Cisco Systems

We're excited to be heading to Civo Tech Junction for our March meetup. We'll have some great talks, detailed below, and drinks and food for everyone. **We are short of volunteers so please get in touch if you can help with logistics on the night**. **6:00pm - Arrival** **6:45pm - Introductions** **7:00pm - The Talks** **Building Secure CI/CD for Multi‑Cloud: An AWS Builder’s Perspective - Alam Ahmad** “Shift left on security” sounds simple until you’re juggling AWS and Azure, Terraform templates, and CI/CD pipelines moving faster than you can keep up. In this talk, AWS Community Builder Alam Ahmed shares how he brought practical, automated cloud security to life across multiple cloud environments without slowing delivery. Through real‑world stories and live demos, Alam shows how to embed policy‑as‑code tools like Checkov and Trivy into GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Jenkins pipelines. Expect working examples you can drop into production and see how open‑source tools (Terraform, Prowler, Trivy, and more) can help teams catch misconfigurations before they ship. You’ll learn how to bridge security patterns between AWS and Azure, apply Security‑as‑Code that actually works, and harness the open‑source ecosystem to move faster while staying compliant. Alam Ahmed began his career in a Network Operations Center before shifting into cloud security and automation. He’s an AWS Community Builder in Security, a regular meetup speaker (Elastic London, Yorkshire DevOps, Cloud Native London), and an open‑source contributor pursuing opportunities as a Junior Cloud Engineer or Application Support Engineer. His talks connect hands‑on ops experience with actionable security automation for the real world. **Into the Agentic Mud Fight: Surviving the Shift from Scripts to Vibes - Ivan Pedrazas** We started with Copilots, then the AI IDEs arrived. Then the Terminal took the spotlight with Claude Code, which was nice... until the OpenClaw landed, and now we're knee deep in an "Agentic Mud Fight", and the DevOps community is caught in the crossfire. While AI Agents promise a future of self-healing infrastructure and autonomous deployments, they introduce a radical paradigm shift. We are moving from deterministic, script-based automation to probabilistic, goal-oriented autonomy. DevOps was built on the comfort of "if this, then that," but Agents operate on the principle of "this is likely the best next step." Suddenly, we’re wondering if an ever-mutating pipeline is actually the way to go (or just a very fast way to break things). In this light-hearted journey through the trenches, we’ll look at the three pillars of our new daily reality: security, observability and reliability. With two decades of experience in distributed systems, Ivan Pedrazas has spent the last year at the forefront of the AI evolution. He is currently building the next generation of developer tooling, integrating AI agents and MCP servers to create seamless workflows between LLMs and (non-deterministic) production environments. **Participate in a future Meetup** If you'd like to speak at a future meetup, or if you are able to host or sponsor the event, please fill in this [form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FYGHEWTeBb5vVztGGg2YoUJmKR03o9mZaFIghf6vjzo/viewform?edit_requested=true) and we'll get back to you.

Greetings All, The Spiritual Discussion Programme on BLESS RADIO 1 is on today from 6pm to 8pm UK time. The topic is "Easter: Sacrifice or Murder and Resurrection” To listen visit www.blessradio1.com CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON ON THE ZENO VIDEO SCREEN ON TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER Alternatively you can listen on zeno.fm/radio/blessradio1 [Please note this link has changed from the previous address] We are also live streaming on YouTube. Goto [www.YouTube.com](https://www.youtube.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwWjhrNU5kZ3FiWlFKcWVVVXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6ece5RqVM1SXANz30l6szCVQY-2cv67si6OWQxtMSPNnmJsOZBTl47GGA1SQ_aem_9B5RFmZKLeVHG_QJhe83Bw) Search for “Blessradio1 Grail Message Easter: Sacrifice or Murder and Resurrection" After the show, you can also listen to the recording of the show on YOU TUBE (as above). Hope you can listen tonight and join in. PLEASE Call /Text / WhatApp us with your questions or comments on +44 7939 641 958. OR Message us on Bless Chat box on [www.blessradio1.com](http://www.blessradio1.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2fGBcwr_zqUzBvp1UNYPsReHJqU4HJqhn3rg3XZGIk-3b5QHFKoJQolAs_aem_ONWb__d3tcI4BshpKmv6ag) Regards, Saad Farooqi

