Professional Development

**Hey fellow AWS enthusiasts! ✨** May is all about AWS Partnership! Not a usual topic you hear about at User Groups. So we are more than thrilled to hear about **Deepika Tomar**'s journey as the AWS Cloud Lead at HWS Gruppe on pathing the way for her company to become an AWS Advanced Partner. Thanks to our friends at **[codecentric Nürnberg](https://www.codecentric.de/standorte/nuernberg)** for sponsoring the event with food and drinks and opening their wonderful offices for us! **📆 Tonight's Agenda** 19:00 - Welcoming **19:15 - Talk by Deepika** 20:00 - Food, Drinks & Networking Looking forward to seeing you 👋🏻 [Nora](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-schoener/) & [Frank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankprechtel/) \-\-\- The talk ⤵️ **From AWS Registered to Advanced Tier in 2 Years: Practical Lessons from the Field** In this session, I will share how we progressed from AWS Registered Partner to Advanced Tier within two years, focusing on real-world actions that made the difference. I will walk through: How AWS Summit connections and community engagement helped shape our partner strategy Building impactful customer case studies and completing the FTR (Foundational Technical Review) successfully How to identify and generate opportunities using the AWS Partner Portal Practical use of POC funding and Marketing Development Funds (MDF) for business growth and employee enablement Key learnings from attending AWS events, webinars, and partner programs This session is intended for AWS partners who want a practical roadmap to accelerate their growth in the AWS ecosystem. The speaker⤵️ **Deepika Tomar, Lead AWS Public Cloud @ HWS Gruppe** AWS Community Builder with 14 years of experience in cloud computing, infrastructure management, and database solutions — I've built a career around turning technology into a lasting competitive advantage. Today, I lead an AWS team driving cloud migration, infrastructure modernization, and a reimagined approach to customer service. This work recently reached a milestone with our organization achieving AWS Partnership status. Whether shaping IT strategy or bridging cross-functional teams, my focus remains constant: harness technology to deliver real business outcomes, streamline operations, and build a governance foundation that grows with the organization. \-\-\- **Please note:** At the event, photos and videos will be taken for marketing purposes both by our hosts and our location sponsors. We try to offer a hybrid experience by providing a video stream of the talk. There will be no recording published after the event. Please also keep in mind, that we try our best effort to provide a good streaming experience. We don't offer a professional stream, so delays, technical issues or other interference are a matter to be tolerated.

Casemates is one of Luxembourg's English-speaking Toastmasters clubs - here you’ll find a supportive and friendly environment which will allow you to develop your communication skills, become a confident leader and have fun! Each meeting is clearly structured with three parts: improvised speaking on various topics, prepared speeches by members, and an evaluation part where all the speakers receive feedback. Members are holding the various roles necessary for the organisation - a different one at each meeting. You can come as a guest and see how it works for yourself - we guarantee that you will feel welcomed and will have fun in our learn-by-doing environment!

## AI & Lunch - In-person gathering in Luxembourg Hey there! Join us for another **in-person lunch** in the heart of Luxembourg where AI enthusiasts come together to chat, share ideas, and enjoy great food. Whether you're a pro or just curious about artificial intelligence, this is the perfect chance to connect and exchange with like-minded people. See you there! **AI & Lunch** is the seated, more intimate format of the **AI & Coffee** community — designed for deeper conversations and real connection around the table. This will be a lunch where we all sit together and so everyone gets the chance to meet the full table, connect, and discover new stories. You’re welcome to bring friends if you’d like. The goal is simple: enjoy lunch together, exchange ideas, value, updates about AI, and meet the people behind this growing community. After our AI & Coffee meetups, previous lunches, dinners, many meaningful connections have already formed — and this format is where they really deepen. 🍽️ **We’ll gather for conversations about:** • AI news, trends, tools, and real use cases • Personal projects, ideas, and feedback • Supporting each other’s personal or entrepreneurial journeys • Strengthening Luxembourg’s AI community 👥 **Who’s welcome?** Developers, entrepreneurs, investors, students, researchers, creatives — and anyone curious about AI who enjoys thoughtful conversation and meeting new people. 💡 **What to expect** • A friendly, open lunch in a nice location • Circulating seats throughout the courses • Great conversations, new perspectives, and genuine connections • No pressure, no presentations — just good people and meaningful exchange **🎉 The only cost is your lunch.** Bring your curiosity, your appetite, and your good energy — and join us for a lunch of conversation and connection.

