Data Engineering

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 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.***

***Enter the live meeting room here: [https://discord.gg/5wgxtr4c2u](https://discord.gg/5wgxtr4c2u)*** ***Download the engine here: [https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download)*** Welcome to the **Unreal Engine Workshop!** In each session we'll tackle essential game design discussions, then transition into hands-on project creation. Participants will build and expand their skills continuously as we explore every aspect of game development. From basic blueprints and interactive mechanics, to advanced rigging, animation, environment design, and lighting, we'll work our way up to creating small complete games. We encourage experimentation and peer teaching, so whether you're a beginner or experienced developer looking to deepen your expertise, our sessions provide a supportive environment to learn, create, and innovate together in Unreal Engine 5.

Thank you to everyone who has joined the Agentic community so far and thank you to those who attended the launch event in January! Its exciting times as we now gear up for the 2nd meet up of the year once again hosted by the wonderful team over at Vorboss LTD! We have a stellar line up for you again so please RSVP and join us on 1st April! **Odhran O'Donoghue \| Co\-Founder & CTO @ Magentic** **Making AI with Enterprise-level Reliability** Making AI work in critical business use cases requires superhuman-level reliability. Achieving this with AI is non-trivial, and even advanced developers can find themselves chasing the wrong paths to success. This talk covers how to build genuinely reliable generative AI to meet the needs of the world's largest customers, drawing from learnings on real-world deployments covering billions of dollars in spend. Odhran O'Donoghue is CTO of Magentic, the AI agent platform for the world’s supply chains. The company is backed by Sequoia Capital, used across a range of Fortune 500 manufacturers. Odhran has previously worked with OpenAI and NASA, and led research at the Francis Crick Institute - Europe’s largest scientific centre. **Anastasia Kundush \| Head of Product @ Alpic** **Beyond the Chatbot: rethinking user flows in the agentic era.** Imagine apps that live directly inside ChatGPT or Claude. Instead of clicking buttons, you interact with agentic interfaces. We'll examine novel use cases where models seamlessly adopt complex roles and merge interactive visualizations with conversational insights. You'll learn how to design for this new paradigm and what doesn't work. Alpic provides the infrastructure and tools to turn your product into an AI-native experience. Our all-in-one MCP hosting platform offers easy one-click deployment, as well as MCP-specific evaluation, analytics, authentication, transport and security. A huge thank you to Odhran and the team at Magentic for sponsoring pizzas and also a big thank you once again to Vorboss for hosting and supplying drinks for all attendees on the night :)

**\*\*To book your tickets please go here [https://dateinadash.com/events/london/camden/pop-the-balloon/01Apr2026-7834](https://dateinadash.com/events/london/camden/pop-the-balloon/01Apr2026-7834)\*\*** Get ready for a bold, flirty, and unforgettable night at our Pop the Balloon [Speed Dating](https://dateinadash.com) event, designed for singles aged 21–45 (age guide). This is speed dating with a playful twist, combining real chemistry with high-energy fun and the chance to win an exciting prize. At the event, you’ll take part in a series of short, fast-paced mini-dates designed to keep things exciting and pressure-free. But this isn’t your average speed dating night — each date comes with a decision that could keep you in the game… or pop you out. Here’s how it works: Men start the night holding balloons. Women are given pins. After each mini-date, women decide whether to match or pop. If a man’s balloon is popped, he stays in the game but receives a new balloon in a different colour. Each pop brings him closer to elimination — once all balloon colours are popped, he’s out of the running for the prize. As the night progresses, the stakes rise and the energy builds. At the final stage, any men still holding balloons will line up, and one woman will be randomly selected to pop balloons until just one remains. The man with the final unpopped balloon wins the prize — and if there is a winner, he may choose to share it with someone of the opposite sex he connected with during the evening. Registration opens at 7:30pm, giving you time to check in, grab a drink, and settle in before the event begins promptly at 8:00pm. Late arrivals may not be able to participate, so we recommend arriving early to avoid missing out. Once everyone is ready, the host will guide you through the rules and flow of the evening to ensure everything runs smoothly and fun for all involved. After the final balloon has been popped, we encourage everyone to stay on, mingle, and enjoy the atmosphere — whether you’re celebrating a win, continuing a great conversation, or simply soaking up the vibes. Spaces are limited and demand is high for this Speed Dating event, so early booking is strongly recommended. For any questions about this event, please contact us at [enquiries@dateinadash.com ](mailto:enquiries@dateinadash.com)or call our bookings hotline on 0845 862 1448 (9am–5pm).

