Product Design

Join the Bitcoin Bay meetup to Learn, Build and Connect about Bitcoin & Crypto with Toronto's oldest Bitcoin community! Stay tuned for future updates and meetup announcements.

### JUST GO WITH IT IMPROV – WEEKLY DROP-IN Whether you’re experienced in improv or completely new, you’re invited to join us each week at the Thornhill Community Centre. (Atrium Room, Look for large plant in middle of round hallway. We welcome all skill levels for a fun, supportive, and high-energy session. Have limited spots available and hoping to get a few extra from meetup. **$25 per drop-in • 7:00pm–8:00 PM**

# 🎾 Pickleball + Contrast Therapy Afternoon (Markham) **📅 Date & Time:** **Friday, September 19th, 2:00–5:00 PM** **📍 Location:** Athlete Hub – Ronin/MyAthlete.io, **217 Idema Rd., Markham (Steeles & Woodbine)** **💲 Cost:** $25 per player (save $5 with promo code below) *** ### 👋 About the Event Join us for a unique **3-hour sports & recovery experience** at our Markham gym. * **2 hours of Pickleball** (rotating doubles on 2 courts, max 16 players) * **1 hour of Contrast Therapy** (cold plunge + heat cycle, guided recovery) * **Recovery tools throughout the session** — compression boots, red light therapy, and massage guns available during off-court breaks * Don’t want to get paired randomly? No problem — bring a friend and you can play together! This is not just a drop-in — it’s a chance to **play, recover, and connect** with other athletes in the community. *** ### 🏓 Format * 16 players max → 8 per court * Rotating doubles every \~15 minutes * Everyone gets 6–8 matches across 2 hours * While off court → access recovery stations (compression boots, red light, massage gun) * 1-hour contrast therapy block: * Wave 1 (8 players) → Cold plunge → Heat station → Lounge (\~25 min) * Wave 2 (8 players) → Same cycle (\~25 min) * Social hangout in lounge to finish *** ### ✅ What’s Included * Guaranteed pickleball play (2 hours, rotating format) * Pro-style contrast therapy session (cold + heat cycle) * On-court recovery tools during breaks (compression boots, red light, massage guns) * **Towels provided** * Light refreshments *** ### 📌 What to Bring * Paddle (if you have one — extras available) * Court shoes + comfortable clothes * **Bathing suit + toiletries** (for contrast therapy) * Water bottle * **Bring a friend!** If you’d like, you can register with a partner to guarantee you play together during the pickleball rotations. *** ### 💲 How to Register This event is limited to **16 players only**. To confirm your spot: 1. RSVP here on Meetup 2. **Register & pay** on **[MyAthlete.io](https://myathlete.io/org_profile/1757696830905x685739735532699600)** 3. Buy a **Trial** and use promo code **MEETUP20** at checkout to save $5 for your first time. ⚠️ Meetup RSVP alone does *not* guarantee your spot — registration must be completed on MyAthlete.io.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 & 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. Join for the full 6 week series or 1 journey at a time. Each week Chris Dub will offer a beautiful combination of Kundalini & Yin Yoga plus Healing Soundscapes for each of you to be immersed in. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝟦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘺𝘯𝘹 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝟣 𝘺𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭 & 𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘤. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗬𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Create positive change for yourself one yoga posture at a time. Each class we aim to spur on the type of grace that leads to unconditional loving acceptance of yourself. You will be given the safe space to open up your mind, process your current life experiences, rejuvenate your spirit, access your creativity, and become immersed in source awareness. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘆𝗮'𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆-𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 '𝗶𝘀'. This surrendering to reality as it actually 'is' supports you to see the road to living in presence. It will become more and more apparent that there is nowhere else you want to be, and you'll be able to more easily remain here. Each journey you will calm your nervous system, ground, centre and open up your heart in real time. Allow yourself to move through stagnant energies in a conscious and loving way, to get your vital life force energy flowing with grace. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- .:: 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗮 ::. Every class will have a deep, rejuvenating and integrative shivasana experience with soundbath, which will be different each week including gong, shruti box, steel tongue drum, crystal harp, crystal bowls, shamanic drumming, water stick, medicine songs and more. .:: 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 ::. 𝐊𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢 Yin 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 (per class journey) $30 ($33.90 w/ tax) for 1 in-person journey (7:00 – 8:30 PM) $50 ($56.50 w/ tax) for a 2-journey pass (2 classes to be used in this 4 week series) $15 ($16.95 w/ tax) per zoom journey 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝟰 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀 $88 ($99.44 w/ tax) for 4 classes to be used anytime within 1 year of purchasing (In-Person or Zoom) $40 ($45.20 w/ tax) for 4 classes to be used anytime within 1 year of purchasing (Zoom Only) 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 6 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 Early Bird: $120 ($135.60 w/ tax)) in-person (includes the zoom link) ends Feb 13th Regular Exchange: $130 ($146.90 w/ tax) in-person (includes the zoom link) Zoom Classes: $50 ($56.50 w/tax) for all 6 E-Transfer to chris@chrisdubkundalini.com the amount w/ taxes or pay via eventbrite \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* .:: 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 ::. 6 Journey 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 \~ Begins: Monday, Feb 16th \~ Ends: Monday, Mar 23rd Each class is 7:00-8:30 PM Arrive between 6:35 - 6:55 PM to get settled (Doors close at 7:05 PM) Located @ The Soul Sanctuary (303 Pape Ave) \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Come as you are and bring a water bottle, yoga mat (mats available) and wear comfortable clothing (optional: cushion, blanket). .:: 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐛 ::. 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳, 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘠𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 & 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳 & 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 Chris is devoted to cultivating and holding space for you to become more aware of your mental blocks and repressed emotions, which allows this energy to transform into a higher understanding of one’s self and your interconnectedness to all of nature. The result is a high degree of self love which leads to a letting go of past pain, hurt and trauma. Experience increased energy flow and creativity, zest for life, calmed nervous system, amplified self worth and deeper, more meaningful relationships. Chris is Yoga Alliance, KRI Certified, 3rd Lvl Babaji Kriya Yoga Initiate & holds a Diploma in Social Work. He teaches Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Self-Awareness Practices, Sound-Healing and Breath-Work classes and events. Chris facilitates transformational retreats and deep healing ceremonies, he also hosts the Sacred Brotherhood Men’s Group and Women’s & Men’s Love Circles. Chris has undergone intensive breath work, bodily cleansing, meditation and self-inquiry to move through chronic pain and find deeper depths of self-love since 2009. Chris is passionate about supporting you to bring self-awareness and energy flow practices to your daily life so you’re internal GPS can always be online, guiding you to the most heart nourishing and fulfilling experiences.

