Database Development

**Venue:** Riverbank House, 2 Swan Ln, London EC4R 3AD **Please note:** 1\. 🚨🚨🚨 A valid photo ID is required by building security\. 🚨🚨🚨 2\. This event follows the [NumFOCUS Code of Conduct](https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct). Please familiarise yourself with it before attending. If your RSVP status says "You're going" you will be able to get in. No need to show your RSVP confirmation when signing in. If you can no longer make it, please unRSVP as soon as possible. **Code of Conduct:** This event follows the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct. Please get in touch with the organisers with any questions or concerns. As always, there will be free food and drinks, generously provided by our host, Man Group. **Main Talks** 1. **SVD-ROM: Reduced Order Modeling of huge arrays using the Singular Value Decomposition** - **David Salvador-Jasin** We present SVD-ROM, an open source Python package to perform Reduced Order Modeling (ROM) of very large arrays using the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Despite the high dimensionality of datasets typically encountered in real-world scenarios such as fluid dynamics or weather & climate, these are typically low-rank: there are a few dominant patterns that explain the high dimensionality. The SVD is a useful dimensionality reduction technique for such systems, and has the advantages of being explainable and computationally efficient. SVD-ROM enables the application of SVD-based machine learning methods such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) or Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) on massive datasets. We employ Dask for parallel and out-of-core computation, Xarray for labelled N-dimensional arrays, and data formats such as Zarr and NetCDF for chunked storage of large arrays. We have developed SVD-ROM keeping user-friendliness in mind, exposing a Python API that enables the straightforward application of methods such as pre-processing, model fitting, reconstruction and forecasting. Additionally, Dask makes code portability across laptop, HPC clusters or cloud straightforward, enabling the user to run SVD-ROM on different computational environments with minimal changes. The development of SVD-ROM has also resulted in multiple contributions to PyDMD, the most popular open source Python package for the application of DMD. In this talk we show how we can fit a DMD model to a global weather dataset tens of GB in size and produce an accurate sub-seasonal forecast (6 weeks ahead) on a laptop in just a few minutes. 2. **From Zero to HyperPod: Cutting Infrastructure Complexity for Distributed Model Training on AWS** - [Anton Nazaruk](anton.e.nazaruk@gmail.com) Training state‑of‑the‑art models often stalls on two pain points: GPU availability and infrastructure complexity. In this 40‑minute, practitioner‑level session, I will demystify the fastest, most cost‑effective routes to dedicated NVIDIA H100 and B200 clusters on AWS. We will compare EC2 On‑Demand, Spot, Savings Plans, EC2 Capacity Blocks, and the new SageMaker Training Plans with HyperPod, showing where each shines for research, production training, and massive fine‑tunes. A live demo will provision a 256‑GPU HyperPod, walk through distributed‑training set‑up with Deep Speed + PyTorch, and showcase built‑in checkpointing and automatic node recovery. Attendees will leave with: 1) a decision framework for picking the right reservation model, 2) reference Terraform and CDK snippets to launch clusters in minutes, and 3) cost‑optimisation tips that have saved our clients up to 35% versus unmanaged fleets. Biggest focus on practical architectures, benchmarks, and war stories you can apply the next day. **Lightning Talks** 1. **Agentic, Agentic AI for Personalized Care — Lessons and Challenges from Holisticare.io - Mojtaba Kargar** 2. **Mapping the International PyData Community featuring Web Scraping and Data Wrangling - [Hugh Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-evans-dev/)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Logistics** Doors open at **6.30 pm** (get there early as you'll need to sign in with building security). Talks start at **7:00 pm**, with drinks afterwards from **9:00 pm** at The Banker (EC4). We have reduced capacity for this event, but there will be plenty of people to discuss data science questions with. Please unRSVP in good time if you realise you can't make it. We're limited by building security on the number of attendees, so please free up your place for your fellow community members. If you want me to trim lightning talks down to two or shorten any abstracts, say which ones.

