Data Science

[Summary] This meetup is for those who are interested in code, web development, design, cloud, or AI. All levels are welcome, so feel free to bring your laptop and discuss what you are working on or what you are learning. You can share your projects and ideas with other participants freely. There are outlets and WiFi, drinks are about $5 for tea, they take card only. [Price] Attendance is FREE. But you need to buy something from the venue. [Policies] \- We do not tolerate harassment of our members \- We remind users that that this meetup is intended for networking and hobby development\, and any attempts at using this meetup event as a dating platform will not be not be tolerated Further information: https://torontostack.exchange/

Join us for our in-person Saturday critique session! We'll be meeting in the basement of **The Blake House**, which is located near Wellesley and Jarvis, about a 10-minute walk from Wellesley Station or Sherbourne Station. **In respect to the Blake House for hosting us, we humbly request that attendees purchase a meal, dessert, or drink if you are able to do so.** Feel free to bring in a piece of writing up to **2000 words** for reading and critique. Please bring paper copies so that listeners can easily follow and make notes. Dedicated listeners are equally welcome. In larger groups, please be mindful of giving everyone a fair chance to speak. Our group values and meeting structure can be found here: [https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines](https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines) We ask that writers provide content warnings when necessary. To limit the spread of diseases, we kindly ask that you stay home if you're feeling sick. We will be here every week! **\*\*We support the hard work and effort that goes into writing fiction, and do not condone the use of AI to replace the creative process.\*\*** And, that's everything! See you there!

Let’s do some coding together at a cafe! No more working alone in the weekend. Here, we write code together. And I mean together together. Not occupying-the-same-space-but-separate together. Here’s how it works: Jennifer brings her mobile app project, tells everyone that it is like Pinterest for recipes and she’d like to work on the nav bar. Paul and Chloe think Jennifer's project is fascinating, and they join the group. They gather around Jennifer’s laptop and work on the nav bar for 2 hours. Jennifer is the one typing out the code while Paul and Chloe research, brainstorm, and offer suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck on your own project or need a motivation boost, bring it to mob programming! Want to learn by watching how others code and solve problems? Join someone else’s project at this event! Oh and we love your half-done projects that you are a bit embarrassed to share. Absolutely bring those to the event! **Discord**: We use Discord to share screen & code snippets during the event. Also feel free to share your projects here before the event! https://discord.gg/xwjDdVSw3E **Event policy**: * We have 0 tolerance for harassment. * We don’t allow the projects that are not meant to be shared in public such as school assignments, interview tasks, or trade secrets. * The goal is to write code. We discourage you from pitching business ideas here, doing code reviews, or spending the whole event on planning what to do. * Please buy a drink, and tip the barista well.

Don't be disappointed if you don't see a bunch of people attending. I advertise this on multiple platforms and the class usually sells out. \*\*If you don't use Paypal, email me at ralph@socap.ca and we'll figure it out. You can pay be etransfer or with a credit card/cash at the venue.\*\* Improv comedy uses several techniques to create laughter. These include, creating an atmosphere free of judgement, saying 'yes', active listening, being positive, putting your focus on others, and the importance of play and laughter. Not coincidentally, these are the same things that happen to us naturally when we are bonding with another person. In this class, we'll explore these techniques not with the goal of being funny, but with the goal of being people that other people want to be around. The teacher, Ralph MacLeod, is a co-founder of two independent improv clubs in Toronto - Bad Dog Theatre and Social Capital Theatre. He's been teaching improv for over 30 years. He also teaches these same techniques to several organizations including UofT, Google, Kraft, Shopify and many, many more. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have! FAQs and Good To Know.... After every event, a group from this class sit down and have a drink together so be prepared to stay if you want! Of course, you don't HAVE to. You also don't have to be single or bring a friend. The vibe of this class is much more 'making new friends' than a 'singles' mixer'. We usually run to 8:15 so pay for extra parking!