**FREE - Build an App Using AI** **beginner-friendly workshop · no coding experience needed** (for complete beginners to experts) **build a working app in under 2 hours using ai & chatgpt** bring your laptop and we’ll build step by step from scratch *stop thinking about AI and start making something* **what this is** a hands-on ai app-building workshop **the vibe** practical, beginner-friendly, collaborative **what’s included** guided build session help throughout something working by the end **who this is for** people who are curious about ai but don’t know where to start **how it works** arrive, follow along, build together, ask questions **abdullah tahir (your instructor)** masters in ai + professional data scientist & comedian loves building with people specialist in making technical ideas feel approachable and fun **location** central london venue with access to food & drink to be confirmed, depending on attendee numbers will be sent after payment, 24+ hours prior to workshop **why this one matters** you leave with something real, not just ideas **final note** no coding experience needed see you there 💻 p.s. by attending, you agree to our [event terms & conditions](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vS3p3ZAhIoCyq3kHFEliu2NCaT8iHfz5E_nUxcUTr7rsDufU7x5BNB_Ta2BWqtTYX72rEAjBG2nOcze/pub)

WEDNESDAYS at Hammersmith Salsa Club, Hammersmith, London Open Every Wednesday Hammersmith Salsa & Bachata Club, 11 Rutland Grove, Hammersmith, W6 9DH (http://www.incognitodance.com/hammersmith-salsa-club-west-london/) 7pm – 11:00 pm Bachata Classes: 7:30pm – 8:20pm (6 levels) Salsa Classes 8:30 -9:20pm (6 levels) No prior bookings are needed, just turn up and dance. Absolute beginners are warmly welcomed. Wear comfortable shoes and light clothes, to keep you dancing comfortably all night £10 Club Only £14 Two Classes + Club Usually has 200+ dancers every week Fun & friendly classes for dancers of all levels. Plenty of social dancing to the latest Latin grooves.

**Looking for a women in business networking event in London?** Join us in Canary Wharf and connect with **women in business, finance and tech** in a calm, lightly structured setting over complimentary drinks. **Why Attend?** * **Connect with like-minded women in business, finance and tech** * **Meet female founders, business owners and professionals** * **Share ideas, experiences and opportunities** * **Build genuine, long-term professional relationships** * **Enjoy a welcoming evening** with complimentary drinks * **Private WhatsApp Group (320+ members)**: Event attendees receive exclusive access to our women-in-business WhatsApp group to stay connected, discover female-led businesses, receive event updates and access special offers. **About the Event** This event is ideal whether you’re already running a business, building your career, or exploring your next step in business, finance or tech. This women-only networking event brings together female entrepreneurs, founders and professionals from business, finance and technology for meaningful, face-to-face conversations in London. The atmosphere is friendly and professional, with optional icebreakers and plenty of space for relaxed networking. **Limited to 30 women. Drinks included.** **Please note:** The physical GMax Card is not included with this early bird free ticket and is available to paid attendees only. **Venue** **Sierra Quebec Bravo, Canary Wharf** A modern business hub in London’s financial district with a calm, low-noise atmosphere - ideal for networking and conversation. Easily accessible via DLR, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines. **Organisers** Organised by female partners of tech startups: * **[GMax Card – Digital business card](www.gmaxcard.com)** * **[Ciitab – AI tool for LinkedIn networking automation](www.ciitab.com)** * **[Getshop Today – UK-based eCommerce platform](www.getshop.today)** **Agenda** **6:00 - 7:15 PM** Informal networking over drinks **7:15 - 7:45 PM** Optional icebreakers. Quick intro round - everyone gets to introduce themselves to all in 30 seconds. **7:45 - 9:00 PM** Continued informal networking **Important Information** * **Women-only event** held in a dedicated, calm section of the venue but other guests may be present in nearby areas * **Dress code:** Smart casual / professional recommended * **Photos & videos:** Media may be captured for promotion. Please let us know if you prefer not to be included * **Please note:** The physical GMax Card is not included with this early bird free ticket and is available to paid attendees only. **Register early - spaces are limited to 30 women!** P.S. And don’t forget to **[join our group](https://www.meetup.com/london-entrepreneur-startup-network-tech-business-ecommerce/)** for future events.

