Data Science

AI coding tools are everywhere now, but adoption is uneven. Some developers use them daily; others remain skeptical. Getting a whole team on board is harder than it looks. This meetup explores the practical side of that challenge — how to bridge the gap between enthusiasts and skeptics, and what actually works when rolling out AI coding across a team. Evgeny Potapov, engineering manager with over 20 years of experience and cofounder of US-based startup ApexData, will share lessons from 1.5 years of navigating this shift: — Why some developers hesitate, and the psychology behind it — What gets adopted easily, and which team practices help — When AI coding won't work and forcing adoption makes no sense — How to push back when AI is the wrong tool for the job If you're a developer, tech lead, or engineering manager facing similar questions, this is a chance to learn from real experience and connect with others on the same path. 🕒 Schedule: 18:30 🥂 Networking, Pizza & Drinks 19:00 👋 Welcome Words 19:15–20:00 🎤 Evgeny Potapov: AI-First Coding: Closing the Gap Between Skeptics and Practitioners in Dev Teams

TAMI π is a curated meeting, workshop or presentation about a topic in math. It happens every two weeks at TAMI. The event is hosted by a different person each time. You can come, learn topics and share ideas in an open and informal atmosphere. This time we will talk about [symplectic algebra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symplectic_group). For proposing a presentation or topic you can drop us a line. תאמי פי הוא מפגש אוצר, סדנה או מצגת על נושא במתמטיקה. זה קורה כל שבועיים בתאמי. את האירוע מנחה אדם אחר בכל פעם. תוכלו לבוא, ללמוד נושאים ולחלוק רעיונות באווירה פתוחה ונעימה. הפעם נדבר על [אלגברה סימפלקטית](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symplectic_group). להצעת מצגת או נושא ניתן לפנות אלינו.

FoodTech FUTURAMA, January 15th, Herzog Towers, 6 Sadeh, TLV. In an uncertain FoodTech landscape, multinational corporations (and their budgets) take on greater significance. On Thursday, January 15th, hear the inside perspective from top executives at **PepsiCo** and **Mondelez** driving innovation and investment. **Title**: FoodTech FUTURAMA (with PepsiCo & Mondelez) **Speakers**: **[David Schwartz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schwartz-008126/)**, PepsiCo; **[Luba Safran](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsafran)**, Mondelez, [Alon Turkaspa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonturkaspa/), StartupNation Central MC- [Nicole Grubner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-grubner-547a4b22/), FINN Partners **Date**: Thursday, January 15 **Time**: 9:00-11:00am (content: 9:30-10:30am) **Venue**: Herzog law firm, 6 Sadeh Street, Tel Aviv **Agenda**: 9:00am Doors Open / Shmooze 9:30-9:35 Welcome and Overview (Nicole Grubner / Adam Salkin) 9:35-9:40 mHealth Introduction (Mihoko Horigome) 9:40-10:00 FoodTech Landscape (Alon Turkapsa, StartupNation Central) 10:00-10:05 Self Introductions (Pepsi / Mondelez) 10:05-10:30 Moderated audience Q&A 10:30-11am Informal networking / ShmoozeI **Keynote**- [David Schwartz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schwartz-008126/), VP Tech Strategy, Partnerships and Innovation, PepsiCo **Keynote**- [Luba Safran](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsafran/), Venture Capital Lead, Mondelez International **Industry Overview**- [Alon Turkaspa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonturkaspa/), StartupNation Central Moderator: [Nicole Grubner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-grubner-547a4b22/), Partner, Head of Environmental Innovation, [FINN ](www.finnpartners.com)Partners Thursday, January 15th, grab a seat at the table and savor the insights from PepsiCo, Mondelez ad StartupNation Central at FoodTech FUTURAMA.