We’re keeping things moving in March with a return to one of our favourites, **The Otherist**! Located right in the heart of the City near Liverpool Street and Bank, this place has the perfect relaxed vibe for sinking into some good product chat! It’s an ideal spot to grab a drink, catch up with familiar faces, and meet some new ones - see you there 👋 **About Product Pints:** Product Pints events do away with formal talks and presentations to focus on the things that matter - meaningful connections and interesting conversations for product people. We see a diverse range of folk attending from those looking to enter the product world, CPOs, entrepreneurs, devs, designers, and technology enthusiasts. Whether you're there to get advice on an idea or a pain point, hoping to understand more about what other PMs are doing or simply looking to share a beer with some fellow product people, we'd love to see you there. **If your company might be interested in sponsoring future events in 2026, please reach out to us at hello@productpints.com**

**Please RSVP to attend this event here:** [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owasp-25th-anniversary-owasp-london-chapter-meetup-in-person-tickets-1985556840961?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owasp-25th-anniversary-owasp-london-chapter-meetup-in-person-tickets-1985556840961?aff=oddtdtcreator) **REGISTER on EVENTBRITE: [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owasp-25th-anniversary-owasp-london-chapter-meetup-in-person-tickets-1985556840961?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owasp-25th-anniversary-owasp-london-chapter-meetup-in-person-tickets-1985556840961?aff=oddtdtcreator)** Join us to learn about securing AI and applications and celebrate OWASP's 25th Anniversary **This event is kindly hosted by Tessl AI.** **This event is kindly sponsored by Mend.io** **There is limited seating available for in-person attendees. Registration required.** **This event will also be live-streamed on YouTube.** **Recordings will be available on the [OWASP London YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/OWASPLondon)** **TICKETS:** OWASP meetups are free and open to anyone interested in application security. Please note that you MUST REGISTER book your place to be admitted to the event by the building security. Your name will be checked against the guest list. **REGISTER HERE:** **CODE OF CONDUCT:** We hope you enjoy the event, we care deeply about inclusivity and diversity so that OWASP is a comfortable and welcoming community for everyone. Please reach out to one of our chapter leaders if you have any feedback/concerns or would like to speak to us, we take these matters very seriously. OWASP Code Of Conduct: [https://owasp.org/www-policy/operational/code-of-conduct](https://owasp.org/www-policy/operational/code-of-conduct) **PHOTOGRAPHY** Please note that OWASP events are open to the public, and OWASP does not restrict attendees (including OWASP staff, volunteers, sponsors, and media) from taking photos or videos at our events. The talks will be video recorded. By attending OWASP events, you acknowledge that you are in a public space and that attendees (including OWASP staff, volunteers, sponsors, and media) may capture your image in photos and videos. Nevertheless, OWASP encourages event attendees to exercise common sense and good judgment and respect the wishes of other attendees who do not wish to be photographed at the Events. **SPONSORS** This event is kindly sponsored by Mend.io and kindly hosted by Tessl AI **REGISTER TO HERE:** [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owasp-25th-anniversary-owasp-london-chapter-meetup-in-person-tickets-1985556840961?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owasp-25th-anniversary-owasp-london-chapter-meetup-in-person-tickets-1985556840961?aff=oddtdtcreator)

**Stop Experimenting. Start Delivering. Go from Proof-of-Concept to Production.** We continue with **Part 2** of our **AI Ops with Databricks** series, where we explore how to move from AI experimentation to real, production-scale value. In this session, **Wynand Jordaan** and **Matthew Thomson** will unpack the practical steps, architecture patterns, and operational best practices for delivering **AI at scale** using Databricks. We’ll discuss: * How AI Ops bridges the gap between data science and production systems * Leveraging Databricks to operationalise machine learning workflows * Building robust monitoring, observability, and governance for AI models * Expert heuristics, tips, tricks and rules of thumb for building reliable agentic systems * Real-world examples of accelerating AI delivery and reducing time-to-value Whether you’re a data engineer, data scientist, or tech leader looking to scale AI impact, this session will give you actionable insights and a roadmap to production success. **Speakers**: * **Wynand Jordaan** – AI & Data Engineering Specialist, passionate about scaling intelligent systems in production. * **Matthew Thomson, PhD** –Director for Architecture, Consulting and Enablement for UK&I at Databricks, focused on helping customers build and deploy Apache Spark and machine learning models at scale. Join us to learn, share ideas, and connect with others shaping the future of AI operations.