🚀 From Idea to Working App. Agenda: \* 18:30 \- Welcome drinks / meet and greet \| \* 19:00 \- presentation\, workshop \| \* 20:00 \- Share Demos and Wrap up and Q & A \| \* 21:00 - Social in the bar Join us for an informal evening exploring how AI is revolutionising the way we build applications. Whether you're a developer, product manager, or business leader curious about accelerating delivery, this meetup will show you practical approaches to go from concept to working software in record time. We'll introduce the spec-driven development approach that leverages AI to dramatically compress traditional timelines. You'll see firsthand how modern AI tools can transform requirements into functional applications, handling everything from architecture decisions to code generation. This isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying what teams can achieve and focusing human creativity where it matters most. **What to expect:** * Live demonstrations of AI-powered application development * Real-world examples of projects delivered in days instead of months * Interactive discussions about when and how to apply these approaches * Practical tips for getting started with your own projects * Time to experiment and ask questions **What to bring:** We encourage you to bring your laptop and have accounts set up with AI tools like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, or similar platforms. If you have a business problem or app idea you're thinking about, even better—we might tackle it together! This is a relaxed, collaborative environment perfect for learning, sharing experiences, and connecting with others who are excited about the future of software delivery. All experience levels welcome—curiosity is the only prerequisite.

BOOK YOUR TICKET 👉🏼 [HERE](https://itsadate.club/event/christian-speed-dating-2/). Single, Christian, and 40–55? Perfect! Join us for 15 fun, fast-paced dates with like-minded Christians looking for genuine connections. In the heart of The City, just moments from Liverpool Street Station, The Otherist provides a relaxed and welcoming setting for meeting new people who share your Christian faith. Our spacious and private sunken lounge creates the perfect backdrop for an intimate evening designed to help single Christian guests meet, mingle, and connect during fifteen fun, fast-paced dates. With a friendly atmosphere, gentle background music, and 15 potential matches, it’s an evening that’s as easygoing as it is exciting. Our host will be at the venue ready to welcome you at 19:30. Please arrive on time for registration, to grab any drinks from the bar, and receive a summary of how things will work. You will be given an optional name sticker, a pen, and note card to keep track of everyone you’ve met. Ladies will be seated on tables adequately spaced, discreetly numbered, and arranged in a comfortable area of the venue. When speed dating commences, gents will join ladies for 5-minute dates to get to know one another. Your host will notify all guests at the end of each date, signalling for gents to move to the next table in ascending numerical order. During table rotations you will have a moment to record on note cards your feelings towards the previous date and intention to reconnect, for your reference only. Mid-way through the evening, your host will indicate a 15-minute comfort break to use the rest room, head to the bar, or socialise with new connections. Dating will then resume for the second half of the evening. At the end of the speed dating the bar will remain open for more socialising. You can then access the event listing in your dashboard to enter feedback on dates and await your matches. If you have any questions on the event or how things will work, please get in contact with James on 07517 065 492 or [james@itsadate.club](mailto:james@itsadate.club).

*Please ensure that you have READ THE SUBMISSIONS before attending the session. Contact Graig in advance for the submissions document and the exact location in NEW CROSS.* This session will focus on FEEDBACK for members' writing. We ask that people attend two meetings before submitting their own work. Read, read, read- and be ready to give thoughtful and detailed feedback at our meeting! We aim to finish at 10 each session, but several of us will often continue to socialise with a drink or two.

Join our weekly mixed 3x3 basketball run, organised by the GG3x3 (https://www.gg3x3.com/), an hour of non-stop 3x3 action based on FIBA 3x3 rules all levels welcome! 3x3 is an Olympic Sport played in teams of 3 in half court, and is a fun way of experiencing the game of basketball. 3x3 is particularly suited to basketball beginners as you get more touches on the ball, have more space to move into off of ball screens or when you are playing off the ball. Please join this game using the free GameOn Active app ([download here](https://gameonactive.co.uk/connect.html)) which is a free app we use to organise the run. Crossharbour Montessori Day Nursery is 1 min walk from Crossharbour DLR station. On arrival, please let reception know that you are there for a basketball session and you will be let through, at the courts please ask for Scotty. We look forward to balling with you there!

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

We are a welcoming community of board game designers and playtesters, please join us and bring your games in development for feedback, to play upcoming games, or just to chat about the hobby and industry! We range from first-time designers, hobby designers, published designers, and publishing companies. We meet **every Tuesday** at The Ludoquist board game cafe in Croydon, from 6:30pm-10pm. We try to ensure that as many games can be played in an evening, and prioritise those that haven't been able to test their games recently, although we cannot guarantee that your game will be played in the first session you join. The **final meeting of each month is reserved for playing published games**. We use this time to catch up on games that we want to try or discuss. You can also join our Facebook Group community for feedback and discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/playtestuksouthlondon We look forward to seeing you!