D60 Advanced Leadership Toastmasters is dedicated to exploring the many dimensions of leadership and helping members elevate their leadership skills to the next level. This includes in depth evaluations, workshops, debates and presentations. Join us and discover how our club can support your leadership growth by registering for the zoom link and in-person information (close to King subway station) at https://bit.ly/d60alt_mtg.

**Welcome to Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa!** As the winter season wraps our city in its gentle sparkle, our community shines even brighter. This time of year reminds us how meaningful it feels to step into a space filled with warmth, laughter, music, and friendly faces—exactly the kind of energy we create together every Monday. While the world outside cools down, our dance floor becomes a cozy haven of joy, connection, and beautifully shared moments. Every Monday feels like a touch of winter magic… only with a whole lot more rhythm. My objective has always been to create a different kind of social gathering—one that is open, non-judgmental, non-salacious, and safe. A place where you can meet people just like you, where socializing and dancing come together to help build community and tear down the walls that separate us. Here, we make new friends, feel a sense of belonging, and enjoy the calmness that comes from knowing we are in a safe and welcoming space. Many times, I have been asked, “Why host an event on Monday night?” Many people escape on the weekend and dread Mondays when they return to work. I believe that if you dance and socialize on a Monday, you infuse your week with joy and positive energy, giving your life balance and helping you face your challenges with enthusiasm and confidence. We’re also thrilled to announce that our trial of advanced Bachata lessons, which began last September, has been a resounding success! Building on this momentum, we’re excited to offer an enhanced schedule for 2025. Our dance evenings will now feature three hours of classes: one hour of beginner to intermediate Bachata, one hour of advanced Bachata, and one hour of beginner to intermediate Salsa. As always, the entrance fee remains $15 for a night of 2 lessons and social dancing. For those interested in the advanced Bachata lessons, there will be an additional $5 fee. Here’s our updated schedule: **Miss Bachata – Main Ballroom** ❄️ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Beginner to Intermediate Bachata Lesson (No partner required) ❄️ 8:00 pm – 12:00 am: Social Dancing **Miss Salsa – Round Room** ❄️ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Advanced Bachata Lesson (+$5) NEW ❄️ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Beginner to Intermediate Salsa Lesson ❄️ 9:00 pm – 12:00 am: Social Dancing **Additional Details:** ❄️ Free Parking ❄️ Full Bar (Free Water, Beer: $5.75) Over the past decade, organizing Latin dancing events in Mississauga has been a labor of love. Our mission has always been to foster a sense of community, proving that the connections we share are far stronger than the differences that divide us. Loneliness is a growing concern, with over half of U.S. adults and many Canadians experiencing its effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened this issue. Harvard University's long-term study on happiness, which began in 1938, highlights the detrimental impact of loneliness on health. People with strong social connections experience slower mental and physical decline and greater overall happiness compared to those who are isolated. Here are some key findings from the study: • Close ties help delay mental and physical decline more than money, fame, social class, IQ, or genetics. • Relationship satisfaction is a better predictor of aging well than cholesterol levels in middle age. • A strong sense of community improves memory function. • Loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking or alcoholism. There’s hope! Strengthening our relationships and supporting community initiatives can build healthier, happier lives. Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa provides a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, expand your social circle, and enjoy a safe, welcoming, authentic environment. Bring your open heart and a smile, and we’ll take care of the rest. **Cheers to building an authentic, joyful, and connected community!** **Anna G.** https://www.meetup.com/LatinDanceMeetup https://www.facebook.com/groups/1871491806494168/ https://www.facebook.com/EventsByAnnaG

