Data Pipelines

**Pre-registration is REQUIRED. RSVP here - [https://hubs.li/Q046VS--0](https://hubs.li/Q046VS--0)** **Speaker:** Michael Novack, Solutions Architect at AIceberg **Topic title:** "Trust What You Can Trace: Making Agentic AI Explainable, Secure, and Enterprise-Ready" As enterprises adopt increasingly powerful AI systems, one critical challenge remains: understanding how and why these systems make decisions. Many modern models - especially large language models - operate as opaque “black boxes,” making transparency, compliance, and trust difficult to achieve. *This webinar introduces the AI Explainability Scorecard, a practical framework for evaluating the transparency of AI systems based on criteria such as faithfulness, consistency, accessibility, and comprehensibility*. Attendees will learn how different model architectures - from K-Nearest Neighbors to neural networks and transformers - vary dramatically in explainability and risk. **The session will also explore real-world techniques for improving visibility into complex models, including surrogate monitoring approaches that map AI behavior to comparable examples.** These methods help organizations build observable, auditable AI systems without sacrificing performance or scalability. By the end of this session, attendees will understand how to move beyond black-box AI toward transparent, accountable, and secure AI deployment - a critical step for enterprises scaling agentic AI in high-stakes environments. You will learn: **\- Why Explainability Is the Foundation of Trustworthy AI** *Learn why transparency isn’t just a technical preference - it’s becoming a legal, ethical, and operational requirement for enterprise AI systems.* **\- The AI Explainability Scorecard Framework** *Understand the five key criteria - faithfulness, comprehensibility, consistency, accessibility, and optimization clarity - for evaluating how explainable an AI model truly is.* **\- How Different AI Models Compare in Transparency** *Discover why some models are inherently interpretable while others require advanced methods to understand their behavior.* **\- Practical Methods for Making Black\-Box AI Observable** *Explore modern techniques - including surrogate monitoring models - that help organizations understand and audit large language models at scale.* 🔗 Stay Connected * **Learn:** Free talks and trainings on the [Ai+ Training platform](https://aiplus.training/). * **Read:** The latest in AI research on the [ODSC Blog](https://opendatascience.com/). * **Chat:** Join the conversation in our [Slack Channel](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://odsc.com/slack). * **Community:** Review our [Code of Conduct](https://odsc.com/code-of-conduct/).

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **"Eugenics Then and Now,”** on a dangerous movement in science and its lessons for current research, with Carlo Quintanilla, molecular biologist and health science policy analyst at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-eugenics](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-eugenics) .] Global concerns about the return of eugenic thinking were reignited by Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s 2018 announcement of the first gene-edited babies, Lulu and Nana. He was quickly condemned by the scientific community and jailed for illegal medical practice, but he and others around the world continue experiments with goals echoing eugenic ambitions. As genetic technologies advance at extraordinary speed, society faces a new set of ethical questions about shaping the traits of future generations. Are we entering a new era of eugenics? If so, how should we respond? Hear such questions tackled by Carlo Quintanilla, who studied rare genetic mutations in human disease as a graduate research scientist and instructor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and now works at the intersection of genomic medicine, science, and society. Dr. Quintanilla will begin by discussing the origins and history of eugenics, tracing its development in the 19th and 20th centuries as an idea, a scientific movement, and a set of policies. He’ll examine the rise of Social Darwinism in the U.K., forced sterilization programs in the United States, and the atrocities committed by the Third Reich in the name of “racial hygiene.” From there, he’ll explore how our ability to shape human health and heredity have been transformed by modern reproductive and genetic technologies such as in vitro fertilization, prenatal and embryo screening, and genome editing. You’ll learn how these tools hold enormous promise when it comes to the prevention and cure of rare and debilitating genetic conditions, yet also raise profound questions related to their potential enablement of a new, technologically driven form of eugenics. Dr. Quintanilla will then delve into the ongoing debate among scientists, bioethicists, and policymakers over what should be classified as eugenics today. He’ll highlight recent controversial uses of genetic and reproductive technologies that are pushing ethical boundaries faster than society can define them, from embryo selection for traits like IQ and height to speculative military interest in genetically enhanced soldiers. These examples raise urgent questions: Where should society draw ethical boundaries? Who gets to decide? And is the term “eugenics” still useful for guiding policy and public debate? We’ll close by examining the social, political, and regulatory forces that will determine the future, considering whether they will restrain the push toward further genetic control or accelerate it. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: The frontispiece of the 1883 book *Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development,* by pioneering eugenicist Francis Galton (Wikimedia Commons / Metropolitan Museum of Art).

