Design Futures

Welcome to Networx London! Calling all graphic designers, digital creatives, and startup founders: join us for an evening of relaxed networking and idea-sharing. Connect with like-minded innovators, creative professionals, brand owners, and investors—no formal pitches, just real conversations. We start at 6:30 PM with a warm welcome and light icebreakers to get conversations flowing, followed by open networking all evening. No formal pitches—just real connections, fresh ideas, and meaningful relationships in a friendly, laid-back setting. 📍 The Moniker, City of London (Bank/Monument)In the heart of the City, just steps from Bank and Monument stations, The Moniker offers a stylish yet relaxed space perfect for networking, drinks, and professional connections. Modern interiors, flexible seating, and a vibrant bar make it ideal for sparking great conversations. ✨ Join us for an evening of networking, collaboration, and conversation in one of the City’s most stylish yet unpretentious venues. 📅 Event Schedule 18:30 – 19:00 \| Welcome Kick off with a warm intro and fun icebreakers to set the tone\. 19:00 – 19:30 \| Meet & Greet Mingle and network in an open\, friendly setting\. 19:30 – 21:30 \| Informal Networking Free\-flowing\, informal networking all evening—no sales\, no pressure\. Just authentic connections with amazing people\. **Why Attend?** 🤝 Connect with designers, digital creatives, startup founders, and professionals across London. 🚀 Discover new collaborators, partners, or clients. 📈 Learn about the latest trends in graphic design, digital creativity, and innovative startup solutions. This event is perfect for anyone seeking to expand their creative network, grow their business, or gain fresh perspectives from a dynamic mix of professionals. 👥 **Who’s coming?** This event is ideal for graphic designers, digital creatives, startup founders, brand owners, marketers, investors, product managers, and anyone curious about the future of design, creativity, and digital innovation. 🎟 **Tickets & Entry** To avoid the venue getting overcrowded and ensure everyone enjoys an amazing night, we've introduced a small ticket price to keep things running smoothly. 📸 **Event Photography:** Please note that photos and videos may be taken for promotional purposes. Note: Proof of ID required for alcoholic beverages. 18+ only. 🔗 Join our WhatsApp group to connect before and after the event:👉 https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg

Looking to brush up on your BSL skills or connect with other learners? Sacred Grounds is hosting a weekly Sign Club every Tuesday from 5-7pm. This casual and informal meetup is perfect for anyone learning BSL, whether you're just starting out or looking to keep your skills sharp. Come along to practice signing, connect with others in the community, and even try ordering your coffee in BSL! There’s no fee to join - all we ask is that if you're able to, you support the coffee shop by purchasing a drink or snack while you're here (please note that outside food and drinks are not permitted). Sacred Grounds is all about creating a warm and inclusive space, so don’t be shy - come sign with us! We look forward to welcoming you.

**Details 🚀** This meetup is a **social coding jam** where we use AI to quickly turn fun ideas into functional prototypes. Whether you’re an experienced developer or have never written a line of code, you’ll fit right in. You can use any AI tools you like: **Google AI Studio, ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Replit**, whatever! And see what you can build together before the last orders 🍻 **Format 🛠️** After an opening presentation, we’ll be teaming up in small groups (2–3 people). Everyone gets the same open-ended challenge (or a choice between two), and then it’s heads-down building with your teammates. The goal is to **vibe, learn from each other, and see where the collaboration takes us.** **New to vibe coding? ✨** No worries! We begin with a simple starter guide with example prompts and tips so even total beginners can dive in without stress. *** **Schedule 🕒** *(Doors open early so we can settle in — aim to arrive by 6:50 PM so we can kick off on time)* * **7:00** – Presentation: Ivan Franco and Heldiney Pereira (Founders @ Flynt) 🎤 * **7:15** – Assignment + team formation 🤝 * **7:15** – **Round 1:** Build together 💻 * **8:00** – Break (grab a drink, swap ideas, hang out) 🍺 * **8:20** – **Round 2:** Keep building 🏗️ * **8:50** – Optional demos 📺 * **9:10** – Hang out, network, make friends ✌️ *** **Who is it for?** **Anyone!** Curious coders, tinkerers, designers, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to explore AI-powered creativity in a fun, social pub setting. **What to bring:** * **Laptop!** 💻 * **Vibes** ⚡ **Location 📍** **Brewhouse & Kitchen Highbury** 2A Corsica St, N51JJ, London 👉 **No pressure, no gatekeeping.** Just good people, fun ideas, and some fast-paced collaborative building.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/follow-on-woodwork-3/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/follow-on-woodwork-3/) ⋆⋆⋆ Directed at those people who have completed one of our longer woodwork courses, or those with confident woodwork skills, we offer an eleven-day week opportunity to build an individual project. During this course, run by experienced carpenter/joiner/furniture maker Ruth Thomson, you will learn how to manage a practical project from sketching it, making a technical drawing, writing a cutting list, costing, marking out and construction to produce a piece of wood furniture. The group will visit a timber yard to learn how to select lengths of soft woods. You will learn the safe use and versatility of a router, a biscuit jointer, a jigsaw and other power tools as needed and learn when and how to make jigs to help fabricate accurate shapes. Using basic workshop machines including a bandsaw and a belt sander, as well as classic hand tools, you will cut and assemble and then learn how to sand, glue and finish your project to completion. We are happy to discuss your personal project if you already have something in mind. There is a size limitation due to time constraints and project storage. Call Alison on 0207 7607613 or send a photo or sketch to info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk Each learner will pay for their own materials. We can take delivery of timber if externally sourced. Please note that we cannot handle MDF in the workshop as the dust requires special extraction and respiratory equipment. Plywood or solid timber will be pre-machined for you on our planer thicknesser and table saw.

PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST book and pay for your ticket in advance at http://www.londonbuiltenvironment.com/ The London Built Environment committee would like to extend you an invitation to our January 2026 City Of London après-work Networking Reception to be held at the famous Gherkin - and hope you can join us for pre-work delicious breakfast and productive business networking to make new contacts and deals for the Rest Of The Year. We now have over 20,000 diverse and relevant London members so it’s the perfect opportunity for making new business connections. See photos from our latest events at http://www.londonbuiltenvironment.com/ PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST book and pay for your ticket in advance at http://www.londonbuiltenvironment.com/ ALSO PLEASE NOTE we take most of our event bookings through our website and EventBrite so the numbers booked is much larger than displayed on this Meetup page (normally about 70-100 guests).

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/upholstery-bring-your-own-chair-daytime-22/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/upholstery-bring-your-own-chair-daytime-22/) **⋆⋆⋆** KEY PROJECT: RE-UPHOLSTERING YOUR OWN CHAIR. Suitable for beginners and fun for advanced learners. This workshop is led by Krasmira Nikolova, an experienced upholsterer. We provide the use of all upholstery tools and equipment including compressed air staple guns. Basic upholstery materials that you require for your project will be moderately charged on a pay-as-you-use basis and will be dependent on each chair’s requirements. We can advise you on the purchase of your top fabric and we have a lovely library of fabric samples to help make up your mind. The Goodlife Centre sells all the basic tools and materials for use on projects worked on at home. This is a fantastic chance to up-cycle and personalise a family piece you have at home or a junk shop find and a great way to immerse yourself into the wonderful world of upholstery. The course is suitable for both beginners and those who have a basic knowledge but little experience who wish to extend their expertise. **Choosing a suitable chair** If you are a newcomer to upholstery, there are a couple of pointers to help you choose a chair to work on. Choose something that has one or two flat planes – a seat and a back – as curves and arms are more complex and take longer to achieve. The chair on the right was completed in about 12 weeks. If you are a complete beginner, you could bring something more simple such as an upholstered footstool. More experienced upholsters can bring more complex pieces. Your chair can be traditionally built or modern, but be aware that some modern pieces have been constructed using machinery and are difficult to recreate by hand. [Click here for a detailed PDF of suitable chairs.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2r8UvbQtaH5RTVKUjlBdkhDX3c/view?usp=sharing) **Please email info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk with a photo of your chair prior to the course so we can answer any suitability questions and advise if your chair is suitable**. We have very limited storage at the centre, so we can only store smaller pieces during the course. Please make sure the total dimensions are less than 1000mm high by 750mm wide, with a depth of 750mm. The use of tools and machinery is included. All materials will be charged at nominal rates. Some materials will not be kept in stock but can be ordered. Approved projects can be stored at the centre. We cannot offer additional time to work on your project outside of workshop times.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** [https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/make-a-wood-chair-12-evenings-19/](https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/make-a-wood-chair-12-evenings-19/) ⋆⋆⋆ A brand new varied and multi-skill twelve-week evening course. Over twelve evenings you will learn how to make a planked redwood seat and fit splayed oak or sapele legs and back rails to make an elegant ‘Staked’ chair. This version is derived from an ‘open source’ drawing in the Anarchist’s Design Book by Lost Art Press. The prototype has been made by the tutor- Auram Desforge, who grew up working on timber frame houses with his father in Canada. Each stage of the process will be demonstrated and then, using mostly traditional hand tools, you will produce a chair using the classic ‘Through wedged tenons’ with an elegant, curved back created from glueing together bent veneers in a press. You will be able to learn the pleasure of handling spokeshaves, a ‘bit and brace’ and fine finishing with cabinet scrapers. There is also some use of our workshop machines that you will be trained to use. Learn to measure, mark and make. Use the evenings to immerse yourself into the calming mental space of woodwork. Suitable for beginners. Trust the tools. You don’t have to be a lumberjack to master this chair. The use of all materials and tools is included. **Tuesday 6.30 – 9.00pm**

