Deep Reinforcement Learning

📅 **Week 7: Presentation Day!** Each 7-week cycle focuses on a small, well-defined part of a larger system—and over time, these cycles build toward a complete, real-world project Feel free to join at any week and we will catch you up. There is no need to be at the beginning of the cohort to build. Complete beginners welcomed! 📌 By the End of a Full Cycle, You should Have 🎯 A working project in your own GitHub repo 🎯 A small but real portfolio piece you can demo or write about 🧠 **Current Project** This cycle’s shared project is an **image-based knowledge extraction system**. In **Week 7**, we celebrate and present. This is our **Showcase Night**. Participants will: * Present their project (5–10 minutes each) * Demo their pipeline or flashcard system * Share challenges, lessons learned, and technical decisions * Give and receive thoughtful feedback We’ve come a long way — from raw images on our phones to a complete, working portfolio project — and this week is about learning to clearly explain your ideas, your challenges, and the technical decisions behind your work. \*\*\* **👋 Who Is This For?** 🔹 Beginners who learn best by doing — no prior experience needed 🔹 Career switchers from product, engineering, design, marketing, or other fields who want to break into data 🔹 Analysts, engineers, and PMs looking to sharpen their skills or build real-world projects 🔹 Data professionals who want a creative playground outside of work 🔹 Anyone with big questions and a love for learning through experimentation \*\*\* **BUILD. LEARN. EXPERIMENT. OVER COFFEE.** Come hang out, meet like-minded people, and work on something fun. 📍 Based in Berlin – in-person meetups only (for now!) 💻 Laptops + ☕ highly encouraged Join our Discord → [https://discord.gg/dPnmzcCP8w](https://discord.gg/dPnmzcCP8w) Check out our program resources: [Google Drive](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15DmZqD4bLBk2vU4zpvh1HiB3_5n09v-q?usp=sharing) \*\*\* ✨ Who’s Hosting? I’m Lindsey, a senior data scientist working on AI, causal inference, and data products. I’ve built models for fraud detection, uplift modeling, and LLM-based systems. I am always open to suggestion for different format for this meetup.

**What if your AI agent could decide for itself when to call a tool, or ask another agent?** Welcome to **Sprint #3 of the Agentic AI Engineering Lab**, where we level up from building protocols to building *decision-making agents*. In this hands-on lab, you’ll create an autonomous agent that: * speaks the **A2A protocol** to collaborate with other agents * registers to an agent hub for discovery * connects to an **MCP server** when tools are needed * intelligently chooses ***when to delegate vs when to execute*** No lectures. Just systems thinking + real building. *** ### What We’ll Do * **10:00** \- Quick round of introductions * **10:15** \- Recap: AI Agents\, MCP Protocol and A2A Protocol * **10:30** \- Build your decision\-making agent * **12:00** \- Live demos \+ technical teardown * **12:30** \- Wrap\-up \+ takeaways *** ### What to Expect * Hands-on building, not passive listening * Real agent-to-agent experiments * Collaboration with fellow builders * Fast ideas, quick tests, lots of learning * Unexpected behavior (the fun part) *** ### What Not to Expect * Long lectures * Step-by-step tutorials * Sales pitches * Perfect code This is a **lab**; we learn by building, breaking, and iterating. *** ### ‍ Who Should Join Curious developers, tinkerers, and engineers, with basic knowledge of AI Agents. **Bring:** * Laptop with dev setup * Access to an LLM (Claude / OpenAI / Ollama) * Comfort building small things in any language *** ###

**Fellow Humans, we're starting a book club!** We focus on understanding what's actually happening on the crowded stage of AI: the companies driving the AI race, the decisions being made on our behalf, and what it all means for the rest of us. Every few weeks, we'll choose and read one book together and talk about it. Bring your **thoughts**, your **questions**, your **highlighted passages**, and your **honest reactions**. **Our first pick: *Empire of AI* by Karen Hao**, who has worked for The Wall Street Journal and contributes to The Atlantic. *She argues that the pursuit of an artificial superintelligence has become its own figurative paper clip factory, devouring too much energy, minerals and human labour. She portrays OpenAI and other companies that make up the fast‑growing A.I. sector as a “modern-day colonial world order.”* (excerpt from the NYT review) **What to expect:** A relaxed, semi-structured conversation (around 2 hours). We'll dig into the themes together, share what stood out, and connect the ideas to what we're actually experiencing. **No expertise required, just read the book and show up curious.** **Why a book club?** Because some things can't be captured in a headline or a 60-second video. The questions AI raises for our work, our relationships, and our futures deserve more than a scroll. They deserve a real conversation with real people, and a book gives us common ground to start from. **After this first Meetup, you help define what's next!** Suggest books that have changed how you think about AI, technology, or what it means to be Human. This is your club. **No tech background needed. Just curiosity and willingness to think out loud with fellow critical thinkers.** **Join our [LinkedIn Group](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10088542/) and [Substack](https://humanfuturehub.substack.com/)** for articles, perspectives, and resources between events. See you there, Your HFH Team! **Humans, together. Nobody is left behind.** ❤️

