Consultants

Who's NOT had to deal with a life curveball--sudden challenges or worse.. We'll squeeze this important Rotman Author Talk into our schedule. # The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans Ticket link is below-- $20 attend only $40 attend + copy of book ### **Agenda:** 5:00 pm - Check-in opens + light refreshments 5:30 pm - Fireside chat and moderated Q&A 6:30 pm - Meet-and-greet with author + book signing ### **Book Synopsis:** A revelatory exploration of how we can find meaning in the tumult of change, from a renowned cognitive scientist and host of the critically acclaimed podcast *A Slight Change of Plans.* **Life has a way of thwarting our best-laid plans**. *Out of nowhere, we’re confronting the end of a relationship, an unexpected diagnosis, the loss of a job, or some other twist of fate. In these moments, it can feel like we’re free-falling into the unknown.* As a cognitive scientist, Maya Shankar has spent decades studying the human mind. When an unwanted change in her own life left her reeling, she sought out people who had navigated major disruptions. In *The Other Side of Change*, Shankar tells their riveting, singular stories and weaves in scientific insights to illuminate universal lessons hidden within them. The result is a rich portrait of our complex reactions to change and a deep well of wisdom we can draw from during these experiences. Shankar invites us to rethink our relationship with change altogether. When a big change happens to us, it can lead to profound change within us. The unique stresses and demands of being thrust into a new reality can lead us to uncover new abilities, perspectives, and values, transforming us in extraordinary ways. What if we saw moments of upheaval as an opportunity to reimagine who we can be, rather than as something to just endure? What potential could we unlock within ourselves? ### Speaker: Maya Shankar Cognitive Scientist; Creator, 'A Slight Change of Plans' Podcast **Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist** and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, previously named “Best Show of the Year” by Apple. She served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Obama White House where she founded and chaired the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team, which President Obama formalized by Executive Order in 2015. She was also appointed as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. Maya has a B.A. from Yale and a doctorate from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience at Stanford. **Ticket link HERE**: https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/news-events-and-ideas/public-events/events-listings/2026/march-2026/mar-31---maya-shankar/

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Join the AWS Cloud Club at Northeastern University, Toronto for an exciting hands-on AWS Jam Session designed to give you real-world cloud experience. This interactive workshop will be led by **[Ashwin Bhargava](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwinbh/)**, Professional Services Consultant at Amazon Web Services (AWS), with support from by **[Professor Behnaz Merikhi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/behnazmerikhi)** (Faculty Advisor) During this session, you won’t just learn, you’ll actively solve real-world AWS challenges in teams, using actual AWS tools and services. This is a practical, guided experience that reflects how cloud technologies are used in industry today. **💻 What you’ll be doing:** This is not a lecture. You will work in teams to solve real AWS challenges, using actual AWS tools and services just like in real-world cloud environments **💡 What to expect** * Hands-on AWS challenges * Team-based problem solving * Real-world cloud scenarios * Guidance from an AWS professional **🏆 Award & Recognition:** At the end of the session, the top three performing groups will be recognized. The highest performing group will receive a special AWS Mystery Box, so come ready to participate, collaborate and give your best. **⚠️ Come prepared** * Bring your laptop fully charged (and your charger) * No AWS account required (access will be provided) Be ready to work in teams and actively participate **🎯 Who should attend** * Beginners curious about AWS * Students exploring cloud, DevOps, or tech careers * Anyone who wants practical, hands-on experience **🎟️ Secure your spot now** Don’t miss this opportunity to gain real-world AWS experience and connect with other students in the tech community.

Join us every Tuesday night at a coffee shop to practice conversation, while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea together. Our topics change each week, but the English practice does not! We are always open for Q & A (question and answer) about Canadian culture, life in the greater Toronto area, or anything else you can think of!

We are a group of men that meet weekly. Regular attendees do not always RSVP but we usually have 12 men present. Expect a frank and confidential space where you can speak personally, engage in interesting conversations or get support for your personal goals. **We start our meeting at 7:15 sharp. You can rsvp via meetup or email Saul (sauljoy@gmail.com) for this week’s address.** Guests are welcome but it's pretty casual so make sure you are expected in case we move outdoors to the park. Our group is part of Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI) The MDI Mission: To cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and, as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers and communities. From MDI website: https://goo.gl/3DQ6aY From Toronto Star: [https://goo.gl/oDH3uX](https://goo.gl/oDH3uX)

This is a ticketed event. Please register at [this link](https://luma.com/sdhf0qqc). Jackson Kaunismaa presents his new paper “Eliciting Harmful Capabilities by Fine-Tuning on Safeguarded Outputs”. He will discuss why output-level safeguards on frontier models don’t actually make the ecosystem safe, and how anyone with an open-source model can fine-tune it on adjacent-domain outputs from safeguarded models to recover a large fraction of the capability gap between open-source and frontier models on harmful tasks. ​​​**Event Schedule** 6:00 to 6:30 - Food and introductions 6:30 to 7:30 - Presentation and Q&A 7:30 to 9:00 - Open Discussions ​​​​​​If you can't make it in person, feel free to join the live stream starting at 6:30 pm, via [this link](https://www.youtube.com/@Trajectory-Labs/live).