PEL Network helps you connect with the right people at luxurious locations. So you can boost your business ten fold. We welcome interior designers, architects, builders, real estate developers, entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and professionals from various fields. We always choose the luxurious hotel lounges all around London so you can network in peace and focus. We make sure you feel comfortable and fulfill all of your needs. Our locations are at the heart of central london so it's easy for you to travel to and from. Food and drinks are also available at our venues. For our event, we have reserved an area of the venue so that we can mix and mingle and meet old and new friends, new contacts, and new clients too! We encourage everyone to talk to as many people in the event as possible. That said, once you feel a certain chemistry or opportunity with someone, we encourage to talk with them on a deeper level. We forget about 90% of people after a goodnight sleep. However when we establish an emotional resonance with someone, they will remember us the next day. Program: The evening's format is called personalized networking. No more being stuck in 10 min superficial conversations and exchanging cards or linkedin. It is designed for networking in a relaxed setting, providing an opportunity to meet fellow business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors. We emphasize building genuine relationships on a personal level. I will be there to help with introductions and get over the barrier of anxiety when approaching someone you don't know. How many people are attending? The venue has a capacity limit of 40 guests, and due to the popularity of our events and the unique ambiance of the location, we anticipate this event will reach full capacity quickly. We strongly advise securing your reservation early to ensure attendance. If you haven't gotten a ticket, you can pay when you arrive but it will be 50% more expensive than buying it in advance. Our events achieve success through a straightforward yet impactful strategy. A few days prior to the event, we establish a WhatsApp group for attendees interested in pre-event networking, enabling participants to arrange meetings both for the event day and beforehand. On the day of the event, you will experience a relaxing atmosphere with a hospitable and encouraging community. Dress code: business casual (no trainers, no jeans) Refund policy: Advance purchase tickets are offered at a discounted rate compared to those bought on the event day. Please note, these tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred to another individual of your choosing. PEL Network Membership: If you buy the yearly membership for our PEL Network you will receive the following benefits. 1. All the events are free for the whole year. 2. Join the members only community chats and events. 3. One free Motivational Profile Test 4. One free Sensory Personality Test 5. One free book a month (from our collections) 6. Free Consultation for your business growth, marketing, employee engagement and sales.

Share, learn and network with fellow Product People at **The Product Group London** on **Thu 8th January**! **Topic of the Night: First 100 Days of Managing a Product** Sometimes you start products from scratch, but most of the time you inherit a product. So, how do you begin managing that product? How do you figure out the problems, the product, the metrics, the processes, how decisions are made, what matters, etc - all from a base of limited knowledge about the product! **Featured Guest: James Smith, Founder & CEO Human Native** James is the Co-founder and CEO of Human Native AI, the AI data marketplace that fairly benefits both rights holders and AI developers. James has a PhD in Computer Science and a decade of experience developing AI products at Google and DeepMind. James co-founded Human Native AI to address the fundamental challenges in AI-driven content monetisation, including fairness and rights holder participation. **About The Product Group London** The Product Group London is a monthly meetup designed to bring product people of all levels together for topical discussions, as a group and with our guest speakers. With attendees from startups to large enterprises, there is no shortage of opportunities to network and make new connections. And whilst the focus is on product management, we welcome product designers and engineers to join for some friendly and lively discussions. **A word about our sponsor and host, BrainStation** [BrainStation](https://brainstation.io/london) is a global leader in digital skills learning and workforce transformation. They empower businesses and professionals to succeed in the digital age. Check out their leadership series of events to join the community and conversation: [https://brainstation.io/events/london](https://brainstation.io/events/london)

