Education Technology Startups

**Meet Warren Cross, Jr., University of Richmond Alumnus** Warren founded Cross Services Group, Inc. in 1989. He serves as the President & CEO of the company. A classic serial entrepreneur, Warren loves the challenge of starting or acquiring businesses that have complimentary features and then leveraging his extensive customer data base to promote his services. Warren owns businesses in the following areas: Car Cleaning, Residential House Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Power Washing and Gutter Cleaning, Landscaping, Irrigation, Commercial Cleaning and Carpentry/Painting. In 2007, Warren developed Cross Courts Squash and Fitness Center. Cross Courts now boasts one of the most active Junior Programs in the country with over 175 juniors. Cross Courts also has a very active adult program. The Club has (4) International Squash Courts, (4) Squash Professionals, Fitness facilities, Yoga/Stretch Studio, Lounge area and well appointed Locker Rooms. Besides his service businesses, Warren is the owner of (8) commercial buildings, totaling approximately 150,000 square feet, in various Natick Business Parks, Natick Center and Needham Center. He also owns a two-family investment property in Watertown. Warren graduated from Belmont Hill School, University of Richmond, and received his Executive MBA from Northeastern University. Warren lives in South Natick with his wife, and they have three children. He and his wife also have three beautiful granddaughters and one grandson. Warren is a Trustee at Tenacre Country Day School, where he is the Treasurer and Chairs the Finance Committee, a Trustee at Belmont Hill School, where he sits on the Facility Committee and Audit Committee, and a Trustee at Babson College, where he is Co-Vice Chair of The Board and is Chair of the Facilities Committee. He is on the Board of Advisors at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Warren is a former Trustee at Dana Hall School and at Lynchburg College in Virginia. Warren enjoys spending time with his family, reading and working out. He also loves spending time at his homes in Jackson, NH and Osterville, MA. **The Discussion.** This series of hybrid events is perfect for budding entrepreneurs, experienced executive mentors cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, early-stage investors, and students exploring innovative product design. At each session, business founders serve as guest speakers share about their career, their firm's business model, as well as the successes and challenges in the product development process. Participants learn from the speakers’ experiences, discuss valuable insights, and connect with other entrepreneurs, students, faculty, and investors. **Logistics.** A light lunch is served, as entrepreneurs connect with one another, learn from peers, and contribute to the conversation: * Friday, February 13, 2026 * 11:30am EST - Coffee & Connection * 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST - Presentation & Discussion No pre-registration is required. Join us: Robins School of Business 102 UR Drive, iLab Room 123 University of Richmond, VA 23173 **Parking.** Free parking is available in the U5 and U6 lots immediately adjacent to the Robins School. Please enter the main foyer, turn to the left and proceed to room 123 (EY Innovation Lab) on the ground floor. Please note that visitors have a two-hour parking window. Please sign in when you enter the room, providing your license plate number. **On Zoom Webinar:** https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89608419334?pwd=am0F9r85xPfh7aBaxtdUDILYsvNAwJ.1

We meet typically from 12:15 to 1:15 PM on the second and fourth Fridays of the month in Conference Room 2E908 at the National Cancer Institute http://gene.toastmastersclubs.org/ For details on Directions and Security Check-in: http://gene.toastmastersclubs.org/directions.html

Kevin Elwell of Get A Head Shot [https://getaheadshot.net/](https://getaheadshot.net/) will be donating his photography talents to help motivated job seekers by giving them professional headshots to use on LinkedIn and other sites. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/getaheadshot/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/getaheadshot/) After registering, you will receive a SignUp Genius to reserve your 15 minute slots. In preparation of this event, [https://getaheadshot.net/preparing-for-your-session/](https://getaheadshot.net/preparing-for-your-session/) At the end of this session, you will receive 1 Free Image to use. There are some people who (wisely) chose to purchase photographic touch ups and other services.