**Set goals.** **Be accountable for them.** **Move your life forward with purpose.** Our goal is to cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and, as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers and communities. If you have the desire to work on being the man that your legacy demands that you be (which means being the best you can be, we can work on what your legacy demands with you later) and the man you always wanted to be then we look forward to you attending. Our group is part of Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI). This group meets Mondays, North of Finch Avenue, usually indoors, outdoors in the summer but occasionally on Zoom. To confirm this week's location, please rsvp to Ricardo, call/text (647) 880-1488, or email ricardophilip@hotmail.com From MDI website[: https://goo.gl/3DQ6](https://goo.gl/3DQ6aY)aY From Toronto Sta[r: https://goo.gl/oDH](https://goo.gl/oDH3uX)3uX Regular attendees do not always RSVP, expect 6-8 men to be present.

## **Global Service Jam – Toronto (March 13–15)** We’re hosting the Toronto edition of the **Global Service Jam** — a 2-day, hands-on design sprint happening simultaneously in cities around the world. Participants receive a shared “secret” theme on Friday evening and work in small teams to design and prototype service ideas over the weekend. This is not a talk or panel event. It’s collaborative, experimental, and focused on learning by doing. **Format** • Friday + Saturday: Core Jam • Sunday: Optional showcase + celebratory lunch 🎟 **Registration is required via Luma** Spots are limited and tickets are managed there. 👉 **Register here:** [https://luma.com/85b13pet](https://luma.com/85b13pet) Hosted by Service Design Drinks Toronto. Supported by Highline Beta.