This 6-mile stroll passes through hidden quarters of Kensington and Notting Hill. We start at the Design Museum which has three floors of exhibitions on everyday objects and technology and the evolution of their design. The unique tent shaped form of the building, formerly the Commonwealth Institute, was built in 1962. We then walk through Holland Park, visiting the Japanese gardens and Holland House itself. The East Wing of the 17th century palace remains intact. Walk continues through hidden footpaths to reach Notting Hill. Our route will take in the film locations for Love Actually, Notting Hill, Scandal and Performance. Time to browse in the shops and stalls on Portobello Road. We end the walk at the Museum of Brands and Advertising where Scott and Virgil will join us. The museum is great for history, design art, popular culture & fans of vintage. It features over 12,000 original items from the Robert Opie Collection & shows how well-loved brands evolved through their creative use of packaging and advertising - and how we evolved with them. This month’s special exhibition is on the television world of Gerry Anderson, from Stingray to UFO via Thunderbirds and Joe 90. The focus is on the cultural phenomenon they ignited, the tidal wave of branded merchandising unleashed. Also, a snapshot of a moment in time where the future still shimmered with promise. Travel: Nearest station to start is Kensington High Street station (on District and Circle line). Start Time/Place: 10.30am prompt at tables at café in Design Museum, 224 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG, £3 for meet up fees. A good knowledge of English History required for event.

We welcome 2026 with our annual new years debate looking to the year ahead. Join Debate London for our first debate of 2026! This time we present a crowd favourite! **A Balloon Debate!** A free-for-all debating event where our panel of debaters must compete for your vote each round or be voted off stage! For the nights events we will be asking ourselves what do we think is the most likely to occur over the course of 2026 pulled from a recurring lists of things that may happen in 2026. sneak peak at a couple of predictions sitting in our crystal ball this year includes a return to the moon and a return to peace in eastern Europe. **WHAT IS A BALLOON DEBATE?** A light-hearted debate format which sees a panel of 5 or 6 debaters go head to head to stay in the balloon over a series of rounds in which panellists are voted off one at a time until only the winner remains. Normally, they are assigned a celebrity figure to represent, but anything goes and in past debates, speakers have represented everything from terrible Christmas gifts to the Seven Sins. **WHAT IS THIS ONE GOING TO BE ABOUT?** Predictions for the year to come - not all of the possibilities (that would take way too long) but 5 or 6 - specifically selected from a range of tabloid, magazine and blog prediction lists. **HOW WILL IT WORK?** Our panellists will be challenged to debate each other in a range of different styles each round, including: \- only being allowed to talk up their prediction in round 1 \- only being allowed to talk down the other predicitions in round 2 \- Q&A with the audience in round 3 (where you get involved) \- freestyle debate in the final round A blend of comedic timing and critical thinking (aka wit) will prove vital as they will be expected to make well thought-out arguments, but - since it is a social - will most likely be judged by how entertaining you, the audience, find them. **Venue** Our venues serve food and drink (both alcholic and non-alcoholic) **Please do not bring external food and drink on site - you WILL be asked to throw them away**

