Computers

This group was originally started by Chad Keith who created and hosts a podcast by the same name in Charlotte, NC. I am hoping to continue his legacy here in NoVa as I recently moved to this area. This group is all about finding community around self-improvement and exchanging ideas on how to be your best self and get the most out of life. This group is for anyone who is interested in overcoming average in all areas - career, ambitions, relationships, hobbies, health, everything. I am so excited to meet driven individuals in the NoVa area so please reach out if you have any questions at all. EVERYONE is welcome so please sign up for an upcoming meetup!

Gaming, AdTech, EdTech, Media Streaming, and FinTech are just a few of the workloads where high-availability cloud infrastructure matters. Whether you’re doing battle daily in one of these spaces or are just curious about ways to improve performance, meet us in Reston for an in-person discussion on bare metal cloud architecture. You’ll meet our product lead, James MacKenzie, who will walk through how modern bare metal serves as a control plane for hybrid and private cloud architectures. **What we will cover** * Ways to leverage bare metal, containers, and orchestration for better performance and predictable economics; * Real-world hybrid, disaster recovery, and data-intensive architectures; * Our approach to eliminating ingress and egress fees. **Who should attend** * Cloud architects and platform engineers; * DevOps professionals and infrastructure leads; * FinOps stakeholders managing data-heavy or hybrid workloads. **Why attend** This is a technical, architecture-first conversation. You will leave with a clearer understanding of high-availability cloud infrastructure and how organizations are scaling cost-effectively. Food and drinks will be provided. Space is limited to keep the discussion interactive.

**The Test Tribe 2nd Washington Meetup – Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership** AI is accelerating software delivery at an unprecedented pace-but speed without structure introduces serious risk. In today’s landscape, the traditional “testing bottleneck” isn’t just a delay-it’s a business liability. This session explores how Quality Engineering must evolve from a siloed function into a strategic, distributed capability-one that balances rapid AI adoption with strong human oversight. Moving beyond basic automation, this talk introduces the concept of Distributed Quality Governance, where quality becomes a shared responsibility across engineering, product, and leadership. Expect a practical, leadership-focused discussion that cuts through AI hype and addresses the real challenges of testing complex, AI-assisted systems-while ensuring accountability, trust, and long-term resilience. **Event Details** * **Date: 21st January 2026 (Wednesday)** * **Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT** * **Location: 1501 Langston Blvd. Arlington, Virginia** **Session: Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership** **Speaker: Alekhya Guduri** **About the Session** In an era where AI-generated code is accelerating delivery, quality can no longer be treated as a final checkpoint. Instead, it must be embedded, intentional, and governed. In this session, Alekhya Guduri presents a blueprint for building a modern QA organization that operates as a strategic business function. You’ll learn how to shift from centralized testing teams to shared ownership models, while introducing guardrails that ensure responsible AI use across the delivery pipeline. From defining a Materiality Matrix to identify where AI risks are too high to ignore, to implementing Human-in-the-Loop frameworks, this talk provides actionable guidance for leaders navigating AI-driven engineering environments. **Key Takeaways** * The Materiality Matrix: How to objectively prioritize AI risks based on business impact and technical complexity * Distributed Governance: Transitioning from centralized QA to shared ownership in AI-driven CI/CD pipelines * Responsible AI Guardrails: Practical Human-in-the-Loop frameworks to prevent bias, hallucinations, and silent failures **About the Speaker** Alekhya Guduri is a seasoned technology leader whose career sits at the intersection of engineering execution, operational excellence, and innovation. As Director of Engineering at Indeed, she focuses on building high-performing organizations that treat quality as a strategic advantage, not a last-mile activity. With deep experience scaling complex systems and leading cross-functional teams, Alekhya works at the forefront of shaping how AI and human judgment coexist within modern software delivery. She is a strong advocate for distributed governance, responsible AI practices, and the evolution of Quality Engineering into a trusted business partnership. **Why You Should Attend** * Learn how to design QA organizations for AI-driven delivery * Understand how to balance speed with responsibility in modern pipelines * Gain leadership frameworks for shared ownership of quality * Move beyond AI hype to practical, defensible testing strategies * Connect with Washington-area QA, engineering, and tech leaders **About The Test Tribe** **The Test Tribe** is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 7**00+ events** and **150K+ members** across **130+ countries**, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more. By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