🚨👉 To RSVP for this event, head to our [Luma event page](https://luma.com/wzaj4vzy). RSVPs are intentionally closed on Meetup.👈🚨 https://luma.com/wzaj4vzy ​**$90 · TAX INCLUDED — LUMA RSVP + PAYMENT REQUIRED TO CONFIRM YOUR SPOT** To reserve your spot, please **e-transfer $90 to** 📧 **techtankto@gmail.com** ​Registration is **confirmed only once payment is received**. Please include your **full name + “Code Diversity Clay & Connection”** in the transfer note. ​Spots are limited and will be filled on a **first-paid, first-confirmed** basis. is. *** ​This winter, we’re doing something a little different. ​For International Women’s Day, join **CodeDiversity ×** [TigerBaby](https://www.instagram.com/tigerbabycc) for a cozy, hands-on **pottery + coffee social** designed for **women and non-binary folks in tech** who want to connect, slow down, and have some fun. ​Instead of our usual discussion-based meetup, this event is intentionally low-pressure and creative — a chance to step away from screens, work with your hands, and spend time in good company. ​We’ll spend the afternoon: * ​sharing coffee and conversation * ​getting our hands dirty with clay *(no experience needed)* * ​escaping winter isolation in a warm, welcoming space * ​making new connections — **without networking pressure** *** ​🧱 What’s Included ​Your **$90 (tax included)** covers: * ​A guided pottery workshop led by [TigerBaby](https://www.instagram.com/tigerbabycc) * ​All materials * ​Firing of your finished piece *** ​🕰 Schedule ​**11:00 – 11:30** Welcome + mingle — grab something to eat or drink ​**11:30 – 1:30** Pottery workshop ​**1:30 – 2:00** Clean-up + wrap-up ​📍 **Creeds Coffee Shop** *** ​[TigerBaby Coffee & Clay](https://www.instagram.com/tigerbabycc) is a Toronto-based creative brand rooted in slowing down, working with your hands, and finding joy in everyday rituals. Founded by siblings Sarah—a ceramics artist—and Thomas—a self-proclaimed specialty coffee nerd—TigerBaby brings together craft, care, and community. ​In this hands-on pottery class, you’ll create your own ceramic mug from start to finish using hand-building techniques. This workshop is beginner-friendly and designed to feel calm, welcoming, and unhurried. You’ll be guided through shaping, attaching a handle, and refining your form, with plenty of time to explore the process and make the mug your own. Quick reminders: * ​This event is intended for **women & non-binary folks** * ​No prior pottery experience required * ​Attendance is confirmed **only after e-transfer is received** * ​Please make sure your **RSVP name matches your e-transfer name** ​If you’re craving connection, creativity, and a softer way to mark International Women’s Day, we’d love to have you join us! **Important Notes for RSVPs** We’re introducing a few questions when you RSVP to help us manage space and ensure an inclusive environment: ​​**This is a space created to support people who are underrepresented in tech.** We ask **cisgender men** (men who were assigned male at birth and identify as male) to respect this and not attend. ​​**Photography & Video Disclaimer:** By attending this event, you acknowledge and agree that photographs and/or video recordings may be taken. These may be used for promotional purposes, including social media, websites, and other marketing materials. If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please inform the event organizer upon arrival. **Organized by TechTank** Let’s continue fostering diversity, inclusion, and innovation in tech—this month and beyond! **Join our vibrant community for the latest updates and continued discussions:** [https://linktr.ee/techtankto](https://linktr.ee/techtankto)

IMPORTANT: You must also register at this link [Henry's Church - Crafting Impactful Portraits with Raph Nogal Tickets, Friday, Mar 13 from 1 pm to 3 pm | Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/henrys-church-crafting-impactful-portraits-with-raph-nogal-tickets-1983618316783?aff=oddtdtcreator) Join professional photographer, Raph Nogal, at Henry’s Church St. for an inspiring and creative workshop sponsored by Sony and Profoto. This workshop is free to attend. This session dives into shaping light with intention — from concept to execution — using Sony camera system & lenses, and Profoto lighting tools to create bold, dimensional portraits. Raph will break down his approach to building mood, directing subjects, and crafting images that feel both cinematic and commercially polished. Perfect for photographers looking to elevate their lighting, refine their creative process, and produce work that stands out. **Follow Raph on instagram (@raphnogal) and make sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel (@RaphNogalPhotography)** **About Raph:** Raph Nogal is a Polish-Canadian professional photographer based in Toronto (est. 2009). Known for his bold use of colour, hard light, and sculpted shadow, Raph specializes in commercial, editorial, and lifestyle photography. His work is defined by a creative off-camera lighting approach that blends cinematic mood with commercial precision. Raph is a Profoto Ambassador, Sony Pro, and active educator and speaker, regularly sharing his expertise on lighting, creative direction, and visual storytelling. Before transitioning fully into commercial work, he built a strong foundation as a wedding photographer. A 24-time recipient of the WPPI Honours of Excellence Awards, Raph is also a Fearless Photographers Award winner, Shutterfest Print Competition Award winner, and a PPOC award recipient, with images selected for both National and Regional Loan Collections across Canada.