**Join us for an evening of Voice AI, APIs, and good conversation.** Deepgram and Vonage are teaming up to host a **Voice AI meetup for developers and solution architects** who are building (or want to build) real-time voice experiences at scale. Over drinks and appetizers, you’ll hear lightning talks from Deepgram and Vonage on: * How to connect **Vonage Voice and Contact Center APIs** with Deepgram’s **real-time speech recognition and synthesis** * Architectures for **low-latency voice agents**, call analytics, and real-time translation * Practical patterns, demos, and lessons learned from real customer deployments You’ll walk away with: * A clearer mental model of the **end-to-end Voice AI stack** (telecom, orchestration, STT/TTS, and LLMs) * Concrete ideas for how to **modernize existing voice workflows** or launch new AI-powered experiences * New connections with peers building in **voice AI, contact centers, and conversational AI**

Hi JavaScript London, We're thrilled to host the 1st meet-up of 2026!! We are kicking off the year with Omnea hosting at Wave Talent's offices in Shoreditch. We have some fantastic tech talks lined up, there will be plenty of pizzas 🍕, and of course drinks 🍻, plus plenty of networking with fellow tech enthusiasts. Don't miss out on a night of great conversations and new connections! **Address:** 14 Bonhill Street London, EC2A 4BX **Registration -** You know the drill by now!! Please register via Meetup and also via the website as we need to give a list of attendees on the night. [https://www.javascriptlondon.com/](https://www.javascriptlondon.com/) **Talks:** **1st Talk:** [Tynan Byrne](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tynanbyrne/) \- Software Engineer at Omnea\. **Topic: "Stop Guessing: How to Actually Know Your AI Feature Isn't Useless"**" You tweaked your AI prompt. Your teammate suggested adding markdown. Your manager wants to try Claude instead of GPT-4. Is it better now? Worse? Nobody actually knows. In this talk, I'll show you how to use an eval loop to iterate on AI features with confidence. We'll take a simple AI tool and improve it live - changing prompts, running tests, and watching scores update in real-time. You'll see which changes actually help and which just look different. Then, I'll show you how we do this at scale at Omnea: hundreds of test cases, continuous experimentation, big AI features used by the likes of Monzo and Spotify. You'll leave knowing how to judge your AI features with data, not just vibes." **2nd Talk:** [N. Nain](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnain/) \- Lead Engineer at Indie Gaming **Topic:** **"Introducing TypeScript into a codebase owned by hardcore C++ / Rust engineers (and the politics involved)"** When I joined an indie gaming studio as Lead Engineer to build a new Web Engineering team, I assumed my biggest challenges would be technical - porting and integrating with an existing Rust and C++ codebase. I was only half right - as it turned out the real challenge wasn’t the code, but the developers behind it! Tonight, I’m not just gonna talk about the two languages I personally love, but the people - and the artificial tribes that formed around them. The technical challenges and misconceptions. The arguments. The (occasional) shouting. And the stranger-than-fiction lengths people went to, just to prove a point. Funny, tragic, and over the top - but everything works out in the end? Welcome to modern software development at work. **Full agenda:** 6:00 PM: Doors Open. Grab a pizza slice, sip a beer, and start chatting with other attendees. 6:30 PM: Welcome remarks by Sam, Richard and Justin 6:35 PM: First talk 7:05 PM: Toilet break 7:15 PM: Second talk 8:00 PM: Closing remarks and an optional pub visit! **Directions to WaveTalent:** The closest train station: Moorgate or Old Street **Sponsor**: **Omnea:** Omnea is a London-based AI-native procurement technology company that builds a platform to streamline how organisations buy goods and services, manage suppliers, and control spend through automated workflows and embedded governance. Founded in 2022 by Ben Freeman and Ben Allen, Omnea replaces slow, manual procurement processes with an intelligent system that lets employees make requests conversationally while routing approvals across finance, legal, IT, and security teams. Since its launch, Omnea has experienced rapid growth, driven by strong enterprise demand for AI-powered procurement solutions. Over the past year the company has grown revenue 5× and more than tripled its headcount, adding high-profile customers across North America and Europe, including Spotify, Albertsons, Wise, Adecco, and MongoDB. Omnea’s growth has been supported by significant venture funding, including a $20 million Series A round led by Accel in 2024 and a $50 million Series B round in September 2025 co-led by Insight Partners and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Accel, Point Nine, First Round Capital and Prosus —bringing total funding to over $75 million to accelerate its vision for AI-powered Supplier Relationship Management (AI-SRM) and expand hiring across the US and UK. Backed by world-class investors and trusted by leaders across tech and enterprise, Omnea is positioned as a fast-growing innovator in the procurement and supplier management space, transforming an often-fragmented business function into a strategic advantage.