Resonant Connections is a calm, 75-minute sound experience held in the quiet turning of the season — the space between winter and spring, when energy begins to return, but the body may still be slowly emerging. Guided by immersive natural soundscapes and gentle live sound, the session invites deep listening and rest. Sound is used as a way of creating space, supporting the nervous system and helping attention soften, so clarity and understanding can arise without force. This is a time for listening before action, allowing what is present to be felt before movement takes flight. After the soundbath, the session closes with a short period of private journaling, offering a quiet moment to reflect on what may be beginning to stir, and what still needs care and time. There is no pressure to share, interpret, or set intentions — only an invitation to notice and to rest. No previous experience is needed. Everything is optional, and you’re welcome to simply lie down, listen, and be supported by sound. Designed for small groups, this gathering offers a gentle pause and a sense of connection during a season of transition. **Les Amis** is a women-only community of friendly souls. We provide access to hundreds of experiences that explore your passions and connect you with other event participants. **Check our website to learn more, and apply to join our community and events**: [lesamis.cc/apply](https://www.lesamis.cc/apply)

A small NEXUS gathering built around movement rather than discussion alone. This is for high-bandwidth Mavericks who spend most of their time in conceptual thought and need some physical counterweight. Why bouldering? Because it’s deliberate: short problems, full focus, and immediate feedback. You’re on the wall, solving something tangible. The mental noise drops instantly! Conversations happen naturally in between climbs. No pressure, you move at your own pace. Some exchanges stay light. Others go deep. Both are fine. This is not about athletic achievement. It’s about presence, recalibration, and being around people who don’t require you to shrink or translate yourself. Come as you are. Try some bouldering problems. Rest when needed, and engage where it makes sense. **Bring comfortable clothes and climbing shoes if you have them (rentals are available at the gym).** *Registration equals commitment. If you sign up, you show up. Read the group description first and decide consciously. For context about NEXUS, visit our* ***[website](https://thenexusformula.com)*** *and* ***[newsletter](https://news.thenexusformula.com)****.*

**Music Therapy & Systemic Psychotherapy** My approach integrates music therapy and systemic psychotherapy to support emotional expression, connection, and transformation. Through sound, improvisation, and dialogue, we explore inner experiences, family dynamics, and relational patterns in a safe and creative space. The sessions invite awareness, playfulness, and presence — allowing music to become both mirror and bridge between what is felt and what can be spoken. Whether through active musicking, deep listening, or verbal reflection, the process unfolds at your own pace, weaving together body, voice, and relationships as pathways to healing and growth.

Im Jungfernheideweg 77, 13629 Berlin treffen wir uns zwischen 16.30 Uhr und 22.30 Uhr wieder um gemeinsam Brett- und Gesellschaftsspiele zu daddeln. Das Angebot richtet sich an alle Interessierten. Kinder bitte erst ab 12 Jahre. Eine Vielzahl toller Brettspiele sind vor Ort, es können aber auch gerne eigene mitgebracht werden. PS: Es wäre sehr hilfreich wenn die Leute, die sich anmelden und dann doch nicht können, sich auch wieder abmelden vorher. danke schön

Hey everyone! I’m organising a co-working + socialising session for all of us who like to work on something (e.g. our own project, freelance or remote work) but don't feel like sitting alone at home. 🙂 To ensure that we have both **socialising** AND **working**, we will be using the so called “Pomodoro” technique: **50min of deep work** (silent), followed by **10min of break** to socialise. Then repeat! If you get into flow, you're also welcome to skip the breaks. It’s an effective way to stay focused - you can read more about it [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique). Anyone from any background is welcome, whatever project you are working on or whatever is your personal background. I (the host) speak English and German, so either is fine :-) ——————————————————- AGENDA: * **15min Intro** * Get to know everyone, talk about what you will work on today * **Pomodoro Session** (3x) - *Each Pomodoro session consists* *of...* * ...**50min** of uninterrupted “deep work” (no talking, no interruptions, no phones) * ...**10min** of break: share your progress with others, talk about what you are stuck on etc. * Repeat * Conclude and celebrate your progress Share your progress, socialise and get to know others 😊 ———— We'll be at the Social Hub Berlin (they have a food menu in case you get hungry). The structured part will end at 2:30pm, but you're welcome to stay longer, go for lunch together, or leave earlier. See you there 🩵 **\*\*We'll reserve the long table. Please update your RSVP in advance if you can't attend!\*\***