Looking to level up your cybersecurity skills in a low-pressure, beginner-friendly environment? Join us for a casual co-hacking session where everyone works on **their own Hack The Box or Capture The Flag-style labs**, but we learn *together*. This is **not** a formal class or presentation. Instead, bring your laptop, grab a coffee, and make progress on whatever you're working on. If you get stuck, feel free to ask someone nearby — and if you have a tip or trick to share, jump in! The goal is to create a collaborative, welcoming space for learners of all experience levels. ### What to Expect * Work independently on your own Hack The Box labs, walkthroughs, or practice machines * Ask questions and share solutions when you want — no pressure * Meet other people interested in cybersecurity, hacking, and problem-solving * Beginners, intermediate learners, and experienced practitioners all welcome ### ☕ Location **Layered (Coffee Shop)** Comfortable seating, reliable Wi-Fi, and good vibes for hacking time. Please purchase and enjoy a drink or treat to support the venue. ### ✔ What to Bring * Laptop * Hack The Box account ([sign up here](https://www.hackthebox.com/hacker/hacking-labs), they offer a number of free labs) or other practice platform

♠️😲♠️ W.O.W. Spades Night ♠️😲♠️ Washington on Wednesday (W.O.W.) - 3rd Wednesday Spades in DC 🌟Spades in DC! 😀 Hang out with a friendly and welcoming group. Meet new people and have a great time! ✅️ No partner needed! Find one onsite. All skill levels are welcome. 📌 Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken - Navy Yard 300 Tingey St SE #150, Washington, DC 20003 ❤️ **Posted in multiple groups. So, expect a nice crowd.** 🚌 One block from Navy Yard Metro Station 🚗 Street and Garage Parking available. **** 🍷 Alcoholic beverages are available! 🍗 Please support the business by purchasing food/drinks. 🌟 The fun starts at 5:30pm! RSVP today.

Title: Quantum Enhanced Digital Therapeutics: Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Health Informatics for Mental Health Date: Jan 24 2026 13:00 - 15:00 EST Summary: This talk offers an accessible overview of how quantum computing ideas may inform the next generation of digital tools for mental health. Ishan will sketch potential roles for pattern discovery, adaptive interfaces guided by human-computer interaction, and approaches to protect patient privacy, using examples drawn from public literature. The focus is on what is feasible now, what remains experimental, and how careful evaluation can guide responsible progress in health informatics. The session closes with open questions and a practical framing to help the community explore this space. An overview of where quantum computing could add value to digital mental health tools today, what is still experimental, and how human-computer interaction and health informatics can guide responsible evaluation. Speaker: Ishan Shivansh Bangroo is a graduate researcher at Penn State University in the College of Information Sciences and Technology. His work sits at the intersection of health informatics and human-computer interaction, with a growing interest in quantum-inspired methods. He studies adaptive clinical interfaces and trustworthy analytics for mental health support, aiming to make digital tools clearer, safer, and easier to use.

Each week we’ll revisit the core cyberpunk classics — starting with Blade Runner (1982), then Ghost in the Shell (1995), Johnny Mnemonic (1995), Strange Days (1995), The Matrix (1999), eXistenZ (1999), and Blame! (2017).

DMV Computer Science Club Monthly Social Game Event Werewolf, Murder Mystery, Escape Room Every 3rd Saturday @ Meridian at Eisenhower 4 pm - midnight Ice Creams, Snacks and Beverages for everyone! Nishant (914) 473-0481 Terry (626) 679-5001

## [Event overview:](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3213250/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=RHCTN1250000469339) Register [HERE ](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3213250/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=RHCTN1250000469339)to learn more! This isn't your typical tech event. Red Hat Tech Day is a full-day, "laptops-open" intensive designed for the builders, operators, and architects who get things done and who understand that security is paramount to operational success. This day is 100% focused on deep, hands-on learning and building resilient, secure systems. You have the power to customize your day. Choose two immersive, expert-led workshops from our tracks designed to confront today's biggest enterprise challenges. You will leave with production-ready skills to reduce risk and enhance your defensive posture. Register [HERE ](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3213250/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=RHCTN1250000469339)to learn more!

