Digital Storytelling

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗶𝘁 – 𝗷𝗶𝗷 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗹. AI-tools, agentic oplossingen en LLM’s lijken het vakgebied Software Testen opnieuw te definiëren. Sommigen beweren dat AI straks al het denkwerk overneemt. Dat we alleen nog prompts hoeven te schrijven en de rest vanzelf gebeurt... ❌ Spoiler: nee dus. Nieuwe technologie vervangt ons testers niet; het daagt ons uit om scherper te denken, slimmer te werken en onze rol opnieuw vorm te geven. AI is geen magie. Het is een krachtig hulpmiddel, mits jij de regie houdt. We duiken in de beperkingen van AI, zoals het gebrek aan context, creativiteit en betrouwbaarheid én hoe jij als tester die gaten opvult. We gaan hands-on aan de slag met onder andere de Playwright Agents en kijken kritisch naar de waarde van deze toepassingen. Want AI kan veel, maar geen verantwoordelijkheid nemen. Geen risico’s inschatten. Geen ethische afweging maken. Daarover gaat deze Plug-In workshop, gebaseerd op ons manifest: Testen & AI. Wat kun je verwachten? ➡️ Een kritische blik op AI in het testvak en specifiek testautomatisering ➡️ Praktische tools en technieken die nu al werken ➡️ Een hands-on oefening met LLM’s ➡️ En vooral: veel ruimte voor discussie, reflectie en inspiratie 👉 De toekomst van testen vraagt niet minder denkwerk, maar juist méér. En precies dáárom ben jij onmisbaar. Inclusief eten, netwerk en sparringspartners. De sessie is gratis (parkeren ook). ***LET OP: Dit is een hands-on sessie, dus neem je laptop mee en zorg ervoor dat je applicaties erop mag installeren!*** Plug-In!

**Would you like to stand out at Storytelling, Communicating and Public Speaking?** **Have you ever wondered what your world would look like if you could:** **1.** Be part of a distinctively compatible, supportive and fun community that encourages each other to tangibly improve together? **2.** Connect on a deeper wholehearted level to the people you speak to, and become a highly influential Storyteller, Communicator and Public speaker? **3.** Speak to any person or group of people with high confidence, high relevance and high influence? At SPACE, you’ll be immersed into a compatible and connected community, to learn/improve both the practical/technical skills and structure to deliver great stories and speeches, as well as the mindset to be 100% present, focused and connected to your audience while communicating. Attending **consistently** is vital to the learning process! **Our concept:** **Community, Connection and Communication,** through practice and feedback of relevant, effective and influential communication; aimed at helping improve our communities, and this way help the world become a better place. **Who is it for:** SPACE is for anyone willing to grow and help others succeed. We go beyond the basics of traditional communication/public speaking, creating a more significant, more peaceful and more plentiful world, for you and the people you interact with. We master the mindset by experiencing the "practice & feedback" of vital skills, such as Presence, Focus and Connection, plus speech Relevance, speech Structure and speech Delivery, while communicating. Every participant delivers short stories/speeches, which are constructively evaluated by a friendly, open, non-judgemental and supportive audience. **Think of your own stories/speeches to deliver during the meeting** \- relevant to you/your life \(work\, business\, family\, social talks\, challenging talks\, etc\) \- we'll all give you our wholehearted feedback with high kindness and best intentions 💟 💟 **What will you master?** • A mindset of high presence, high focus and high connection. Genuinely connecting to the people you speak to, becoming highly influential • Giving and gaining feedback, openly, compassionately and confidently • Mindset and practical and technical skills and structure for great stories and speeches (skills for life) • Speaking with high confidence, high relevance and high influence **Speaking genres?** • Storytelling • General topics • Comedy • Business • Debating **Why is it called SPACE?** 1\. We meet at a **physical space** to enable true connection face-to-face and strengthen our community 2\. We are a **safe space** without judgment, errors or criticisms; we yet strive for high-value, sound feedback and meaningful growth - fully committed to **facilitating space** for everyone to be their true authentic selves. 3\. We all create a **space for functional growth** of your confidence and skills to communicate and present in front of others, tapping into your inner-self wisdom. **Who is it for?** For everyone who wants to learn and/or improve storytelling, communication and public speaking - C**onsistency** is vital to your learning process at conscious but more fundamentally at subconscious level **When?** Every Thursday from 18:30 to 21:00 – free event - please diarize it and turn up 5/10 minutes earlier for free tea/coffee - After the session, we continue to enjoy tea, socialise and strengthen our community **Where?** Buurtkamer Rijn 58 Dynamo - At Rijnstraat 58, 1078 RD Amsterdam ⚉ ***If you can’t attend, please deregister your attendance so someone else can take your spot!*** **⚉** While the meetings are facilitated in English to enable inclusion, we encourage members to deliver speeches in Dutch too. Join our WhatsApp community just by asking at any of our meetings! **Contact:** +44 7985 623 265 (call/text/WhatsApp/Signal)

