Data Science

Join Sandon Jacobs on Monday, May 25th from 6:00pm hosted by Improving! 📍**Venue:** **Improving Office** 171 East Liberty St Unit 235 Toronto, Ontario M6K 3P6 **Directions (171 E Liberty St - Suite 235)** **By transit** Streetcars 504 and 509 both travel close to the office (less than 10 minute walk to the office from either), the lakeshore GO train is also a 5 minute walk from the office. **By car/parking** On street parking is available - there are a handful of paid parking spots directly in front of the entrance - with a large city parking lot across the street. **Entrance** The entrance to the office is beside the Bulk Barn entrance facing Hannah Street. There is an Improving logo on the door. 🗓 **Agenda:** * 6:00pm – 6:30pm: Welcome, Food/Drinks & Networking * 6:30pm - 7:30 pm: **From Chaos to Contract: Governing Data Streams** by Sandon Jacobs **💡 Speaker Details:** Sandon Jacobs, Senior Developer Advocate, Confluent **From Chaos to Contract: Governing Data Streams** So you’re committed to this path of data streaming with Apache Kafka. But, here’s a question: would you build a REST API and make users guess the request and response formats? Doing so opens a Pandora’s Box… * What’s the domain model? * Name the operation… POST? GET? PUT? PATCH? * What does this error code even mean? * Is the documentation - if it even exists - accurate and relevant? * Imagine the complex, repetitive logic every consuming system would need to implement to make sense of it all. In a distributed, asynchronous system, these problems are magnified. Apache Kafka's flexibility—messages as simple bytes—is a huge strength, but it's also a major risk. While your event streams likely consist of some structured data (maybe JSON strings), enforcing structure, managing evolution, and basic validations aren’t a hard requirement. This leaves consumer applications to perform this preprocessing of every event - even if that event has no business value. In this session, we'll define data contracts and how to enforce them at the source - the applications that produce events. We’ll cover the practice of using a schema registry - supporting popular serialization formats like Apache Avro and Google Protobuf - to design events in the terminology of our business domain. Because data structures change over time, let’s discuss safe schema evolution practices. Then we’ll utilize these contracts with schema registry-aware producer and consumer code. We’ll end our time by looking at how smart CI/CD pipelines and build-time checks can add an extra layer of defense against the costly problem of poison data. It’s time to stop guessing and start governing. Join us to learn how to move validation upstream and transform your event streams into high-quality, discoverable data products. You’ll walk away with a practical blueprint for enforcing schema integrity and automating evolution—ensuring your data streams are a trusted asset. \*\*\* DISCLAIMER We don't cater to attendees under the age of 18. If you want to host or speak at a meetup, please email [community@confluent.io](http://community@confluent.io/)

These monthly socials are a chance to network with other students and professionals in the geomatics field to chat GIS, data, remote sensing, surveying and more in a casual atmosphere. Feel free to bring friends and colleagues along - we're eager to welcome everyone back for a fantastic evening! This is a free event. Please RSVP to let us know you're attending.

Come and lets talk Ubuntu talk. Come see the new Ubuntu 26.04. Bring your laptops and show off your favorite apps and your wallpaper. Got questions ? Bring them too ! Location and time: Monday 7pm May 25 2026 Bishop and Belchers pub Church and Bloor St E. 175 Bloor St E. Toronto, ON M4W 3T5 [(416) 591-2352](tel:+14165912352)

🎟 **This is a paid event. Tickets must be purchased on Luma.** **Get yours: [https://luma.com/tiequest-2026](https://luma.com/tiequest-2026)** **\#\#\#\# TiEQuest Summit 2026 \- Building in Canada for the World** A morning built for founders who are done thinking small - and ready to hear how the best in Canada actually went global. **🧠 What to Expect** Sharp talks and practical insights from founders, operators, and investors who are actually doing the work. No fluff, just the real story of what it takes to scale ambitious companies from Toronto to the world. **🤝 Who's in the Room** Founders at every stage. Operators building something meaningful. Investors looking for what's next. If you're shaping the future of Canadian tech, you belong here. **📍 Where** U of T Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, one of Canada's most exciting hubs for tech and entrepreneurship. **📅 Monday, May 25, 2026** **⏰ 8:30AM – 12:30PM** **📍 108 College St, Toronto, ON**