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**: Elections, 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.** Are you receiving nonactionable alerts? Does your team have issues communicating with one another? This session explores real world experiences my team has faced the last several years. We will talk about why collaboration is important and how to collaborate more effectively. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to communicate with team members and be ready to make small changes daily that have a lasting impact over time. \*\*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.

learn more about the HPAP Down Payment Assistance Program \- Get up to $202\,000 in funds from the House Assistance Purchase Program \- Learn what the funds can go towards and the timeline to get approved \- Understand how to sign up for HPAP orientation \- Learn the benefits and challenges of HPAP in detail \- Discuss the current market conditions for HPAP buyers\.

If you love A Cappella Singing come check out the Harmonizers and Metro Voices...The lower voice and treble voice choruses- both part of the Alexandria A Cappella Collective. If you love 4-part harmony you'll want to visit us! We will be rehearsing on April 7th at Fairlington Presbyterian Church, 3846 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302. We pride ourselves on providing opportunities for everyone to sing. We welcome everyone to visit our rehearsal and enjoy the singing while learning more about us!

Join us for a chill voices-off hangout for ASL practice and socializing. It's a night to connect, learn, and have fun! All signing levels are welcome—whether you are fluent, just starting out, or somewhere in between. The first hour entails a practice activity or around-the-room introductions geared toward ASL learners and those more fluent who enjoy encouraging learners. The second hour is an unstructured social. Streetcar 82 is the region's only Deaf-owned and operated brewery! They serve up non-alcoholic options as well as an array of their crafted beers. If the weather is nice, the large group gathers on the patio outside. Check out Streetcar 82 on Instagram: @streetcar82brewingco Note this event is held monthly, on the first Tuesday of the month. Check out the brewery's online calendar for the most up-to-date status. https://streetcar82brewing.com/events/

Every Tuesday at 5pm! RSVP at the following link to receive login details: https://www.enggarcia.com/hbstuesday/ * The Districts Best first time home buyer webinar * Learn about the home buying process * How to qualify & what loans are available * Qualifying for DC Open Doors and other programs * Reduced down payment and closing cost opportunities We're looking forward to seeing you soon!

**April’s event will give you a sneak peek of [FedGeoDay 2026](https://www.fedgeo.us/)!** GeoDC’s guest speakers for the evening will be members of the organizing team for **[FedGeoDay](https://www.fedgeo.us)**, a conference about how federal programs and stakeholders build, support and use geospatial open-source software, open data, open science and open mapping. **FedGeoDay 2026: *Building Ecosystems for Supporting Federal Data Stewardship*** Do you use US Census data, NASA satellite imagery or federal GIS tools? Curious how policy changes and AI innovation are shaping the way we think/talk about or solve problems with location and maps? **FedGeoDay 2026**, a conference on April 22–23 in the DC area, will answer these questions and more. **[FedGeoDay](https://www.fedgeo.us)** is the premier conference devoted to how federal programs and stakeholders cultivate and harness “open geospatial ecosystems.” Themed ***Building Ecosystems for Supporting Federal Data Stewardship***, FedGeoDay 2026 will feature more content than ever and more ways for attendees to engage and shape the dialogue. Organizing team members including **[Eddie Pickle](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-pickle-b67545)** from Snowflake will answer your questions and tell you more about the conference, including the hands-on workshops on day two and the first-ever FedGeoDay "unconference," which gives the power to shape the discussion back to the attendees in the spirit of open source. FedGeoDay's planning team also includes GeoDC's very own Chad Blevins and Puneet Kollipara. FedGeoDay is April 22–23 in Suitland, MD at the Census Bureau HQ, just off the Green Line. Check out the website for an at-a-glance view of the [program](https://www.fedgeo.us/program), keynoted by **[Denice Ross](https://www.fedgeo.us/denice-ross)** (former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, now at Federation of American Scientists). Get your **[early-bird tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fedgeoday-2026-tickets-1980250906769)** by this **Friday, 4/10**. **Agenda** * **6–7 pm:** Happy Hour / Networking \*Sudhouse has great HH specials! * **7–8:30 pm:** Announcements / Events /Jobs-Internships and FedGeoDay Preview Presentation Happy Spring, and we look forward to seeing you at Sudhouse DC! If you're interested in presenting for the May GeoDC event, we've got a few spaces remaining. Please complete an [interest form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Yj1-BOBXHqtoepJNW2X1WRzmdMjvbBPB8F5fgu5Lhk).