Practice French through real conversations, games, and shared experiences in a fun, supportive, and inclusive space ✨ ✨ **LaMova French Speaking Group** ✨ **Practice French. Meet People. Find Community** ☕💬 Looking to speak French more often in a relaxed, friendly environment? Welcome to the **LaMova French Speaking Club** \- a community\-first language company for real conversations\, good energy\, and meaningful connections\. This club is open to **all levels** and brings together **language learners and native speakers** who want to speak French more often, connect with others, and be part of a supportive, inclusive community. ### What to Expect * Casual, real-life conversations in French * Fun and interactive games * Prompts and helpful tips to keep conversations flowing * A supportive, judgment-free atmosphere * Good vibes and great people No pressure. No perfection. Just showing up and speaking. ### Who This Is For * French learners who want to practice **speaking regularly** * Native French speakers who want to **connect, share, and support** * Anyone who enjoys **language, culture, and community** * **All levels welcome** **Come for the language. Stay for the community 🌟** Questions? **info@lamova.net**

Come share your views on philosophy, politics, popular opinion or whatever debatable topic that deserves more discussion. The Atheist Community of Toronto's Cognitive Congress hopes to provide a fertile discussion environment where attendees can debate topics chosen by attendees. A brief overview of the format: * Cards will be provided to attendees to fill out if they have a topic or idea they wish to discuss. * Cards will be selected at random for group discussion, until the topic has been exhausted. * We value civil discussion so please keep interruptions to a minimum and volume to a reasonable level. * As we are meeting in a restaurant, it would be appreciated if attendees order food and/or drinks (and don't forget to pay!)

Struggling with motivation and focus as you hammer away on your manuscript at home? Want to join a community of writers as we embrace the joys and pains (mostly pains) of writing together? Bring your laptop, pen & paper, old-school typewriter, or futuristic writing gadget, and join an enthusiastic community of science fiction and fantasy writers as we work on our current projects in the same space. The format will be similar to our online writing sprints: 30-minute blocks of focused, quiet writing time (the sprints), interspersed with breaks where we can chat, ask questions, and share our writing experiences.

Hello everyone, I'd like to invite you out to our **Sunday Night with Friends-Dinner, Cocktails and Conversations** get together. -Reserved seating, friendly people, good conversation and great food awaits! So please plan to join us if you can :) \*Joined by my other groups too; so we can anticipate a fantastic evening **Time: 6:30 p.m. -9:30 p.m.** **Location:** La Carnita - Good Fortune Bar (Main Floor) **Address:** 130 Eglinton Ave. Toronto, ON M4P 2X9 Free Paring on Eglinton on Sundays on the North Side (Just East of the Restaurant) Event Details Bellow: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) Event Details: **Sunday Night with Friends! (Dinner, Cocktails and Conversations)** -The great thing about this dinner party is you're free to move around to different tables and meet the other members too throughout the evening **Dinner Party Topics** may include but not limited too: Travel, Culture, Spirituality, Relationships, Modern Dating, Life after Marriage, Work/Life balance, Art, Technology, Economy, Music, Movies, Sports, Fashion, Hobbies, Books, Psychology, Philosophy, the Future, History, Pop Culture, Theatre, Living the Good life etc.) **Arrival Time:** \*Join us any time between 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm (if you can) for a fun and highly interactive evening as we get to know the members over dinner and great conversations (of your choice) Event goes until roughly 9:30 pm (stay later if you like) **Event Fee:** 5 dollars (cash only please) (HST included) or in advance by e transfer to **[steveflemming11@gmail.com](http://steveflemming11@gmail.com/)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Friendly Reminder:** \*One beverage or appetizer minimum to support the venue- this is greatly appreciated :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Parking Available:** \*Plenty of free street parking on Eglinton and (Residential area south/east of venue for free) **Close to Subway Station:** \*Also right beside the Yonge/Eglinton subway station \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

Join your community of fellow Intuitives and MBTI nerds for a casual evening of engaging conversation. We get together every second Sunday – with a mix of regulars and new friends. There is no fee to attend, though we ask that you support the venue by ordering something to eat or drink. **Feel free to contact event host B. via Facebook/Meetup messenger, or text/call 416-712-8635 for directions**. About the venue: The Pint Public House Nearest Subway: Union Station Map / Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/G5GfXDSQXeifJ5ot5 We make an effort to find pubs that are quiet and introvert friendly, with a section to ourselves. We make no effort to muffle our extroverts, but should they get out of hand, our resident INTJ will use their death stare, to pull them back in line.