Has it been just you and your phone lately? It’s easy to feel connected yet still feel alone. Digital interactions can’t replace the warmth of eye contact, real laughter, and meaningful conversations. True connection happens when we step away from our screens and show up as ourselves — present, open, and engaged. At Fast Friending, we create spaces where real relationships begin. - just genuine conversations and shared moments. Because nothing compares to meeting face-to-face, discovering common ground, and walking away with a connection that truly feels real. **You will need to buy a ticket for attending -** [https://lux16thmay.eventbrite.co.uk](https://lux16thmay.eventbrite.co.uk) \*You can use any debit or credit card to purchase your ticket at PayPal checkout. It will ask you for your email address but that is only to send you a receipt. You do not need a PayPal account. TICKETS:- Early Bird - €5 / person Regular Ticket - €10 / person Cash at meetup: If you do not purchase a ticket in advance then you can pay Shye cash of €15 when you attend. **Here’s how your evening will flow:-** **7:00 PM – Welcome** Arrive at 7:00 PM and be welcomed by your host, Shye, who will guide the evening and help with introductions. Feeling shy? Come a little early and she’ll ease you into small-group conversations. You’re also welcome to bring a lady friend along for free. **7:30 – 8:30 PM \| Fast Friending** Chat with a new attendee every 3 minutes, ensuring you meet a variety of like-minded ladies and gentlemen. **After 8:30 PM \| Open Mingling** Reconnect with those you enjoyed speaking to and continue meaningful conversations at your own pace \- We are not a close knit tight group\. Our evenings are warm and comfortable for members attending for the first time and those coming alone\. You will not feel alone\! \- We have many groups in this city\. Members of our other groups who RSVP are included as guests of the organisers in order to give you an indication of expected people\. \- This evening is for ladies and gents in the 21 to 45 age group\. While some will be at the younger end of this range there will also be others at the other end of the range and lots in\-between\! You will naturally gel with others of your own age range and so you will always find many attendees who fit your range\. \- We are not a dating group\. Our events are not organised to manage your dating life\. Our group is created to help ladies and gents meet other like minded ladies and gents\. Please do not attend our event if a perfect gender balance is important for your enjoyment of our meet\-up\. Why do we have tickets? 1. Cover our costs - Our host is compensated for their time and work. We also pay meetup and have dedicated staff to manage our events, hosts, venues and communication. 2. Group Safety - By securing your ticket we have a record and you contribute to a well organized evening where everyone is more committed and better behaved. 3. Management - Tickets help us better manage attendee group size, book suitable space and activity. ABOUT [fastfriends.co.uk ](https://fastfriends.co.uk/)- We have connected members successfully for the past 10 years in over 30 cities (operating as Expatsclub, MeetConnectDevelop and fastfriends.co.uk). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- You can contact our founder Dan on +447715705005 with any questions or ideas. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Here are some videos which will give you some guidance and comfort to make your attendance more productive.** Secrets of socializing at our meetups - [http://bit.ly/secrets-socializing ](http://bit.ly/secrets-socializing) How to make new friends - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6GB0Hc_bSs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6GB0Hc_bSs)

⚡ **AI & Coffee — Luxembourg's In-Person AI Community** AI is moving faster than any of us can keep up with alone. The best way to make sense of it — and stay ahead of it — is by getting in the same room as people who are just as obsessed with it as you are. That is exactly what AI & Coffee is about. We are bringing together Luxembourg's most curious, creative and driven minds for an afternoon of open, honest and energising conversations about artificial intelligence — not in theory, but in practice. No slides. No pitches. No pressure. Just real people, real ideas and real connections over great coffee. ☕🤖 *** 📅 **Sunday 17 May \| 15:00 – 17:00** 📍 Cafe Bora, 4 rue du Fossé · Luxembourg *** ☕ **What we will talk about** AI & Coffee is an open conversation — guided by curiosity and driven by the people in the room. Expect discussions around: * What is actually happening in AI right now — the real breakthroughs, the real hype * Tools, projects and experiments people are building and testing * Practical AI use cases across industries — finance, marketing, tech, healthcare and more * Ideas, feedback and fresh perspectives from people at different stages of their AI journey Feel free to bring your laptop if you want to show something you are working on. Some of the best conversations at our last event started with someone sharing their screen. 💡 *** 👥 **Who is this for?** Developers and engineers building with AI Founders and entrepreneurs exploring AI for their business Investors and mentors looking to understand what is coming Researchers and students at the forefront of AI Creatives experimenting with AI tools Corporate professionals curious about AI's impact on their industry And anyone who simply cannot stop thinking about where AI is heading If AI excites, challenges or intrigues you — you belong here. *** ✨ **What to expect** A warm, welcoming and relaxed atmosphere where everyone has a seat at the table. Our host will kick things off with a few conversation sparks and the latest AI highlights — then the rest is yours. Meet, talk, connect and exchange freely. No commitment. No agenda. No pressure. Just the kind of afternoon that leaves you energised, inspired and already looking forward to the next one. *** 🎉 **The only cost is your own coffee or drink.** Bring your curiosity, your ideas and an open mind — and let's keep building one of the most exciting AI communities in Luxembourg. 🇱🇺 👉 Register now — spots are limited and they go fast!