**\*\*THIS IS NOT A FREE EVENT & RSVP ON MEET UP DOES NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY\*\*** **TO ATTEND THIS EVENT A TICKET MUST BE PURCHSED FROM OUR WEBSITE. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A TICKET:** [Speed Dating at The Wren Tavern, Bank (Ages 50-) – Friday, 3rd Apr 2026 | True Dating](https://truedating.co.uk/events/over-50's-speed-dating-3-apr-2026) Join [True Dating](https://truedating.co.uk/), London's #No 1 speed dating and singles party host! With a track record of hosting hundreds of successful events all across London, we've helped thousands of people find their perfect match. **But what exactly is speed dating?** It's simple yet effective: You'll have the opportunity to meet up to 15 potential dates, with each mini-date lasting around five minutes. It's the perfect amount of time to gauge if there's a connection. **Ladies remain seated while gentlemen rotate**, ensuring you meet a variety of interesting individuals. Our events primarily attract working professionals who are tired of the endless swiping and are seeking something meaningful and long-term. At True Dating, you can enjoy a friendly and secure atmosphere knowing that everyone is single and looking for the same thing—love! The day after the event, you can log in to enter your matches and potentially set up a second date using our secure messaging service. **Please remember to enter your matches before 4pm as this is when the matching system closes.** And here's the reality check: In a bustling city like London, where everyone leads busy lives and dating options seem endless, finding the right person can be challenging. That's why our events are designed to increase your chances of meeting someone special who shares your goals and aspirations. Contrary to popular belief, speed dating events are not weird or creepy. They've become increasingly popular as a refreshing alternative to online dating. **What can you expect at our events?** \- Diverse attendees at each event \- Officially signed\-up participants \- Higher odds of finding compatible matches \- Friendly hosts to facilitate introductions **Don't miss out—register now for our next event! Spaces are limited, and our events often sell out fast.** We have years of experience organizing successful dating events and creating meaningful connections. **We're so confident that you'll find someone worth meeting again that if you don't, your next event is on us!** It's time to stop swiping and start dating in real life with True Dating. Join us for an unforgettable experience! **Important details:** Look out for an email from True Dating on the day of the event for account details. Event starts at 7:30 pm with a reserved area for True Dating attendees. Venue closes at 1 am. *Stop Swiping. Start Dating*.

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/)

Bachata Sundays - Weekly Bachata dance classes for beginners/improvers, then social dancing at Park View Healthclub, Colindale. NOTE: Bachata Sensual will be taught, not Bachata Dominican. Ready to spice up your evenings with some Latin rhythm? Location: Park View Gym, 6 Heath Parade, Grahame Park Way, Colindale, London, NW9 5ZN, United Kingdom When: Every Sunday with class starting at 7pm for improvers & 8pm for beginners Spaces are limited to 12 people maximum – 1st come, 1st served! Pricing: \> £15 per session for drop\-in\. \> £54 for 4 weeks block booking of group dance classes \(needs to be paid in advance\) \> Otherwise\, £160 for 8 weeks of group classes \+ 1 private class each week over the 8 weeks \(meaning 16 classes\) \> Get a further discount when you book as a couple\. Couple bookings includes one lead and one follower\. NOTE: Due to limited spaces, you must book and reserve your space ASAP. We do not advise on leaving it too late. What does a class involve? \> 55 minutes warm\-up and dance class \> 5 minutes of social dancing to practice what you learned\. This cosy setup means more personal attention and a great vibe – perfect for learning or improving your Bachata in a relaxed\, social setting\. To reserve your spot, contact Mau on: 07950268600, then make a payment via bank transfer to MR M MCPHERSON, 68649633, 09-01-28

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.

We are excited to announce our upcoming Spring Community Showcase. This event is an opportunity for individuals at all skill levels to come together and share their experiences with Rust. Whether you’re working on a personal project, contributing to an open-source initiative, or teaching a concept related to Rust, we invite you to present your work and insights. Take this opportunity to build your confidence and share what you are doing. Speakers === If you would like to give a presentation, please send Ernest a direct message with your talk title and a brief abstract of approximately 60 words. Each presentation will last about 25 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for questions and answers, for a total of 30 minutes. We have four slots available this month. **Dan Groshev** Okmain Library: You have an image, but you want a colour How do you pick a colour that represents an image but also looks good? Dan will talk about his Okmain library, colour science, auto-vectorisation, SIMD, and his experience building it in Rust and PyO3. **Jérôme Étévé** Mockapot: A percolator library in Rust Jérôme is the author of the Mokcaccino library, which started as a way to marry my interests for Rust and for search technology. He will discuss the design, the tricky aspects of Rust he learned along the way, and how Rust and Python complement each other. **Evadne Wu** JavaScript Sandboxing using Deno on top of Elixir & Erlang/OTP. Intelligent AI agents can write code that calls existing APIs in secure sandboxes, allowing higher token efficiency, better performance, and lower per-turn latency. Deno’s primitives in Rust can be integrated into such an agent harness, utilising the Elixir programming language and the Erlang/OTP runtime, which allows you to construct agentic systems that are massively concurrent and fault-tolerant.