你有没有试过，让 AI 替你读一本书？ 十秒钟，梗概有了。 一分钟，重点也有了。 再问几句，它还会解释、比较、反驳。 很方便。也有一点可疑。 一本书，只看 AI 总结，算读过吗？ 工具书也许可以。 小说呢？传记呢？ 那些在某一页突然停住的时刻呢？ AI 能说出《悉达多》讲了什么。 哪一句会在你心里留下来，只有你知道。 **第一期「AI双面圆桌派」，我们聊：** **当 AI 可以总结、解释、陪读、反驳一本书时，人还为什么读书？** 我们该读得更多，还是读得更慢？ 我们和三位嘉宾一起，聊几个问题： * AI 眼里的重点，是我的重点吗？ * 读得快，会不会只是更快地产生“我懂了”的错觉？ * 哪些书可以交给 AI 先读？ * 哪些书，还是要自己慢慢读？ * 故事、共鸣、经验，算不算知识？ 两个小环节： * AI 帮我省下一小时。 * 我用 AI 搞砸的一件事。 带着问题来就好。 不用先有答案。 ***嘉宾介绍*** Anna，深耕北美市场营销与中国科技，互联网产品出海，腾讯，IDG投资的企业级AI软件小鹅通elink加拿大负责人，专注企业增长与数字化转型。 * 主导多个品牌北美市场进入与增长项目，实现从0到规模化增长 * 推动小鹅通eLink在加拿大落地，赋能企业私域与数字化转型 * 深度连接中美加商业资源，搭建跨境合作与行业生态网络 Swan, 加拿大注册会计师（CPA），7年审计经验，横跨财务审计与运营审计。曾先后任职于加拿大知名会计师事务所、五大银行，及政府审计部门。拥有横跨三类组织的审计实务经历，擅长从财报中梳理逻辑、发现问题，并快速理解运营流程、防范风险。作为误闯创业群的一名风险“守门员”，习追问，习惯质疑，抽丝剥茧，追本溯源。也是夹缝中生存的打工人，探索如何用AI杠杆减轻负担、加速成长。 张英锋，QHOW Technology 创始人，科技教育与知识传播实践者，长期关注 AI 时代的学习方式与认知模型重构。曾获知乎“2014 年度新知答主”，在科学、数学、教育、历史等领域创作 160 多篇回答和文章，累计阅读超过 3700 万，拥有 26 万关注者。在本场圆桌中，他将从一个略带“反方”的角度讨论 AI 阅读：AI 总结带来的，究竟是真正的知识，还是一种“我已经懂了”的幻觉？他关注的问题是，当 AI 可以快速提炼一本书时，人如何避免停留在叙事共鸣中，而是真正把阅读转化为理解、输出与解决问题的能力。 ***About Startup4Chinese*** Started in August 2017, Startup4Chinese's mission is to INSPIRE, EMPOWER, and CONNECT entrepreneurial minds not only among Chinese but beyond. We want to inspire your passionate entrepreneurship spirit, empower your brilliant startup idea, and connect you with your future reliable partner. We value Openness. We provide Pragmatic topics. We want to help you succeed! ***关于OneHub*** OneHub商业咨询是一家领先的加拿大咨询公司，提供商业咨询和顾问服务，帮助中小企业增长和成功。该公司以其战略咨询方面的专业知识而闻名，包括商业计划、市场研究、财务建模和数字化转型。创始人Eddie Lee有30多年企业实务经验，他注意到创业者常常面临相同的问题。OneHub团队，就是要为为初创企业或中小型企业遇到的问题提供全面解决方案。 ***About OneHub*** OneHub Business Consulting is a leading Canadian consulting company that provides business consulting and advisory services to help small and medium-sized enterprises grow and succeed. The company is known for its expertise in strategic consulting, including business planning, market research, financial modeling, and digital transformation. Founder Eddie Lee has over 30 years of practical experience in the corporate world and noticed that entrepreneurs often face similar problems. The OneHub team aims to provide comprehensive solutions for the issues encountered by startups or small to medium-sized businesses.

