Character Design

PR (public relations) is the key to our major, is the key to advertisers and graphic designers. A monthly meeting will keep you updated with available accounts, new ideas and interesting discussions. Be there to resuscitate our meet up.

**Title**: Powering AI Through Data Modernization: Modernizing ETL with Databricks & Unity Catalog In this session, we will discuss how enterprises are modernizing their data platforms by migrating from legacy ETL tools (such as Informatica and traditional data warehouses) to Databricks Lakehouse architecture, and how Unity Catalog enables enterprise-grade governance, security, and discoverability across data and AI assets. We will start with food and drinks at 6pm and then move into the presentation at 6:30pm. The session will cover: * Why traditional ETL platforms are becoming a bottleneck for scale, cost, and AI adoption * How Databricks changes the data engineering and analytics operating mode * The role of Unity Catalog in centralized governance * How this foundation enables AI and Gene.AI use cases on trusted data * Q&A Our speaker for this event is **Hirenkumar Dholariya**. Hirenkumar Dholariya is a Senior Data Engineering Architect with 18+ years of experience modernizing enterprise data platforms for global Fortune 500 organizations, delivering up to 40% system performance improvement and 20–35% infrastructure cost reduction through large-scale migration from legacy ETL platforms to cloud-native Lakehouse architectures. He specializes in Databricks-based data engineering, Unity Catalog–driven governance, and building scalable, secure, and real-time analytics platforms. He has led multiple enterprise-wide transformations from tools such as Informatica and traditional data warehouses to Databricks, establishing governed data foundations using Unity Catalog and enabling advanced analytics and AI use cases on top of trusted data platforms. His leadership focuses on architecting durable data platforms, enabling teams to move faster with confidence, and translating data and AI investments into measurable business outcomes. *

Let’s hang out and journal together, trade stationary and stickers, and have a good time! Please note, we do not have a reservation, so we will do our best to find some good spots when we get there.

In an era focused on scalable efficiency, the pursuit of absolute service consistency is often seen as the ultimate goal. But what is gained and what is lost when service offerings are entirely predictable? Does aiming for uniformity stifle necessary adaptation and human connection? Join us for an intimate discussion exploring the often overlooked trade-offs of **service consistency**. We'll dive into when consistency builds “trust and reliability”, and when it becomes “a barrier to designing flexible, empathetic, and truly customer-centric experiences”. **#ServiceDesign #ServiceConsistency #ServiceManagement** **What’s a Service Design DC salon?** Our salons are an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow designers, engage in meaningful conversations, and gain fresh perspectives on the evolving landscape of our field. Space is limited to ensure an intimate atmosphere and encourage deeper conversations. Whether you have been to a past salon or will be a first timer, we’d be happy to have you join this group discussion of service design practitioners and enthusiasts in the Washington D.C. area! **Evening Agenda** * 6:00 P.M. - Doors Open / Socializing \* * 6:30 P.M. - Salon begins * 8:00 P.M. - Salon Wraps up \*We will provide light refreshments, including food and drinks, during the salon. **Note about RSVPs:** * Due to the limited number of available spots, we kindly request that you update your RSVP if you are unable to attend so others may have the opportunity to join. Thank you for your understanding. *** Many thanks to our host and sponsor, **Technical Assent!** *At Technical Assent, we believe that government can be a platform for service innovation where services can be designed to be more relevant to customers, more reliable, and delivered at a lower cost.* *Our company exists to build high-performing government service organizations — government-to-citizens (G2C), government-to-government (G2G), and shared services. Our approach is unique in that we improve service performance from the bottom-up, starting with customer experience. We use that insight to design and modify the talent, tools, and technology that deliver government services to each customer. Technical Assent is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business appraised at CMMI-SVC Level 3.*

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Love and Monsters,”** on the inescapable bond between romance and horror, with Joshua Barton, scholar of horror and lecturer in English at Virginia Commonwealth University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-love-monsters](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-love-monsters) .] Romance and horror might seem like opposite genres, but they share a deep emotional core, and the combination of them has captivated audiences across time and culture. Put even your worst Valentine’s Day in perspective by hearing this strange relationship discussed by Joshua Barton, who has earned a big following among Profs and Pints fans with his past talks on cryptids, American horror, and Christmas ghosts. He’ll explore the undeniable and unsettling intersection of romance and horror and examine how and why love and fear intensify each other and combined to create tension, drive narratives, and explore human vulnerability. We’ll look at works that have blended passion and terror, including Gothic literature like the vampire novella *Carmilla* and modern films like *Spring* and *Crimson Peak*. We’ll study the fine line between obsession and adoration running through Stephen King’s “I Know What You Need,” Adrian Lyne’s *Fatal Attraction*, and the timeless *The Phantom of the Opera.* We’ll discuss the seeds of monstrous love that were planted with *Beauty and the Beast* and *Creature from the Black Lagoon* and bloom ferociously in works like *Twilight* and *The Shape of Water*. Through it all, we’ll find the threads of otherness and the taboo that intertwine horror, love, and reflections on identity. Join us for a journey through storytelling that combines the grotesque and the scintillating as we uncover why romance and horror are a match made in the dark. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From the original 1954 advertising poster for *Creature from the Black Lagoon* (Artist: Reynold Brown / Public Domain).

Whether you're new to Insight meditation or an advanced practitioner looking for like-minded people to sit with, you're welcome to join us at our Sunday morning drop-in group, sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. Insight meditation cultivates our natural wisdom and compassion. Meditation practice develops concentration, which allows us to calm and steady the mind. This class includes a 30-minute lightly-guided meditation, followed by a short talk and time for questions and discussion. The size of the group usually runs somewhere between 25-40 people in-person and between 12-25 online. Chairs are provided, or you may bring a sitting cushion or bench. You may also use the blankets and bolsters offered by the yoga studio. **We offer both in-person and online attendance.** To learn more about our topics and teachers, view our videos or **get the Zoom link**, visit our [class page](https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=735&utm_source=MeetUp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vienna-drop-in).

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters. It's time to explore! With the Society coming off of their recent victory in finally defeating an old enemy, they choose to turn to refocus on the goals of the Pathfinder Society: Explore! Report! Cooperate! As a celebration for such a successful year, there's a party being hosted with all sorts of friends both new and old in attendance. However, when one of Fola Barun's dear friends needs to be entertained in order to prepare a surprise, it's up to the Pathfinders to show him around the famous Maze of the Open Road. When he starts to encourage exploration, new doors appear and new adventures await! *Intro: Year of Unfettered Exploration* is the introduction to the plot of the Year of Unfettered Exploration. This scenario presents characters and themes that will feature in Year 5's metaplot, and so it is is a natural starting point for players looking to jump into the action. Written by Sen H.H.S. **Scenario tags**: Metaplot (Unfettered Exploration), Faction (Envoy's Alliance), Repeatable