Hi folks! Welcome to our January Cloud Native London meetup, our first of 2026! 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 Feature Flags: A Safety Net in the AI Era (Kyle Johnson, Flagsmith) 7:15 Context driven AI Agents (Shubhangi Goyal) 7:45 Break 8:00 Why Cloud Cost Assessment Must Come Before Cloud-Native Build (Mawuko Jeffrey Wilson, BrassicaPay) 8:30 Wrap up See you there! Cheryl (@oicheryl) **Feature Flags: A Safety Net in the AI Era (Kyle Johnson, Flagsmith)** Identifying new safety mechanisms for developers has become vital as AI innovation progresses at speeds previously only hypothesised and engineering teams continue to incorporate AI into their workflows. Feature flags, by separating deployments from releases, reduce the risk of releasing AI-assisted code, while also automating release strategies. The promise of AI—speed and efficiency—is, in actuality, only half true. It's fast, but it's not efficient. Teams still need to comb through, test, and fix the code. Without feature flags, the bottleneck simply moves. *Co-Founder at Flagsmith: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-johnson-56247365/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-johnson-56247365/)* **Context driven AI Agents (Shubhangi Goyal)** In this session, I will explore how agents are built and use dynamic context to execute complex tasks and deliver real value. This also includes using context engineering to move beyond single prompt based interactions. *Find me at [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubhangi-goyal-0ab69795/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubhangi-goyal-0ab69795/)* **Why Cloud Cost Assessment Must Come Before Cloud-Native Build (Mawuko Jeffrey Wilson, BrassicaPay)** Many organisations adopt the cloud-nativve architectures with scalability and speed in mind; yet only realise after launching that cloud costs have spiralled beyond expectations and many issues. This talk will explore why cost surprises are so common in cloud-native journeys and argues that cost assessment must happen before migration, before architecture decisions, and before code is written. Drawing from real-world consulting experience and industry research, the session examines how early design choices-such as service selection, consumption models, environments, and governance-directly influence long-term cloud spend across AWS, Azure, and GCP (others). We will also look at why cost alerts, budgets, and subscriptions-while valuable-are reactive controls, not substitutes for upfront cost modelling. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for embedding cost assessment into cloud-native planning, enabling teams to build scalable systems without cost becoming an after-the-fact shock. And having to explain figures and cloud spend when costs goes high. This will also help team members to be accountable is RACI models or framework are adopted in addition to cost control strategies. *Mawuko Jeffrey Wilson is a Cloud Security Lead (Engineer) and Architect with hands-on experience designing, securing, and optimising cloud-native platforms across fintech, cost-control, public sector, and product-led technology environments. He specialises in cloud governance, cost-aware architecture (FinOps), and security-first design, helping organisations align cloud adoption with financial sustainability. Mawuko has worked across AWS, Azure, and GCP ecosystems, supporting migration planning, cloud security controls, and operational optimisation. Alongside industry work, he loves networking, learning new things, and sharing, and bringing a data-driven lens to cloud decision-making-particularly around cost forecasting, security, risk, governance, and operational efficiency.* ***Check out [https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon](https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon) if you're interested in speaking or sponsoring.***

_Thousands have lived without love, not one without water._ - W.H. Auden Join us on **Sunday 11th January** at ***[Thirst: In Search Of Freshwater](https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/thirst-in-search-of-freshwater)***, a **FREE** exhibition at the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. *Thirst* explores humanity’s ancient, urgent and intimate relationship with freshwater. With only 3% of the world’s water being freshwater, this exhibition dives into how our bodies, communities and ecosystems depend on this precious resource, and what happens when we mismanage it. Travelling from ancient Mesopotamia to Victorian London, and from Nepal to Singapore, Thirst brings together 125 fascinating objects, including historical artefacts, contemporary materials, environmental data, and artworks. Expect: 💧 Exquisite medieval water-filtering vessels carved with animals and inscribed with words of wisdom 💧 A Mesopotamian wedding blanket whose floral patterns reappear in a modern wastewater garden design 💧 Atmospheric photographs and films revealing communities’ relationships with water 💧 Striking large-scale models showing the impact of groundwater depletion in global megacities Immerse yourself in a sweeping story of culture, climate, health and survival, and our shared future. For a review of the exhibition, click **[HERE](https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2025/06/26/thirst-in-search-of-freshwater-at-the-wellcome-collection-exhibition-review/)**. **TICKETS** The Wellcome Collection and exhibition are both **FREE** to enter, no booking required. Easy! There’s a **[gift shop](https://wellcomecollection.org/visit-us/shop)** and **[café](https://wellcomecollection.org/visit-us/cafe)** in the building, and they also welcome donations of any amount. If you can no longer attend for any reason, that’s fine - simply update your RSVP to “Not Going”, thank you. **MEET DETAILS** **From 1:45PM: MEET AT [WELLCOME COLLECTION cafe](https://wellcomecollection.org/visit-us/cafe)** (optional) Join us for coffee and chat before we head to the museum! Address: Level 0 of the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd., London NW1 2BE **2:30PM: ENTER EXHIBITION** Feel free to go around the exhibition with other people from the group or by yourself. Address: 183 Euston Rd., London NW1 2BE **4:30PM till late: PUB SOCIAL AT [MARQUIS CORNWALLIS](https://www.themarquiscornwalliswc1.co.uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb-homepage#/)** (optional) Feel free to join us for chat, drinks and food after the museum! Address: 31 Marchmont St, Greater, London WC1N 1AP **GETTING THERE** * **TUBE**: Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan lines) is a 3 minute walk from the museum. Euston (Northern, Victoria & Lioness lines) is a 7 minute walk from the museum. Warren Street (Northern & Victoria lines) is a 7 minute walk from the museum. * **TRAIN**: Kings Cross is a 10 minute walk from the museum. St Pancras is a 10 minute walk from the museum. Euston is a 7 minute walk from the museum. * **BUSES**: 18, 30, 73, 205, 390 * **CYCLING**: There are bike stands near the main entrance at 183 Euston Road and on nearby Gordon Street. * **PARKING**: The nearest car park is George Mews Car Park, N Gower St, London NW1 2NN. The Wellcome Collection has limited parking available for Blue Badge holders. Please contact their visitor experience team to book: +44 (0)20 7611 2222. **[ACCESSIBILITY: click here for information.](https://wellcomecollection.org/visit-us/accessibility)** **EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP**
If you are on the 'Going' list, please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. The link will be shared in the Event Comments below at least 48 hours before the event.
Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group. 
**IMPORTANT NOTE**
 \* LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. We have an attendee limit to help the host manage the event. We prefer a smaller, friendlier group. 
\* Once all the spaces are taken, Meetup adds you to the Waitlist. If someone drops out, waitlisted attendees are automatically moved to the 'Going' list by Meetup in order of priority.
 \* If you can no longer attend, please change your RSVP to 'Not Going' as soon as possible. Then someone on the waitlist can take your place. 
We **remove members** from the LoMAZ Meetup group who:
 \* RSVP as ‘Going' but then do not show up three times in a row.
 \* RSVP as ‘Going' but then change their RSVP to 'No' five times in a row.
 \* Are on the Waitlist or who have not RSVPd, but turn up anyway.
 Thank you! From the LoMAZ Admin Team 
📸 **[Follow LoMAZ on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/londonmuseumsatoz?igsh=MTl5N3doNmJ6OXN1cA==)** Photo credit: "Wellcome Collection - Euston Road, London - sign" by ell brown is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