## **Let’s Make Something Real** You’re invited to **Session 001**—the kickoff of a new collaborative series designed for one thing: **Pure Creation.** We’re stripping away the gatekeeping and the endless tutorials. This isn’t a masterclass; it’s a digital jam session where the goal is to walk out with a track that has everyone’s DNA on it. Whether you’re a professional sound designer or you just bought your first MIDI controller yesterday, if you have ideas, we want them in the mix. ### **The Vibe** * **Genre Agnostic:** From lo-fi beats and cinematic soundscapes to heavy techno or glitch—if it sounds good, it stays. * **DAW Agnostic:** Logic, Ableton, FL Studio, Bitwig? It doesn't matter. Use the tools that help you speak. * **Creation Over Teaching:** We believe the best way to learn is by doing. You’ll pick up tricks by osmosis, but our primary mission is the "Export" button. * ### **How It Works** We’re keeping the workflow lean so we can stay in the flow state: 1. **Bring Your Setup:** Laptop + DAW + Headphones. Ensure you’re ready to make noise the moment you plug in. 2. **The Master Mix:** We’ll have a central project running. 3. **The Drop:** We’ll use a shared Dropbox folder to swap stems, loops, and one-shots in real-time. You create a part, drop it in, and watch the track evolve. ### **The Essentials** * **Who:** Creatives, noisemakers, and rhythmic thinkers of all skill levels. * **The Goal:** Ensure every person in the room makes a tangible contribution to the final piece. * **The Energy:** High vibes, zero ego, and a shared love for digital alchemy. **Ready to plug in?** We’re keeping these sessions intimate to ensure the best workflow. Location and final logistics will be sent once your spot is confirmed. **"Good energy, good people, and most importantly, good music."**

This is a ticketed event. Please register at [this link](https://luma.com/hpn010ze). ​In this talk, [Kristy Loke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-loke/) (MATS research fellow) will discuss: 1\. How did China come to lead in open\-weight LLMs? 2\. How are various jurisdictions’ \(such as the EU and the US’s\) interest in open\-weight models changing? 3\. What technical and global governance actions ought to be taken if we want to make sure the open\-weight AI space continues to thrive? ​**Event Schedule** 6:00 to 6:30 - Food and introductions 6:30 to 7:30 - Presentation and Q&A 7:30 to 9:00 - Open Discussions ​​​If you can't attend in person, join our live stream starting at 6:30 pm via [this link](https://www.youtube.com/@Trajectory-Labs/live).

We're excited to bring the community together for an evening of learning and connection! Come support your fellow developers, learn something new, and meet others who are passionate about search, observability, and security. **Date and Time:** Thursday, March, 12th from 5:30-7:30 pm **Agenda:** * 5:30 pm: Doors open; say hi, grab a seat, and eat some food. * 6:00 pm: Building Agentic AI on ELK stack, by **Gleb Gadyatskiy**, Principal Engineer at PointClickCare * 6:30 pm: Q&A * 6:40 pm: "One Does Not Simply Query a Stream", by **Viktor Gamov** is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent * 7:10 pm: Q&A * 7:20-7:30 pm: Networking & refreshments **Talk Abstracts:** **"Building Agentic AI on ELK stack"** Story how I built AI Agent using pure ELK + LLM to automate incidents investigations 1. What is AI Agent, ELK and why I decided to build AI Agent using only ELK 2. Building simple AI Agent using pure Logstash pipelines 3. Building advance AI Agent using Ruby plugin 4. Connecting AI Agent to Elastic AI Assistant **Gleb Gadyatskiy** is a Principal Engineer at PointClickCare. He is a part of the Infrastructure Architecture team and describes his role as “the first line in attack and the last line in defense”. Gleb provides support for all teams to aggregate logs from various apps into Elasticsearch, use AI to get insights from logs and actively promotes Elastic stack in PointClickCare. Gleb enjoys outdoor traveling with his wife and two kids in a camper. **"One Does Not Simply Query a Stream"** Streaming data with Apache Kafka® has become the backbone of modern applications. While streams are ideal for continuous data flow, they lack built-in querying capabilities. Unlike databases with indexed lookups, Kafka’s append-only logs are designed for high-throughput processing—not for on-demand queries. This necessitates additional infrastructure to query streaming data effectively. Traditional approaches replicate stream data into external stores: relational databases like PostgreSQL for operational queries, object storage like S3 accessed via Flink, Spark, or Trino for analytics, and Elasticsearch for full-text search and log analytics. Each serves a purpose—but they also introduce silos, schema mismatches, freshness issues, and complex ETL pipelines that increase system fragility. In this session, we’ll explore solutions that aim to unify operational, analytical, and search workloads across real-time data. We'll demonstrate stream processing with Kafka Streams, Apache Flink®, and SQL engines; real-time analytics with Apache Pinot®; search capabilities with Elasticsearch; and modern lakehouse approaches using Apache Iceberg® with Tableflow to represent Kafka topics as queryable tables. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution, understanding the tools and trade-offs will help you design more robust and flexible architectures. **Viktor Gamov** is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent, founded by the original creators of Apache Kafka®. With a rich background in implementing and advocating for distributed systems and cloud-native architectures, Viktor excels in open-source technologies. He is passionate about assisting architects, developers, and operators in crafting systems that are not only low in latency and scalable but also highly available. As a Java Champion and an esteemed speaker, Viktor is known for his insightful presentations at top industry events like JavaOne, Devoxx, Kafka Summit, and QCon. His expertise spans distributed systems, real-time data streaming, JVM, and DevOps. Viktor has co-authored "Enterprise Web Development" from O'Reilly and "Apache Kafka® in Action" from Manning. Follow Viktor on X - @gamussa to stay updated with Viktor's latest thoughts on technology, his gym and food adventures, and insights into open-source and developer advocacy. **Location:** Improving Office 171 East Liberty St Unit 235 Toronto, Ontario M6K 3P6 **Directions (171 E Liberty St - Suite 235)** **By transit** Streetcars 504 and 509 both travel close to the office (less than 10 minute walk to the office from either), the lakeshore GO train is also a 5 minute walk from the office. **By car/parking** On street parking is available - there are a handful of paid parking spots directly in front of the entrance - with a large city parking lot across the street. **Entrance** The entrance to the office is beside the Bulk Barn entrance facing Hannah Street. There is an Improving logo on the door.

