Digital Transformation

**Horror Everything: 2016 – Forever** Dr Joe Ondrak The history of horror is also the history of media, and key in understanding how we use media to play with the boundaries of what is real and what isn’t. In this talk, I explore and explain how horror fiction traditions are useful to understand contemporary conspiracy culture, moving from false documents and found footage to creepypasta and QAnon. Taking a formalist and stylistic approach, I demonstrate how social media platforms shape meaning, blur the boundaries of fact and fiction, and create a shared cognitive environment ripe for conspiracy belief. Dr. Joe Ondrak is a leading expert in digital horror, both real and fictional. He has published extensively on extreme right-wing terror, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, as well as creepypasta and networked digital horror genres. He currently works as a subject matter expert in hate groups at Resolver and consults on digital extremist behaviours and activities. His chapter for the Routledge Companion to Horror Studies – The (New) Medium is the Monster: Networked Digital Horror – is forthcoming. **NB: This talk has been rescheduled to a different date and will take place on the third Monday instead of the usual second Monday.**

***BITCOIN: From Pizza to Protocol ***🍕 **Sign up to attend via our Luma page [here](https://luma.com/qhe1km0l).** 🍕 Bitcoin Pizza Day marks the moment Bitcoin moved from theory to reality - from code to culture. ​Every year, CryptoMondays London goes big on Bitcoin. ​This is that night. ​From the first 10,000 BTC pizza to a global monetary network, Bitcoin has evolved far beyond what anyone imagined. And today, it’s no longer just an asset or ideology. ​**It’s infrastructure.** **It’s energy.** **It’s culture.** **It’s IRL.** ​This special edition brings together some of the UK’s most active builders, operators, and thinkers to explore what Bitcoin actually looks like in the real world - and where it’s going next. *** ## ​**⚡ What We’ll Cover** ​A high-signal evening exploring: * ​Bitcoin’s evolution from experiment to global system * ​The intersection of Bitcoin with AI, energy, and infrastructure * ​Real-world adoption across payments, culture, and communities * ​The state of Bitcoin in the UK — and what comes next ​​​**​📅 Monday 18 May** **📍 Location revealed upon registration** **⏰ 6:00–9:30pm** **\*\* PLEASE NOTE! \*\*** **CML primarily uses Luma now and we suggest you subscribe to our [calendar there](https://lu.ma/cml). All attendees must be registered via Luma for our events, WE NO LONGER ACCEPT RSVP'S VIA MEETUP.** CryptoMondays London is the city's largest and longest-running web3 meet-up. We are dedicated to community, education, and networking. Please subscribe to our Luma calendar to stay up to date on events [https://lu.ma/cml](https://lu.ma/cml)

*Since 2009, 15‑40 men meet in a warm, inclusive space near Leicester Square to meditate, relax and make friends. No experience needed – we guide you step‑by‑step, and seasoned meditators are welcome.* **Why gay‑men choose this space** * **Safety & belonging** – a private, affirming environment where you can be yourself without judgment, the core need identified by LGBTQ‑focused mindfulness programmes . * **Minority‑stress relief** – mindfulness reduces the chronic stress that many gay, bi and queer men face, boosting self‑acceptance and emotional regulation . * **Community‑driven growth** – connecting with others who share similar experiences lowers isolation and fosters resilience. [Click here to book](https://bookwhen.com/evolvingminds) or simply turn up and pay at the door. **What you’ll get** * **Breath‑work & gratitude tools** – instant stress relief and mood lift. * **Guided meditations** that develop emotional intelligence, self‑compassion and resilience. * **Trauma‑informed compassion practices** – self‑compassion exercises and body‑scan work to ease reactivity and promote safety. * **A supportive peer community** – improve social skills and build lasting friendships. **Evening flow (7 pm‑9 pm)** 1️⃣ Grounding movement & body‑scan 2️⃣ First guided meditation (focused attention or self‑compassion) 3️⃣ 20‑minute tea break for informal chat 4️⃣ The second meditation changes week by week and follows a rotating weekly theme (loving‑kindness, self‑compassion, gratitude, etc.) **Practical details** * **When:** Every Monday (doors 6:45 pm, meditation 7 pm) – we run the session even if there are no Meetup RSVP. No booking required - just turn up. * **Where:** 52 Saint Martins Lane, WC2N 4EA (near Leicester Square/Charing Cross) * **Seating:** Chairs provided; mats & cushions available for floor sitting. **Teacher** Nick – 30 years of practice and 7 years as a Buddhist monk, teaching from a non‑reactive, freedom‑focused perspective. **Fees** * **First‑timer:** £10 * **Regular:** £16 per session * **Concessions:** £13 (students, low‑income, refugees, disability support – ask on arrival) **Join us** [Click here to book](https://bookwhen.com/evolvingminds) or simply turn up and pay at the door. “The connection here is transformative – stress‑free, supportive, genuinely inclusive.” – member testimonial.