Welcome to our second London meetup of 2026, where we discuss Gen AI and Kubernetes! Details below: **Location:** Civo Tech Junction, First Floor, 32-37 Cowper St, London EC2A 4AW **Time:** Doors open at 6PM **Drinks, snacks, talks, and networking.** We’re excited to invite you to our second in-person **DevOps Society Meetup** of 2026, proudly **sponsored by Cast AI**. This event is focussed around Gen AI and Kubernetes, with two really exciting speakers lined up for this one in Carly and Kunal. Format of the Meetup: 6:00pm – 6:30pm — Networking on arrival, with food and drinks provided by CastAI 6:30pm – 7:10pm — First speaker + Q&A 7:10pm – 7:20pm — Break for refreshments and networking 7:20pm – 8:00pm — Second speaker + Q&A 8:00pm onwards — More networking at the venue, then at a nearby pub. *Timings can vary slightly depending on Q&A.* We’re excited to welcome everyone to our next DevOps Society London meetup, where we’ll be diving into two incredibly relevant topics in modern infrastructure: observing GenAI applications in production and optimising Kubernetes clusters. We’ll be joined by two brilliant speakers from the ecosystem who are working at the forefront of developer tooling and cloud infrastructure. As always, expect a relaxed evening of technical learning, discussion, and networking with fellow engineers from across the London tech community. *** ## 🎤 Speaker 1 - Carly Richmond **Developer Advocate Lead @ Elastic** ### Observing AI Applications with OpenLit and OpenTelemetry Observability is the ability to measure the current state of a system. With the rapid emergence of LLMs and GenAI applications moving into production, teams now need deeper insight into how these systems behave in real-world environments. In this talk, Carly will explore best practices for observing production AI applications, covering how engineers can capture logs, traces, and metrics to better understand how LLMs interact within their application ecosystem. She’ll walk through a real example of instrumenting an AI agent application written in TypeScript, using OpenLit to generate OpenTelemetry signals. The session will show the types of telemetry data teams can capture to identify usage patterns, detect errors, and troubleshoot issues commonly seen in production GenAI applications. ### About Carly Carly Richmond is Developer Advocate Lead at Elastic, based in London. She’s a UI developer who also writes backend services, a keynote speaker, and a tech writer who is passionate about helping developers build better systems. Outside of tech, Carly enjoys cooking, photography, drinking tea, and chasing after her young son. *** ## 🎤 Speaker 2 - Kunal Kushwaha **Senior Developer Advocate @ CAST AI** ### Optimizing Kubernetes and Unlocking Blockers with Container Live Migration Kubernetes promises automation, yet most clusters run at around **10% CPU utilisation**, leaving large amounts of infrastructure sitting idle. With endless instance types, constantly shifting prices, and the complexity of modern workloads, maintaining efficient clusters can quickly become a full-time job. In this talk, Kunal explores the real-world challenges teams face when running Kubernetes in production. He’ll cover where Kubernetes automation works well, where it falls short, and why optimisation remains difficult for many teams. Topics include: * Why most Kubernetes clusters are underutilised * The realities of autoscaling in production environments * Challenges around instance types and Spot capacity * Common mistakes teams make with HPA and VPA Once these challenges are laid out, Kunal introduces Container Live Migration as a way to overcome some of these long-standing blockers. To bring the concept to life, he’ll run a live technical demo where Pods running a small video game are migrated across nodes in real time, while the audience participates. The game continues running without downtime, demonstrating how live migration can improve cluster efficiency without disrupting workloads. Please register below to secure your spot. Spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. We’re really looking forward to getting the community back together again for our first event of 2026. [Our slack community](https://join.slack.com/t/devopssociety/shared_invite/zt-3mswuylw7-MhJg1IZ70rX_GpJTluG2Cw) \- join in and introduce yourself\! [Our Youtube Channel ](https://www.youtube.com/@DevOpsSociety)for regular podcasts with DevOps professionals + more DevOps content. [Website](https://thedevopsociety.com/) [To partner with us](https://thedevopsociety.com/partnerships) CAST AI website - https://cast.ai/ Thanks! From the DevOps Society team [Ben](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwhitmarsh/) and [Vytas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vytasdevops/)