**Never tried Grafana before? This workshop is for you!** APIs are the backbone of modern software development. They power everything from mobile apps to internal tools, but let’s be honest, reading through raw JSON or API responses isn’t the most exciting way to work with data. What if you could turn that data into clean, interactive graphs without writing a ton of custom code or spinning up a backend server? That’s where Grafana comes in! **Grafana** is an open-source data visualisation and observability platform that lets you create interactive, real-time dashboards from various data sources. It’s best known for visualising metrics from systems like Prometheus or InfluxDB, but thanks to its plugin ecosystem, it can do much more. **In this fun, beginner-friendly workshop, we’ll:** * Explore what Grafana is all about * Connect to an API using the Grafana Infinity plugin * Configure a simple query and pull the data into Grafana * Turn that data into a beautiful dashboard with different panel types **No prior knowledge of Grafana** is required as this session is beginner-friendly, but bring your **(well charged) laptops** as this will be a hands-on session!

**Kindly note that this is a paid event and the average number of attendees for our events is 60-70 people. You can register on [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/international-expansion-connector-global-trade-business-networking-event-tickets-1980628894340?aff=meetup](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/international-expansion-connector-global-trade-business-networking-event-tickets-1980628894340?aff=meetup)** Connect with global trade experts at our London International Trade & Business Networking event. Build partnerships & grow your business **The Business Networking Event for Global Ambition** The International Expansion Connector® is the ultimate networking event for entrepreneurs, business professionals, and solution providers who are ready to think beyond borders. ✈️🌐 Whether you're exploring new international markets, navigating cross-border operations, or offering services that support global expansion, this event connects you with the right people to accelerate your success. 🤝 ### **Sponsored by APGB Boutique Consultancy** APGB is a specialised London-based advisory firm connecting UK investors with development projects across Portuguese-speaking African countries. 🇦🇴🇲🇿🇨🇻 They also support businesses from Africa and the UK in securing investors, entering new markets, and scaling internationally. 📈 Expect meaningful conversations, practical insights, and high-value connections to help you build partnerships, discover solutions, and expand your global footprint. 🌏✨ **Join us to connect with like-minded professionals and build the bridges you need to thrive internationally.** 🌉 ## **👥 Who Is This Event For?** Ideal for professionals involved in global growth and international business, including: * 🚀 **Entrepreneurs, Startups & SMEs** expanding abroad * 🌐 **International Trade Specialists** * ⚖️ **Legal & Compliance Experts** * 💼 **Tax & Accounting Professionals** * 🧭 **Market Entry & Localization Consultants** * 🚚 **Logistics & Supply Chain Experts** * 🎯 **Marketing & Branding Agencies** * 🌎 **Recruitment & HR Professionals** * 🏢 **International Real Estate & Infrastructure Advisors** * 💳 **Financial Institutions & Fintech Providers** * 💻 **Technology Companies** enabling cross-border operations * 🏛️ **Government & Trade Bodies** * 💸 **Investors & Venture Capitalists** * 🎓 **Education & Training Providers** * 📰 **Media, PR & Communications Professionals** * 🤝 **Network Builders & Global Community Leaders** A diverse, high-energy environment designed to inspire collaboration and global opportunities. ## **📱 Exclusive WhatsApp Networking Group** All confirmed attendees receive access to a dedicated WhatsApp group, opened **24 hours before the event**. Inside the group, you can: * 👋 Introduce yourself early * 💬 Discuss your goals and challenges * 📅 Plan who you'd like to meet in advance A simple way to maximise your networking success. ## **🎙️ Meet the Host** **Alice Santos**, founder of **APGB**, a market-entry consultancy specialising in Lusophone countries (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau). APGB connects professionals, projects, and opportunities — supporting compliance, partnerships, and sustainable growth. 🌱🌍 ## **🎉 Complimentary Access to Director Connector®** Your ticket includes **free entry** to the Director Connector® event from **6pm**. Two synergistic events, **one ticket** — double the connections, double the opportunities! 🔗✨ ## **📸 Event Disclaimer** Photos and videos may be taken during the event for promotional use. If you prefer not to appear, please let the host know when you arrive — your preference will be respected. 🙏 * [United Kingdom Events](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom/events/) * [Greater London Events](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--greater-london/events/) * [Things to do in London](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ttd/united-kingdom--london/) * [London Networking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/networking/) * [London Business Networking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/business--networking/) * [#finance](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23finance/) * [#investment](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23investment/) * [#trade](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23trade/) * [#entrepreneur](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23entrepreneur/) * [#networkingevent](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23networkingevent/) * [#london](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23london/) * [#august](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23august/) * [#businessnetworking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23businessnetworking/) * [#international_trade](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23international_trade/) * [#international_business](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23international_business/)