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $18 and $36 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

For the event details and registration, use the user group event link: [TFPUG Apr 2026 Event: Fabric Security and Medallio... - Microsoft Fabric Community](https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Toronto-Fabric-Power-BI-User/TFPUG-Apr-2026-Event-Fabric-Security-and-Medallion-Architecture/ev-p/5133902) The RSVP here is not considered a registration, and it's just to announce the event to the meetup community. TFPUG Team [Toronto Fabric & Power BI User Group | Microsoft Fabric Community](https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Toronto-Fabric-User-Group/gh-p/TorontoFabricUserGroup) [Toronto Fabric & Power BI User Group | Meetup](https://www.meetup.com/toronto-fabric-user-group/) [Toronto Fabric & Power BI User Group | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/toronto-fabric-user-group/)

​Join us for the **GitHub Copilot Dev Days** **Canada** in-person event in **Toronto**! We're bringing together builders, maintainers, and developers across Toronto's growing tech community for a night focused on **modern GitHub‑powered workflows**, open tooling, and hands‑on learning. ​Whether you use VS Code, JetBrains, Cursor, Claude Code, or any other tool in your stack, this meetup is GitHub‑centric but fully tool‑agnostic — come as you are, code how you like. This is a great event for GitHub, Azure, AI, and DevOps enthusiasts! **⭐ FREE REGISTRATION (Important! Please read!) ⭐** **\* Step 1**: RSVP here to show your interest so that we will bring you more events like this in the future. **\* Step 2**: This is an in-person event hosted at the Microsoft Canadian Headquarters. For security, you **must** have a unique QR Code in order to enter the Microsoft Headquarters. ▶️ **To get your unique QR Code**, please go to **[this link](https://luma.com/q6uu9gbo)** and click "**Request to Join**". \* Your unique QR Code will be sent to you before the event. **​Agenda** ​ **1:00 PM — Doors Open** Arrive, settle in, and meet fellow builders. Pick up GitHub Merch and eat lunch🍕! ​ **1:45 - 3:30 PM — Lightning Talks, Demos & Q&A** Short, high‑signal sessions focused on GitHub workflows, automation, AI‑assisted coding, and real project demos ​ **3:30 – 4:00 PM — Community Social** Hang out, swap ideas, and meet other GitHub‑driven developers ​🥟 *Snacks + water provided* 🏠 *Space hosted by Microsoft* **🎤 Speakers**: * ​[Ve Sharma - Solution Engineer @microsoft](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vevarunsharma/?utm_source=luma): Building non-deterministic CI gates: Teaching your CI/CD pipeline to think * ​[Riccardo Covo - Solution Engineer @microsoft:](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardocovo/?utm_source=luma) Agent Package Manager (APM) Agentic Workflows * ​[Ray Kao Sr. Global Black Belt @microsoft:](https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondkao/?utm_source=luma) Agentic Platform Engineering with GitHub Copilot for IDP Evolution * ​[Jack Lee: Microsoft MVP, Cloud Solutions Architect](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlee-consulting/?utm_source=luma): **Supercharging Your GitHub Copilot with Microsoft Learn MCP Server** **Hosted By** * Ve Sharma - Microsoft Solution Engineer * Ricardo Covo - Microsoft Solution Engineer * Ray Kao - Microsoft Sr. Global Black Belt * Jack Lee - Microsoft MVP, Cloud Solutions Architect

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Join the Toronto Founders Hub every other Saturday at 3:30pm for our regular meetup at 5 Elements Espresso Bar. Sit down with other entrepreneurs to network and discuss business ideas or strategies. \- Broaden your network \- Get critical feedback \- Socialize in low pressure setting I look forward to seeing you!