Hello everyone! Who doesn't love Pizza! We'll be meeting at Andy's Pizza in Tyson's Galleria and doing some old-fashioned networking, beer-drinking, and pizza-eating. I guarantee a fun time, or else your pizza is free :) **Location:** Andy's Pizza, Tyson's Galleria, 2001 International Dr, McLean, VA 22102 **Overview:** Join us at AI Innovators Network for our upcoming meetup in Tysons dedicated to exploring the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a professional, or someone curious about the intersection of technology and AI, this event is perfect for networking, learning, and sharing insights. Connect with like-minded individuals from DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland as we dive deep into the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation driving innovation and progress in Artificial Intelligence.

**PLEASE REGISTER ON THE [LUMA PAGE](https://luma.com/92fskwbl) (only this registration will be valid)​** Ukrainian Tech Space DC MD VA and Projector Global Community are very excited to invite you to the panel discussion “Education in the age of AI” held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on January 24th at 3:30 pm ​Our panelists: ​[Nina Borysova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nborysova/) uses AI-powered tech in financial data analysis in her role as Director of Product at Mastercard and occasionally asks ChatGPT to help redesign her house in her free time. Her domain, among many others, is obtaining technical knowledge without the traditional IT background. ​[Mike Rybachuk](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-rybachuk/) co-founded Projector - the biggest creative and tech educational institution in Ukraine - and is passionate about building professional education that really adds value and supports Ukraine’s strive to rebuild after the devastation of a long war. ​[Andrew Tsintsiruk](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsintsiruk/) is a seasoned product development executive that brings vast experience of building AI-powered products to this panel. His background as an AI startup founder and broad educational reach with focus on IT and data science adds a blended perspective on the importance of both traditional and self-starter learning efforts, especially as AI continues to enrich the ways we consume new information. ​ Join our discussion, and we promise that you’ll walk away with new knowledge on how AI is disrupting education and get a better understanding of what to focus on in your professional development. ​Moderated by [Maksym Tereshchenko](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxter/), CEO at Mantis Analytics. ​ Join the discussion to dive into practical challenges, share hands-on experience, and exchange ideas you can start applying right away. Please add the questions you’d like us to bring into the panel discussion. See you!

This month, we're discussing API design and single-header libraries. How should we structure and program libraries to impose as few usage constraints as possible? We’ll look at [the STB libraries](https://github.com/nothings/stb) and other examples as case studies. *Note the slightly different time than usual.* We're still at the West End Library. **Agenda:** \- 1:45 \- 2:45pm: Library discussion \- 2:45pm \- whenever: Keep chatting over lunch nearby **What we do** Presentations on lower-level, foundational programming topics, ethical software, knowledge sharing, mentoring, and discussion. **Who we are:** We are all about handmade software. Rather than focus on frameworks, heavy abstractions, and buzzwords - we typically create projects or research topics that build an understanding of foundational computing concepts, essential data structures, and hardware/software interaction. **What to bring?** Bring a laptop, project, or just a curious mind. If you're not sure you're ready to contribute, don't worry: we're all here to share our passions and hone our craft. **If you arrive late:** Please enter the room quietly as to not disrupt anyone that is presenting. You can take any empty seat.

Join the inaugural meeting of the Columbus Vintage Computing Club (CVCC)! Get to know others in the vintage computing space and get hands on time with a Commodore VIC-20 and various Palm Pilot PDAs! We will use this time to get to know each other, share projects we've been working on and plan the future of the CVCC. We'll be at the Hilliard Library in Meeting Room 2A at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

**Topic and Speaker TBD** ***Bring your laptop and expect to write some (non-AI generated) code!*** *(title subject to change)* Food and drinks will be available. **LOCATION:** 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 **FREE PARKING:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017

**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 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

**NEW LOCATION: Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: * 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. * 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). For this first meeting of the year, we will be reviewing submissions for the [Your Program is Hideous and Obfuscated Challenge (YPHOC). ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/13zbxwElpJqPMuAN4Ele2hUgsqtFKzH3OCTL5NEeiLKQ)Submissions for this challenge are due by January 12th, 2026. The details can be found here: or on our website http://www.cohpy.org See Our [Parking Map](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2A4fLNlxwLJn0KA_hKc8bnFlFHLvsHBDh-_8wzX_tk/edit?usp=sharing) We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact centralohpython@gmail.com