One of the most valuable parts of this community is the opportunity to think out loud with other product professionals. This session is built for exactly that. As we wrap up the quarter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. What’s on track? What needs adjustment? Where could a small shift create bigger impact? Join fellow product professionals for a focused, interactive conversation designed to help you recalibrate for the next quarter. You’ll have the opportunity to share where you are, hear how others are thinking through similar challenges, and gain fresh perspective you can bring back to your team and organization. We’ll gather at 8:00AM, with discussion starting promptly at 8:15AM. 📍 First Watch - 7227 N High St Located in: The Shops at Worthington Ample parking is available. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Start your morning with clarity and connection — we hope to see you there! ☀️

## Hey Columbus WIP peeps! ## Are you ready for an event that actually gives you what you asked for?? **\-\-\-\-\-\-** **A Small-group coaching conversations for women in product navigating growth, leadership, and career decisions.** **March 10 \| 5:30–8:00 PM** **Rev1 -- NEW SPACE** **330 Rush Alley #100** **Parking Options:** • **Rev1 at The Peninsula** • **Starling St. Garage South** – 377 W. Capital St. • **LAZ Parking (COSI)** – 50 Belle St. • **LAZ Parking Limited** – 375 W. State St. • **Veterans Memorial Lot** – 300 W. Broad St. • **Metered Street Parking** **What moves are you making?** A promotion you’re working toward. A role change you’re considering. A bigger leadership opportunity. A conversation that needs to happen. A decision that’s been sitting in the back of your mind. For our Q1 Women in Product Columbus event, we’re creating space to actually work through those moments. **Making Moves** is an evening of focused, facilitated coaching conversations with experienced mentors from our local product community. This isn’t a panel. It’s not passive networking. It’s small-group dialogue designed to be thoughtful, practical, and worth your time. Here’s how it will work: • You’ll choose a topic that reflects what you’re navigating right now • You’ll join a small coaching circle (5–7 participants) • Each circle is led by a mentor who has lived experience in that area • We’ll run two rounds so you can go deeper or explore a second conversation ### Coaching Topics: • Communicating the Value of Your Work (or Team) • Career Transitions & What’s Next • Growing Into Leadership • Staying Relevant as Technology (and AI) Changes • Getting Alignment and Decisions from Leadership Our goal is simple: you leave with clearer thinking, practical perspective, and at least one next step you feel confident about. Space in each circle will be limited to keep conversations meaningful. If this sounds like the kind of room you’ve been wanting to be in, we’d love to see you on March 10. RSVP here! [https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event](https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event "https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event") *And if you haven't joined the WIP group - do that too, would ya?!?!* — Your Columbus Chapter Leads - Amber, Leah and Liz!

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

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

**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.

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.