🎨🏙️ **GRADEX 111 – OCAD UNIVERSITY ART EXHIBITION & SOCIA**L 🏙️🎨 Emerging Artists, Creative Energy & A Cultural Hangout If you want to feel inspired, this is the kind of event that does it. Join us for GradEx 111 at OCAD University — Toronto’s largest free art and design exhibition, featuring work from over 800 graduating artists and designers. This is a chance to step into the next wave of creativity — exploring everything from painting and photography to design, installation, and experimental work, all in one space. It’s vibrant, it’s varied, and there’s always something that catches you off guard in the best way. This is not a formal tour. It’s a social outing — come explore, react, and experience it together. 👉 📲 **Join Our WhatsApp Group:**[ Click here to join](https://chat.whatsapp.com/DRFTkxRlHS4B3IL1lMleUd) \*\*\* 🚶‍♂️ **What We’ll Do** We’ll meet outside and head into the exhibition together, spending about 1.5–2 hours exploring the different displays across the building. You’ll have time to move at your own pace, take it all in, and check out the wide range of disciplines on display. **There’s also:** 🎓 Student work available for purchase 🏅 A special medal-winning exhibition in the Great Hall 🛋️ An alumni lounge space Afterward, we’ll head out to find a nearby spot for drinks or food and keep the conversation going. You’re welcome to join or head out whenever you like. \*\*\* 🎨 Vibe & Expectations This is a relaxed, low-pressure event — no art expertise needed. Just: ✔️ Curiosity ✔️ Openness ✔️ A willingness to explore Also — this is NOT a guided tour. It’s about experiencing the exhibition in your own way, while being part of a social group. \*\*\* 🧢 Meetup Details 📍 Meetup Location: Corner of Dundas St W & McCaul St (AGO side) 🫎 I’ll be wearing my Moose Hat ⏰ Meetup Time: 11:00 AM I will only wait 5 minutes. Early is on time. On time is late. We’ll head in promptly. End Point: Back at the starting location \*\*\* 🎟️ Meetup Fee: $5 cash in person or e-transfer to 📧 \*\*[mathewmaclean@hotmail.com**](http://mathewmaclean@hotmail.com%2A%2A/) The exhibition itself is free. This fee helps support the group and allows us to keep hosting events like this. Thank you for supporting community! 💖 \*\*\* 🎒 **What to Bring** Water Comfortable shoes (we’ll be on our feet) Curiosity and an open mind 🎨 Optional: cash/card for food & drinks afterward \*\*\* 🌈 **Who Is This For?** This group is open to anyone who wants to be social and make friends — whether single or not. **We also host:** 🎬 Movies 🚶 Walks & hikes 🎭 Arts & culture outings 🍽️ Restaurant gatherings There’s always something happening. \*\*\* **REMEMBER:** You’re welcome to just show up on the day if you’re unsure about your schedule. And as always, sometimes plans shift and events may need to be canceled — please keep an eye on updates. \*\*\* 👤 Organizer: Mathew Questions? Post on the event wall or email 📧 [torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com](mailto:torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com) Come for the art. Stay for the conversation. Leave feeling inspired by what people are creating right now. 🎨✨11