הרצאה תספק מבוא להבנת הדור החדש של מערכות רובוטיות: כיצד פלטפורמות ו־ SDKs מתקדמים מאפשרים לרובוט להבין את סביבתו בזמן אמת ולהזרים מידע חזותי וחיישני; מהם מודולי הרשתות הנוירונים המסוגלים לשלוט ברובוטים; כיצד מתבצע תהליך האימון של המודלים וכיצד משלבים רובוטים וזרועות בסביבות סימולציה שונות לפני המעבר לשטח. יוסי כהן, חובב הנדסה, CTO של חברת נוירוניק למערכות אוטונומיות. שימו לב: לא מספיק להרשם במיטאפ יש להרשם גם בקישור הבא , שם תמצאו גם פרטים נוספים https://link.makelab.org.il/Smart-Machines

A celebratory evening announcing the winners of the Indie Grant program by GameIS in collaboration with Xsolla. An event dedicated to honoring outstanding indie creators from the local game industry and celebrating independent creation, development, and community.

מריב כתוב למסר אהוב, בפורום היועצים! מפגש עסקי ליצירת קשרים מניבים ושיתופי פעולה איכותיים עם ערך מוסף. לפרטים וההרשמה: https://tinyurl.com/5xr67eym יום חמישי, 15.01.26, בשעה 10:00, נפגשים בסטודיו פריים ביי פריים במתחם הבורסה בר"ג (מרחק הליכה קצר מהרכבת). בואו ליצור קשרים איכותיים בפורום ה- B2B הותיק ביותר בארץ! המפגש מיועד למי שנותן שירות לעסקים, ארגונים, חברות ויזמים מכל התחומים (B2B). הביאו כרטיסי ביקור והבטיחו את מקומכם בהקדם. מחכים להיפגש!

# ✮ CAPPELLA THURSDAY MAINSTREAM ✮ הרשמה חינם וכרטיסים: https://go-out.co/event/1767626511170?ref=a3fi92ff02 לילות חמישי במגדל 🏙️ מיינסטרים & היפ הופ בקפלה 🎧 הפלייגראונד של הקומה ה 14 🎸 **MAIN STAGE** BENOR LIAM ELBAZ (Mainstream) **Secret Room** DJ IDO (Hip Hop) \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Cappella Haarbaa 28, Tel Aviv

מוזמנים/ות לקורס מבוא ל- בלנדר: יצירת עולמות בתלת-ממד בארבעה מפגשים, שיפתח בפניכם את עולם הגרפיקה הממוחשבת (CG) בדרך מעשית ומרתקת. במהלך הקורס נכיר את בלנדר, תוכנה מקצועית וחינמית ונסיים עם יצירה אישית שיכולה להפוך גם לאובייקט מודפס בתלת-ממד. מיועד למבוגרים/ות (16+). לא נדרש נסיון קודם. עלות: 500 ש"ח (לתושבי יהוד-מונוסון: 450 ש"ח) שימו לב: לא מספיק להרשם במיטאפ יש להרשם גם בקישור הבא , שם תמצאו גם פרטים נוספים https://link.makelab.org.il/Blender-course

**Founders Running Club** (FRC) brings founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking. We like to be comfortable when we run and finish with coffee and conversations. Choose your pace or follow a pacer—pets, friends, family, are welcome. Join locall Tel-Aviv chat with all news and updates https://chat.whatsapp.com/IWWgu9DznjzLvMe8p6cVCu?mode=ac_t For any questions pleae contact Tel-Aviv city leaders: Lev +972 55-7704496 Ilia +972535007183 Nastya +972533838320 Dan +972537162316 More about FRC global: 🗓️ Launched in San Francisco, July 16, 2022 🌍 Now in 35+ cities 📅 Running + Networking events + Community **Join the community** [http://foundersrc.com/chats](http://foundersrc.com/chats) **Stay updated**: Instagram [http://instagram.com/foundersrc/](http://instagram.com/foundersrc/) LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/](http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/) Podcast [http://podcast.foundersrc.com/](http://podcast.foundersrc.com/) Strava [http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC](http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC) Website [http://foundersrc.com/](http://foundersrc.com/)

