Engineering Leadership

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/34253735270413?p=PeWH6cxHBjtbviTKo3](https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/34253735270413?p=PeWH6cxHBjtbviTKo3 "Meeting join") 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/)

Our next English Conversation Café will be on **Monday 30th March 2026 at** **7:30pm**! Topic for the evening: To be confirmed You will have an opportunity to practice your English and meet new people, through conversation topics and games. This event is mainly for learners of English, so we kindly ask native speakers to give priority to others. The venue is **downstairs** in Costa Coffee, 3 Southwark St, London SE1 1RQ which is a 1 minute walk from London Bridge Station. This is a **free** event, you will not be expected to pay for anything. You will also be able to have a free drink and cake. The café is run by a group of volunteers from [The Globe Church](https://www.globe.church). Please sign up if you would like to attend. If you have any questions please ask us using Meetup. Numbers are limited so please only sign up if you are going to come and change your response if you can no longer come. Look forward to seeing you soon 😊

Ready to tackle your fear of public speaking? **· Small groups** **· Take things at your own pace** **· Handle nerves** **· Find courage** **· Develop confidence** **· Take away an action plan so you don’t lose momentum** **· Course led by a communications professional** **· Limited places available – book early** **Why should you take the course?** Almost everybody has some fear of speaking out loud in front of others. No matter where you fall on the scale from nervous avoider to terrorised trembler, you’ll get the confidence and skills you need to move forward with your speaking journey. There’s no ability more important than the ability to communicate and connect. From job interviews to client pitches, presentations to team meetings and dissertation defences to dating – being able to communicate and connect is everything. Does that mean you’ll ditch the nerves forever? Of course not. Nerves are not a bad thing. The problem comes when we have no control over the nerves, and we begin to let them stop us doing things that are going to be good for us. **How will the course work?** We’ll talk about what it is that causes the fear of speaking out loud and what we can do to face it, control it and overcome it. There’ll be lots of opportunity and encouragement to speak. How much you speak and to how many people will be totally up to you. We’ll start by talking in pairs, progress to small groups and eventually see if we can get you up in front of the whole group. But you’ll decide how much you’re willing to do. Our groups will be small. We want the group to be small enough that you won’t be overwhelmed but big enough for it to feel like a challenge. **Who is this course for?** This course is for anybody who feels uncomfortably nervous when they speak and wants to change that. Some people have spoken for years but just can’t shake off the feeling of doom every time they do, and others have avoided speaking all their lives and simply never do it. Everybody will leave the session with an action plan, laying out the next steps you’ll take to make sure the huge momentum you’ll get from this course isn’t lost. **our course leader** My name is Dan Magill and I’ll be running your course. I am: * An accomplished keynote speaker and workshop facilitator * Three time UK Public Speaking Champion (2022,2024, 2025) * Twice represented the UK at The World Championships of Public Speaking * Seven time winner of The Moth Storytelling Slam A communications consultant and public speaking trainer, working with organisations including: * Sky Television * NatWest Bank * British Airways * HSBC * Vodafone

Come and join us every week day from 12.45pm - 2.45pm. Classes for levels elementary to upper-intermediate (A1+ - B2+) Improve your fluency, listening and reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary with our friendly classes. No payment needed - the classes are **completely free** because the teachers are training with a University of Cambridge accredited program. Join us at 24 Great Chapel St, London, W1F 8FS Take the level test in advance for more information about classes for your level (link to the level test: https://forms.gle/mn3hqUgo3BRLyAUi7) and wait for up to one business day for more information. OR Come 15 minutes early on your first day to do a quick speaking test and find your classroom. See you soon!