Join us this Wednesday at **DIYBio.to** for a hands‑on trial to compare primer design—between cutting‑edge AI algorithms with traditional human expertise. We will also tour our lab - it's under new construction though! And go over some of the fluorescent tools that we have for cloning. **What to expect:** * **Agenda:** 1. Quick intro to primer design fundamentals. 2. Live demo of an AI‑driven primer design tool (e.g., Primer‑AI, DeepPrimer, BiOMNI). 3. Human‑led design session using classic software (Primer‑3, Geneious). 4. Side‑by‑side performance comparison (specificity, speed, cost). Then, we will elect to test some primers on DNA in about two weeks. 5. Open Q&A and brainstorming future collaborations. * **What to bring:** Laptop (optional), curiosity, and any DNA targets you’d like to test. * **Finding us:** Hacklab.to, ground floor lab space Our community biology projects also continue in the wet lab, and we’ll be gathering data from today’s primer‑design showdown to feed into upcoming courses. For more on our broader mission, check out **[diybio.to](https://diybio.to/)**[ ](https://diybio.to/)and the **[experiment.com](https://experiment.com/projects/demystifying-pcr-fostering-scientific-literacy-through-hands-on-pcr-education)** program. **Why this matters:** At DIYBio.to we aim to bridge biology and the community, and now we’re exploring how AI can augment—or perhaps surpass—human ingenuity in a core molecular‑biology task. **Who we are:** A diverse mix of biologists, bio‑engineers, data scientists, and enthusiastic hobbyists—from newcomers to PhD‑level experts—all committed to safe, inclusive, and respectful collaboration at Hacklab.to and DIYBio.to. **Community standards:** Our anti‑harassment policy applies to everyone. Highlights: **Respect & consent:** No photos without permission; **Safety first:** We actively prevent harassment, offensive remarks, or unwanted intrusions—both physical and digital. *By signing up, you agree to uphold these standards and help keep our space welcoming.* **Membership**: If you share our passion and vision, we invite you to become a member of [hacklab.to](https://hacklab.to/) and DIYBio.to. Come visit us, and let's engage in a conversation about cell and molecular biology. Your journey into the DIY world of biology awaits! \*exceptions = holidays, extreme cold weather, illness

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!

**How to take control of your subconscious and harness its power!** Join us for an eye-opening lecture where the speaker will break down complex ideas in a clear and practical way. You’ll gain insights into: ✅ The true definition of the subconscious ✅ How it generates unwanted emotions ✅ Its real purpose and function ✅ What determines the pressure it exerts on you And the most important topic: **How do you take control of your subconscious!** But this isn’t just another lecture where you sit and listen passively. It’s interactive and engaging—you can ask questions at any time. 📅 Reserve your spot now! Seats are limited, so don’t wait too long to sign up. Location: 1266 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215 Hosted by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation

The Fellowship of the Star Schema: Transforming OLTP Data for Power BI One does not simply build reports on OLTP data. Join us on an epic journey from the depths of raw, normalized tables to the shining halls of a well-modeled star schema fit for Power BI greatness. We will demystify the differences between OLTP and OLAP, walk through star schema vs snowflake (and why Power BI has a clear favorite), and show you the compression differences between normalized and columnar storage that will make you never look at an OLTP model the same way again. We will cover the different types of dimensions, when to use them, and how to handle Slowly Changing Dimensions without losing your mind. You will leave knowing exactly how to identify a bad model, how to convert OLTP data into a clean star schema, and how to forge relationships that rule them all. Whether you are a data wizard, a curious hobbit, or somewhere in between, your models will never be the same.

Bienvenue! Columbus French Conversation group invites you to our Saturday morning French conversation club. Expect a casual and welcoming atmosphere in which to learn french! I will bring my laptop so we can look up new vocabulary as needed! The venue is a beautiful French restaurant so you can really get into the zone :)

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Feeling down? Sometimes depressed? Can't focus? Negativity & stress? Recent losses? Creativity in career and personal life hindered by mental blocks? Sometimes we never fully recover from traumatic experiences. Whether it was yesterday, last week or a year ago, traumatic experiences - a loss of a loved one, losing a job, a breakup - can leave you scarred. You talk about it and feel a little better, but it never goes away. After you hang up the phone, it's still there; the sadness, the cloud, the over-thinking, the worry, the guilt. You try to focus, but you're blocked. You try to look forward into new experiences, new relationships but a cloud is hanging over you, casting a shadow on what you once considered a bright, cheerful future. What happened to your courage? Your strength of character? You're 'why not' attitude? Whoever said 'time heals' must have had a special time machine, because after weeks, months, years, you're wondering - when exactly does that kick in? Sometimes it seems like drinking or drugs are the way to go. But they wear off, and now the problem is still there with added side effects from the drugs. At this free local Meetup event we will talk about: * What causes grief, anxiety and depression to become chronic. * Is it possible to regain your joy and happiness even after traumatic experiences? * How to break away from negativity and focus on the future * What are the steps to take to get control of your mind and your emotions? Learn about a safe, gentle, do-it-yourself counseling that can be done in the comfort of your own home. Let's explore safe, effective solutions for healing from traumatic experiences. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center.

**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)