Adam Sandman will be showing how you can use Kiro together with an MCP server to pull software requirements, designs and tasks from a project management repository (Spira) using an MCP server. From there we can use the power of agentic AI to create an MVP app, deploy and test it.

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

🚀 **Tech Fluent: Build with AI — Hands-On, No Experience Required** 📅 April 10 \| 📍 Washington\, DC \(National Union Building\) If you’ve been *AI-curious* but haven’t actually built anything yet, this is exactly the kind of experience we’ve been talking about in **AI in Practice**. This is **not** another theory-heavy session. It’s a **hands-on, interactive workshop** where you’ll actually *build something* — alongside other professionals exploring how to apply AI in real-world workflows. 👉 **What to expect:** * AI 101 + how these tools actually work (beyond the hype) * Guided, hands-on build session — you’ll create something real * Practical sessions on design, workflows, and the future of work * A cross-industry group (legal, finance, architecture, small business, etc.) * Wrap-up happy hour to connect and share what you built 💡 **Great fit for AI in Practice members if you:** * Are actively exploring how to apply AI in your work * Use tools like ChatGPT but want to go *deeper and more practical* * Want to move from *ideas → actual implementation* * Are not a developer (this is designed for you) ⚠️ If you’re already highly technical (building complex systems, deep dev work), this may feel introductory — the focus is on *practical upskilling for non-technical professionals.* *** 🎟️ **Registration & Details:** [https://varia.law/techfluent](https://varia.law/techfluent) 👉 **Important:** When you sign up, note **“AI in Practice”** in the application to receive a **$25 discount code** *** 🍻 **Bonus:** We’ll also have a casual **post-event happy hour** — great chance to connect with others actually *doing* AI, not just talking about it. *** Spots are intentionally limited (≈25–40 people), so if you’re interested, don’t wait. See you there.

Hello Everyone, Thank you so much for joining us for our **Valentine’s Mystery Social**! It was truly a pleasure to host such an intentional space for all of you to connect as "souls" rather than just titles and paychecks. We heard your feedback loud and clear: you all wanted more time to connect after the opening icebreakers! We have noted this and look forward to hosting several more of these sessions for our private clients throughout the year with even more space for deep discussion. ### **🔥 TODAY ONLY: Elite Match Alert** We have just added two profiles, a powerhouse Jack and Jill **brother and sister duo**—both exceptional catches: * **The Sports Agent (Male):** A high-achieving, family-oriented professional who embodies the values of our community and the legacy of his upbringing. * **The Powerhouse Attorney (Female):** A stunning attorney and active actress who is a true "Jack and Jill" legacy. She balances a high-stakes legal career with a passion for the arts. **Follow us on IG:** For our most up-to-date match alerts and event BTS, make sure you are following us on Instagram @helpmeetclub **Saturday Appointment Available:** We have **ONE** consultation opening available for this Saturday. This is first-come, first-served for anyone ready! **Consultation:** To celebrate these new additions, use code FRIENDS20 at checkout for an **[additional $55.55 off](https://thehelpmeetclub.com/join-our-database-of-singles-form/)**[ ](https://thehelpmeetclub.com/join-our-database-of-singles-form/)our current consult special. **This code is valid TODAY ONLY.** ### **Action Required: Selection Form** Please submit your final selections by the **end of today**. As a reminder, we only facilitate a "Double-Yes" match (where both parties select each other) or reach out if you have specifically marked that you are open to hearing from others. ### **Membership Updates** We are committed to the quality of our community. To that end, we have decided to make some adjustments to our membership structure: * **Database Services:** We will no longer allow women to join our database as a standalone service. * **The Reason:** It is undeniable that the women who complete our **Readiness Process** stand out and make exceptional partners. It is only fair that they are rewarded with exclusive access to our socials and curated community. On that note, if your database membership is currently expiring, please let us know and we will re-enroll you at 50% off your annual database membership fee.