Chtitedev est un collectif de minorité de genre de la tech (développeuses, devOps, data eng,…) qui se réunissent mensuellement sous forme de meetup en non-mixité choisie.
Vous êtes une femme cis, une personne trans et/ou non binaire ? Vous entretenez un intérêt pro ou perso pour la programmation ?
Nous vous proposons de nous réunir afin de nous entraider pour pouvoir avancer au mieux dans ce monde qui a du mal à nous réintégrer dans ses rangs ! Au programme :
 ⏰ 18h30: Arrivée, petit tour de table et papotage ⏰ 18h45: Présentation : A-t-on encore besoin d'Agilité en 2026 ? ⏰ 19h15/30: Apéritif et papotage Alors que l’IA redéfinit radicalement nos capacités de production, la place de nos méthodologies historiques arrive à une croisée des chemins décisive. Entre des rituels devenus parfois automatiques et une accélération technologique sans précédent, quel rôle reste-t-il vraiment au pilotage humain dans la création logicielle ? Ce meetup propose de confronter nos certitudes aux réalités de 2026 : nous explorerons si l'agilité doit être enterrée ou si, débarrassée de son folklore, elle détient la clé pour ne pas se noyer dans la production de software inutile.

¡Compartamos juntos con el grupo de personas más divertido de la ciudad!... ¡en español! No necesitas ser un hablante fluido o nativo.... ¡Solo atrévete a compartir! Te esperamos a las 20hrs.... ¡Entrada gratuita! ¡Nos vemos! ¡Hasta entonces! 😃 Let's share together with the funniest group of people in town!... in Spanish! You don't need to be a fluent or native speaker.... Just dare to share! We wait for you at 20hrs ....Free entry! Nos vemos! Tot dan! 😃 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/habladores/ Meetup Link: https://www.meetup.com/nl-NL/los-habladores/ Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/los_habladores_utrecht/ Los Habladores!

Kom op 12 maart 2026 gezellig bijpraten onder het genot van een hapje en drankje bij Het Gegeven Paard in Utrecht. Wees welkom! We zullen ruimte reserveren voor hen die graag een hapje mee-eten. Daarom is het wel zo fijn als je kenbaar maakt dat je komt. NB: De kosten voor het eten en drinken zijn voor eigen rekening, met het eerste drankje op kosten van Fronteers. Het Gegeven Paard is vlakbij station Utrecht gelegen. Het café bevindt zich op de begane grond van TivoliVredenburg, is ook toegankelijk met een rolstoel en beschikt over een rolstoeltoegankelijk toilet. Heb je een beperking waarbij wij het voor jou op enige manier ook gemakkelijker kunnen maken om deel uit te maken van deze bijeenkomst, stuur dan gerust van te voren een bericht naar anneke@fronteers.nl . We hebben je er graag bij :)

Come discuss books and make new friends 🌈✨ How the meeting works: While we are waiting for everyone to arrive, we have tea and get comfortable. Once most of the group is seated (please aim to arrive on time to help with this!) we go around introducing ourselves. From there we have a loosely structured discussion that can go in whatever direction feels natural. Once we've talked about everything we want to related to the book we often hang out for a while later to chat about other things for anyone who wants to stay. After a break in February, March's book will be Boulder by Eva Baltasar. It was originally written in Catalan. It is available to read in English on its own, or in Dutch as one of the novellas included in De vrouw op de berg. Both editions are available at de bibliotheek, or to purchase online. Working as a cook on a merchant ship, a woman comes to know and love Samsa, a woman who gives her the nickname ‘Boulder’. When Samsa gets a job in Reykjavik and the couple decides to move there together, Samsa decides that she wants to have a child. She is already forty and can’t bear to let the opportunity pass her by. Boulder is less enthused, but doesn’t know how to say no – and so finds herself dragged along on a journey that feels as thankless as it is alien. With motherhood changing Samsa into a stranger, Boulder must decide where her priorities lie, and whether her yearning for freedom can truly trump her yearning for love. The meeting will take place at De Uithoek handarbeidlokaal, an 8 minute cycle / 20 minute walk away from Utrecht Centraal. Everyone is welcome who has read the book (or DNF, and is okay with spoilers) by the time of the meetup. The book club is hosted in English. Please update your RSVP if you find out you cannot attend. Hope to see you there! 🏳️‍🌈📚