ASL HangOut is a safe fun social All levels D/deaf, Hard of Hearing, Hearing signers, ASL students, ASL interpreter. Hosted by Daniel Berke and his friends Jeremy, Andrew, Nathaniel. and Josh There's always a great mix of people and good conversations We will be meeting at the Tysons Corner Food Court (3rd Floor), Thursday at 7pm! Hope to see you all there! 🙂 Look for a table of ASL signers...don't be shy. 1961 Chain Bridge Rd Tysons Corner, VA 22102 join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/468631322134694

**Welcome to our Free weekly course to start your spiritual journey with Kundalini Meditation!** Join us at the **Gum Spring Library (Meeting Room A/B/C)** for an enlightening experience. This in-person event will introduce you to the ancient practice of Kundalini Meditation, guiding you towards self-discovery and inner peace. Whether you're a beginner or looking to deepen your spiritual practice, this course is designed for all levels. Come and explore the transformative power of Kundalini Meditation with us! FAQs **What is the cost for the events?** All Sahaja Yoga meditation events, classes, and workshops are offered free of cost and are open to all. Just as one cannot pay nature to sprout a seed, in the same way, Sahaja Yoga is a living process that cannot be paid for. **What should I wear?** We do not have a dress code, but recommend any decent, comfortable wear or smart casual wear. **What do you typically do at a workshop or event?** Our events are varied and diverse ranging from music and meditation to cultural and spiritual exhibitions and other creative explorations. We offer meditation at all our events. Depending on the event, our workshop focuses on a particular topic and then we provide guided meditation and offer simple techniques to maintain balance. These techniques may include the use of elements such as water and light that make the meditative experience very enjoyable. We also have time for questions and individual queries and teach how to meditate at home at each workshop.. **Do I need to bring anything?** No, you’re fine. Just walk in and enjoy the event! **I haven’t RSVP’d, can I still come for the event?** Yes, you can, although we recommend you Register to make sure we have seats for you. **I’ve attended a workshop. What next?** To take full advantage of your experience with meditation, the next step would be to attend any of our regular meetings as we offer ongoing classes. Consider that when a plant is given water, it grows strong and healthy. In the same way, meditation cleanses and harmonizes one’s being, so attending a weekly collective meditation is the best way to bring lasting peace and well-being. We still encourage you to attend our diverse events that may appeal to you. There is always something interesting going on, so keep stopping by or checking our website. **What is Sahaja Yoga?** Sahaja Yoga is a meditation breakthrough founded by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 1970 and is based on ancient principles for the modern world. It begins with the awareness of one’s individual energy called, ‘kundalini.’ Once the kundalini is awakened within, the process of meditation becomes effortless and spontaneous, and this leads to complete peace and balance in life. With balance comes lasting joy and well-being of mind, body, emotions and spirit. **Where can I attend a Sahaja Yoga event or class?** You can check this website for upcoming events. Our free classes are offered nationwide and internationally. For classes in the D.C. Metro Area (Maryland, Virginia and D.C.), please visit [local ](http://%5Bhttp//www.dcsahajayoga.org/weekly-classes.html%5D(http://www.dcsahajayoga.org/weekly-classes.html) "\[http://www.dcsahajayoga.org/weekly-classes.html\](http://www.dcsahajayoga.org/weekly-classes.html)")[classes](http://%5Bhttps//www.dcsahajayoga.org/%5D(https://www.dcsahajayoga.org/) "\[https://www.dcsahajayoga.org/\](https://www.dcsahajayoga.org/)") If you’re looking for classes out of state or abroad, you may visit [sahajayoga.org](http://sahajayoga.org/) Still have questions feel free to contact us at 623-734-5952

This is introductory meditation for people who wants to learn basics of meditation. It's a free event held every week and everyone is welcome to join.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Love and Monsters,”** on the inescapable bond between romance and horror, with Joshua Barton, scholar of horror and lecturer in English at Virginia Commonwealth University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-love-monsters](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-love-monsters) .] Romance and horror might seem like opposite genres, but they share a deep emotional core, and the combination of them has captivated audiences across time and culture. Put even your worst Valentine’s Day in perspective by hearing this strange relationship discussed by Joshua Barton, who has earned a big following among Profs and Pints fans with his past talks on cryptids, American horror, and Christmas ghosts. He’ll explore the undeniable and unsettling intersection of romance and horror and examine how and why love and fear intensify each other and combined to create tension, drive narratives, and explore human vulnerability. We’ll look at works that have blended passion and terror, including Gothic literature like the vampire novella *Carmilla* and modern films like *Spring* and *Crimson Peak*. We’ll study the fine line between obsession and adoration running through Stephen King’s “I Know What You Need,” Adrian Lyne’s *Fatal Attraction*, and the timeless *The Phantom of the Opera.* We’ll discuss the seeds of monstrous love that were planted with *Beauty and the Beast* and *Creature from the Black Lagoon* and bloom ferociously in works like *Twilight* and *The Shape of Water*. Through it all, we’ll find the threads of otherness and the taboo that intertwine horror, love, and reflections on identity. Join us for a journey through storytelling that combines the grotesque and the scintillating as we uncover why romance and horror are a match made in the dark. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From the original 1954 advertising poster for *Creature from the Black Lagoon* (Artist: Reynold Brown / Public Domain).

The Roadducks, having been around since 1976, are a legendary classic/southern variety rock band whose music brings you to life and goes down like Tennessee whiskey.... They are a MUST SEE band!!! We hope you’ll join us!!!L

Monthly meeting: Second Saturday of the month International House of Pancakes (IHOP) 775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 7:00 PM – 10 PM. Late arrivals always welcome. Look for the table with someone wearing a red hat. Questions, please call 1-240-644-5230 Agenda: What are more things we can do to wake people up? What can we do to get more people involved? Other things people would like to talk about. This will be a joint meeting with: DC 9/11 Truth [https://dc911truth.org/](https://dc911truth.org/) dc911truth Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc911truth/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc911truth/) 911 Meetup Group [https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-kyegaoqu/](https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-kyegaoqu/) Central Bank Digital Currencies CBDC Meetup Group [https://www.meetup.com/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/](https://www.meetup.com/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/) Freedom of Speech Meetup Group [https://www.meetup.com/silver-spring-freedom-of-speech-meetup-group/](https://www.meetup.com/silver-spring-freedom-of-speech-meetup-group/) If you think things are bad now, just wait till technology enables them to censor your emails before you hit "send", censor your text messages as you type, and censor your phone calls while you talk. .................................................................... If you follow the ratings of the dinosaur media, you will notice their ratings have been going down for years. Tucker Carlson has ratings that are high (several times higher than CNN). This interview is about an hour long. People often listen to these long interviews while driving. Everything You Need to Know about the Government’s Mass Censorship Campaign [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRYSKaS-XtQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRYSKaS-XtQ) In this interview some things we have been noticing for years are talked about with some explanations given. …………………………………………………………………………… coming to a neighborhood near you The Dangers of Posting on Social Media \| Konstantin Kisin [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIl-HO9Ng3I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIl-HO9Ng3I) …………………………………………………………………………… Censorship is a hallmark of totalitarianism. …………………………………………………………………………… .

**Learn to Relax Kids: Growing Calm, One Little Breath at a time (Ages 3-7)** Help your little ones discover the joy of calm! ***Learn to Relax Kids*** is a playful and engaging workshop introducing young children to simple meditation, kid-friendly yoga, and fun relaxation exercises designed just for them. Through movement, breath, and imagination, children learn how to center themselves and feel safe, peaceful, and confident. While the children enjoy their session, parents are invited to a special **Learn to Meditate class**, offering easy and practical tools to create more peace and balance at home. Sat., Feb., 14th, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm. Held at Brahma Kumaris, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl, Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/7yYfR](https://shorturl.at/7yYfR)

Join our weekly walking meetup to have fun, maintain a healthy lifestyle, meet new people, and enjoy the weather! We meet Saturdays at 10am, halfway between the Reston *Container Store* and *Not Your Average Joes* (by the metal benches), leaving no later than 10:05. Every week, rain or shine, we start by walking along the Green Trail to reach Lake Anne Community Center. Once there, we pause for water/bio (often staying a few minutes extra from April-November, due to the local Farmer's Market), and then we circle Lake Anne and head back to our starting point. It's roughly 3-4 miles and takes about an hour and a half. Afterwards, some members will often head to *Not Your Average Joes* or another local restaurant for a quick drink/meal before tackling the day. This event is open to all ages and fitness levels. Dogs are welcome, and we recommend dressing for the weather (umbrella, water, snow shoes, hat, etc.) since we'll walk rain or shine. Also, feel free to bring a friend! By signing up, you accept and assume all risks and responsibilities with this activity, and nobody will be held liable.

🇺🇸 **Attention Active Military & Veterans Unlock Your VA Homebuyer Benefits!** 🏡✨ Ready to take the leap into homeownership? Now's the perfect time to dive into your VA benefits and capitalize on the current market! Join our In Person Heroes MeetUp Wednesday at 6 PM for an exciting and informative masterclass designed just for you. What You'll Discover: 🔑 **How to purchase a home with Zero Down VA Loan** 🎯 **Insights on Seller Paid Closing Costs, Concessions and Interest Rate Buy Down** 💸 **Our exclusive Heroes Star Nationwide Program** 🏠 **Using your BAH to qualify for your dream home** ❓ **What a VA No-No is and why it matters** 🚚 **Our Nationwide Relocation Service tailored for Heroes** This FREE Masterclass is proudly sponsored & presented by Heroes Star a nationwide program dedicated to providing Resources, Education, and Savings to all Heroes. 🎖️❤️In-Person VA Homebuyer Masterclass With an Online Option Available. **Agenda** · **5:30pm Registration / Doors Open** · **6:00pm Workshop Begins** · **7:00pm Q&A** **Don't miss out! Sign up now and empower your home buying journey!** 🏠💪✨ **🔑 Register now and secure your spot.**

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

JOIN US FOR THE BEST NETWORKING EVENT IN DC! As seen in Entrepreneur Magazine THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= weconnect® is the fastest growing startup, digital & tech networking organization in the country. Our events are comprised of the most influential professionals in the area. THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= Our purpose is to help our members forge strong, lasting relationships within the community – combining Fortune 500/1000s with Entrepreneurs and Startups. We’re creating unique opportunities & connections to help you grow your business and network both offline and online through our proprietary platform (coming soon). Enjoy The Most Successful Startup & Tech Mixer In A Fun, Relaxed Atmosphere Mingle With Highly Successful Men & Women In The Entrepreneur, Startup, TECH Space Find Your Next Client, Employee, Business Partner or Co-founder “Your Network Is Your Net Worth.” Come Build Your Network With Us! THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= COMPANIES OFTEN IN ATTENDANCE\* (... just to name a few) Google • Sony • Electronic Arts • Hulu • Hautelook • The Honest Company • Disney • Apple • Activision • Live Nation • Dollar Shave Club • Facebook • Snapchat • Trunk Club • ZipRecruiter • Experian • DreamWorks Amplify • HBO • Edmonds.com • DogVacay • NBC Universal • YouTube • BeachBody • Playstation • Amazon...and so many more. \*This does not Guarantee that these companies will be in attendance at this event. JOIN US FROM 6:00 - 9:00PM • DRINKS\* • AMAZING COMPANY • NETWORKING \*Cash Bar PROUDLY SPONSORED BY: Connect in Tech We're Hiring THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= THIS IS A PAID EVENT RSVP HERE => https://tinyurl.com/3nfn3jrz <= ***Event Date & location subject to change as per the organizers discretion.If event changes date your ticket will still be valid for the rescheduled event date.No Refunds, Exchanges or Substitutions***

This meetup is designed to be an open forum amongst our community. We intend for it to be an opportunity for members to showcase what projects we've been working on this year related to Linux and AWS. If you are a current (or aspiring) professional looking for a practical way to build your experience with Linux and cloud computing, this event is for you! About us: Respect The Tech is an organization focused on information technology education and innovation. Our mission is to innovate technology education through virtual labs and gamified training. All of our team members are experienced professionals in the cybersecurity and cloud computing field. We are based out of the DMV and aim to serve the DMV with the same tools that enabled us to be successful with technology. *** Requirements: A functional laptop AWS account created and ready to use (free tier recommended)

This training is designed for real estate agents who want to learn how to play the Agent Investor game. The goal of this training is to help you flip your income into ownership. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Investors move fast. Most agents don’t.** If you can’t evaluate a deal quickly and confidently, you lose credibility—and the opportunity disappears. Deal or Disaster teaches a simple, repeatable framework to determine in minutes whether a deal prints money or burns it. In this session, you’ll learn a 5-minute investment evaluation system that works across flips, rentals, BRRRRs, wholetails, and creative deals. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s speed, clarity, and credibility. We’ll break down: * How to identify the investor’s true goal before running numbers * A fast, reliable method to estimate ARV with confidence * How to calculate the real all-in acquisition cost * Simple heuristics to ballpark rehab and improvement costs * The key metrics that reveal whether a deal works—or should be killed You’ll also learn the most common red flags that signal bad deals, thin margins, and hidden risk, so you know when to pause or walk away. When you can analyze deals in minutes, you earn authority, build trust, and become indispensable to investors. Speed creates opportunity—and opportunity creates repeat business. If you want to move from real estate generalist to trusted investment strategist, this session gives you the framework to do it. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Did you miss it?** [Watch all GRID Reston event playback on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTh5kxLLJI1G3VH6Pqhlhu0uTA8yrdpi) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Join the GRID Facebook Community** [Join the online GRID community here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/gridinvestor) to post deals, ask questions, and connect with other investors across the globe.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Hidden Cleopatra,”** an excavation through myth and slander to uncover the real Egyptian queen, with Jacquelyn Williamson, an Egyptologist and associate professor of archaeology and ancient art at George Mason University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hidden-cleopatra](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hidden-cleopatra) .] Depictions of Cleopatra are abundant in popular culture. A long list of painters have depicted her, Marilyn Monroe and Kim Kardashian have posed as her, and Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor famously portrayed her in Hollywood films. At the end of the day, however, what most of us think we know about Cleopatra is wrong, the product of the ancient Rome’s “fake news” and anti-Egypt propaganda. Learn about the real Cleopatra—and how our understanding of her came to be so distorted—with Professor Jacquelyn Williamson, scholar of women and power in ancient Egypt, teacher of courses on ancient Egyptian art and archaeology, and author of *Nefertiti’s Sun Temple: A New Cult Complex at Tell el-Amarna.* Dr. Williamson will walk us through how the first Roman emperor, Octavian, created the distorted image of Cleopatra as seductress that we know today as part of his political scheming to defeat his rival Antony and end the Roman Republic once and for all. Cleopatra has been the subject of debate and controversy ever since. William Shakespeare later relied on ancient Roman sources such as Horace and Plutarch in writing *Antony and Cleopatra*, and his play helped give rise to countless other works offering a distorted picture of her. Professor Williamson argues that “Cleopatra was a human being, like you and I,” and “deserves the dignity of being represented as accurately as possible.” Her efforts to set the record straight have met frustration, however—after being extensively interviewed for the recent Netflix historical docuseries Queen Cleopatra, she concluded that it, too, had missed the mark. You’ll gain a much deeper appreciation of the challenges of researching and accurately depicting the ancient past from Dr. Williamson, who also has taught at Harvard, Brandeis, and the University of California at Berkeley and is involved with an ongoing archaeological investigation of Queen Nefertiti’s sun temple. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Layla Taj portrays Cleopatra VII as part of an Egyptian Cultural Performing Arts Society production. (Photo by Amos Gvili / Wikimedia Commons.)