**The Night Before Current Summit** ​Welcome to **The Night Before Current Summit**, hosted by Aiven. ​We’re kicking things off the evening before Day 1 of Current Summit with a relaxed gathering of friends and community—the perfect way to beat the crowds, connect with peers, and hear the latest insights from the industry before the main event begins. **Drinks are on us!** ​**⚡ On the Agenda** ​We have a round of casual **lightning talks** featuring standout Aiven customers and industry legends: * ​\*\*[Stanislav Kozlovski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanislavkozlovski/?utm_source=luma):\*\* Known as “the Kafka guy,” Stanislav is an Apache Kafka committer and software engineer. Currently, he is consulting for companies and writing **“2 Minute Streaming”** \- a newsletter with over 7\,000 subscribers focused on real\-time event streaming and data engineering\. Across social media\, he has over 50k followers reading his insights on the space\. * ​\*\*[Nahidul Kibria](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahidupa/?utm_source=luma):\*\* Engineering Lead at **HelloFresh**, sharing insights on scaling real-time data for the world's leading meal-kit provider. * ​\*\*[Mark Davidson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsonmark/?utm_source=luma):\*\* Principal Architect at **Funding Circle**, the UK's largest SME lending platform, discussing the architecture powering the future of business finance. ​**🤝 Meet Your Hosts** ​The event is hosted by **Aiven** and supported by **OSO** & **Conduktor**. * ​**Aiven:** Aiven provides the managed open-source data platform that developers love, helping you scale Apache Kafka, PostgreSQL, and more without the operational headache. * ​**Conduktor:** The all-in-one interface for Apache Kafka, making data streaming accessible, secure, and governed. * ​**OSO:** The Apache Kafka experts helping teams unlock real-time data and drive meaningful innovation. ​ **🎟️ Join Us** ​Space capacity is limited. Apply now to secure your spot!

​Current London kicks off Tuesday. Come have a drink with us Monday night at Bokan 39 in Canary Wharf. ​Factor House, NetApp Instaclustr, and StreamNative are hosting a rooftop happy hour in Canary Wharf the evening before the conference. No talks, no agenda, just drinks, food, and good conversation with people from across the Kafka and Flink ecosystem. ​It's a good way to put faces to names before the conference week gets busy. Food and drinks are on us. Space is limited so grab a spot early. [Register](https://luma.com/48be5cgu) to join us!

**No pressure. No plans. Just new friends ✨** Whether you’re visiting London for the first time, just arrived, or simply love meeting curious, open-minded people, this bi-weekly **Just Gutsy** meetup is an easy way to share stories, make friends, and explore the city together. **Who it’s for?** • Solo travelers • Expats & digital nomads • Locals who love meeting travelers **What to expect?** ✨ Relaxed, **self-led** gathering 🤝 Small group energy 🌍 Travel stories, tips & shared adventures 🍹 Grab a drink or snack if you like **How it works?** This is a self-led meetup, meaning I set it up for you but the magic happens between you. To make sure everyone finds each other smoothly, please follow these simple coordination steps: 1️⃣ **RSVP** Thoughtfully If you’re planning to come, tap “Going.” It helps others feel confident joining and builds momentum before the meetup. Even if you’re 80% sure, RSVP. If your plans change, please update your RSVP so others aren’t expecting your attendance. 2️⃣ **Confirm 2 Hours Before** (Essential) To ensure the meetup runs, please comment on this event page at least 2 hours before the start time: “Confirmed for today 😊” This allows everyone to see, ahead of time, who is actually coming. The meetup moves forward when at least 2 people confirm 2 hours before the event. If fewer than 2 confirmations are posted by then, attendance may be low that day. This avoids anyone showing up uncertain. 3️⃣ **Signal Your Arrival** When you arrive, comment on this event page: “Arrived” + where you’re sitting + what you’re wearing Example: “Arrived. Sitting outside near the entrance. Wearing a black t-shirt.” This ensures everyone can easily find each other. Recognition Tip Having a clear profile photo on Meetup is highly encouraged — it makes recognition effortless and helps the group form faster. **When & Where?** 📅 Day: Every Tuesday & Saturday 🕓 Time: 4:00 PM local time 📍 Meeting point: In front of Starbucks **Marble Arch.** **Arrive on time,** smaller groups make it easier to connect. **Why join Just Gutsy?** • Meet open-minded people who genuinely want to connect • Feel at home anywhere in the world • Be part of a growing global solo travel community • Early members get lifetime premium access to the future Just Gutsy app 🚀 Join here 👉 https://justgutsy.com/ **About Just Gutsy** **Just Gutsy** is a global community for solo travelers who are free spirited, love exploring the world believe that real connections make the best memories. Hi, I am Syrine, I started solo traveling in 2018 and it changed my life, from introvert to extrovert. Along the way, I loved meeting people, but also felt how hard it can be to find connection when traveling alone. I’m building Just Gutsy so no one has to feel alone on the road — and so anyone who’s still shy to take that first step has a welcoming place to start. 💛

The Data Science Speakers Club is a Toastmasters International club enabling the current and next generation of Data Scientists to improve their Public Speaking Skills. This is a HYBRID Meeting! So join us Online via ZOOM or In-Person. Joining the Data Science Speakers Club means joining a supportive environment to build your confidence in public speaking and to practice speaking in front of an audience. You will also gain the opportunity to receive feedback on your speeches in a friendly environment, including what you have done well and guidance on the areas you can improve upon. We also run a mentorship program where an experienced mentor supports you on your public speaking journey. Meeting Theme: **TBC** Tentative Schedule: 18:30 - President's welcome 18:40 - Prepared Speeches (3 prepared speeches with evaluation) 19:25 - Guest introduction 19:30 - Break 19:40 - Table Topic 20:30 - Wrap up, awards, announcements End of Meeting The theme is to do with exploring various aspects of power, including how it is distributed, challenged, and transformed in different contexts. In the first part, there will be speeches. In the second half, we will have impromptu speeches preparation in groups called Table topics where guests can participate. We meet on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Mondays of each month from 6:30 pm online. Each meeting is a mixture of prepared speeches by our members, speaking roles, and impromptu speaking challenges by members and guests. Our meetings are free to attend and you only have to speak if you want to. For in-person attendance, snacks will be provided. Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Mathematical and Logical Thinkers aiming to focus on their communication and leadership development are always welcome to attend our meetings, to increase their self-confidence, become better speakers, and become better leaders. TEAMS LINK: [https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/381175383292654?p=jofxsWfPNxnUvqQ9as](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/381175383292654?p%3DjofxsWfPNxnUvqQ9as&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw0hqs-5F6o63VU1Sd4Lr5Jo) FACEBOOK: [https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/) LINKEDIN: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club](https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club) TWITTER: [https://twitter.com/datasciencespk](https://twitter.com/datasciencespk) INSTAGRAM: [https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/)

**The main event: MxLDN** * **Date:** Wednesday 20th May * **Time:** 18:00 - 20:00 * **Location:** Dotdigital Offices, 9th Floor, 1 London Bridge, London SE1 9BG **Post event drinks & games:** * **Date:** Wednesday 20th May * **Time:** 20:30 - 22:00 * **Location:** Bermondsey Bierkeller, 2, 4 Tooley St, London SE1 2SY **About MxLDN** 20th May, Dotdigital's office, London Bridge, be there or be square! MxLDN is a bi-monthly event, open to anyone in the Magento and Adobe Commerce world – developers, merchants, marketers, agencies, you name it… We welcome speakers who dive into the detail of what's actually happening in ecommerce right now. Get in touch via hello@mxldn.co.uk if you'd like to speak at one of our future events. We host open conversation over free pizza, free beer…what more could you want? More? Here you go then, after the talks we’ll head down to Bermondsey Bierkeller for some post-event drinks and games. There’ll be air hockey, digital darts, pool tables, and shuffleboards galore! Save the date. See you there! Presented by: JH, Hÿva, & Dotdigital Reach out to us via email us at **hello@mxldn.co.uk**

If you are a founder, operator, manager, or newer AI builder and the AI conversation feels too technical or abstract, this evening is for you. The point is simple: bring one real-world problem from your work, team, customers, hiring, operations, or service delivery. We will use the room to work out what could be tested safely, what should not be automated yet, and what a useful first step might look like. AI adoption is no longer only an engineering topic. The harder questions are now showing up in operations, transformation, HR, product, recruitment, public services, regulated teams, and founder-led companies: - Where does AI actually save work? - What should not be automated yet? - Who owns the risk when an AI system influences a decision? - How do you move from a pilot to a real capability? This is an informal build room for people working through those questions in real organisations. It is still relaxed and social, but the aim is that people leave with something more useful than a few business cards. Come if you are an operator, transformation lead, HR/product/programme person, founder, recruiter, public-sector digital lead, or just someone trying to make AI adoption practical rather than performative. The lightweight format: - bring one real AI adoption problem, workflow, or opportunity - do a few short problem-swap rounds with people facing adjacent issues - leave with an AI Adoption Signal Sheet / Build Card: one useful first experiment, one signal to collect, and one follow-up from the room No slides. No panel. No vendor pitches. Ram will give a short welcome around 7pm, then the rest is structured conversation and open networking. Free to attend. Please RSVP with enough detail for us to understand who is in the room. You do not need to have built an AI product or know the technical vocabulary. You should leave with a clearer view of one practical place AI could help, one risk or constraint to watch, and one useful person or next step to follow up with.

There are many resources available for guidance on how to write code that is efficient and results in more sustainable software applications, but applying these at scale can be challenging, and often isn’t a priority for busy teams. GitHub have recently released Agentic Workflows, a way of specifying automation tasks in human-readable format to be performed by an AI agent as part of a GitHub Actions workflow. In this talk, Max Mizzi from GitHub's Sustainability team gives an overview of Agentic Workflows, and will demonstrate how they can be used to improve software efficiency through both structured green software rules and autonomous performance engineering. He'll finish by walking through a real-world use-case showing how the technology helped to dramatically reduce the energy consumption - and carbon footprint - of a major website. Come along if you want to learn more about using AI to improve the energy efficiency of your software. Check out the Green Software Brighton [website](https://greensoftwarebrighton.co.uk/) for links to previous talks. Arrive from 18:00 for pizza and drinks. Event will start at 18:30. We always head for a drink and a chat locally afterwards too. --- ***Thank you to Runway East for use of their space to host our events and to Silicon Brighton and the Green Software Foundation for supporting us.***

This month we're celebrating the TENTH anniversary of the London Fabric User Group - having started life as the London Power BI User Group TEN years ago. We'd love you to join us at the offices of the aptly named Tenth Revolution to help us celebrate. # TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH CHRIS WEBB Chris has presented at the user group every year in May to celebrate our anniversary, and we didn't want this year to be any different. **Power BI under the bonnet**: monitoring queries and refreshes using Workspace Monitoring, Log Analytics, Profiler and DAX Studio When you're performance tuning a slow Power BI report or refresh you need to know what happens inside the engine, and the good news is that the Power BI engine can give you all kinds of detailed information on its internals. But how do you get access to this? How can you understand it? In this session you'll find out: how you can get (almost) the same information on internals from Workspace Monitoring, Log Analytics, SQL Server Profiler and DAX Studio and when to use which; which engine events are relevant to queries and which ones are relevant to refreshes; and how you can interpret this information for tuning. **Agenda** 18:30 - Welcome, drinks, pizza & networking 19:00 - Main Session 20:00 - Help us celebrate at a local pub (details to be confirmed on the night) **Venue** Tenth Revolution offices in London. Aldgate House, 33 Aldgate High St, London EC3N 1DL Please provide your first and last name when registering for the event, as this is provided to building security to allow you entrance into the venue.

**Looking for a business networking event in London for property, construction, and trade professionals?** Join us in Fitzrovia for a quality networking evening bringing together business owners, contractors, landlords, and professionals connected to the built environment. Hosted by GMax Card — a digital business card platform helping business owners share all their contact details through one simple link. ## What to Expect A relaxed but professional networking evening designed for meaningful business conversations and quality connections. Meet people across property, construction, maintenance, and business services in an atmosphere that feels social, productive, and well-organised - not an overcrowded conference or random pub meetup. Whether you're looking for new clients, trusted suppliers, partnerships, referrals, or industry contacts, our hosts are there from the start to help make introductions. ## Who You'll Meet * Property professionals and landlords * Builders, contractors, and construction professionals * Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, and maintenance specialists * Interior design, fit-out, and renovation professionals * Estate agents, letting agents, and block management professionals * Business owners and service providers working with property and trade sectors * Finance, mortgage, insurance, and property investment professionals ## How the Evening Flows 18:30 — Arrival & welcome 19:00 — Short introductions 19:30 — Open networking 21:30 — Close Hosts are there from the beginning to help facilitate introductions and conversations. ## Venue: The Refinery at Regent’s Place A modern and spacious venue in the heart of Fitzrovia with a relaxed professional atmosphere - ideal for quality networking and business conversations. Located moments from Warren Street station, close to Euston. ## Entry & GMax Cards Free RSVP: Event access only Paid ticket (when available): Includes a contactless GMax Card (please ask the host to claim your card) ## Dress Code Smart casual ## Hosted by GMax Card - a digital business card platform helping professionals and businesses share all their contact details through one simple link. ## Important Info * 18+ (ID may be required) * Photos/video may be captured by CineEye Audiovisual Production Studio * Attendance is at your own risk **Limited spots available - early registration recommended!**

Brand & Build with AI: Empowering Women in Techwith Google Developers Group London x Invicity Event Description What if your technical skills weren’t the only thing advancing your career? In today’s world, visibility is leverage, and the most impactful women in tech know how to build, showcase, and own their narrative. Join Google Developer Group London and Invicity(The Ultimate Global Membership Community for ambitious young professionals) for an evening designed to help you turn your skills into a powerful personal brand, using cutting-edge AI tools and real-world strategies. Whether you're a student, founder, early-career builder, or experienced operator, this event will give you the tools to stand out, get noticed, and unlock new opportunities. What You’ll Learn How to use Google Gemini & AI tools to craft standout LinkedIn content and CVs Building a credible technical presence through GitHub, portfolios, and blogs Turning your work into visible proof of expertise Why personal branding is a career accelerator (and how to do it authentically) How to navigate tax-efficient decisions when working in tech, from payroll and workplace pensions to setting up as a sole trader or limited company. Speakers Hear from an incredible lineup of women across tech,  data, and engineering: Kasia Dutch | Software Engineer @ Starling Bank A multi-award-winning engineer and founder of Code Your Confidence. Kasia is a career-switcher and mentor who has been recognized on the GirlCode Diversity & Inclusion Power List. She is an expert in technical storytelling and empowering women to communicate their value without apology. Onyekachukwu Faith Ojumah | Software Engineer & Technical Writer Faith is a full-stack developer and a passionate technical communicator. With experience spanning engineering and community leadership, she specializes in making complex technical concepts accessible. She will be sharing how to bridge the gap between "writing code" and "building a credible online presence." Ruchika Jha | Computer Science @ Northeastern & Robotics Lead A 5x Hackathon winner and Co-President of the Robotics Club, Ruchika specializes in autonomous engineering and Flutter development. She is also a national award-winning writer and professional Kathak dancer recognized by the UAE Ministry. As Workshop Lead, she combines technical depth with creative storytelling to help you build a multi-dimensional professional brand. Kim Qin | PA to the CEO @TBA Global & Founder of Nova Entertainment Kim is a founder, community builder, and startup operator working across accounting, tax, entertainment, and tech. As PA to the CEO at TBA Global, an international accountancy firm, she supports business operations and works closely with professionals, founders, and growing companies. She previously served as Operations Director at a tech company that raised £2 million in seed-stage funding. Kim also currently serves as Secretary of the UK Society of Chinese Accountants and as a Global Partner at a stealth-stage AI company, and is a member of the China Culture Promotion Association. She will be sharing practical guidance on setting up a company, tax efficiency, and navigating the financial decisions that come with building a career or business. 🛠️ Event Format 18:00 – Welcome & Networking (Powered by Invicity) - Meet ambitious, globally-minded women building across London 18:30 – Intro - GDG London & Invicity - Why we did this event? 18:40 – Talk 1 - Kasia Dutch - Master the ASK: How to Advocate for Your Success 19:00 – Talk 2 - Kim Qin - Tax Efficiency for Tech Professionals & Future Founders  19:20 – Interactive Workshop - ​Ruchika Jha - Visibility as a Career Catalyst - Google Gemini. Note: Bring your laptop. 20:15 – Networking & Food (Powered by TBA Global) - Get real-time feedback + connect with speakers & peers 💡 Why This Event We believe that for women in tech, the work doesn't always "speak for itself", you have to give it a voice. This event was born from a simple idea: your online story should do the heavy lifting for you. We want to empower every woman to leverage their visibility so that opportunities find them, rather than the other other way around. GDG London is proud to provide the platform and technical ecosystem to showcase this talent, while Invincity continues its mission to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity. Together, we are building high-signal experiences that turn global potential into local impact. 🥂 The Experience Expect a thoughtfully curated evening with: High-quality networking (no awkward small talk) Hands-on, actionable insights Light catering & drinks A community of ambitious builders, creators, and operators Light catering & drinks – Generously supported by TBA Global, an international accountancy firm providing practical accounting and tax insights. 🎟️ Who Should Join Women in tech Students & early-career professionals Anyone looking to build a stronger professional presence Builders curious about AI, personal branding, and career growth 🤝 Our Partners A huge thank you to the partners making this evening possible: Halkin: Our incredible venue sponsor, providing a world-class space for the London tech community to connect. TBA Global: Our accounting and tax partner, supporting founders, professionals, and growing businesses with practical financial and tax guidance. 📍 Location & Details 📅 Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 🕕 18:00 – 21:00 📍 Venue: Hosted at Halkin Offices, South Bank, SE1 (Near Waterloo/Blackfriars) - Full address sent to confirmed guests Agenda --- Hosted By Goran Minov, Regional Technical Strategist | GDG Organizer I am a Cyber Security Architect specialising in Identity & Access Management (IAM). My passion lies in architecting secure Google Cloud solutions and building Android applications. I currently serve as a Senior Technical Account Manager at Okta. As a key member of the customer success team, I'm dedicated to ensuring customers fully maximise the value of their Okta investment, focusing on automation and efficiency within their identity and access management solutions. With a background that spans various technical and leadership roles, I bring deep expertise in transforming complex identity challenges into streamlined, secure, and user-friendly experiences. Stefan Cornea, GDG Organizer Chris Bouloumpasis, GDG Organizer Sara Mita Gabriel, Organiser Renuka Kelkar, GDG Organizer Sumith Damodaran, PM / GDG Organizer Tom Colvin, Organiser Tom Colvin is CTO of Apptaura, the app development specialists; and founder of Conseal Security, the mobile app security experts. He has been a developer for over 20 years and worked with Android since Cupcake. He is a Google Developer Expert in Android. Mihaela Peneva, --- Partners TBA Global (https://www.tbagroup.uk/) TBA Global — Experts in Global Tax, Product Compliance & Accounting 17+ years of experience | 60,000+ satisfied clients Chartered Accountants and Tax Advisers helping businesses grow worldwide. Halkin (https://www.halkin.com/) Halkin is a London-based provider of premium, flexible, and serviced workspaces, offering private offices, coworking areas, and meeting rooms across 9 locations in areas like Mayfair and the City. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-london-presents-gdg-london-x-invicity-empowering-women-in-tech/.

# Software Engineering Through Continuous Crisis: What AI Changes and What It Doesn't Join us for an exclusive Innovators Guild event exploring how AI is reshaping engineering, software development, and the future of tech careers. This session features leaders from DataArt and Marketing Pot, sharing insights from 25+ years of technological disruption. 🔗 RSVP: https://luma.com/v6yum32a 🔍 What You’ll Learn * How AI is changing the role of engineers * What “AI‑assisted development” and “vibe coding” actually mean * How delivery models are evolving in the AI era * Why software economics may shift dramatically in the next 5 years * How AI is disrupting marketing across industries * Which skills will matter most for future tech careers 🎤 Speakers **Dmitry Bagrov** — UK Managing Director, **DataArt** Bringing experience leading through the dot‑com crash, 2008 crisis, COVID, and now the generative AI wave. **Alina Zaiets** — Founder, **Marketing Pot** Former DataArt marketer, now advising B2B SaaS brands on AI‑driven marketing. 🤝 Who Should Attend Software engineers AI practitioners Tech leaders Product managers Founders Anyone curious about how AI is transforming the tech industry **📅 Event Details** 📆 19 May 2026 🕡 6:30 PM (arrival from 6:00 PM) 📍 Landmark Office, Monument (Exact address shared upon RSVP)

Customer identity resolution becomes increasingly complex as organizations scale across multiple systems, regions, and data formats. Traditional rule-based approaches often fail to keep up with data variability, require constant manual tuning, and struggle with real-time processing needs. This session presents a practical approach to building a scalable identity resolution pipeline using AWS services and modern AI techniques. The architecture combines data ingestion through Amazon S3 and AWS Glue, transformation pipelines using Spark on EMR, and machine learning models deployed via SageMaker for entity matching and standardization. Graph-based relationship modeling is implemented using Amazon Neptune to improve resolution accuracy by incorporating household and shared attribute context. We will walk through how machine learning models can be used for name and address normalization, how intelligent blocking strategies improve matching efficiency, and how feedback loops can be introduced to continuously improve accuracy. The session also highlights how serverless components such as AWS Lambda can be used for orchestration and real-time processing. **SPEAKER BIO** Mosaic Syed is a Senior Data Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across global enterprise environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosaic-basha-syed-92300856 **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: [https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/](https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/) **THANK YOU** *VEEAM* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Veeam*, please visit their website: [https://www.veeam.com/](https://www.veeam.com/) **DIRECTIONS** 8800 Lyra Dr #450 · Columbus, OH go to 4th floor. **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

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

This is a free, in person meeting. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

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

The theme for May is Thriller. • The book we will be discussing is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. (determined by votes from April Book Club. Let me know if you'd like a free digital copy of the book) • This event will be at the main library. Feel free to come whether or not you've started or finished the book. • Small snacks will be provided. You're welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Let me know if you’d like to volunteer to bring snacks or drinks for the group.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** TBD **YouTube Link** TBD