**get outside and meet others without pressure** **what this is** a social meet-up in greenwich park **the vibe** easy, open, low-key **what’s included** group hangout space to chat optional extras depending on the day **who this is for** people who want a casual daytime social **how it works** arrive, find the group, say hi, settle in **why this one matters** simple events are often the easiest to say yes to **final note** weather dependent see you there 🌿 p.s. by attending, you agree to our [event terms & conditions](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vS3p3ZAhIoCyq3kHFEliu2NCaT8iHfz5E_nUxcUTr7rsDufU7x5BNB_Ta2BWqtTYX72rEAjBG2nOcze/pub)

[TICKETS are on sale NOW!](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4-april-easter-weekend-sparks-steps-singles-event-age-50-tickets-1984410538339?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl) **Early bird and 2 for 1 are on sale NOW! Don't miss out!** **DONE WITH SWIPING? READY FOR REAL CHEMISTRY?** London professionals — it’s time to log off and show up. **Welcoming Drink!** If you’re 50+, social, and completely over dating apps, this night is for you. No algorithms. No ghosting. No endless texting. Just real conversations, real energy, and real sparks. ### 💃 Ice Break the Right Way Forget awkward small talk. We kick things off with guided dance sessions designed to loosen you up, get you laughing, and make introductions feel natural — not forced. Movement creates chemistry. Trust us. ### ❤️ Back to Traditional Dating Remember when dating meant: * Meeting face-to-face * Making eye contact * Feeling nervous (in a good way) * Asking someone for their number * Actually planning a proper date That’s what we’re bringing back. This is traditional dating with a modern twist — respectful introductions, genuine conversation, and the chance to build real connection from the very first hello. ### 📍Barbican-City of London, Convenient Location Easy to get to after work. Close to transport links. Stylish venue. Effortless vibe. ### ✨ Who’s It For? People who: * Are serious about meeting someone * Miss traditional dating values * Prefer presence over profiles * Want quality connections in a relaxed setting ### 🥂 What to Expect ### Welcome to Sparks & Steps — where we bring back traditional dating with elegance, confidence, and a touch of excitement. * Your evening begins with a complimentary welcome drink — the perfect way to relax and settle into the atmosphere. * Then we turn up the energy with salsa dancing and Latino vibes — fun, guided, and designed to break the ice naturally. No pressure, no awkward introductions — just movement, laughter, and connection. * As the night unfolds, the music softens into a more relaxed rhythm, creating space for meaningful conversations. * Not sure how to start the chat? Don’t worry — we’ve placed conversation cards on each table to help spark engaging, effortless discussions. **And here’s where it gets exciting…** 🌹 If you meet someone you’d like to know better, simply pick up a rose and ask for their number. A simple, confident gesture — just like traditional dating should be. This isn’t speed dating. This isn’t a night club. This is dating the way it used to be — confident, intentional, and in person. **Limited spaces. Real people. Real potential.** Ready to meet someone the traditional way? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4-april-easter-weekend-sparks-steps-singles-event-age-50-tickets-1984410538339?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/houseofcana

**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)

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.

The April Ohio North Database Training user group meeting will be held on **April 7th, 2026 at 5:00PM**. This will be a **HYBRID** event and we will be joined online by **Kayla Boor**. You're welcome to come meet in-person at our meeting location, the offices of Improving at **[6000 Freedom Square Dr,](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** **[Unit 110,](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** **[Independence, OH 44131](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** [Teams Link ](https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22562814501129?p=w1cSxeUXFTVeIpZiMw)if anyone needs it after RSVP-ing for in person. If you would like to subscribe to our email list outside of Meetup, we have changed platforms recently and you will need to register [here in Kit ](https://ohio-north-data-training.kit.com/b8f036f615)instead to receive emails. Agenda: **5:00 PM EST**: Online and in-person meeting begins with a social hour. This is an unstructured hour where you can join us to catch up and meet other group members before the session starts. There will be food brought in for in-person attendees. **6:00 PM EST**: Updates and announcements, followed by our feature presentation. See below for presentation details. **7:30 PM EST**: Optionally after the main presentations, the in-person crowd may go out for snacks and drinks at a local establishment. We hope to see you there! Session Abstract **Accidental friends: How a DBA and an SRE worked together to optimize the system.** This session is focused on how to communicate effectively between teams to improve alert fatigue, performance, and observability. \*\*NEW SPEAKER \*Please note, that we will be using Microsoft Teams for the online portion of this meeting. You may want to join a few minutes early to ensure you do not have any issues. If you are attending in person, there are large TVs at the office, and you do not need to bring a laptop or use Teams.