**Ready to build a Java project — even if** you've never written a line of Java before? This special edition of our Java Bootcamp series brings together everything we've been building with you, and takes it one step further. Whether you're just starting out or already deep in your Java journey, this evening is packed with practical insight, live demos, and hands-on coding — all in one session. **What's happening on the night:** **🤖 Talk:** Building with AI Agents & MCP Discover how Model Context Protocol (MCP) and AI agents are changing the way developers build software. Learn how to leverage these tools to accelerate your own projects — even when you're still learning the language. **⚡ Live Demo: Zero to Java in 10 Minutes Watch a complete beginner build** a working Java project in under 10 minutes using vibe coding. No prior Java knowledge required — and yes, it's real. **📚 Bootcamp Update:** What We've Covered & Where We're Going A recap of what participants have been building in the Java Bootcamp, what's coming next, and how you can join the journey from beginner to production-grade Java developer. **💻 Mini Project:** Build Your Own Project Get hands-on! We'll set up a mini project so you can experience Java for yourself — in Java, guided by our mentors every step of the way. **Mentors will be on hand throughout the evening to guide you through the vibe coding process, answer questions, and help you get unstuck.** **To join the full Java Bootcamp, register here: [Java Bootcamp Form](https://forms.gle/kw7fgyvwzwxsZPFX7)** The bootcamp is self-paced, built on[ JetBrains Academy](https://academy.jetbrains.com/), and structured across Beginner and Advanced phases. Complete it and earn a certificate recognising your achievement. **Schedule — March 12th, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM (London Time)** **•** Welcome & Networking (6:30 PM - 7:00 PM) • Talk: Building with AI Agents & MCP (7:00 PM - 7:15 PM) • Live Demo: Zero to Java in 10 Minutes (7:15 PM - 7:25 PM) • Bootcamp Update (7:25 PM - 7:40 PM) • Mini Project: Build Your Own (7:40 PM - 8:40 PM) • Closing & Networking (8:40 PM - 9:00 PM) *** **Host:** **🎙️ Speaker Adriana Zencke Zimmermann \| Senior Software Engineer \| [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dricazenck/) \| [GitHub](https://github.com/dricazenck)** Founder & Director of Women Coding Community and Senior Software Engineer at Centric Software, with 15+ years specialising in backend systems, engineering leadership, and inclusion in tech. **🎙️ Speaker Sonali Goel \| Senior Software Engineer\, Tesco Tech \| [Website](https://sonaligoel.carrd.co/) \| [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonali-goel-tech/)** Women in Tech Award 2025 Winner, with 15+ years in large-scale e-commerce, cloud-native Java, and Agentic AI. A core leader at WCC passionate about mentorship and open source. **🎙️ Speaker Dr\. Ying Liu \| Senior Data Scientist\, Magic AI \| [Website](http://www.yingliu.site/) \| [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yingliu-data/)** Senior Data Scientist at Magic AI with a Ph.D. in Physics. Ying builds human pose estimation models from RGB and sensor data, specializing in real-time 3D pose estimation and end-to-end ML architectures. Outside work, she builds AI agents and tinkers with robotics. **👩🏽‍💻 About Women Coding Community** Our mission is to empower women in tech through education, mentorship, community, and career support. We run workshops and events, connect members with industry mentors, and champion more inclusive practices across the industry. **[Website](http://womencodingcommunity.com/) \| [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/103490940) \| [Slack](https://bit.ly/women_coding_community)** **👩🏽‍💻 Code of Conduct** All attendees are expected to follow our Code of Conduct: **[womencodingcommunity.com/code-of-conduct](https://womencodingcommunity.com/code-of-conduct)**