**This is a face-to-face event only.** **If you would like to attend in person at Birkbeck University in Central London, please register here:** [https://luma.com/aeqqdo33](https://luma.com/aeqqdo33) ​This event is made possible through the support and sponsorship of Lovable. **​Who is this for?** ​AI-powered software creation is transforming how modern apps are built, from MVPs and internal tools to full production-ready platforms. Tools like Lovable allow anyone to build functional apps in minutes using natural language, without needing a traditional engineering background. ​This workshop is for students, founders, product designers, developers, and anyone interested in learning how to build real applications using AI, whether for prototyping, automation or startup ideas. **​Who is leading the session?** ​The session is led by Dr. Stelios Sotiriadis, CEO of Warestack, Associate Professor and MSc Programme Director at Birkbeck, University of London. His expertise includes cloud computing, distributed systems, data engineering, and AI engineering. ​​Stelios holds a PhD from the University of Derby, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto, and has worked with Huawei, IBM, Autodesk, and several startups. Since 2018 he has taught at Birkbeck, Boston University and Notre Dame University and in 2021, co-founded Warestack. **​What we’ll cover?** ​This workshop is proudly sponsored by Lovable, whose support provides participants with credits for hands-on access to the Lovable platform, enabling them to build, experiment, and deploy AI-powered applications during the session. ​A hands-on introduction to building fully functional applications using GenAI tools. ​You will learn: * ​How AI-assisted app development works * Turning a prompt into a complete web application * Designing user interfaces with AI * Auto-generating databases, APIs, and authentication * ​Editing and improving app functionality using conversational updates * Adding forms, dashboards, data tables, workflows, and logic * ​Deploying and sharing your app instantly * Best practices for iterating and refining with AI ​By the end of the session, you will have built your own AI-generated application. **​Requirements** ​A laptop with Python (Windows, macOS, or Linux). ​A free Lovable account ​Optional: GitHub account (for exporting your app) ​If you don’t have a suitable laptop, you may use the lab computers. **​Why Lovable?** ​Lovable is one of the fastest-growing AI development platforms, used by founders, agencies, and teams to build software dramatically faster than traditional coding. ​ **​Format** ​A 2-hour live session including: * ​Interactive theory * Hands-on app-building exercises * Real-time app creation * Step-by-step guidance as you build your own full application **​Prerequisites** ​No prior coding experience is required. Basic familiarity with web apps (forms, pages, buttons) is helpful but not necessary.