Join fellow product people at The Product Group London on **Thu 2nd April** for an evening of learning, sharing and networking. **Topic of the Night: Product Outcomes Over Outputs** Product management is changing to be much more focused on achieving quantifiable outcomes over outputs and hitting dates. So how do product people make the shift and stay in the outcomes lane? On the night, we’ll explore what this really means incl. the important outcomes to focus on; making the culture shift to outcome focused; adjusting success metrics; using outcomes to drive product strategies, roadmaps, discovery and delivery; getting stakeholders onboard with a different way of thinking, and much more. **Featured Guest: Phil Hornby, Global Product Lead, ZF Group** Phil is a product leader, coach and technologist with over 20 years of experience across SaaS, IoT and Automotive. His career has spanned development, sales and operations, but product management is where he found his home, focusing on solving complex customer problems with scalable solutions. Today, Phil works as Global Product Lead at ZF, leading a tier 1 commercial vehicle diagnostics platform. As a senior IC, he works across multiple product teams to shape cohesive products that combine commercial thinking with deep technical expertise. He also founded a ZF community of practice to connect and grow digital product professionals. Alongside his ZF role, Phil continues to coach product leaders and teams, having supported thousands of individuals across hundreds of companies. He is known for helping people think clearly, make better decisions and take action that drives real impact. Phil is also a regular speaker and co-host of the Talking Roadmaps podcast. **About The Product Group London** The Product Group London is a monthly meetup designed to bring product people of all levels together for topical discussions, as a group and with our guest speakers. With attendees from startups to large enterprises, there is no shortage of opportunities to network and make new connections. And whilst the focus is on product management, we welcome product designers and engineers to join for some friendly and lively discussions. **A word about our sponsor and host, BrainStation** [BrainStation](https://brainstation.io/london) is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 500 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.

# Pawla Easter Walk @ Hampstead Heath 🐣🐾 Join us for a relaxed, friendly **Easter-themed dog group walk** through one of London’s most beautiful green spaces 🌿 This walk is all about connection — for both dogs and humans. Since it’s Easter, we’re adding a little festive fun… 🐰 **Dress up your dog in their cutest Easter outfit!** Think bunny ears, spring colours, or your pup’s best Easter look. We’ll also be giving **Easter egg dog treats to every dog** during the walk 🦴🥚 Let’s celebrate Easter together with the Pawla community. *** ## 📍 WALK DETAILS **Walk Start:** Hampstead Heath Station (We’ll meet just outside the station — look out for Pawla staff) **Walk Route:** A scenic walk through Hampstead Heath, passing Parliament Hill, and finishing at Kenwood House. **Walk Duration:** Approx. 40–50 minutes at an easy, relaxed pace **Walk Finish:** Kenwood House (A great spot to chat, take photos, and let the dogs enjoy the space) *** ## 🐕 ABOUT THE WALK This is a **social dog walk**, designed to be calm, welcoming, and inclusive. Whether you’re coming alone or with friends, you’ll find it easy to chat, connect, and enjoy the walk together. ✔ Friendly dogs welcome ✔ No pressure, no rush ✔ A mix of walking and socialising ✔ First-timers very welcome ✔ Optional **Easter outfit for your pup** 🐰 We’ll also be giving out **Easter dog treats during the walk** 🦴🤍 *** ## 🎥 PHOTOS & VIDEOS (FRIENDLY NOTICE) Pawla staff will be taking photos and short videos throughout the walk to share in the Pawla community group chat and on our social channels. By attending, you’re happy to appear in casual event content. If you’d prefer not to be filmed, just let a Pawla team member know on the day — no problem at all. *** ## 💸 COST Free to attend Just RSVP so we know numbers 💚 *** ## 🌧️ WEATHER The walk will go ahead in normal weather conditions. If there’s extreme weather, we’ll post an update on the event page on the morning of the walk. *** ## 🤍 FRIENDLY DISCLAIMER This is a community-led social walk, not a professional guided tour or training session. Please: Dress appropriately for the weather Wear comfortable shoes Keep dogs under control and be mindful of others Be aware of uneven paths, other walkers, cyclists, and wildlife By joining the walk, you take part at your own discretion and accept the usual risks associated with outdoor walking in public green spaces. Above all — be kind, relaxed, and enjoy the walk 🐾 *** ## 📲 Follow Pawla Come hang out with us in our WhatsApp community — it’s where all the fun happens 👀📸 👉 Join WhatsApp: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/KeiAO9uyS0aLY1QHSWbx7a](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KeiAO9uyS0aLY1QHSWbx7a) Follow & explore Pawla: 🌐 Official website: [https://www.heypawla.com/](https://www.heypawla.com/) 📸 Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/pawla.uk/](https://www.instagram.com/pawla.uk/) 🎵 TikTok: [https://www.tiktok.com/@pawla.uk/](https://www.tiktok.com/@pawla.uk/)