SAM BASU IN-PERSON; NOTE: THIS IS THU, NOT TUE AS NORMAL Code is cheap, but software is expensive. Modern AI is a big opportunity to streamline and automate developer workflows for better productivity. There are some challenges though – AI Models often lack knowledge and AI Agents need expertise/guidance to reliably pull off complex workflows. Context is everything for modern AI and you can bring it. Model Context Protocol (MCP) aims to provide a standardized way to connect AI Agents to different data sources, tools and non-public information - the point is to provide deeply contextual information/expertise to AI. Skills are higher-level behaviors and instructional guardrails, that define how and when AI Agents should leverage tools to accomplish something meaningful. Subagents in AI are specialized, task-focused agents designed to handle specific, well-defined tasks within a larger AI system. In terms of the food industry: AI Agent = Chef 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳 MCP Tools = Raw Ingredients 🥔 🥩 Skills = Recipe Cards 📝 📇 SubAgents = Sous Chef 🔪 🍳 Loops = Door Watcher 💂👀 Developer = Restaurant Owner 👑. So, what should developers use to bring context and guardrails to make AI work their way? Well, it depends and sometimes, the answer might be whatever combination makes developers most productive. With official SDKs and well-thought-out guidance, it is a breeze to work with MCPs, Skills or SubAgents. Developers could bring their own data, APIs, services, coding patterns and structured guidance to make AI Agents work their way. And AI Agentic workflows work the same way in IDEs or Terminals, paving the way autonomous ways of getting work done with AI. With contextual expertise to light up unique coding workflows, AI Agents can make developers ultra productive – upwards and onwards.

DC Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. It's community-led and community-run by devs, for devs. People of all skill levels attend. Whether you’re dev-curious, aspiring, or a professional developer, we’d love to have you! Come chat or learn to code on a Sunday afternoon with coffee and cool-inclusive people. Bring your laptop! We typically meet every month on the weekend. **Join our online community!** For all things Tech in DC and to get latest updates and tech events from the DMV area, join the [DCTech Slack](https://dctech.chat/). All DC Code & Coffee announcements are in the #dccodecoffee channel **How it works** Near the beginning of the event, we do an introduction circle. You say your name, what you can help others with, and what you would like help with. You can also share job opportunities. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized.

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 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 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!

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

**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 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

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!

**Latest Dojo Location!** **Knotty Pine Brewing** 1765 W 3rd Ave, Columbus, OH 43212 We're going to try a new dojo location for a few weeks and see how it works Dojos are informal Python group study sessions where everyone interested in Python gathers to learn about Python, help others with Python, or just hang out. Everyone is welcome from Python beginners to experts. Bringing a laptop is encouraged (we'll have extension cords and power strips). If there's something you want to learn leave a comment on this invite so we can plan ahead. We're looking for speakers for our Monthly Meetups! Fill out the form if you are interested in presenting to the Python Community. https://forms.gle/ehSfUAC2WgR34Crq9