Join our Backgammon Meetup to play, socialize, and enjoy this classic game! Everyone’s welcome! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player. Expect fun, friendly games, laughter, and new friends. 👉 Please RSVP only if you plan to attend. 👉 Bring your own set if you have one. *** **How to Play (Quick Guide):** * Each player has 15 checkers and moves them toward their home board. * Dice rolls decide how many spaces you can move. * Land on an opponent’s single checker to send it to the bar. * Once all your checkers are home, start bearing off (removing them). * First to remove all checkers wins! *** **Fun Fact:** The Origin of Backgammon: Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games, with roots deeply embedded in the ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia. But it is in Persia, where the game truly flourished and evolved into what we now know as 'Takhte Nard'. Archaeological findings suggest that early forms of backgammon were played in Iran over 5,000 years ago. Artifacts such as game boards and dice have been discovered in sites like 'Shahr-e Sukhteh' (The Burnt City), indicating the game’s ancient origins.

Hallo zusammen! In Rahmen der PAKD Gallery Kurse bieten wir euch einen Zeichenkurs an. Wenn Ihr Zeichnen liebt und eure Fähigkeiten weiterentwickeln möchtet, dann seid Ihr hier genau richtig. In diesem Video erzähle ich euch von meinem Kurs für realistisches Zeichnen mit Bleistift - und wie er Eure künstlerische Arbeit auf ein neues Level bringen kann. Hattest Du schon immer das Gefühl, zeichnen können zu wollen - Dir fehlt aber die richtige Anleitung? In diesem Kurs lernst Du realistisches Zeichnen mit Bleistift, einfach, verständlich und Schritt für Schritt: • Korrekte Perspektive • Licht und Schatten • Materialdarstellung wie Glas, Keramik, Stoff, Metall Der Kurs ist perfekt für Anfänger und für alle, die ihre Fähigkeiten verbessern möchten. Wenn dieses Video Eure Leidenschaft für das Zeichnen mit Bleistift geweckt hat, dann schickt mir einfach eine E-Mail und lasst uns gemeinsam eure Reise in die Welt des realistischen Zeichnens mit Bleistift beginnen. Kleiner Kurs, große Wirkung. Maximal 12 Teilnehmer\*innen! Anmeldung:Ä [kifan@pakd-gallery.com](mailto:kifan@pakd-gallery.com) Sichere dir deinen Platz, bevor alles ausgebucht ist. Dienstag 18:30 - 21:30 Uhr. 25€ für eine einzelne 3- stündige Einheit 200€ für ein 10er-Paket, flexibles einlösbar.

For our February reading, let's go to Italy, back in time. *Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno*, in English The Path to the Nest of Spiders, is the first novel by Italian author **Italo Calvino**, published in 1947. It is set during **World War II** in a small coastal town in **Liguria, Italy**, at the height of the Italian Resistance against Nazi and fascist forces. The story is told largely through the experiences of a young boy named **Pin**, an orphan who lives with his older sister and is often excluded or mocked by the adults around him because of his sister’s relationships with German soldiers. Calvino presents this harsh historical period through Pin’s eyes, blending gritty reality with moments that feel almost surreal or dreamlike. His narrative combines neorealist sensibilities with poetic touches, making this both a historical portrayal of wartime Italy and a deeply human story of innocence, loss, and resilience. **About the author** Italo Calvino (1923–1985) was an Italian writer born in Cuba to Italian parents and raised in Italy. He took part in the Italian Resistance during World War II, an experience that deeply influenced his early work, including *Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno*. He began writing within the tradition of Italian neorealism but soon moved beyond it, developing a distinctive style marked by imagination, clarity, and intellectual playfulness. Over time, Calvino became known for blending realism with fantasy, allegory, and formal experimentation, as seen in works like *Invisible Cities* and *If on a winter’s night a traveler*. His writing often explores themes such as storytelling itself, the relationship between order and chaos, and the search for meaning in modern life. With a style that is both precise and imaginative, Calvino is widely regarded as one of the most original and influential writers of the 20th century. **About the location of the event** It will be announced at least 2 days before the event takes place with all the details. **Event contribution alert** The event might require a small participation fee (3-5 euros) or the purchase of something to eat or drink in case we are hosted by a coffee shop. I will make sure to communicate that in advance.