**Sunday, March 15th – 13:00** **Meeting point:** Bus stop *Donderberg*, Leersum For the third edition of **Real Estate**, our series dedicated to exploring some of the most fascinating villas, estates and historic residences in the Netherlands, we head to the green heart of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug to discover **Kasteel Broekhuizen**. Hidden among forests and rolling landscapes near Leersum, Broekhuizen is a country estate with **medieval roots and a turbulent history**. Over the centuries, it has known periods of prosperity, destruction and reconstruction — and today it stands as a quiet witness to how history, landscape and architecture continuously reshape each other. During our walk, we’ll explore the **estate and its surrounding park**, uncovering stories about: * the rise and fall of the estate * its phases of destruction and rebuilding * hidden corners and forgotten traces in the landscape * and the role of the **Van Nellesteyn family** in shaping its history This is not just a visit to a beautiful country house, but a journey through **layers of time**, where nature and history are deeply intertwined. ### Practical information * **Walk length:** approx. 3.4 km * The route goes through parkland and forest paths, so comfortable shoes are recommended. ### After the walk We’ll finish at **Bistro LOF**, the café/restaurant located within the castle estate itself, where we can enjoy a drink together — and for those who wish, also stay for something to eat — in a setting that perfectly complements the atmosphere of the place. A hidden estate. A story of loss and renewal. A walk through history in the landscape.

**Sharing Stories Utrecht - Sunday afternoon edition!** **In honour of Intl Women's Day 2026,** we’re creating a cosy, safe(r) space where FLINTA-people can take the stage! On top of that, for the 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟, we’re hosting a small **art** **exhibition** alongside the storytelling. We'll showcase a few FLINTA artists' work❤️ 🌷 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 & 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐀 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬, but we want to encourage 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 to come, listen, support and enjoy the stories with us. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐀? FLINTA stands for Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans & Agender people. We want to celebrate and uplift everyone whose experiences are shaped by gender diversity and womanhood, in all its forms. Sharing Stories is an international storytelling event with the aim of providing a platform for anyone who wishes to share a personal story with the audience – no prior experience required. We strive for an inclusive and safe atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing their stories. Sharing Stories not only serves as a platform for storytellers, but also as an event where people from different cultures and backgrounds can meet and connect. Whether you are a seasoned storyteller or simply want to listen and enjoy the stories of others, "Sharing Stories" is a place where you can unwind, listen, and make new connections! So, come to Nijverheid and be part of this unique experience! 🗓 Sunday March 15th (2026) 🕑 Start of expo: 14:00 🕒 Start of storytelling: 15:00 📍 de Nijverheid 🎟 Free entrance - donations welcome 💛 Cosy Sunday energy guaranteed