This is our second meet-up, and we have a proper space this time: Luxembourg City Incubator, in the Gare district!😊 To kick things off, I’ll show for a few minutes how I actually use Claude Projects in my day-to-day. Not a tutorial. Just a look at how I use AI as a productivity tool. Then we open it up. We’ll talk about what AI actually means for us, where it’s useful, where it feels overwhelming, and what we’re still trying to figure out. We’re also continuing to shape what WIN AI is and what this community needs to be. Come as you are. Bring your questions, your doubts, and your curiosity. Tuesday 12 May — 7:00pm Luxembourg City Incubator 9 Rue du Laboratoire, 1911 Luxembourg

**✨ Gather & Grow – The First Circle** There’s a moment when you realize you’ve outgrown your current life… But you don’t yet know what the next version of you looks like. This event is for that moment. Gather & Grow is not just another meetup. It’s a space for people who want more- from themselves, from relationships, from life. For this first event, we’re doing something different. Instead of forcing a fixed topic, we open the space to explore what actually matters to you: – relationships and dating dynamics – confidence and self-trust – breaking patterns that keep repeating – personal growth, identity, and transformation Or anything else that’s been sitting in your mind, waiting for a place to be said out loud. This is a guided, intentional conversation—not random sharing. You will be seen, heard, and challenged in the right way. And here’s the truth: This first circle will shape everything that comes next. Future events will go deeper—real topics, real situations, real-time guidance. This is where we build the foundation together. **📍 Practical details** The event will take place at **I AM WOW, City Concord**. There is **free parking available**, so logistics are not your excuse. This is a café-restaurant space, so please keep in mind that ordering a drink is expected. 👉 Arrive **a little earlier** so you can order comfortably— we will **start on time**, together, without delays. If you’ve been craving better conversations, sharper insights, and a different kind of environment… you’ll feel it immediately when you walk in. Come as you are. Leave different. **🔒 A few important notes** This is not a passive event. If you come, come ready to **engage, reflect, and contribute**—in your own way and at your own pace. This space is for people who are open to growth, honest conversations, and new perspectives. Not for spectators, and not for staying comfortably the same. We keep the group **intimate**, so everyone has the chance to be part of the experience. Respect, presence, and confidentiality are expected. What is shared in the room, stays in the room. — Lanna

**Building a great product is one thing—building momentum behind it is another.** Join **Senior Product Manager Adam Solaiman** and **User Experience Manager Tyson Smith** for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into scalable products inside large organizations. In this session, they’ll share how teams move from ambiguity to execution—navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and continuously evolving products after launch. You’ll walk away with insights on how to: * Build and sustain momentum across teams * Adapt to changing priorities without losing direction * Scale products thoughtfully in complex environments Whether you're driving a new initiative or growing an existing product, this conversation will give you practical strategies to keep things moving forward. Come connect, learn, and swap stories with fellow product professionals. \-\-\- Food and drinks will be provided by Switchbox, our generous host. Free parking will be available at the front and back sides of the Switchbox Office.

PLEASE NOTE!!! This event will be In-Person for our very 1st Improving collab! If you know the [Columbus Unity group](https://www.meetup.com/columbus-unity-user-group/) location, we'll be at the same place. This is our 1st event and are doing a soft launch with limited attendance. 1st come 1st serve. If you want to be there and we fill up, please email me at [info@thecogg.com](mailto:info@thecogg.com) and I'll be in touch. All street parking is free on Sundays but you can also pay to park in any of the local garages. See image of [parking map here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mr9_LFIggbs-0_Zd3AJTGNqEhgMf2TzQ/view?usp=sharing). \-\-\- On the last Sunday of the month, we're having our usual end-of-the-month social gathering with our GameDev Meetup meeting. There will be announcements and presentations followed by some social networking Let's continue the conversations with good vibes and friends. All are welcomed from all ages and backgrounds to this public event. If we can, we'll be streaming or uploading the video later via our COGG YouTube channel here: [https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams](https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams) (Also please do subscribe if you have not done so!) No game development experience required! If you are interested in doing a 20 minute game development related presentation, please fill out our form online here: [https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1](https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1) Or e-mail us at info@thecogg.com with the following: Your Name, Company/Affiliation, Name of Your Game/Topic, Description, Tech Needs, and Your Contact. Be sure to check out our Discord for real time news updates: [https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ](https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ)