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $18 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

⚠️日本語の案内は下にあります⚠️ 🎟Fee: $5 🌱Payment: Cash or E-transfer If you choose E-transfer, we recommend sending it **before** arrival to: ✉️canasianstation@gmail.com 🗣Event Style ・This event is 18 + only ・Group-based language exchange ・Small groups of 3–4 people ・Use both Japanese and English to communicate 🕒Schedule 6:15 – 6:30 Check-in 6:30 – 7:10 Round 1 7:10 – 7:15 Seat change 7:15 – 7:55 Round 2 7:55 Wrap-up 💫Friendly Guidelines • Participants with 2 no-shows may be removed from future events • This is not a dating or matchmaking event. You cannot request specific people to talk to. If you have an NG (someone you prefer not to be matched with), please let us know in advance • Photos may be taken for Instagram and event pages. If you do not wish to appear in photos, please inform the organizer beforehand • Harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, solicitation, or inappropriate behavior is strictly prohibited. If you notice any issues, please inform the organizer 🤝About This Event (Important) This is a group-based Language Exchange event. • One-on-one conversations with Japanese participants • Conversations with participants of a specific nationality ➡️are not guaranteed. 🎟️参加費：5ドル 🌱支払い方法：現金 or E-transfer ※E-transferをご利用の方は、到着**前に** ✉️Canasianstation@gmail.com へ送金していただくことを推奨しています 🗣️イベント形式 3〜4人のグループで、日本語と英語を使った国際交流🌏※本イベントは18歳以上限定です。 🕖タイムスケジュール 6:15 – 6:30 Check-in 6:30 – 7:10 第1ラウンド 7:10 – 7:15 席替え 7:15 – 7:55 第2ラウンド 7:55　解散 💫参加にあたって ・2回以上のNo-show（キャンセル無しの無断欠席）があった場合、以降の参加をお断りします ・本イベントはデート・マッチング目的の場ではありませんので、特定の「話したい人」の指定はできません。 ※NGの方がいる場合は、事前にお知らせください ・Instagram・イベントページ用に写真撮影を行う場合があります。写りたくない方は事前にお知らせください ・セクハラ、差別的発言、嫌がらせ、勧誘行為は固く禁止しています。もし見かけた場合は、主催者までご連絡ください 🫶イベントについて 本イベントは Language Exchange（言語交流）を目的としたグループ形式のイベントです。 ・カナダ人との一対一での会話 ・特定の国籍の参加者との会話 →これらを保証するものではありません。

**Welcome to Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa!** **Spring is in the air, and with it comes the promise of new beginnings, fresh energy, and the joy of connection!** As the season of renewal unfolds, we invite you to step into the rhythm of community, dance, and celebration at Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa. My objective has always been to create a different kind of social gathering—one that is open, non-judgmental, and safe. A place where you can meet people just like you, where socializing and dancing come together to help build community and tear down the walls that separate us. Here, we make new friends, feel a sense of belonging, and enjoy the calmness that comes from knowing we are in a safe and welcoming space. Many times, I have been asked, “Why host an event on Monday night?” Many people escape on the weekend and dread Mondays when they return to work. I believe that if you dance and socialize on a Monday, you infuse your week with joy and positive energy, giving your life balance and helping you face your challenges with enthusiasm and confidence. We’re also thrilled to announce that our trial of advanced Bachata lessons, which began last September, has been a resounding success! Building on this momentum, we’re excited to offer an enhanced schedule for 2026. Our dance evenings will now feature three hours of classes: one hour of beginner to intermediate Bachata, one hour of advanced Bachata, and one hour of beginner to intermediate Salsa. As always, the entrance fee remains $15 for a night of 2 lessons and social dancing. For those interested in the advanced Bachata lessons, there will be an additional $5 fee. Here’s our updated schedule: **Miss Bachata – Main Ballroom** 🕖 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Beginner to Intermediate Bachata Lesson (No partner required) 🕗 8:00 pm – 12:00 am: Social Dancing **Miss Salsa – Round Room** 🕖 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Advanced Bachata Lesson (+$5) **NEW** 🕗 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Beginner to Intermediate Salsa Lesson 🕘 9:00 pm – 12:00 am: Social Dancing ✨ **Additional Details:** ✔️ Free Parking ✔️ Full Bar (Free Water, Beer: $5.75) Over the past decade, organizing Latin dancing events in Mississauga has been a labor of love. Our mission has always been to foster a sense of community, proving that the connections we share are far stronger than the differences that divide us. Loneliness is a growing concern, with over half of U.S. adults and many Canadians experiencing its effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened this issue. Harvard University's long-term study on happiness, which began in 1938, highlights the detrimental impact of loneliness on health. People with strong social connections experience slower mental and physical decline and greater overall happiness compared to those who are isolated. Here are some key findings from the study: 🌿 Close ties help delay mental and physical decline more than money, fame, social class, IQ, or genetics. 🌿 Relationship satisfaction is a better predictor of aging well than cholesterol levels in middle age. 🌿 A strong sense of community improves memory function. 🌿 Loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking or alcoholism. And there’s hope! Strengthening our relationships and supporting community initiatives can combat loneliness and build healthier, happier lives. Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa provides a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, expand your social circle, and enjoy a safe, welcoming, authentic environment. Bring your open heart and a smile, and we’ll take care of the rest. 🌸 **Cheers to a season of renewal, joy, and community!** 🌸 **Anna G.** https://www.facebook.com/groups/1871491806494168/ https://www.facebook.com/EventsByAnnaG