**Meer snelheid, betere output én verantwoord gebruik van AI in je dagelijkse werk.** Je hebt de **AI Essentials** onder de knie. Je experimenteert met prompts, ziet de potentie en gebruikt AI inmiddels regelmatig. Maar je voelt ook: dit kan scherper, sneller en bewuster. In deze **AI Next Level-workshop** zetten we de volgende stap. Geen herhaling van de basis, maar verdieping. Meer grip op prompting én meer inzicht in wat verantwoord AI-gebruik in de praktijk écht betekent. **Wat houdt deze workshop in?** Deze interactieve dag bestaat uit twee nauw verbonden onderdelen: **1\. Prompting like a Pro** Je gebruikt al een basisstructuur voor prompts — nu is het tijd om door te schakelen. In dit deel leer je: * Geavanceerdere promptstructuren die sneller tot betere output leiden * Hoe je minder hoeft te “stoeien” en gerichter kunt werken * Hoe je AI effectief inzet als denkpartner bij complexere vraagstukken * Hoe je context, rol en doel zó meegeeft dat je output direct bruikbaar wordt Het resultaat: **meer snelheid, meer kwaliteit en meer vertrouwen in wat je terugkrijgt.** **2\. Using AI Responsibly** Minstens zo belangrijk — en vaak onderschat. AI is krachtig, maar niet neutraal en niet zonder risico’s. Hoe ga je daar professioneel mee om? Je leert onder andere: * Welke informatie je wel en juist niet in prompts moet verwerken * Hoe om te gaan met privacy, vertrouwelijkheid en bedrijfsinformatie * Hoe AI-modellen zijn getraind en wat dat betekent voor de antwoorden * Hoe je bias, aannames en “mooie maar onjuiste” output herkent Dit deel helpt je om **bewuster, veiliger en professioneler** met AI te werken — voor jezelf én je organisatie. **Hoe werken we?** Net als bij de Essentials-workshop geloven we niet in zenden, maar in **samen ontdekken**. * Praktisch en interactief: werken met je eigen cases * Creatief en laagdrempelig: leren door te doen * Leren van elkaar: verschillende rollen, contexten en perspectieven * Geen technische training, geen tool-overzicht * Wel: denken, beoordelen, toepassen en verbeteren De ervaring leert **dat de groep een groot deel van de waarde bepaalt** — en dat hoor je terug in de feedback. **Wat neem je mee na afloop?** Na deze workshop: * Werk je sneller en gerichter met AI * Weet je welke prompts écht werken voor jouw werk * Kun je AI-output beter beoordelen en bevragen * Ga je bewuster om met data, privacy en betrouwbaarheid * Weet je concreet wat je maandag anders doet En: **Drie weken later organiseren we een vrijblijvende terugkom-call,** waarin deelnemers ervaringen delen en leren van elkaars praktijk. **Voor wie is deze workshop bedoeld?** Deze workshop is bedoeld voor: * Professionals en managers zonder technische achtergrond * Deelnemers van de AI Essentials-workshop (of vergelijkbare basiskennis) * Mensen die AI al gebruiken, maar daar meer rendement en zekerheid uit willen halen * Iedereen die AI professioneel, bewust en verantwoord wil inzetten **Pilot & praktische informatie** Deze workshop is opgezet als **Next Level-pilot**. Dat betekent: kleinschalig, persoonlijk en met ruimte voor feedback om de training verder te verfijnen. 📅 Datum: vrijdag 13 maart ⏰ Tijd: 09:30 – 14:30 (Inloop 9:00) ⏱ Duur: 5 uur (incl. lunch) 📍 Locatie: Computerweg 37, Amersfoort 💶 Prijs: €99,- ex btw 👥 Groepsgrootte: 8-12 deelnemers 📍 Vorm: interactief, fysiek ☕🍴 Voorzieningen: koffie, thee en lunch inbegrepen 👥 Begeleiding: Edgar Stormbroek & Ziryan Salayi **Aanmelden op:** https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/tickets-ai-next-level-prompting-as-a-pro-and-using-ai-responsibly-1982428964398?aff=oddtdtcreator

🌸 **Free online gathering** **Next circle: March 15** After this, we will continue meeting on the **first Sunday of each month**. A space to begin the month by returning to yourself. This women’s circle is an invitation to give yourself one hour to pause, slow down, and reconnect with your body, your inner voice, and other women. A simple and caring commitment: beginning the month with meditation and journaling in community. You can think of it as a small personal ritual, creating the habit of listening to yourself, writing, and setting intentions for the month ahead. We meet online on Sunday afternoons to gently transition into a new week and a new month, creating a moment of presence, reflection, and intention. During this 1-hour session we will explore: ✨ a guided meditation to arrive in the body ✨ a journaling practice to connect with what is alive in you ✨ a space for sharing, where you are welcome to speak or simply listen No previous experience is needed. You are welcome just as you are. Please have a notebook and a pen nearby, and join from a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted during the session. You are welcome to join once, or come back each month. The choice is yours. The first circles are offered for free in order to create community and open this space to more women. Participants who register for the event will receive the **Google Meet link** before the circle begins. It will be lovely to welcome you into this space 🌿

🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️

The topic for March is "Our Bodies, Ourselves" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

Try new games, meet new people, and find out what story games are all about! Explore the reaches of space! Witness kingdoms rise and fall! Create and explore tragedies! All within a single game night. We play story games like Fiasco, Kingdom, Polaris and Microscope that encourage everyone at the table to participate creatively. We also have one-shots of indie, OSR, and narrative-focused RPGs such as Apocalypse World, Dread, Lady Blackbird, and Old School Essentials! Everybody's welcome! It doesn't matter if you've never tried story games before or never played roleplaying games at all! Just bring your brain and a good attitude and come try it out! *** **IMPORTANT** * When you arrive look for the marked Story Games Columbus Tables. Each table will have a separate game. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis. * If all tables are full, look for a Facilitator. We will find a way to get you into a game! * There is a flat $3 cover charge for events at Tabletop. *** **Facilitators!!** Please arrive early so that we can get you set up with a table. Please reach out to me ASAP if you would be willing to help facilitate. You can reach me on the SGC Discord here - https://discord.gg/jUTvWUu

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.