Hi folks! Welcome to our April Cloud Native London meetup! Join us to hear from our three great speakers and network with your fellow techies over pizza and drinks, or alternatively chat and following along on Youtube or LinkedIn! 6:00 Pizza and drinks 6:30 Welcome 6:45 From "Trust Then Verify" to "Verify Then Trust": Securing the AI-Accelerated Software Supply Chain (Meghan McGowan, Cloudsmith) 7:15 Keeping Up: Testing in the Age of AI and Cloud-Native (Ole Lensmar, Testkube) 7:45 Break 8:00 (Speaker TBC) 8:30 Wrap up See you there! Cheryl (@oicheryl) **From "Trust Then Verify" to "Verify Then Trust": Securing the AI-Accelerated Software Supply Chain (Meghan McGowan, Cloudsmith)** With AI accelerating code generation and GitOps driving continuous deployments, testing is under more pressure than ever to keep up. Ole will take a step back to see what’s driving the evolution of testing as adoption of Cloud Native technologies and AI for code generation attempts to drive velocity through the roof. How can engineering and platform teams deliver on the need for continuous testing as a scalable approach to quality assurance across the enterprise? And how can DevOps teams leverage AI in testing pipelines for root-cause analysis, automated remediation and intelligent test scheduling - to help push the AI-infused velocity of their dev teams all the way into production? *Ole started building with XML APIs in the late 90:ies and has since then worked with multiple technologies and startups, most notably as creator of SoapUI in 2004 and Chairman of the Swagger / OpenAPI Initiative in 2015. He joined Testkube at its inception in 2021 and is now entirely focused on ensuring its success at bringing continuous testing to the cloud-native space. When not at his laptop he can be found playing a guitar or riding a bike, but rarely both at the same time.* **Keeping Up: Testing in the Age of AI and Cloud-Native (Ole Lensmar, Testkube)** AI has made software teams faster than ever, but it's also quietly outpacing the security and infrastructure built to support them. Drawing on findings from Cloudsmith's 2026 Artifact Management Report, a survey of 505 engineering practitioners across technology, finance, healthcare, and retail, this session examines the compounding challenges that come with near-universal AI code adoption: expanded attack surfaces, hallucinated dependencies, fragmented AI model governance, and the growing operational tax of manual security remediation on top of aging infrastructure. The session moves from data to diagnosis to direction, challenging teams to rethink a foundational assumption — that you can trust code first and verify it later. At AI scale, that posture is no longer safe. Attendees will leave with a clear picture of where the industry's most critical gaps are, how their peers are investing in 2026, and three concrete questions they can bring back to their own teams to identify where to act first. *Meghan McGowan is Principal Product Marketing Manager at Cloudsmith. Before joining Cloudsmith, Meghan spent nearly a decade in the cybersecurity industry focused on security integrations and automation, helping teams operationalize tooling that actually fits their workflows.* *Based in London, she also worked closely on how threat intelligence can be applied to meet specific regulatory requirements, particularly NIS2 and DORA, giving her a grounded understanding of both the technical and compliance dimensions of modern software security.*
 *About Cloudsmith: Cloudsmith is a fully managed, cloud-native artifact management platform that gives engineering teams a single, secure source of truth for all their software artifacts: packages, containers, binaries, and AI/ML models. Built for the scale and speed of modern software delivery, Cloudsmith provides universal repository support, automated security scanning, and policy enforcement at ingestion needed to meet today's compliance requirements.* *[https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-mcgowan-4b6bb81b/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-mcgowan-4b6bb81b/)* ***Check out [https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon](https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon) if you're interested in speaking or sponsoring.***