🚨📢 **Please register using this link:** 👉 https://usergroups.snowflake.com/e/mwgfby/ **Bring your laptop fully charged. No prior CoCo experience needed.** Join the Snowflake Toronto User Group for **CoCo Labs** — a hands-on evening dedicated to **Cortex Code (CoCo)**, Snowflake's AI coding agent that takes data teams from natural language to production-ready code. ​You'll get a live demo from Snowflake SMEs, guided hands-on lab time, and the chance to build real things: fix a data pipeline and create your first Cortex Agent — all through conversation with CoCo. Wrap up the night by showcasing what you built (only for the brave!), then stick around for networking and happy hour. A light meal and refreshments will be served. **Agenda 🗓️** ​5:00 – 5:15pm - Arrival and check-in ​5:15 – 5:30pm - Welcome + Cortex Code Overview ​5:30 – 5:45pm - Account sign-up and set up of Cortex Code ​5:45 – 6:30pm - Cortex Code Workshop * ​Diagnose a stale pipeline, fix it, and onboard new sources * ​Build your first agent: enable business users to ask natural language questions on our data ​6:30 – 7:00pm - Explore Cortex Code on your own ​7:00 - 7:20pm - Brave Soul Showcase ​7:20 - 8:00pm - Networking & Happy Hour

Welcome to the dbt Meetup, Toronto Tech Week 2026 Edition! dbt Meetups are networking events open to all folks working with data. Talks predominantly focus on community members' experience with dbt, however, you'll catch presentations on broader topics such as analytics engineering, AI, data stacks, data ops, modeling, testing, and team structures. **To attend, please read the Health and Safety Policy and Terms of Participation: [https://www.getdbt.com/legal/health-and-safety-policy](https://www.getdbt.com/legal/health-and-safety-policy)** Toronto Tech Week is a citywide celebration of the people building what’s next. From May 25–29, 2026, founders, investors, and builders come together for hundreds of community-led events across Toronto, connecting tens of thousands of people around Canadian tech. Torontotechweek.com. **Agenda** * 6:00 > Arrive, Eat, Drink, and be Merry (aka Socialize) * 6:30 > Speaker 1 and 2 presentations **Instructions**: * Meet at entrance and someone will escort you for check-in **Speaker Sessions:** **1st Speakers:** * [Josh Harris](https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-harris-86188983/), founder of AnswerLayer. * **Topic**: Open Semantic Interchange shipped in January 2026 with dbt Labs as one of the co-leading vendors. OSI v1.0: what it is, why it exists, and what it means for dbt users. **2nd Speaker:** * **TBD** * **Topic:** TBD Reach out if you're interested in volunteering/speaking! ➡️ Join the dbt Slack community: [https://www.getdbt.com/community/](https://www.getdbt.com/community/)🤝For the best Meetup experience, make sure to join the #local-toronto channel in dbt Slack ([https://slack.getdbt.com/](https://slack.getdbt.com/)). dbt is the standard in data transformation, used by over 40,000 organizations worldwide. Through the application of software engineering best practices like modularity, version control, testing, and documentation, dbt’s analytics engineering workflow helps teams work more efficiently to produce data the entire organization can trust. Learn more: [https://www.getdbt.com/](https://www.getdbt.com/)