FULLY BOOKED. Step away from the screens and join us for our Offline Women Write Letters to Future Self. This is a dedicated, phone-free, quiet space where you can disconnect from digital distractions and reconnect with your inner voice. Join our warm community of women to mindfully reflect on your life and write an insightful letter to the woman you hope to be in the future. You can decide to which version of your future self you are writing to and what do you say to her, there are no rules. All materials, beautiful paper, colourful pens, envelopes, and wax seals will be provided. We'll also have the opportunity to share and read snippets of the letters (if you choose to!) with each other. You will leave with a beautifully sealed letter ready to be opened by your future self. * Spots are limited to ensure the group remains small, intimate, and everyone has a great time connecting face-to-face. * Meeting Point: Inside the Café. Look for me with an embroidered black tote bag. My phone will be offline. If you have questions, please message me at least one hour before the starting time.

Happy New Year Colleagues, The next Columbus Futurists public forum will be **Thursday January 15 at 12:00 pm noon** (eastern) [https://osu.zoom.us/j/93451873651?pwd=RXIyZ2t5RjRqRG02UGQ1aEFVQ1NFZz09](https://osu.zoom.us/j/93451873651?pwd=RXIyZ2t5RjRqRG02UGQ1aEFVQ1NFZz09) Please come prepared to offer your **"What if?" questions for 2026**. (I will offer seven to begin our conversation.) I also would like to announce the publication of my latest book: *[Anticipatory Biographies: Personal Histories of the Future](https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-08912-0)*, the tenth volume in the “Anticipation Science” series. Grounded in design fiction, futures research, anticipation science, and scenario writing, *Anticipatory Biographies* envisions how the world will be reshaped by artificial intelligence, technological automation, climate change, political disintegration, and the decline of higher education. This work of creative non-fiction bridges literary and scholarly forms, blending biography and design fiction with research-based insights to offer a narrative-based method for exploring futures. Ed Finn, Director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University says: “In this book **David Staley has invented a delightful new genre: the future biography.** He invites us to step into gritty, thrilling, and inspiring futures elbow-to-elbow with the characters living those stories. *Anticipatory Biographies* beautifully synthesizes Staley’s training as a historian, his expertise as a futurist, and his desire to ignite the imagination of his readers.” Hope you'll be able to read it, and hope to see you all on the 15th. D. David J. Staley, Ph.D. President, Columbus Futurists 614.316.1348 [columbus.futurists@gmail.com](mailto:columbus.futurists@gmail.com) [http://columbusfuturists.org](http://columbusfuturists.org/) [https://davidjstaley.substack.com/](https://davidjstaley.substack.com/) 