**Current affairs discussion/open debate based on talking points from political compass quiz (2hr approx)** Familiarity with political compass quiz - which measures social and economic positions to give you a political position - recommended but not essential https://www.politicalcompass.org/test/en?page=1 * 3/4 positions from the political compass quiz discussed - members take instinctive vote before, then debate, and vote again to see if views changed * Discussion in 1 big group or 2/3 groups depending on numbers At the end of the meetup, we all come together and each share one thought from someone else that they found interesting. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- (Please note event may take place in semi-open area in pub garden, dress appropriately for warmth and comfort)

Its Springtime, and the gardens and landscape are bursting into life! To celebrate this in our digital world, 3D London has partnered with ITOOSOFT, the makers of ForestPack, to bring you an evening of 3D horticultural inspiration. **Headline Presentations** * **Paul Roberts**, Training and Content Manager - ITOOSOFT "The Craft of Parametric Thinking" https://www.itoosoft.com/ * **Karen Gazzard**, The Ruby Cube. "How I have taken the skills learnt in arch-vis and applied them to a different industry - visualisation for ecology." https://therubycube.com/ **First-time Presentation** **Alesandros Vounatsos** \- Alvo Headquarters Production Company "Presenting his short film, produced in Blender". https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandros-vounatsos-aa3b3175/ The ITOO team kindly sponsored April's meetup. Thank you! Thanks to our sponsors for supporting our monthly meetups. **[SiNi Software](https://www.sinisoftware.com/)** , **[Chaos](https://www.chaos.com/) , [ITOOSOFT](https://www.itoosoft.com/) , [NTI](https://www.nti-group.com/uk/) , [Heata](https://www.heata.co/)** #3dlondon #monthlymeetup

**Looking for a high-quality business networking event in London** to connect with founders, entrepreneurs, and professionals? Join us in the elegant **Sycamore Bar at the 5-star Middle Eight Hotel, Covent Garden,** where real business connections happen**.** Co-hosted by London tech startups **GMax Card, Ciitab and Getshop Today.** **Why Attend?** * A more polished, higher-quality alternative to typical casual networking events * Build valuable business connections in a premium environment * Exchange ideas and uncover new opportunities **Who You’ll Meet:** * Founders and entrepreneurs * Tech, digital, and product professionals * Business owners, consultants, and senior decision-makers * Professionals in finance, banking, and investment * International professionals based in London **Hosted by founder-built tech startups:** * **[GMax Card](www.gmaxcard.com)**[ - premium digital and contactless business cards](www.gmaxcard.com) for modern networking * **[Ciitab](www.ciitab.com)**[ - AI-powered LinkedIn networking](www.ciitab.com) and outreach * **[Getshop Today](www.getshop.today)**[ - UK-built ecommerce platform](www.getshop.today) for independent online stores **What to Expect** Expect a relaxed, high-quality atmosphere with space for natural introductions and open business networking. Hosts are available on arrival to help facilitate introductions. **Venue** **Sycamore Bar, Middle Eight Hotel**
 A refined, design-led bar inside the 5-star Middle Eight Hotel.
Located in the heart of Covent Garden, within walking distance of Holborn, Covent Garden, and Tottenham Court Road stations. **Note re contactless cards:** Free RSVP includes event access only. [Contactless GMax Cards](http://www.gmaxcard.com/shop) are included with paid tickets (when available). **Dress Code:** Business / smart. This is a business networking event in a 5-star hotel rather than a fully informal gathering in a local pub. **Important Details** * **Age & ID: 18+.** ID may be required for bar purchases. * **Photos & Video:** The event may be filmed or photographed by [CineEye Audiovisual Production](www.cineeye.co.uk) for promotional use. Please inform the organisers on arrival if you do not wish to appear. * **Dress Code:** Smart or business attire only. * **Contactless Cards:** Free RSVP does not include a contactless business card. * **Liability:** Attendance is at your own risk. Organisers and venue do not accept any responsibility for loss, injury, or damage to you or your property. **Limited spaces available - early booking recommended.** You’re also welcome to join [our Meetup group](https://www.meetup.com/london-entrepreneur-startup-network-tech-business-ecommerce/) and [follow us on LinkedIn](http://linkedin.com/company/gmax-card) for future events.