**Total Eclipse of the Chart: School Redistricting Dashboards** In this presentation, we will explore the utilization of maps, sets, and SQL within a Tableau dashboard to help provide “what-if” analyses generated through the use of a mapped dashboard, providing different scenarios and the potential implications of these. While in this use case we are focused on a large school district, the concepts of utilizing existing data to explore the future impacts of modifying different geographic boundaries can be useful to many industries, balancing the mix of maps with visual analytics. **About Our Speaker** Robert Kramer is the Data Systems and State Reporting Coordinator at South Western City Schools in Grove City. He has worked there for 17 years, serving previously in the roles of Data Analyst, Programmer, and Operations Coordinator. Prior to working at South Western, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Pinnacle Data Systems in Groveport. He graduated in 2005 from The University of Toledo with his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics. Robert resides in Obetz with his wife, and their 15 and 12 year-old daughters. He was also just elected to his 3rd four-year term on the Obetz City Council. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

Join Voice Over Pros Of Ohio for an exciting morning of networking, and exploring opportunities in the world of voice acting. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this event is perfect for expanding your network, learning how to start a VO business, and for honing your skills. Connect with fellow voice actors and VO experts, that will help you succeed in your voice over business. This event will feature discussions on professional development, entrepreneurship in the voice over industry, with tips for navigating the world of voice acting. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from others, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and take your voice over career to the next level. Join us Saturday, May 30, from 10am - 12pm and learn how to start or grow your voice over business. Let your voice be heard! The $10 fee covers refreshments and door prizes.

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT NOTES:** 1. The dates for this series are simply placeholders at the moment. We are working on our 2026 schedule, and adjustments are forthcoming. 2. Each class in this series has an attendance fee. 3. Each class, from BOTH a sign-up and fee perspective, is a separate entity. 4. As the Etch toolset evolves, so too will the class outline below. **Introduction:** Our Site Building with Etch class provides detailed instructions on the philosophy of the Etch development framework, as well as in-depth, hands-on instruction on using the Etch environment and associated tools. Anyone familiar with Kevin Geary and the Digital Gravy set of products will tell you that they offer ground-breaking approaches to professional WordPress site development. As we write this, the Etch toolset and environment are rapidly taking shape, with weekly quantum leaps forward in WordPress development methodologies. As early investors in the Etch product offering and its development process, we are actively testing and evaluating the toolset as it takes shape. We are beyond excited to see how WordPress site development is being modernized, and can't wait to bring this course set to you. It will be a paradigm shift in page and site development within WordPress, as well as moving your development mindset light-years forward. Join us as we explore Etch and dive deep into development approaches that will genuinely elevate your craft as a website developer and agency provider. Scalable, responsive, compliant websites are now within easy reach, and Etch provides both the platform and toolset to take you there. **The breakdown of the 10-class series is as follows:** * Class 01 - TBD * Class 02 - TBD * Class 03 - TBD * Class 04 - TBD * Class 05 - TBD * Class 06 - TBD * Class 07 - TBD * Class 08 - TBD * Class 09 - TBD * Class 10 - TBD Throughout the class sessions listed above, we cover the following key areas of web development with Etch: * **Introduction to Etch Interface:** * Familiarization with the toolset's layout and understanding how to navigate and interact with its various components. * **Visual Site Building:** * Techniques for creating layouts using Etch's interface, incorporating sections, divs, containers, and elements to build semantically correct page structures. * **Styling and Design:** * Utilizing Etch's styling approach to customize elements, apply global CSS classes for consistent design, and leverage features like Flexbox and CSS Grid for responsive layouts. * **Dynamic Content and Custom Fields:** * Integrating dynamic content from custom post types and custom field plugins (like ACF, Meta Box, and even built-in fields) to build data-driven websites. * **Component Building:** * Creating and managing reusable components for headers, footers, post type layouts, and other site-wide elements. * **Performance Optimization:** * Understanding how Etch contributes to fast-loading websites and implementing performance best practices. * **Advanced Features:** * Depending on the class level, it might delve into advanced topics such as conditional logic, interactions, and custom code integration to enable more complex functionality. The series aims to equip participants with the skills to efficiently build, customize, and maintain WordPress websites using Etch, catering to both beginners and experienced web developers alike.

Practical AI for Power BI Developers A year ago, “agentic AI” was mostly hype for Power BI teams. Today, it deserves your undivided attention. For Power BI pros, there is now a real opportunity to reduce repetitive development work, accelerate delivery, and help developers do more, but only when strong DataOps practices are in place to make AI workflows effective. This session is a no-nonsense introduction to effective AI patterns for Power BI and Fabric development. Along the way, we will make sense of the growing pile of terminology, including skills, plugins, hooks, and MCP. You will see examples of how modern AI tooling can help with development tasks across Power BI and Fabric, along with the prerequisites, guardrails, and DataOps principles needed to use it responsibly. Whether you're burned out on AI hype or already using Copilot CLI daily, this session will show you the foundations that are finally making AI-assisted development genuinely useful.