Step into 2026 with intention, clarity, and a creative practice designed to help you see yourself more clearly. In this special Confidence Lab session, we’ll explore confidence as something you can curate - through the choices you make, the qualities you amplify, and the story you choose to step into. We’ll start with a short guided reflection to surface the traits, habits, and energies you want to nurture in the coming year. Then, using collage materials selected specifically for this workshop, you’ll translate those insights into a visual composition that represents the version of yourself you’re ready to grow toward. This isn’t about resolutions or perfection. It’s about crafting a grounded, imaginative vision of your next chapter - one that feels honest, energizing, and fully yours. All materials are provided. Just bring yourself (and a friend) and a willingness to explore what confidence can look like for you in 2026. **Featured Partner: Columbus Collage Collective** The Columbus Collage Collective was started in August of 2023 by Emily Morgan (aka Lovely But Dead) and Douglas Cuckler (aka Wonder Doug) as a place for collage enthusiasts to gather and create art together. The collective has since become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to hold free or low-cost collage events across central Ohio. The CCC welcomes all artists of all backgrounds and skill levels and encourages folks to take this time to step away from everyday existence and create art with people who share a love for this dynamic art form. All materials—magazines, scissors, craft knives, glue, paper, cardboard, and more—are provided, so there's no need to bring anything at all (though you're welcome to bring a friend or a favorite tool if you'd like!). We also encourage folks to take home magazines and materials from our events to support continued creativity! Find us on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/columbuscollagecollective/](https://www.instagram.com/columbuscollagecollective/) Register or sign up for the newsletter at [https://www.columbuscollagecollective.com/](https://www.columbuscollagecollective.com/) **What is Confidence Lab?** Confidence Lab is a monthly community experience for bold, thoughtful leaders building confidence from the inside out. Whether you’re launching a business, leading a team, navigating change, or simply striving to show up more fully—you belong here. Our work demands clarity, courage, and conviction—but the pace of daily life can erode our sense of self. Confidence Lab creates space to reflect, reconnect, and grow with others doing purpose-driven work. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, creatives, corporate professionals, activists, and anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact. ***Please note:*** *All are welcome! If cost is a concern, please use promo code PUBLIC to access a free ticket—we want you to join us.*

**Web Design Decoded: Tools, Practices, and Proven Processes:** **Semantic HTML** At WebDev Columbus, we are exploring some of the most important topics of professional high-end web design and page building. Primarily focused on site building in the WordPress environment, our group explores tools, tips, and techniques for building the best WordPress sites possible. Additionally, we focus on disciplines and technologies that take website design from visually appealing to optimized spaces for delivering you and/or your client's message effectively and with a nod towards extended reach. Each session combines practical demonstrations with real-world insights, giving you actionable knowledge you can apply immediately. Whether you're a seasoned developer looking to enhance your design skills or a newcomer wanting to understand design best practices, this series offers valuable insights for every skill level. **What to expect:** * Hands-on demonstrations of popular design tools * Best practices for design-to-development workflows * Tips for creating responsive, accessible designs * Real-world problem-solving scenarios * Interactive Q&A sessions * Networking opportunities with fellow developers **Each meetup features:** 60 minutes of focused presentation 30 minutes of live demonstrations 30 minutes for questions and discussion **See you there!** Our casual, collaborative environment encourages learning from both presenters and fellow attendees. Bring your questions, share your experiences, and connect with Central Ohio's web development community! **Stay tuned for specific session topics and dates.**

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.

Coming in January 2026: a warm, reflective gathering to close one chapter and open another. More details coming soon. Together, we look back at the moments, shifts, and practices that shaped the past year—what worked, what surprised us, and what we’re ready to release. Then we lean forward into who we want to become: the intentions, experiments, and stories we want next January’s version of ourselves to be telling. A gentle, inspiring circle that invites clarity, connection, and shared wisdom.Check us out on Meetup to learn more and rsvp #womeninagilecolumbus #womeninagile