**Connected Westerville Night of Networking** *April Edition: The Introduction Economy* You've been to the networking events. You've done the small talk. Collected the cards. Forgotten the names. And walked out feeling like you just wasted two hours of your life. The problem isn't you. It's the format. Most networking events put you in a room and tell you to figure it out. So everyone defaults to elevator pitches and business talk, and nothing real gets built. Here's the truth about networking that most people miss: Your network isn't just who you know. It's who thinks of you when they're talking to someone else. *That's* The Introduction Economy. And it only works when relationships are real. There's a reason people who come once keep coming back. It starts with seven minutes that feel nothing like networking. Then we open it up. Free networking. More conversations. More momentum. This is a room full of corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, creatives, and career builders in the Westerville and Columbus area. The mix is the magic. You might never do business with everyone you meet tonight. But someone in this room will think of *you.* **By name**. So, the next time someone needs exactly what you do, you get the recommendation. **April 14th. RSVP now.** **When:** Tuesday\, April 14th \| 6:15 PM \-\- 8:00 PM **Where:** Vineyard Community Center \| 6000 Cooper Rd\, Westerville\, OH 43081

**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception** Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory. For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy. She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps). Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way. **About Our Speaker** Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

Central Ohio Radio Enthusiasts—CORE—is an informal community for anyone enthusiastic or curious about radio—whether you're new to radio and want to learn or you've been tinkering for years and want to share. Ham radio operators, GMRS users, Meshtastic fans, software-defined radio nerds, makers, and technical and non-technical folks are all welcome. No experience required or expected. This month we have **WiFi HaLow: Introduction and Practical Use** with **Alex Barbur**. Details are are [core.radio](https://core.radio).

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

## **Columbus Bitcoin Meetup – Event** Join us for another great evening dedicated to Bitcoin, learning, and community. We will be gathering in the private room at Olentangy Brewery for an evening of conversation, education, and fellowship with fellow Bitcoiners. This special event will feature three guest speakers sharing insights from across the Bitcoin ecosystem. ### **Guest Speakers** **Lindsay Faust** Relationship Manager at River **Andrew Tilmann** CEO of the Midwest Bitcoin Summit **Carlos Estrada** Founder of Coin Vigilante In addition to speaking during the event, Andrew Tilmann will also be available for a meet and greet. This will be a great opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming Midwest Bitcoin Summit, taking place September 23 and 24 at the Columbus Convention Center. ### **Midwest Bitcoin Summit Discount** Early Bird pricing ends **April 1st**, but you can still save **21%** by using the promo code: **COLUMBUS** Use the link below to apply the discount: [https://tickets.midwestbtc.com/affiliate/columbusbitcoinmeetup/event/midwest-bitcoin-summit-2026/?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=columbus](https://tickets.midwestbtc.com/affiliate/columbusbitcoinmeetup/event/midwest-bitcoin-summit-2026/?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=columbus) ### **Event Details** This will be a three hour event, with speakers beginning just before 7:00 PM. There will be plenty of time afterward for networking, meeting new friends, and continuing the conversation. Food will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there! ***