and interact with its various components. * **Visual Site Building:** * Techniques for creating layouts using Bricks' drag-and-drop interface, incorporating sections, rows, columns, and elements to build page structures. * **Styling and Design:** * Utilizing Bricks' styling options to customize elements, apply global CSS classes for consistent design, and leverage features like Flexbox and CSS Grid for responsive layouts. * **Dynamic Content and Custom Fields:** * Integrating dynamic content from custom post types and custom field plugins (like ACF, Meta Box) to build data-driven websites. * **Template Building:** * Creating and managing reusable templates for headers, footers, post type layouts, and other site-wide elements. * **Performance Optimization:** * Understanding how Bricks Builder contributes to fast-loading websites and implementing performance best practices. * **Advanced Features:** * Depending on the class level, it might delve into advanced topics such as conditional logic, interactions, and custom code integration to enable more complex functionality. The series aims to equip participants with the skills to efficiently build, customize, and maintain WordPress websites using Bricks Builder, catering to both beginners and experienced web developers.