ביום שישי 15.01.2026 נפגש למיטאפ בנושא חלקו הראשון של המאמר The Comprachicos המאמר מתוך ספרה של איין ראנד The Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution את המפגש יעביר גלעד שרמן, אנליסט פיננסי. לקריאת המאמר (חלק ראשון, עמודים 1-9) [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FTcvsHhXikbW3-OnqwECR7yQup2duhbZ/](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FTcvsHhXikbW3-OnqwECR7yQup2duhbZ/) **\*\*\*המפגש מיועד לקהל הרחב ולא מצריך ידע מוקדם מעבר לקריאת המאמר\*\*\*** תכנית: 10:45-11:15 התכנסות 11:15-12:45 דיון על המאמר 12:45 אפטר מיטאפ: קונים אוכל ושתייה בשרונה מרקט וחוזרים למינגלינג בוויוורק הדיון מתחיל ונגמר בזמן. נא לדייק ולא לאכול במהלך הדיון [תרומות למרכז איין ראנד ופעילות המיטאפ כאן](https://www.aynrand.org.il/donate) . הנחיות כניסה: יש להיכנס בכניסה א' של שרונה מרקט, מול מסעדת "מקסיקנה" יש דלת לחדר מדרגות, יש לעלות לקומה ה3 ולצלצל לפתיחת הדלת לאייר רייכל 050-5210025. ניתן גם לכתוב בקבוצת הוואטסאפ של המיטאפ. ניתן להגיע באמצעות הרכבת הקלה - תחנת יהודית למגיעים ברכב, חניה מומלצת ב"חניון פלטיניום" (מופיע בוייז). במחיר 20 ש"ח, חניונים אחרים יהיו יקרים יותר ניתן גם לחנות בחניון "מילניום" שקצת רחוק יותר ב10 שח עם אפליקציית סנטרל פארק. לאחר המפגש, ממשיכים לבלות במתחם וויוורק, נהוג לקנות אוכל במרקט למטה ולחזור לאכול במתחם. מתלבטים ביחס להתאמת התוכן? אופי המפגש? מוזמנים לפנות ולהתייעץ עם בועז.

Рассвет — это момент, когда город ещё не проснулся, а свет уже начинает писать свои первые мягкие штрихи. И именно в эти минуты Тель-Авив становится другим — тихим, прозрачным, почти камерным. ✨ На фотопрогулке в парке А-Яркон мы поймаем то, что невозможно увидеть днём: — туман над водой, — золотые лучи, пробивающиеся сквозь деревья, — первых бегунов и велосипедистов, — птиц, летящих так низко, будто специально для вашего кадра. 📸 Что будем делать: — разбирать настройки под утренний свет, — учиться работать с композицией и движением, — ловить отражения в воде, — искать мягкие цвета, которыми дышит раннее утро. Это прогулка, где каждый кадр — спокойный, живой и настоящий. И где вы почувствуете, что фотография — это не техника, а умение увидеть момент до того, как он исчезнет. Возьмите камеру, тёплую кофту и желание встретить новый день с красотой. Будет очень светло, очень тихо и очень вдохновляюще. 🌅✨ Запись по WhatsApp: 058-6776-375.

Join us in the search for the true, the good and the beautiful. Each meet is in one of two formats: a shared reading and open discussion of philosophical texts, or a continuing series of lectures based on the reading of a fascinating book of philosophy. Both formats are in Hebrew, with some reading of English texts, assisted whenever needed. We meet weekly Friday on 80 Rokach Boulevard, Tel Aviv, at the gardens of the Council for a Beautiful Israel. Welcome anyone interested in understanding life more deeply, regardless of age or prior knowledge. The love of wisdom is enough. Please join our WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JeAa2uRNTlF0rdrVTLzUC0?mode=wwt Note: there's always enough sitting room, but some of it is on the grass or a mat on the floor. If you want to guarantee yourself a chair, please bring one with you. Sapere Aude! (Kant's Motto: Dare to Think!)

# ✮JIMMY WHO-FRIDAY-MAINSTREAM✮ הרשמה חינם וכרטיסים: https://go-out.co/event/1767740155955?ref=a3fi92ff02 שישי בשדרה 🪩 מיינסטרים אול נייטר בקלאב של רוטשילד 🎧 על המחטים החל מ 22:30 🕥 **ELBO** **BENDEL** **📀** \~\~\~ JIMMY WHO \| Friday \| 16\.01 \| 22:30

# SATURDAY @ CAPPELLA 🆙 הרשמה חינם וכרטיסים: https://go-out.co/event/1768066979350?ref=a3fi92ff02 הקומה ה 14 בלילה של דינר, תקליטים, קוקטיילים, ומסיבה אחת גדולה אל תוך הלילה 🍸 🎧Your playlist 🎧 **MAIN STAGE** BAREL BENDEL ELBO KALAN THOMAS LIVE SAX YONI WEITZMEN VIOLIN (Mainstream by Alpha) \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Cappella Haarbaa 28, Tel Aviv

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 :)

Join us for another session of our study group as we dive into the fascinating world of Large Language Models (LLMs) using the book **Build a Large Language Model from Scratch** from Manning. In this session, we will finish **Chapter 7: Fine-tuning to follow instructions**. In the last session, we talked about how to prepare the dataset for instruction fine-tuning and in this session we will perform the fine-tuning and evaluate the model afterwards. This isn't just a lecture! Come ready to ask questions, share insights, and code along. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this is the perfect opportunity to build a strong foundation together. If you plan to work with the code on your own laptop during the session, try and set-up the environment ahead of time (https://github.com/rasbt/LLMs-from-scratch/tree/main/setup). We will be meeting at the North County Governmental Center this time that is across from the Reston public library.

Gaming, AdTech, EdTech, Media Streaming, and FinTech are just a few of the workloads where high-availability cloud infrastructure matters. Whether you’re doing battle daily in one of these spaces or are just curious about ways to improve performance, meet us in Reston for an in-person discussion on bare metal cloud architecture. You’ll meet our product lead, James MacKenzie, who will walk through how modern bare metal serves as a control plane for hybrid and private cloud architectures. **What we will cover** * Ways to leverage bare metal, containers, and orchestration for better performance and predictable economics; * Real-world hybrid, disaster recovery, and data-intensive architectures; * Our approach to eliminating ingress and egress fees. **Who should attend** * Cloud architects and platform engineers; * DevOps professionals and infrastructure leads; * FinOps stakeholders managing data-heavy or hybrid workloads. **Why attend** This is a technical, architecture-first conversation. You will leave with a clearer understanding of high-availability cloud infrastructure and how organizations are scaling cost-effectively. Food and drinks will be provided. Space is limited to keep the discussion interactive.