Hallo zusammen! In Rahmen der PAKD Gallery Kurse bieten wir euch einen Zeichenkurs an. Wenn Ihr Zeichnen liebt und eure Fähigkeiten weiterentwickeln möchtet, dann seid Ihr hier genau richtig. In diesem Video erzähle ich euch von meinem Kurs für realistisches Zeichnen mit Bleistift - und wie er Eure künstlerische Arbeit auf ein neues Level bringen kann. Hattest Du schon immer das Gefühl, zeichnen können zu wollen - Dir fehlt aber die richtige Anleitung? In diesem Kurs lernst Du realistisches Zeichnen mit Bleistift, einfach, verständlich und Schritt für Schritt: • Korrekte Perspektive • Licht und Schatten • Materialdarstellung wie Glas, Keramik, Stoff, Metall Der Kurs ist perfekt für Anfänger und für alle, die ihre Fähigkeiten verbessern möchten. Wenn dieses Video Eure Leidenschaft für das Zeichnen mit Bleistift geweckt hat, dann schickt mir einfach eine E-Mail und lasst uns gemeinsam eure Reise in die Welt des realistischen Zeichnens mit Bleistift beginnen. Kleiner Kurs, große Wirkung. Maximal 12 Teilnehmer\*innen! Anmeldung: [kifan@pakd-gallery.com](mailto:kifan@pakd-gallery.com) Sichere dir deinen Platz, bevor alles ausgebucht ist. Dienstag 18:30 - 21:30 Uhr. 25€ für eine einzelne 3- stündige Einheit 200€ für ein 10er-Paket, flexibles einlösbar.

Drypoint Printmaking Workshop — Coming Up! Learn the fundamentals of drypoint printmaking in a hands-on workshop held over 4 sessions, every Saturday from 11:00–14:00, starting February 21. until 14.03.2026 After completing the course, participants will be able to create their own drypoint prints independently in our studio. Upcoming workshops will introduce additional printmaking techniques, including Aquatint and Sugar Lift — stay tuned! Price: 110€ for the full 4-session workshop 35€ for one session Registration for full 4 - session Please email Kifan Alkarjousli 📧 kifan@pakd-gallery.com Limited spots available — be sure to secure yours early! Drypoint Printmaking Workshop — Coming Up! Learn the fundamentals of drypoint printmaking in a hands-on workshop held over 4 sessions, every Saturday from 11:00–14:00, starting February 21. until 14.03.2026 After completing the course, participants will be able to create their own drypoint prints independently in our studio. Upcoming workshops will introduce additional printmaking techniques, including Aquatint and Sugar Lift — stay tuned! Price: 110€ for the full 4-session workshop 35€ for one session Registration for full 4 - session Please email Kifan Alkarjousli 📧 kifan@pakd-gallery.com Limited spots available — be sure to secure yours early!

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, working with yarn, this is the group for you. Meet new friends, bring your projects, learn from others.
We normally meet a few times a month during the week from 6-8pm. We will occasionally meet on weekends during daytime hours.

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

We will show a variety of methods for building agents that run in Microsoft Foundry. This covers the different types of agents: Prompt, Multi, and Hosted, as well as the development lifecycle using evals and traces.

Is your business taking more of your time than you would like? [Rob Young](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinci-robyoung/) principal at [Stage 3 Group](https://www.linkedin.com/company/stage-3-group/), hosts this workshop series and is the author of Stage 3 Success. * Provides a framework and a playbook for leaders of emerging businesses * Reviews business management tools and techniques for scaling and maturing a business * How to recognize and leverage stories hidden in financial statements * How to implement financial and operational controls and use leading indicators to spot trouble before it occurs * How to manage your time for maximum effect * How to deal with nonperforming employees * How to create standard operating procedures throughout your organization Four sessions will include two hours of content and an optional 90-minute hands-on lab. Reserve your spot via this link: https://clintonvilleba.com/calendar/#!event/2026/3/20/chaos-to-clarity-to-control ($200 for non-CABA members.)

This month, we are in-person at GameArena!!! We will also be joined by students and their games from [Shawnee State](https://www.shawnee.edu/game-design-programs)! \-\-\- Join us for our our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event @GameArena! Come to play and showcase your games. We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk mezzanine area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor as well as the 1st floor in the gaming room below the mezzanine. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)