Please note that access to this event is exclusive to those you register using the link below. Thu May 28th, 7-10 pm, Good Fortune Bar. You asked for it and we heard you! Intro's first Toronto Queer Desi Mixer. What to expect? \~Ice Breaker hosted by Harsh, cue cards and fun little games! ​\~Socialize with Queer Desis, maybe you'll find someone to go on a Sunday sunset date <3 ​\~A sundowner with drinks and a fun jolly vibe. ​\~Attire - Casuals, or whatever makes you feel confident and sexy ;) Please [CLICK HERE](https://luma.com/vbsh9shh) to book! See you soon!

Whether you're a seasoned tech veteran or just starting out, let's create the ideal afterwork place to meet and chill with other workers in tech - find that new job, expand your network, share ideas, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry. Let's inspire, innovate, and shape the future of technology in Toronto! Tech, AI, Data, IT, and more \~ ​ \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### Event Details 💰 Cost: Free 🍺🥃 Afterwork drinks and social 📍 The Goodman Pub and Kitchen (Inside, or ask for Tech Social) - 207 Queens Quay W 🕕 6:00pm onwards every Friday ​ **Or RSVP on the website for our Discord / WhatsApp communities, and to see who else is going and what their backgrounds/seniority/interests are:** 🔗 [Link to Website](https://techsocialtoronto.com/event/meetup) ​ If you cannot find us, ask staff about Tech Social, or ask in the WhatsApp community above. ​ \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### Who Should Attend? Perfect for **Toronto tech professionals** including: * **Software Developers & Engineers** (Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, React, Node.js) * **Data Scientists & Analysts** (Machine Learning, AI, Data Visualization, SQL) * **Cybersecurity Professionals** (InfoSec, Ethical Hacking, Cloud Security) * **Product Managers & Tech Entrepreneurs** * **Students & Tech Graduates** looking to break into tech * **Career Changers** entering tech industry * **Remote Workers & Digital Nomads** in Toronto * **Startup Employees & Entrepreneurs** * **Digital Marketing & Product Professionals** * **Senior Engineers** looking to mentor and network \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### What You'll Experience * 🤝 **Network with Toronto tech community** * 💼 **Job opportunities** and referrals from peers * 🚀 **Career acceleration** through peer networking * 🎯 **Skill sharing** and tech discussions * 🧠 **Knowledge sharing** on latest tech trends * 🎉 **Social activities** and games * 🧠 **Learn from peers** about real-world challenges * 🚀 **Collaborate** on projects and ideas * 🎯 **Mentorship connections** (both ways!) * 🍻 **Fun, casual atmosphere** \- no matter your seniority level \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### Event Guidelines * Support the venue by purchasing drinks/food (no outside items allowed) * Maintain appropriate behavior and respect for all attendees * Bring physical ID if required by venue (call ahead to confirm) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ​ ​ *Toronto Canada tech social mixer afterwork drinks AI connect network data IT programming cybersecurity digital nomad blockchain crypto big data science computer networking community jobs entrepreneur industry product design startup software development machine learning python javascript professional networking career development it professionals developers mentorship ai sql analytics data engineering business intelligence deep learning tensorflow pytorch data visualization data analysts ml engineers Toronto Canada tech social mixer afterwork drinks AI connect network data IT programming cybersecurity digital nomad blockchain crypto big data science computer networking community jobs entrepreneur industry product design startup software development machine learning python javascript professional networking career development it professionals developers mentorship ai sql analytics data engineering business intelligence deep learning tensorflow pytorch data visualization data analysts ml engineers*

**[GrafanaCON Local](https://grafana.com/events/grafanacon-local/) Toronto - featuring the latest in AI Observability** Join us for a local edition of GrafanaCON — a recap of the keynote highlights combined with fresh voices from the Toronto community, all with an AI twist. We'll dig into actually useful uses of AI in observability, and how to add observability for AI workloads. Free to attend. Pizza and drinks provided. **Talks** 🎤 **Grafana 13: The road to AI-native observability** — Marylia Gutierrez, Principal Software Engineer @ Grafana Labs This talk will walk through Grafana 13 and the most impactful improvements across the platform. Learn how Grafana is continuing to invest in AI to become the first fully AI-native observability platform, and the default choice for agents. 🎤 **Scaling Grafana Assistant: Context, confidence, and AI observability** — Edward Qian, Staff Software Engineer @ Grafana Labs AI agents are only as powerful as the context they receive. In this session, we'll share lessons from building Grafana Assistant and offer practical tips for bringing the right context to get the most out of AI agents. 🎤 **AI tools to optimize your development workflow** — Cristiano Ventura, Senior Software Engineer @ Grafana Labs The way we write software has changed. AI systems read code, plan, execute shell commands, run tests, open PRs, and ship work end-to-end. This talk will showcase useful AI tools and concepts to improve your development workflow. **Agenda** 5:30 PM — Doors open, food + networking 6:00 PM — Talks begin \~8:00 PM — Networking continues 8:30 PM — Wrap *Note that by registering for this event you consent to related event & product communications from Grafana Labs and agree to our [code of conduct](https://grafana.com/events/events-code-of-conduct/).*

### **“Conscious Living”** **An Experiential Community Program for Embodied Consciousness** **Resuming Thursday, May 21, 2026** **On break:** June 4, 2026 **\| Summer break:** July & August 2026 **Thursdays, 7:30 PM (in person)** **Facilitator:** Sophia Barna, M.Ed., M.S.W. **Location: Toronto Theosophical Society,** 792 Glencairn Ave., Toronto, ON **(Basement Room)** “Conscious Living” is a weekly experiential program that bridges the study of consciousness with the practical realities of everyday life. Rooted in the *Map of Consciousness* developed by David R. Hawkins and *A Course in Miracles (ACIM)*, this program invites participants to move beyond theory into lived, embodied awareness. Together, we explore what it means to live “in the world, but not of it” — grounded, present, and engaged, while rooted in higher awareness. The Map of Consciousness serves as our reference point. Each meeting focuses on a specific state of consciousness, blending study and practice so participants not only understand these states intellectually, but also learn to embody and live them in daily life. In addition to the Map of Consciousness, A Course in Miracles (ACIM) provides a complementary framework for the program. ACIM offers practical spiritual principles for transforming perception, cultivating forgiveness, and recognizing the inner guidance of love and truth. Its teachings emphasize the shift from fear to love, the release of judgment, and the practice of conscious choice in every moment. Our gatherings are grounded in the states of Love, Joy, and Gratitude, corresponding to the elevated energy field of 540 on the Map of Consciousness. From this frequency of openness and lightness, we come together to uplift, inspire, and grow in awareness — individually and collectively. ### **✨A Potluck for the Body, Heart, Mind & Soul🌈** Each session is designed as a holistic experience — nourishing all dimensions of being: * **🪷 Food for the Soul:** Guided meditation, self-reflection, and self-inquiry * **🧠 Food for the Mind:** Lectures, presentations, and meaningful group discussions * **✨ Food for the Body:** Embodied practices (movement and dance meditations), singing, chanting * **💗 Food for the Heart:** Love-centered connecting and sharing ### **🌸What to Expect** Together, we will explore different states of consciousness through: * Lectures and presentations * Guided meditation * Self-reflection * Group discussions * Movement and dance meditation * Singing and chanting ### **🌸What to Bring** 1. Coloured clothes — each week a specific colour (ROGVAIV rainbow sequence: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). *This is an encouraged part of the experience, not mandatory.* 2. Silk or large dancing scarf/veil 3. Notebook, journal, or paper with pens, crayons, markers 4. Your highest vibrational presence in love, joy, and gratitude This is a space where learning becomes lived experience — where insight meets embodiment. *To uphold universal brotherhood without distinction and freedom of thought, all elements of the evening are invitational. Participants may opt out of any component and still be welcome, as long as we engage with one another respectfully.* *This is a participatory series with optional components. In keeping with TTS values, you are welcome to opt in or opt out of any element, and the central expectation is mutual respect.* ### **Reference Texts** 1. Hawkins, D. R. (2012). Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House. 2. Foundation for Inner Peace. (1976). A Course in Miracles. Mill Valley, CA: Foundation for Inner Peace. 3. Barna, S. (2025). Flying Home: Soul Stories for the Little One Within. Toronto: LightPath Publishing. **Registration:** TTS Study Groups, ts.study.to@gmail.com Registration **optional** (for updates and materials). Walk-ins welcome. ### **About the Facilitator:** **Sophia Barna** is an educator and facilitator with a long-standing interest in the relationship between inner life and everyday life: how spiritual principles become livable, embodied realities rather than abstract ideas. Her work bridges consciousness research, reflective inquiry, and practical methods for self-observation and inner transformation. Her background includes graduate training in education and social work, and advanced professional training in EMDR. In “Conscious Living,” she draws on the Map of Consciousness (as developed by David R. Hawkins) and the spiritual psychology of A Course in Miracles, inviting participants to explore themes such as presence, perception, forgiveness, and the cultivation of love, joy, and gratitude through shared practice and dialogue. Her facilitation style is heart-centered, clear, and experiential, with space for participants to learn through reflection, discussion, and embodied exercises. ***Important distinction:*** While Sophia’s clinical experience, education, and skills shape how she holds the space and communicates, this series does not constitute EMDR therapy, psychotherapy or a clinical solution for mental or emotional problems. It is a group experience offered in the spirit of service and public learning, and it should not replace care from a licensed provider in a private and confidential therapeutic relationship.

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.

The June Ohio North Database Training user group meeting will be held on **June 2nd, 2026 at 5:00PM**. This will be a **HYBRID** event and we will be joined online by **Sam Nasr.** 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/215625630917731?p=vxNb3zudhNj0S6Cg0v)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 ### SQL Server 2025: The Developer’s Revolution Explore SQL Server 2025’s new dev features -JSON type, Regular Expressions, and Change Event Streaming for real-time pipelines. See how REST API and Data API Builder turn your data into secure, high-performance APIs. Packed with demos, this session is perfect for developers, DBAs, and architects \*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.

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

**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

**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** Like it or not, AI agents are now capable of turning a quickly written paragraph of requirements into a pull request that is ready to be integrated into real-world production applications and it's now our responsibility to make sure AI doesn't go rogue and take down prod - or corrupt our data by misunderstanding the requirements or our existing schemas. In this session we'll explore strategies to protect our codebases through unit and integration testing, documentation, and code review along with additional ways of providing context and guard rails to our AI agents as they carry out the work we've assigned them to do. By the time we're done, you'll have a firm grasp of the problem and understand some helpful options for protecting your codebase from vibe coding mishaps getting YOLOed into prod. **YouTube Link** TBD

Most people use AI like a search box: they type one sentence, hope for the best, and get frustrated when the answer is generic, wrong, or useless. But getting better results from tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other AI systems is not about memorizing magic prompts. It is about learning how to give the AI better context. In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll break down how to make AI dramatically more useful by improving the way you communicate with it. You’ll learn how to give clearer instructions, provide examples, set constraints, ask for better output formats, and use follow-up questions to turn a mediocre answer into a genuinely useful one. We’ll cover practical techniques you can use immediately for work, learning, writing, coding, planning, research, and everyday problem solving. We’ll also touch on why these same ideas show up in more advanced AI systems, including RAG, agents, evaluations, and AI workflows. No technical background required. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and maybe one real task you wish AI was better at helping you with. **What you’ll learn:** * Why “better prompting” is really about better context * How to structure requests so AI gives more useful answers * How to use examples, constraints, and output formats * How to iterate when the first answer is not good enough * How these skills connect to more advanced AI workflows This meetup is for anyone who wants to move beyond basic ChatGPT usage and start getting more practical value out of AI. 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.

Couldn't make Knowledge? Or want to debrief the dancing robots or Autonomous Workforce? Join us for a Knowledge '26 recap, insights sharing, a couple rounds of golf, and fun at Topgolf. As always, drinks and food will be provided. More details to come — mark your calendar, RSVP, and save your spot today!

Bring your work or your hobby, hang out, and code with us. Follow @buckeyecocoa for more information.