Hello and welcome to our next **Cloud Platform Engineering London** meetup. This event brings together platform engineers, SREs, architects, and engineering leaders working across modern cloud platforms, internal developer platforms, reliability, and large-scale delivery. Our meetups are friendly, welcoming, and community-driven; everyone is welcome, whether you’re experienced in the space or just starting your platform journey. This session will include practitioner talks, demos, Q&A, and time for networking with like-minded peers. We run bi-monthly in-person meetups in London, so make sure to look out for future events on our meetup page. Food and refreshments will be provided for in-person events where a host venue is supporting. We are delighted to host this event in **London** on the **5th of February**. **Speakers and Sessions:** Speaker: **[Steve Fenton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefenton/)**, Principal DevEx Researcher at Octopus Deploy Session Title: Platform Engineering Research Description: I'll share insights from the Platform Engineering Pulse Report and share some of the gaps between theory and reality the research exposed. Speaker: **[Sean M. Tracey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmtracey/),** Founding Technologist at Mitchell Technologies Session Title: I've built a Cloud Platform, and You Can Too! Description: How do you build a cloud platform? Where do you even start with something like that? Can one person do it on their own? Well, it starts with getting a hold of a bunch of computers, and then it gets a little more complicated from there. In this talk, I'll cover everything I've learned from building fledgling.cloud - a PaaS Cloud built specifically for developers and their side-projects, and how you can build one too! Speaker: **[Immo Hüneke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/immo-huneke-27b121/)**, Expert DevOps Engineer at Zühlke Engineering Session Title: The Platform Plane - an instant software factory Description: The Platform Plane simplifies your development process, boosts productivity, and helps you deliver better software faster while integrating all your existing technology. This presentation and demo will show how Zühlke employs its Internal Development Platform to be productive from Day One of a customer project, "shift left" and let developers concentrate on developing. Instead of a building site, your new project starts off in an efficiently humming software factory environment. **Agenda (GMT / UK):** 18:00 — Welcome and refreshments 18:30 — Introduction — Ethan Sumner 18:35 — **[Steve Fenton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefenton/)** 19:10 — Break 19:20 — **[Sean M. Tracey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmtracey/)** 19:55 - **[Immo Hüneke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/immo-huneke-27b121/)** 20:30 — Close and networking **We are always keen to hear from:** • Speakers — case studies, engineering deep dives, lessons learned, platform stories • Hosts — organisations able to provide space for future meetups • Sponsors — support with refreshments, recording, marketing or accessibility If you would like to speak, sponsor, or host a future event, please get in touch with **[Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/)** via LinkedIn. You can find our YouTube channel **[here.](https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityStackHQ)** This community forms part of the **[Community Stack ecosystem](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)** and follows the **Community Stack Code of Conduct**, ensuring a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all attendees.

Hi folks! Welcome to our February Cloud Native London meetup! Join us to hear from our three great speakers and network with your fellow techies over pizza and drinks, or alternatively chat and following along on Youtube! 6:00 Pizza and drinks 6:30 Welcome 6:45 Stop Running Mystery Meat in Production (Jeroen van Erp, SUSE) 7:15 Platform Wars: The Battle Between Golden Paths and Spaghetti Pipelines (Prithvi Raj, Mirantis) 7:45 Break 8:00 Beyond Chatbots: How AI Agents and Humanoids Are Shaping a New Era (Akshya Prakkash, Urban Care Community) 8:30 Wrap up Sponsors: TechShack, Cloudsmith, SUSE See you there! Cheryl (@oicheryl) **Stop Running Mystery Meat in Production (Jeroen van Erp, SUSE)** We have all been there. You need a database or a quick node environment, so you throw FROM node:latest into your Dockerfile and deploy. It works, but you have just introduced a black box into your Kubernetes cluster. For the Developer, it’s a quick fix. For the Platform Engineer, it’s a nightmare. Most upstream images from public registries are a roll of the dice. They come pre-packed with critical vulnerabilities, unknown binaries, and bloated libraries that you didn’t ask for and definitely don’t want running in your secure environment. In a world of Zero Trust, why are we trusting random upstream maintainers with the keys to our infrastructure? *Jeroen van Erp is a technology evangelist at SUSE, specializing in the observability platform. With a rich background spanning engineering, architecture and product management, Jeroen brings over a decade of experience in the DevOps space. Before joining SUSE, he played a pivotal role as technical slliance director at StackState, where he helped shape the future of observability. As a trainer and speaker, Jeroen is known for his ability to distill complex technical concepts into actionable insights. He is passionate about solving challenging technical problems, whether through mentoring or hands-on involvement. An active contributor to the open source community, Jeroen maintains several highly starred repositories. When he’s not diving into the latest technology trends, Jeroen enjoys spending time on his mini-farm, where he cares for his sheep and shares his love for rural life.* *https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvanerp/* **Platform Wars: The Battle Between Golden Paths and Spaghetti Pipelines (Prithvi Raj, Mirantis)** Internal developer platforms promised golden paths: streamlined, reliable routes for delivering software. Yet too often, they lead platform engineers into a tangled web of YAML, Bash scripts, and tool sprawl. The true crisis today isn't implementing the idea of platform engineering but navigating through platform democracy challenges. The true Darth Vader moments in platform engineering appear when good intentions turn dark: developer experience suffers, and open-source tools quietly become villains to velocity. This session aims to dive deeper into the open-source tooling and cloud-native strategies that mitigate the platform crisis. We’ll examine how to maintain the Jedi discipline of paved paths or fall into spaghetti-pipeline chaos while chasing the perfect delivery workflow. Through real-world stories and anti-patterns, we’ll explore the light and dark sides of OSS-powered platform engineering and help you uncover who the true Darth Vader of your stack might be. *Prithvi Raj is a Community Manager & Developer Advocate at Mirantis working with the Open Source Program Office team. He is a CNCF Ambassador with 5+ years of experience who helped scale a CNCF incubating project in LitmusChaos and runs the Platform & Resilience Engineering Meetup group. He is an active member of SIG Project Reviews and currently leads community efforts for the k0s project, k0rdent, OpenSDN, and other OSS initiatives Mirantis contributes to.* *He is a co-organizer for KCD Bengaluru and previously organized Chaos Carnival, LitmusChaosCon and KCD Chennai. He was previously at Harness, ChaosNative, and MayaData.* **Beyond Chatbots: How AI Agents and Humanoids Are Shaping a New Era (Akshya Prakkash, Urban Care Community)** Chatbots introduced the world to AI, but they are only the starting point. A new wave of systems - AI agents and humanoid technologies is shifting AI from conversation to action. This talk explores how AI is evolving beyond text-based interaction into systems that can perceive environments, make decisions and operate in the real world. Drawing from hands-on experience with agent-based AI projects and robotic platforms in community and care settings, we’ll examine what makes these systems different, the challenges of trust and why this shift represents a new era for human-AI interaction. Join this session to see how AI is beginning to act, not just respond. *BSc Computer Science Hons @ UOW & Software Developer at UCC* *LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshya-pv/* *Check out [https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon](https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon) if you're interested in speaking or sponsoring.*