(2024) by Christof Koch, 288 pages [Psychology] • Hardcover • Kindle • Audiobook • Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=613100 Check the How To Find Us section for Zoom Link **(Remember, the Zoom Link is different each month, do not bookmark)** ### Review "A wonderful book."―Sam Harris, Making Sense with Sam Harris “a fun introduction to a number of debates… Mr. Koch’s book provokes questions… and counterarguments, but that’s what gives it life.” ―The Wall Street Journal “Easily the most current, thorough, and helpful exploration of consciousness available. Koch’s light, simple, yet authoritative writing style will appeal to general audiences as well as scientists and researchers. An essential, highly recommended purchase.”―Library Journal “magisterial… charming, sometimes beautiful, and almost always illuminating” ―Science Magazine “an impressive and sometimes exuberant work, showcasing decades of [Koch’s] research”―New Scientist “Koch’s adept use of analogies and entertaining anecdotes — complete with his own near-death experience and psychedelic drug trips — make the book a compelling and surprisingly light read.” ―Science News “undeniably compelling… a smoothly written must-read for anyone interested in a detailed introduction to the relationship between the brain, consciousness, and transformative experiences” ―Ars Technica “Expertly weaving in personal experience with science that few, if any, can speak more authoritatively about, Koch leads us on an amazing journey of consciousness—from birth to death. Deeply personal and infinitely digestible, Then I Am Myself the World is a remarkable must read for anyone interested in knowing their mind.”―Judson Brewer MD, PhD, New York Times–bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety “Koch’s latest book brilliantly navigates the intricate landscape of our mind and our brain, offering insightful perspectives on the nature of conscious experiences, both ordinary as well as extraordinary ones.”―Hartmut Neven, founder and lead of Google’s quantum AI lab “Then I Am Myself the World is the new record of note for the scientific understanding of consciousness. This is an elegant tableau, a travelogue of subjective experience grounded in the latest neuroscience and philosophy traversing religion, science, and a life dedicated to the biggest questions. Filled with crystalline prose, lucid explanation, and revelatory honesty, this book will continue to be read centuries from now.”―Patrick House, author of Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness “What would happen if a hardcore neuroscientist, with encyclopedic knowledge and four decades of experience in his field, were personally confronted with transformative mystical experiences carrying inevitable metaphysical implications? What would happen if the neuroscientist in question were open-minded, humble, but remained rigorously grounded in reason, evidence, and his hard-earned understanding of how consciousness relates to brain structures and function? What would he, the most preeminent professional of his generation, make of his extraordinary experiences? And what if, in addition, the neuroscientist was a modern renaissance man versed in physics, philosophy, the arts, the classics, and could pluck irresistibly evocative metaphors from the Western literary and artistic canon as if leisurely picking apples in early fall? This is what you will find in this treasured book, a whirlwind ride of insight after insight—so many they can’t possibly be all documented in footnotes—that will surprise and delight you from the get-go. ‘Primacy goes to consciousness, not to the objective world,’ he boldly states already on page two, in a prelude of things to come. ‘Everything else follows from there, including the realist assumption of the existence of objects, out ‘there,’ independent of my experiencing them.’ The book embodies the ever-evolving wisdom of a man whose intellectual prowess is only matched by his intellectual honesty. And this man, in the seventh decade of his scintillatingly productive life, has a lifetime of learning to share with you.”―Bernardo Kastrup, executive director, Essentia Foundation “Koch’s first book was entitled The Quest for Consciousness. And such has been Koch’s life, an adventurer’s pursuit of a distant goal, undeterred by the prevailing winds. The reader will learn where this quest has led and, like the author, will be enriched by it. Koch, one of the most accomplished scientists of our time, a mind singularly open to learning and changing, here opens his soul, revealing his vast, scintillating appreciation of nature in all its forms. It is a touching, profound book. Which is as it should be, since consciousness touches everything and is everything we touch.”―Giulio Tononi, University of Wisconsin-Madison ### About the Author Christof Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute and at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, the former president of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and a former professor at the California Institute of Technology. Author of four previous titles, Koch writes regularly for a range of media, including Scientific American. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

In this talk, Sean Hoar will explore how AI assistants can accelerate different stages of software development. From idea generation and prototyping to coding, testing, and debugging, AI tools are transforming how developers work. He’ll provide practical examples of where AI can save time, reduce errors, and help teams focus on higher-level problem-solving. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to integrate AI into their workflow and stay ahead in the evolving tech landscape.

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun Workshop: How AI Can Work for Your Business** **Wednesday\, January 28 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun – Ashburn** Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword — it’s a practical tool that businesses of all sizes can begin using today. Join **1 Million Cups Loudoun** for a special **workshop-style presentation** led by **Victor Meer of AI Prime** and **Jay Jay Billings of Band Gap AI**, designed to help entrepreneurs understand how AI can realistically support their business operations. This workshop will provide: * A clear, practical overview of what AI actually is * Real-world examples of how businesses are using AI today * Insight into where automation can save time and reduce friction * Guidance on how to start leveraging AI without needing technical expertise Whether you’re AI-curious, overwhelmed by the noise, or ready to explore automation in your business, this session will help you think clearly about where AI fits — and where it doesn’t. As always, coffee, conversation, and community are at the heart of 1 Million Cups Loudoun. ### What Is 1 Million Cups? 1 Million Cups is a national program powered by the Kauffman Foundation that brings together entrepreneurs and community members for weekly conversations that educate, support, and inspire. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Join us on **January 14 at 9:00 AM** for coffee, connection, and a meaningful conversation about reimagining after-school education in Loudoun County. **We look forward to seeing you there.**