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Our March speakers are Molly Gaines and Zack Parrish, co-organizers of the Secular Education Association: They will share their story of how a small group of Ohio parents grew into a national organization tracking released-time religious instruction and other church–state issues in public schools. The presentation will cover SEA’s early wins and hard lessons, what we’re seeing nationally right now, and how local advocates can play a meaningful role in protecting public education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the landscape — and practical ways to get involved. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

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

[The Board Walks](http://www.theboardwalks.com/) are for curious people who love deep conversations. If that sounds like you, **bring a thoughtful topic** and join us for a 5-mile walk (10,000+ steps!). **HOW IT WORKS** **Step 1: Bring a topic** Before you arrive, think of **one** topic you want to explore. A question. A thought that's been on your mind. An obsession you want to geek out on. This is your ticket to the event. **Step 2: Circle up & share** We gather in a circle. Your friendly walk host gives a speech to set the tone. Everyone shares: your name, what you're grateful for, and your topic. That's it. 60 seconds. **Step 3: Walk, talk & float** We walk 5 miles. You naturally drift into conversation with 2-3 people at a time, pulled by topics that spark your curiosity. When you're ready to move on, just say: "I'm going to float!" **Step 4: Feel more alive** Two hours flies by. You're back where you started — but you feel different. More alive. More energized. More connected to yourself and others. That's why regulars join 20+ times. *For more details, read our [Orientation Guide.](https://www.theboardwalks.com/orientation)* **HOW TO BRING A GREAT TOPIC** A great topic = something you're genuinely curious about. Recent topics include: * "What are you passionate about right now?" * "What makes a good friend?" * "What's a belief you used to hold that you've completely changed?" * "How do you want to be remembered?" * "What would you do if money wasn't a factor?" Think of your topic like the dish you're bringing to our conversational potluck. If everyone brings an A+ dish (i.e. energizing, uplifting, expansive), we'll all walk away feeling lighter and brighter. **WHAT TO EXPECT** This isn't a fitness event with casual chitchat. It's a walking think tank where we explore life's big questions together, beyond small talk. *If you're looking for light banter or a standard networking event, this probably isn't the right fit.* But if you crave depth, genuine connection, and conversations that make you feel alive? You'll love it here. **FAQ** * Wear casual athletic attire and sneakers. It's a long walk! * We have multiple first-timers at each event. We work hard to create a welcoming, inclusive, clique-free space. * We welcome people of **all** ages, backgrounds, and industries who align with the [intention](https://www.theboardwalks.com/ground-rules) of this space. * Rain or shine, we've been out here nearly every week since July 2022. If the event is cancelled, we'll let you know. * Dogs, babies in strollers, parents, and friends are welcome — please text/email them the event link so they can RSVP and prepare a topic! **LOGISTICS** * If you'll arrive over 10 minutes late, we suggest skipping the event. It's hard to find us once we start walking, and your host can't answer messages during the event. * This walk is designed for everyone to *move together at the same steady pace* (about 20 min/mile). This format works best when the whole group moves in unison. If you have mobility limitations, we kindly encourage you to find an event better suited to your needs. * Read our [Orientation Guide](https://www.theboardwalks.com/orientation) for full details. * If you enjoy the event, send **[this](http://www.theboardwalks.com/)** to a friend or sign up for our **[newsletter](https://theboardwalks.beehiiv.com/)**. We're in multiple cities with more on the way. 🤠👋 **IF YOU WANT TO GO DEEPER...** [The Board](https://stan.store/ellebeecher/p/the-board) is the next step: a high-trust collective for renaissance people devoted to creating, connecting, and building lives that light us up. * This is a global HQ for people who crave big talk, deep connection, and dream collaborations with people across industries. If the walks feel like a spark... The Board is the fire. Apply [here](https://stan.store/ellebeecher/p/the-board).