The February Ohio North Database Training user group meeting will be held on **February 3rd, 2025 at 5:00PM**. This will be a **HYBRID** event and we will be joined in person by **David Pickering**. 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/27861114692350?p=lHdrSV1OOELhLnCiAg)if anyone needs it after RSVP-ing for in person. If you would like to subscribe to our email list outside of Meetup, we have changed platforms recently and you will need to register [here in Kit ](https://ohio-north-data-training.kit.com/b8f036f615)instead to receive emails. Agenda: **5:00 PM EST**: Online and in-person meeting begins with a social hour. This is an unstructured hour where you can join us to catch up and meet other group members before the session starts. There will be food brought in for in-person attendees. **6:00 PM EST**: Updates and announcements, followed by our feature presentation. See below for presentation details. **7:30 PM EST**: Optionally after the main presentations, the in-person crowd may go out for snacks and drinks at a local establishment. We hope to see you there! Session Abstract **No Map Required: Geospatial Analytics Directly in Your Data Warehouse** Think geospatial analysis requires specialized GIS software? Think again. This session introduces you to shapefiles and spatial operations right inside your database—no mapping application required. We'll demystify shapefiles (what they are, how they work, and where to get them) and show you how nearly every modern database —from DuckDB to Snowflake, supports spatial operations. You'll see practical demos covering spatial joins, distance calculations, and how to determine if two shapes interact with each other. Whether you're a data engineer optimizing delivery routes, an analyst aggregating metrics by geography, or a BI developer building location-aware dashboards, this session will show you how to unlock powerful spatial capabilities already built into your database stack—no specialized tools required. \*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.

I love my job and one of the main things I do is help customers get going with any of the data technologies at Microsoft. Right now there are a lot of my customers asking about Microsoft Fabric. It's hard to weave across all the shiny new options across the Fabric landscape, let alone figure out where it fits into your organization. In this session we'll focus on answering one question - how can I get data into Fabric? We'll talk through the "it depends" options and see some of the options in live demos.

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm

Salsamante Dance Academy will be at Swerve Every Tuesday Night to share the Rhythm & Energy of Bachata & Salsa. These are Beginner Level lessons to get you comfortable and understand the two dances. Spread the Good News to all. Swerve Dance & Fitness Complex 640 Lakeview Plaza Blvd A, Worthington, OH 43085 Bachata 7pm-8pm Salsa 8pm-9pm $15 - One Lesson $20 - Both Lessons

Join members of the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. There _might_ be a little snow, but there _will_ be effectively infinite serve-yourself coffee, so it evens out if you ask me. Just a reminder, while the other locations are great too, we’re at the Lane Ave one this time.

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

**New Dojo Location!** **Draft Day Columbus** 1130 Dublin Road Columbus, OH 43215 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 topic suggestions and people interested in presenting at our monthly meetings. To this end we've set up a survey form at [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc)