Digital Disruption

Meet us for talks with EBCONT on January 20, 2026! Doors open at 18.00, first talk starts at 18.20. We wrap up at 20.30. Please make sure you sign up with your full name. 📅**Date and Time:** Tuesday, January 20, from 6:00-8:30 PM 📍**Location:** [Beyond Office, Heidestrasse 34, 10557 Berlin](https://maps.app.goo.gl/QJTtLBsyWdBXo9iA6) We will need your full name to allow your entrance at the building. 📝 **Agenda:** * **18:00 - Doors Open** * **18:20 - Talk #1** **\- Elastic Agent: Ingesting log files\, how hard can it be?** **[Denis Rechkunov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdner/)**, Principal Software Engineer at Elastic **Abstract:** Logs are the foundation of any observability solution, but to make them useful, they need to be ingested into a search index. One of the features provided by our Elastic Agent offering is to ingest log files into Elasticsearch so our customers can quickly navigate events in their systems. Reading files and sending data to Elasticsearch sounds simple, right? Not quite. In this talk we're going to dive deep into challenges associated with reading log files and sending them to Elasticsearch. * **18:50 - Talk #2 Flexible Chatbots with Elasticsearch - Integrating Elasticsearch, Confluence, and LLMs** **[Christoph Eder](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-eder-0ab776194/)**, Senior IT Consultant at **[EBCONT](https://www.ebcont.com/en)** **Abstract:** In this talk, we'll show how we developed a flexible enterprise search solution using Elasticsearch — one that not only works in the cloud and with LLMs, but can also run on-premises and be easily combined with different LLMs. * **19:20 - Pizza, drinks and networking** * **20:30 - Wrap up** Invite your friends and join our meetup. Special thanks to our partner **[EBCONT](https://www.ebcont.com/en).** Want to speak at our next meetup? Submit your talk on **[this link](https://sessionize.com/elastic-meetups/)** and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

**Note:** *We receive bookings from many different platforms, so you can expect a lively group with people joining from all over the world. When you join this tour, you’ll be part of a fun, social crowd ready to explore the city together.* Get ready for an unforgettable night out in Berlin! Join The Original Berlin Pub Crawl and dive into the city’s legendary nightlife — from buzzing bars to hidden underground clubs. This is the Berlin experience you don’t want to miss. Your night starts with a warm welcome shot and a friendly local guide who knows every hidden corner of Berlin’s party scene. You’ll explore some of the city’s most exciting bars, enjoy exclusive drink specials, free shots at every stop, and meet fellow travellers from around the world. As the night goes on, we’ll lead you straight to one of Berlin’s top nightclubs — where you’ll skip the line and dance until dawn. This isn’t just a pub crawl — it’s a social adventure through Berlin’s most electric neighbourhoods, filled with laughter, music, and new friends. **✅ What’s Included:** * Friendly local nightlife guide * Free welcome shots at each venue * Exclusive drink deals & discounts * VIP entry to one of Berlin’s top clubs * A fun international crowd **🌟 Highlights** * Discover Berlin’s best bars and hidden party spots * Experience the authentic Berlin nightlife scene * Meet travellers and locals from around the world * Enjoy free drinks and skip-the-line club entry * Dance the night away in true Berlin style

Find us on IG: [@neurocrafting.berlin](https://www.instagram.com/neurocrafting.berlin/) Calling all neurodivergent individuals! Are you tired of starting hobbies that you never seem to finish? Join us for an evening of guilt-free creativity where there is absolutely no pressure to complete anything. This event is designed to be a safe space where you can freely express your creativity without fear of judgment or criticism. **We will be making coasters, bookmarks, or keychains. If you are a beginner, that's alright!! I will give a little introduction, and I will help you throughout the workshop.** Hooks, yarn and instructions will be provided. **There is a donation of a minimum of 4-5 euros to cover the materials and space.** In case you wish to pay via paypal: [neurocrafting.berlin@gmail.com](mailto:neurocrafting.berlin@gmail.com)

**Note:** *We regularly receive bookings for the Free Walking Tour Berlin from many different platforms, which means you’ll be joining a diverse group of travellers from all over the world. Expect a lively atmosphere, lots of people, and an amazing opportunity to meet new friends while exploring Berlin together.* **Free Walking Tour Berlin – Discover the City’s History & Culture:** Explore Berlin like never before with our Free Walking Tour Berlin, the most authentic and engaging way to experience Germany’s capital. Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning to discover more, this guided walking tour is designed to help you uncover the stories, landmarks, and hidden corners that make Berlin one of the most fascinating cities in Europe. **Why Join Our Free Walking Tour in Berlin?** * Pay-what-you-want model – Everyone is welcome, and you decide the value. * Expert local guides – Friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about Berlin. * Meet fellow travellers – A social and fun way to explore the city. * Daily departures – Rain or shine, we walk every day. **Who Is This Tour For?** The Free Walking Tour Berlin is perfect for backpackers, solo travellers, groups, and families who want to get an overview of the city before diving deeper. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or just a fun day out, this tour offers something for everyone. **How It Works:** The tour is free to join – no upfront cost. At the end, you are welcome to leave a tip that reflects what the experience was worth to you. Simply book your spot online to secure your place, as tours often fill up quickly. **Join Us Today:** See Berlin through the eyes of a local and experience its history come to life. Book your spot now and get ready to walk, learn, and connect on the Original Free Walking Tour Berlin.

**Topic: How Could Low-Tech Industry Be More Data-Driven?** **What to Expect:** * A concise, 5-10 minute expert presentation introducing us to the nuances of the topic. * Engage in insightful discussions with fellow participants in breakout groups, exploring diverse experiences and practices. * Dive into prepared questions designed to challenge and expand your perspective on the topic. * A fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded professionals and enthusiasts passionate about software development and team building. *** **Broadening Our Discussions:** We explore a wide range of topics, including Extreme Programming (XP), agile management methods, lean theory, career management, programming katas, and other areas related to software development. Whether you're new to software, a seasoned practitioner, or an expert, your insights and experiences are valued here! *** **Event Details:** We'll gather from 7:00 PM, officially start the session at 7:15 PM, and take a break at 8:30 PM to decide the topic for our next session. Don't miss this chance to learn, share, and connect!

**Note:** *We regularly receive bookings for the Free Walking Tour Berlin from many different platforms, which means you’ll be joining a diverse group of travellers from all over the world. Expect a lively atmosphere, lots of people, and an amazing opportunity to meet new friends while exploring Berlin together.* **Free Walking Tour Berlin – Discover the City’s History & Culture:** Explore Berlin like never before with our Free Walking Tour Berlin, the most authentic and engaging way to experience Germany’s capital. Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning to discover more, this guided walking tour is designed to help you uncover the stories, landmarks, and hidden corners that make Berlin one of the most fascinating cities in Europe. **Why Join Our Free Walking Tour in Berlin?** * Pay-what-you-want model – Everyone is welcome, and you decide the value. * Expert local guides – Friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about Berlin. * Meet fellow travellers – A social and fun way to explore the city. * Daily departures – Rain or shine, we walk every day. **Who Is This Tour For?** The Free Walking Tour Berlin is perfect for backpackers, solo travellers, groups, and families who want to get an overview of the city before diving deeper. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or just a fun day out, this tour offers something for everyone. **How It Works:** The tour is free to join – no upfront cost. At the end, you are welcome to leave a tip that reflects what the experience was worth to you. Simply book your spot online to secure your place, as tours often fill up quickly. **Join Us Today:** See Berlin through the eyes of a local and experience its history come to life. Book your spot now and get ready to walk, learn, and connect on the Original Free Walking Tour Berlin.

The Test Tribe 11th Berlin Meetup – Making QA Work Smarter with Generative AI Generative AI is no longer a future concept-it’s already reshaping how QA engineers design tests, debug failures, write documentation, and even collaborate with development teams. But beyond the buzzwords, many testers are still asking the same questions: How do I actually use AI in my day-to-day work? What makes a good prompt? And where does agentic AI really fit? At the 11th Berlin Meetup, we’ll cut through the hype and focus on practical, QA-first applications of Generative AI, showing how testers can work smarter today and prepare for an agent-driven tomorrow. **Event Details** Date: 20th January 2026 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM CET Venue: SumUp (Entrance via Lange Straße) Koppenstraße 8, 10243 Berlin, Germany Session: Making QA Work Smarter with Generative AI - From Prompts to Agentic AI Speaker: Vignesh Srinivasa Raghavan **Introduction** Generative AI is rapidly reshaping how Quality Assurance engineers approach their daily work-from test design and automation to debugging, documentation, and reporting (yes, even writing Jira tickets 😄). This session is a practical, QA-focused introduction to Generative AI, designed to help testers move beyond curiosity and into real, day-to-day usage. Rather than abstract theory, the focus is on how QA engineers can use AI to work faster, think better, and reduce repetitive effort-without losing control or judgment. You’ll learn how prompt engineering dramatically impacts the quality of AI outputs and get a glimpse into Agentic AI, where autonomous AI agents can assist testers across workflows in the near future. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas they can immediately apply in their QA roles. **Key Takeaways** * Understand what Generative AI is and how it applies specifically to QA workflows * Learn practical prompt engineering techniques to get better results from AI tools * Discover different prompt types for testing, automation, and documentation * Get an introduction to Agentic AI and how it can amplify tester productivity **About the Speaker** Vignesh Srinivasa Raghavan is a Lead SDET with 11+ years of experience in Software Automation Testing, specializing in Web, Mobile, API, and Performance Testing. He is also an experienced trainer with 9+ years of teaching experience, having trained 7,000+ students globally. Vignesh is a top-rated Udemy instructor and regularly conducts corporate training sessions, both online and offline. Expertise & Tools * AI: Generative AI for QA, Agentic AI for QA * Web Automation: Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, WebdriverIO * Mobile Automation: Appium, Espresso, XCUITest * API Automation: RestAssured, Postman, Karate, Katalon * Performance Testing: Gatling, JMeter * Languages: Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Kotlin, Scala Vignesh is deeply passionate about helping QA engineers embrace modern tools and future-ready practices while staying grounded in strong testing fundamentals. Why You Should Attend * Learn how QA engineers can practically use Generative AI today * Improve productivity without compromising quality or ownership * Understand prompt engineering through a tester’s lens * Get early insights into Agentic AI and its impact on QA * Connect with Berlin’s growing QA and testing community * Be part of The Test Tribe’s 11th Berlin Meetup About The Test Tribe The Test Tribe is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 700+ events and 150K+ members across 130+ countries, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more. By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

We are excited to announce our next meetup, which will again be hosted at the beautiful [HubSpot](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#) Berlin offices. Get ready for rooftop views, snacks, drinks and plenty of opportunities to learn and share. Agenda: 6.00pm - Casual arrival 6.30pm - Welcome and intro to "To Customer Value and Beyond" 6.45pm - Benefits of a value-driven sales approach: Led by Angeley Mullins ([Aetheris Ventures](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aetherisventures/)), we’re bringing together three leaders who have cracked the code on value-driven growth: - [Caroline Dépierre](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdepierre/) ([Pollup AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pollup-data/)): Elevating customer ops through AI. - [Pavel Novák](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgrpavelnovak/) ([Pricefx](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pricefx/)): Architecting revenue enablement. - [Balaji Kannadasan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/balajikannadasan/) (ex-[Infor](https://www.linkedin.com/company/infor/)): Mastering value engineering. 7.45pm - Q&A 8.00pm - Networking A heartfelt thank you to our friends at HubSpot for providing the location! Drinks and snacks will, of course, be provided. Expect an exciting and engaged discussion and feel free to bring questions of your own.

**Note:** *We receive bookings from many different platforms, so you can expect a lively group with people joining from all over the world. When you join this tour, you’ll be part of a fun, social crowd ready to explore the city together.* Get ready for an unforgettable night out in Berlin! Join The Original Berlin Pub Crawl and dive into the city’s legendary nightlife — from buzzing bars to hidden underground clubs. This is the Berlin experience you don’t want to miss. Your night starts with a warm welcome shot and a friendly local guide who knows every hidden corner of Berlin’s party scene. You’ll explore some of the city’s most exciting bars, enjoy exclusive drink specials, free shots at every stop, and meet fellow travellers from around the world. As the night goes on, we’ll lead you straight to one of Berlin’s top nightclubs — where you’ll skip the line and dance until dawn. This isn’t just a pub crawl — it’s a social adventure through Berlin’s most electric neighbourhoods, filled with laughter, music, and new friends. **✅ What’s Included:** * Friendly local nightlife guide * Free welcome shots at each venue * Exclusive drink deals & discounts * VIP entry to one of Berlin’s top clubs * A fun international crowd **🌟 Highlights** * Discover Berlin’s best bars and hidden party spots * Experience the authentic Berlin nightlife scene * Meet travellers and locals from around the world * Enjoy free drinks and skip-the-line club entry * Dance the night away in true Berlin style

Welcome to the PyData Berlin January meetup! We would like to welcome you all starting from 18:30. There will be food and drinks. The talks begin around 19.15 and the doors will close at 18:45. **Make sure to arrive on time!** Please provide your first and last name for the registration because this is required for the venue's entry policy. If you cannot attend, please cancel your spot so others are able to join as the space is limited. **Host**: **Spiced Academy** is excited to welcome you to this month's version of PyData. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* The Lineup for the evening **Talk 1: From Grape Stomping to Gorilla Trekking: AI-Driven Discovery of Novel Interests at GetYourGuide** **Abstract**: UX research shows that discovering new, unexpected and unique things to do in a destination is among the most important needs for travelers. However, surfacing these “hidden gems” at scale is a major challenge for any dynamic marketplace. At GetYourGuide, we tackled this by combining large language models, semantic vector embeddings, and a robust human-in-the-loop process to automatically identify and categorize novel customer interests. Join me as I dive into how we created this AI-driven solution and how we achieved scalable, granular and relevant categorization of our activities. **Description:** How do you help a traveler find something they never knew they wanted? In this talk, I will explore the exciting journey of developing an AI-driven solution to identify novel customer interests at GetYourGuide. With thousands of new activities onboarded weekly, manual categorization became impractical, prompting the need for automation. This talk will walk you through our end-to-end solution: * The problem: the challenges travelers face in discovering relevant and unique experiences, the organizational complexity of this on our platform and its business impact * The AI journey: From raw LLM-based extraction to vector embeddings, clustering, all the way to a robust human-in-the-loop pipeline. I’ll share how we iterated from noisy prototypes to an impactful system, launching 300+ new interests and driving significant engagement and net revenue uplifts * What we learned: The realities of working with LLMs in production-like settings, more specifically hallucinations and issues with relevance, granularity and semantic deduplication. We found out that the line between useful innovation and unwanted noise can be surprisingly fine when using LLM’s. I’ll share practical examples of these challenges and how we addressed them. * Impact and future directions: How we achieved a 10x increase in manual acceptance of AI-suggested interests in just two iterations, and what’s next for AI-driven discovery at GetYourGuide **Bio**: **Morena Bastiaansen** holds a master’s degree in Econometrics from the University of Amsterdam and currently works as a Data Scientist at GetYourGuide in Berlin. She combines her passions for machine learning, language, and travel to build impactful systems for travelers worldwide, with a current focus on personalization in email marketing. Morena is also actively involved in the local tech and ML community. **Talk 2: Deep dive into data streaming security** **Abstract**: Data streaming is powering everything from fraud detection and real-time analytics to patient monitoring and order fulfillment. But as the role of streaming grows, so does the risk - because many streaming platforms, like Apache Kafka, aren't secure by default. In this talk, we’ll take a practical look at data streaming security through the lens of Kafka, one of the most widely adopted streaming platforms in the world. We'll walk through what can go wrong - real examples of exposing 14M patient-doctor messages, or years of real-time delivery info to the internet - and what it takes to do it right. We'll cover the key pillars of securing a streaming system: encryption in transit and at rest, access control, monitoring, and key management. Along the way, we’ll look at the trade-offs like disk encryption vs. end-to-end encryption, what is behind field-level and envelope encryption, and the realities of using customer-managed keys in regulated industries. We'll also explore how streaming security has evolved, how real vulnerabilities (like CVE-2019-12399) highlight the need for patching and monitoring, and what successful multi-layered security looks like in production - from financial institutions to healthcare platforms. If you're building, running, or scaling streaming systems, this talk will help you see the security blind spots and give you concrete steps to protect the data flowing through your pipelines. **Bio**: Olena Kutsenko is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven. A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers. As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community. **Lightning talks** There will be slots for 2-3 Lightning Talks (3-5 Minutes for each) between the two main talks. Kindly let us know if you would like to present something :) \*\*\* NumFOCUS **Code of Conduct** THE SHORT VERSION Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down others. Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for NumFOCUS. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. NumFOCUS is dedicated to providing a harassment-free community for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of community members in any form. Thank you for helping make this a welcoming, friendly community for all. If you haven't yet, please read the detailed version here: https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct \*\*\*

**IMPORTANT PLEASE RSVP AT:** https://www.meetup.com/pydata-berlin/events/312771201/ \*\*\* We would like to welcome you all starting from 18:30. There will be food and drinks. The talks begin around 19.15 and the doors will close at 18:45. **Make sure to arrive on time!** Please provide your first and last name for the registration because this is required for the venue's entry policy. If you cannot attend, please cancel your spot so others are able to join as the space is limited. **Host**: **Spiced Academy** is excited to welcome you to this month's version of PyData. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* The Lineup for the evening **Talk 1: From Grape Stomping to Gorilla Trekking: AI-Driven Discovery of Novel Interests at GetYourGuide** **Abstract**: UX research shows that discovering new, unexpected and unique things to do in a destination is among the most important needs for travelers. However, surfacing these “hidden gems” at scale is a major challenge for any dynamic marketplace. At GetYourGuide, we tackled this by combining large language models, semantic vector embeddings, and a robust human-in-the-loop process to automatically identify and categorize novel customer interests. Join me as I dive into how we created this AI-driven solution and how we achieved scalable, granular and relevant categorization of our activities. **Description:** How do you help a traveler find something they never knew they wanted? In this talk, I will explore the exciting journey of developing an AI-driven solution to identify novel customer interests at GetYourGuide. With thousands of new activities onboarded weekly, manual categorization became impractical, prompting the need for automation. This talk will walk you through our end-to-end solution: * The problem: the challenges travelers face in discovering relevant and unique experiences, the organizational complexity of this on our platform and its business impact * The AI journey: From raw LLM-based extraction to vector embeddings, clustering, all the way to a robust human-in-the-loop pipeline. I’ll share how we iterated from noisy prototypes to an impactful system, launching 300+ new interests and driving significant engagement and net revenue uplifts * What we learned: The realities of working with LLMs in production-like settings, more specifically hallucinations and issues with relevance, granularity and semantic deduplication. We found out that the line between useful innovation and unwanted noise can be surprisingly fine when using LLM’s. I’ll share practical examples of these challenges and how we’re iterating to address them. * Impact and future directions: How we achieved a 10x increase in manual acceptance of AI-suggested interests in just two iterations, and what’s next for AI-driven discovery at GetYourGuide **Bio**: **Morena Bastiaansen** holds a master’s degree in Econometrics from the University of Amsterdam and currently works as a Data Scientist at GetYourGuide in Berlin. She combines her passions for machine learning, language, and travel to build impactful systems for travelers worldwide, with a current focus on personalization in email marketing. Morena is also actively involved in the local tech and ML community. **Talk 2: Deep dive into data streaming security** **Abstract**: Data streaming is powering everything from fraud detection and real-time analytics to patient monitoring and order fulfillment. But as the role of streaming grows, so does the risk - because many streaming platforms, like Apache Kafka, aren't secure by default. In this talk, we’ll take a practical look at data streaming security through the lens of Kafka, one of the most widely adopted streaming platforms in the world. We'll walk through what can go wrong - real examples of exposing 14M patient-doctor messages, or years of real-time delivery info to the internet - and what it takes to do it right. We'll cover the key pillars of securing a streaming system: encryption in transit and at rest, access control, monitoring, and key management. Along the way, we’ll look at the trade-offs like disk encryption vs. end-to-end encryption, what is behind field-level and envelope encryption, and the realities of using customer-managed keys in regulated industries. We'll also explore how streaming security has evolved, how real vulnerabilities (like CVE-2019-12399) highlight the need for patching and monitoring, and what successful multi-layered security looks like in production - from financial institutions to healthcare platforms. If you're building, running, or scaling streaming systems, this talk will help you see the security blind spots and give you concrete steps to protect the data flowing through your pipelines. **Bio**: Olena Kutsenko is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven. A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers. As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community.

**Note:** *We regularly receive bookings for the Free Walking Tour Berlin from many different platforms, which means you’ll be joining a diverse group of travellers from all over the world. Expect a lively atmosphere, lots of people, and an amazing opportunity to meet new friends while exploring Berlin together.* **Free Walking Tour Berlin – Discover the City’s History & Culture:** Explore Berlin like never before with our Free Walking Tour Berlin, the most authentic and engaging way to experience Germany’s capital. Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning to discover more, this guided walking tour is designed to help you uncover the stories, landmarks, and hidden corners that make Berlin one of the most fascinating cities in Europe. **Why Join Our Free Walking Tour in Berlin?** * Pay-what-you-want model – Everyone is welcome, and you decide the value. * Expert local guides – Friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about Berlin. * Meet fellow travellers – A social and fun way to explore the city. * Daily departures – Rain or shine, we walk every day. **Who Is This Tour For?** The Free Walking Tour Berlin is perfect for backpackers, solo travellers, groups, and families who want to get an overview of the city before diving deeper. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or just a fun day out, this tour offers something for everyone. **How It Works:** The tour is free to join – no upfront cost. At the end, you are welcome to leave a tip that reflects what the experience was worth to you. Simply book your spot online to secure your place, as tours often fill up quickly. **Join Us Today:** See Berlin through the eyes of a local and experience its history come to life. Book your spot now and get ready to walk, learn, and connect on the Original Free Walking Tour Berlin.

English, see below. *** Willkommen beim Bitcoin Meet-up im Café Holzmarktperle (Holzmarktstraße 25). Die Berliner Community kann einfach nicht genug davon bekommen über Bitcoin zu reden. :) Deshalb bieten wir dieses Meet-up als weitere Option neben dem etablierten “Berliner Bitcoin-Stammtisch @ Friedel Richter” an. Jeder ist willkommen - Bitcoin-Anfänger, Enthusiasten, etc. Wir freuen uns auf den gemeinsamen Austausch mit anderen Plebs in lockerer Runde und gemütlicher Atmosphäre und beantworten auch gerne eure Fragen. Natürlich könnt ihr im Café mit Bitcoin ₿ / Lightning ⚡bezahlen. Dies ist der richtige Ort für Menschen, die glauben, dass Bitcoin die Welt verändern kann und Teil der nächsten großen Revolution in der Finanzwelt sein wird. *** Welcome to the Bitcoin meet-up at Café Holzmarktperle (Holzmarktstraße 25, Berlin). Since we can’t get enough of talking Bitcoin we are offering this meet-up as a another option in addition to the established Berliner Bitcoin-Stammtisch @ Friedel Richter. Everyone is welcome - Bitcoin beginners, enthusiasts, … you name it. We are always happy to meet with other plebs, teach, talk and help! Payment in Bitcoin ₿ / Lightning ⚡accepted! This is the place to be for people who believe that Bitcoin will rock the world and will be part of the next big revolution in the financial world.

All thx to the sponsor! **Line-Up:** 👉 *TBD* by TBD **Speaker Bios:** 🗣 *TBD*

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

Title: Quantum Enhanced Digital Therapeutics: Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Health Informatics for Mental Health Date: Jan 24 2026 13:00 - 15:00 EST Summary: This talk offers an accessible overview of how quantum computing ideas may inform the next generation of digital tools for mental health. Ishan will sketch potential roles for pattern discovery, adaptive interfaces guided by human-computer interaction, and approaches to protect patient privacy, using examples drawn from public literature. The focus is on what is feasible now, what remains experimental, and how careful evaluation can guide responsible progress in health informatics. The session closes with open questions and a practical framing to help the community explore this space. An overview of where quantum computing could add value to digital mental health tools today, what is still experimental, and how human-computer interaction and health informatics can guide responsible evaluation. Speaker: Ishan Shivansh Bangroo is a graduate researcher at Penn State University in the College of Information Sciences and Technology. His work sits at the intersection of health informatics and human-computer interaction, with a growing interest in quantum-inspired methods. He studies adaptive clinical interfaces and trustworthy analytics for mental health support, aiming to make digital tools clearer, safer, and easier to use.

HYBRID EVENT, VIRTUAL SPEAKER In this talk, Sean Hoar will explore the transformative journey of AI’s role in modern software engineering, from rapid prototyping (“Vibe Coding”) to strategic AI integration by skilled practitioners. It clarifies the distinctions between AI-assisted, AI-enabled, and practitioner-led approaches, offering insights into how developers can effectively adapt to and harness AI tools. The presentation also highlights recent advancements and practical strategies for leveraging AI in daily workflows and long-term development.

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