As adults, our routines get full, circles get smaller, and meaningful connections don’t just happen by chance! That’s why our Fast Friending evenings in Toronto are created with intention — to give you a comfortable, welcoming space to meet like-minded ladies & gents who are also looking for genuine friendships. If you’ve been wanting deeper connections but didn’t know where to begin, this is your place to start. **Book tickets now & save money -** [https://toro9thmay.eventbrite.co.uk](https://toro9thmay.eventbrite.co.uk) \*You can use any debit or credit card to purchase your ticket at PayPal checkout. It will ask you for your email address but that is only to send you a receipt. You do not need a PayPal account. EVENT COST: Early Bird - CAD$ 10 per person Regular Ticket - CAD$ 15 per person Cash at meetup - If you have not purchased your ticket in advance then you can pay CAD$ 20 cash when you meet Kruttika at the venue. **Our venue for the evening** \- We have a reserved area where our members can meet each other in a supportive environment\. **Here’s how your evening will flow:** **7:00 PM – Welcome** Arrive at 7:00 PM and be welcomed by your host, Kruttika , who will guide the evening and help with introductions. Feeling shy? Come a little early and she’ll ease you into small-group conversations. You’re also welcome to bring a lady friend along for free. **7:30 – 8:30 PM \| Fast Friending** Chat with a new attendee every 3 minutes, ensuring you meet a variety of like-minded ladies and gentlemen. **After 8:30 PM \| Open Mingling** Reconnect with those you enjoyed speaking to and continue meaningful conversations at your own pace \- We are not a close knit tight group\. Our evenings are warm and comfortable for members attending for the first time and those coming alone\. You will not feel alone\! \- We have many groups in this city\. Members of our other groups who RSVP are included as guests of the organisers in order to give you an indication of expected people\. \- This evening is for ladies and gents in the 21 to 40 age group\. While some will be at the younger end of this range there will also be others at the other end of the range and lots in\-between\! You will naturally gel with others of your own age range and so you will always find many attendees who fit your range\. \- We are not a 'dating' group\. We are focused on helping ladies and gents meet other like minded ladies and gents\. You will generally find a good gender balance \(maybe not perfect\) at all our events\. **Why do we have tickets?** 1. Cover our costs - Our host is compensated for their time and work. We also pay meetup and have dedicated staff to manage our events, hosts, venues and communication. 2. Group Safety - By securing your ticket we have a record and you contribute to a well organized evening where everyone is more committed and better behaved. 3. Management - Tickets help us better manage attendee group size, book suitable space and activity. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ABOUT [fastfriends.co.uk ](https://fastfriends.co.uk/)- We have connected members successfully for the past 10 years in over 30 cities (operating as Expatsclub, MeetConnectDevelop and fastfriends.co.uk). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- You can contact our founder Dan on +447715705005 with any questions or ideas. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Here are some videos which will give you some guidance and comfort to make your attendance more productive.** Secrets for socialising at our meetups - [https://bit.ly/44ZdVwx](https://bit.ly/44ZdVwx) Making new friends -[ https://bit.ly/455TsWY](https://bit.ly/455TsWY) How to make people like you instantly - [https://bit.ly/3Vj5PeT](https://bit.ly/3Vj5PeT) Members review - [https://bit.ly/3yHfu6d](https://bit.ly/3yHfu6d)

Practical AI for Power BI Developers A year ago, “agentic AI” was mostly hype for Power BI teams. Today, it deserves your undivided attention. For Power BI pros, there is now a real opportunity to reduce repetitive development work, accelerate delivery, and help developers do more, but only when strong DataOps practices are in place to make AI workflows effective. This session is a no-nonsense introduction to effective AI patterns for Power BI and Fabric development. Along the way, we will make sense of the growing pile of terminology, including skills, plugins, hooks, and MCP. You will see examples of how modern AI tooling can help with development tasks across Power BI and Fabric, along with the prerequisites, guardrails, and DataOps principles needed to use it responsibly. Whether you're burned out on AI hype or already using Copilot CLI daily, this session will show you the foundations that are finally making AI-assisted development genuinely useful.