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!

**We'll have two meetings covering AI - this second one is for Positron** We will review which AI features are linked in for Positron, and how to use them. **Location:** The meetup will be at SPARK's ([https://annarborusa.org/](https://annarborusa.org/)) Ann Arbor site: [SPARK HQ (Ann Arbor)](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ann*Arbor*SPARK*Headquarters/@42.2792515,-83.7447708,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x883cae3effe193cb:0x5296a53db2a282bf!8m2!3d42.2792515!4d-83.7447708?hl=en-US__;Kysr!!HXCxUKc!3EEdBNXRJKknP6LCGkZetSuEsdtChFojQnOVitFUC5C0fyilqXEbiMstT9ajBR3Cw-55qoFkrElCjQvjMdTxUw$). There is on street parking, and parking at local structures. **This will be a hybrid meeting - the Zoom session starts at 6:30 PM.** **Time:** The doors will be open at 6:00, with pizza and beverages provided. We will have a meet-and-greet-and-pizza session, and then at 6:30 we'll have a presentation. **Zoom information:** https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86862937929?pwd=woa95D1r85dobjqxQ07NfBLNdTa9hc.1 Passcode: 705462 **If you can't get in, please call me at: 734 223-3307** **Document source:**

The global Azure community is coming together again, and Columbus is officially on the map. View the session lineup and speakers at [Global Azure Columbus 2026](https://coazure.github.io/cbus-global-azure-2026/) On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup, DevOps Meetup, and Code and Coffee Meetup are hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!

## Pickleball League \| Singles \| 20s\, 30s\, 40s \| Columbus\, OH Ditch the dating apps and meet singles in real life — on the courts for 8 weeks. This event is ALL done through Eventbrite, we must register in advance. [The link is here! ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pickleball-but-everyones-single-datecolumbus-tickets-1984560246119?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl) April 13th - June 1st. 6:00PM - 8:00PM. Monday Nights. Whether you’re a seasoned player or brand new, this league is all about connection. 👉 **Never played before?** No problem! For the first **three weeks**, instructors will be on-site for the first 30 minutes to teach you the basics and get you comfortable jumping in. We’ll run this as **open play** — you’ll rotate courts and partners for casual games and maximum mingling. Winners stay for one round before rotating, giving you plenty of chances to meet someone new. 📅 **Mondays\, April 13th \- June 1st \| 6:00–8:00 PM** 📍 **Paddle Taps** \| 535 Lakeview Plaza Blvd\, Worthington\, OH 43085 **⭐ May 4th — Best Dressed Night: Star Wars Edition** *May the Fourth Be With You!* Dust off your Jedi robes, break out the lightsaber, or go full Chewbacca. Come dressed up, bring your A-game, and may the force (and your dinks) be with you. Best dressed winner picked by the volunteer sqaud, Winner will receive a prize! **🍽️ May 25th — Memorial Day BBQ POST PLAY** End your Memorial Day weekend with pickleball and pickleball BBQ! Paddletaps will provide the burgers & hot dogs, you're welcome to bring your fav app or dessert to share with the crew! **What to Know** * Paddles available each week — or bring your own * Locker room on-site * Full restaurant + bar available * Play runs every Monday from 6:00–8:00 PM for 8 weeks * Eat, drink, and mingle during and after play * Tickets are **non-refundable** Ready to meet your pickleball partner (and maybe more)? 🎟[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pickleball-but-everyones-single-datecolumbus-tickets-1984560246119?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl)**[Sign up now — spots will go fast!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pickleball-but-everyones-single-datecolumbus-tickets-1984560246119?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl)** ### Event Guidelines 🚫 No rude or inappropriate behavior 📸 Photos may be taken for promotional use 📵 Be present — phones away, eyes up ✨ Be open, have fun, and enjoy the experience