**Total Eclipse of the Chart: School Redistricting Dashboards** In this presentation, we will explore the utilization of maps, sets, and SQL within a Tableau dashboard to help provide “what-if” analyses generated through the use of a mapped dashboard, providing different scenarios and the potential implications of these. While in this use case we are focused on a large school district, the concepts of utilizing existing data to explore the future impacts of modifying different geographic boundaries can be useful to many industries, balancing the mix of maps with visual analytics. **About Our Speaker** Robert Kramer is the Data Systems and State Reporting Coordinator at South Western City Schools in Grove City. He has worked there for 17 years, serving previously in the roles of Data Analyst, Programmer, and Operations Coordinator. Prior to working at South Western, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Pinnacle Data Systems in Groveport. He graduated in 2005 from The University of Toledo with his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics. Robert resides in Obetz with his wife, and their 15 and 12 year-old daughters. He was also just elected to his 3rd four-year term on the Obetz City Council. 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)

Customer identity resolution becomes increasingly complex as organizations scale across multiple systems, regions, and data formats. Traditional rule-based approaches often fail to keep up with data variability, require constant manual tuning, and struggle with real-time processing needs. This session presents a practical approach to building a scalable identity resolution pipeline using AWS services and modern AI techniques. The architecture combines data ingestion through Amazon S3 and AWS Glue, transformation pipelines using Spark on EMR, and machine learning models deployed via SageMaker for entity matching and standardization. Graph-based relationship modeling is implemented using Amazon Neptune to improve resolution accuracy by incorporating household and shared attribute context. We will walk through how machine learning models can be used for name and address normalization, how intelligent blocking strategies improve matching efficiency, and how feedback loops can be introduced to continuously improve accuracy. The session also highlights how serverless components such as AWS Lambda can be used for orchestration and real-time processing. **SPEAKER BIO** Mosaic Syed is a Senior Data Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across global enterprise environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosaic-basha-syed-92300856 **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: [https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/](https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/) **THANK YOU** *VEEAM* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Veeam*, please visit their website: [https://www.veeam.com/](https://www.veeam.com/) **DIRECTIONS** 8800 Lyra Dr #450 · Columbus, OH go to 4th floor. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

**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. **Source documents:** the repository is public, at: https://github.com/BarryDeCicco/AARUG_2026_04_09_AI_In_Positron You can download documents, or clone/fork the repository. **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/6658850479?pwd=Snd1UmZTT3pjZktENlczUXh4SERwUT09&omn=89012971377 Passcode: 940392 **If you can't get in, please call me at: 734 223-3307** **The github repository is at: https://github.com/BarryDeCicco/AARUG_2026_04_09_AI_In_Positron**

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. 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.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)

Join us for a practical, beginner-friendly guide to choosing the right large language model. We’ll compare major models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, talk about when to use hosted APIs versus local models, and break down the tradeoffs around cost, speed, quality, privacy, context windows, coding ability, and reliability. You’ll leave with a clearer mental model for picking an LLM based on your actual use case instead of hype, benchmarks, or brand names. No deep AI background required. LOGISTICS AND PARKING: The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks! The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.

**Abstract:** This is a practical playbook for building a production-grade data lakehouse. It walks through foundational principles — naming conventions, least-privilege access, automated CI/CD testing — before diving into medallion architecture. Furthermore, metadata-driven design patterns show how configuration tables and dynamic notebook orchestration eliminates hard-coded pipelines. The deck covers star schema modeling, guidance on choosing between Spark, Pandas, and SQL, and data quality enforcement using DQX with YAML data contracts. Finally, we dive into security best practices and performance optimizations. **Host:** Justin Shea, Mehdi Jeddi, Erik Pak, and Sou-Cheng Choi **Talk Format:** This is a hybrid event. To attend online, join us on Zoom here at 6pm: https://iit-edu.zoom.us/j/89379230295?pwd=NdETyE5sdYuSrvsrBZXSBFkUESBVkg.1 Meeting ID: 893 7923 0295 Passcode: 5t5WYn **Sponsor:** Adyen, UIC College of Business, and PyData Chicago co-host this event. UIC will provide the meeting site. Adyen will sponsor pizza and soft drinks for the onsite participants. **Address:** University of Illinois - Chicago, Douglass Hall, Room 220, 705 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607 **Logistics:** “UIC Douglass Hall” is recognized on Google Maps, which can guide you through campus. Once you arrive, proceed to the second floor, room number 220