**SPACES ARE LIMITED – BOOK YOUR TICKET BEFORE THE EVENT:** **[https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983612787244?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983612787244?aff=oddtdtcreator)** Building a successful startup requires the right mix of **vision, strategy, and technology**. This event brings together **business founders, CTOs, and technical experts** who are looking to collaborate, share insights, and form strategic partnerships. Whether you're an entrepreneur in search of a **technical co-founder**, a CTO exploring new opportunities, or a tech expert looking to work with innovative startups, this is the perfect space to connect. ### **What to expect?** **Find the Right People** – Engage with **startup founders, CTOs, engineers, and product leaders** all in one place. **1-Minute Elevator Pitches** – A chance to introduce yourself, highlight what you’re working on, and share what you’re looking for—whether it’s a co-founder, a new role, or business collaboration. **Build Your Tech Team** – Connect with experienced developers, engineers, and tech leads who are open to new ventures. **Explore Startup & Investment Opportunities** – Investors, entrepreneurs, and technical experts will have a chance to **network, discuss ideas, and explore partnerships**. **Industry Trends & Collaboration** – Learn about the latest innovations in **SaaS, AI, fintech, blockchain, and emerging tech sectors**. ### **Who Will Benefit from This Event?** * **Startup Founders** – If you’re building a tech company and need a strong technical partner, this event will help you find the right match. * **CTOs & Tech Leaders** – Whether you’re looking for new startup ventures, potential co-founder roles, or networking with like-minded professionals, this is the place to be. * **Software Engineers & Product Experts** – Get in front of startup founders and explore opportunities to collaborate on exciting projects. * **Investors & VCs** – Connect with promising tech startups and **top-tier technical talent** to explore investment opportunities. * **Growth & Strategy Experts** – Meet tech teams and business leaders looking for insights into scaling, fundraising, and entering new markets. * ### **Why You Should Attend** * **Expand Your Professional Circle** – Meet potential **co-founders, CTOs, engineers, and investors** in a setting designed to foster high-value connections. * **Gain Insights & Opportunities** – Whether you’re looking for a **startup to join**, a **tech partner to help scale**, or just want to connect with the ecosystem, this event delivers. * **Make Meaningful Introductions** – Skip the cold outreach and **meet people who are actively looking for collaboration, investment, or tech solutions**. **Attendance is limited—reserve your spot today and take the next step in growing your startup, career, or investment network.** What to join this event and all our future events for **FREE**? Join **The Business Minds Membership** to unlock free entry to all our 290+ yearly networking events, plus exclusive networking opportunities. Learn more: [https://thebusinessminds.co.uk/membership](https://thebusinessminds.co.uk/membership "https://thebusinessminds.co.uk/membership"). **AGENDA OF THIS NETWORKING EVENT IN LONDON** 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Meet and greet. Upon arrival, ask the receptionist about the business networking event, and they will guide you to our designated area. 8 pm - 8:30 - Presentations 8:30 pm -10 pm: Informal networking Dress code: business smart casual. **Register now - space is limited to 50 attendees only!** **P.S. Click Follow for future event alerts!**

This is a mini-group class for a small number of English students (minimum 2, maximum 4) so that everyone gets lots of opportunity to speak and be corrected. We switch topics as the conversation flows, so that you can get used to talking about a variety of subjects and build your confidence, grammar and vocabulary. The atmosphere is fun and friendly and you'll meet new people to practice with. Look forward to seeing you there!

**SPACES ARE LIMITED – BOOK YOUR TICKET BEFORE THE EVENT:** **[https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983445862969?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983445862969?aff=oddtdtcreator)** Step into the vibrant world of artificial intelligence and machine learning at our exclusive London AI & ML Network Mixer. This event caters to innovators, thinkers, and investors in the AI and ML spheres, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders, discover cutting-edge projects, and explore potential collaborations. **Who Should Attend:** * **Emerging AI and ML Startups:** Showcase your innovations and seek partnerships or funding in a focused setting. * **Investors:** Find pioneering startups within the AI and ML domains that align with your investment criteria. * **AI and ML Professionals:** Network with peers, discuss advancements and industry challenges, and potentially find your next career move. * **Students and Academics:** Immerse yourself in the industry environment, gain insights, and connect with potential mentors and collaborators. **Why This Event is a Must:** * **Effective Networking:** Tailored specifically for the AI and ML communities, this mixer facilitates targeted networking, helping you build meaningful connections that can lead to collaborative projects or ventures. * **Opportunity for Exposure:** Startups can gain visibility by presenting their projects during one-minute pitches, directly communicating their value to an audience that includes potential investors and collaborators. * **Insight into Industry Trends:** Keep up-to-date with the latest research and commercial opportunities in AI and ML through conversations with industry insiders and thought leaders. * **Career Opportunities:** Professionals looking to advance in the AI and ML fields can discover new opportunities and expand their networks in a dynamic, supportive environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with the forefront of AI and ML innovation. Whether you’re looking to invest, collaborate, or just learn about the next big thing in tech, our London AI & ML Network Mixer is the place to be. Secure your spot today and be part of shaping the future of technology! **AGENDA OF THIS NETWORKING EVENT IN LONDON** 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Meet and greet. Upon arrival, ask the receptionist about the business networking event, and they will guide you to our designated area. 8 pm - 8:30 - Presentations 8:30 pm -10 pm: Informal networking Dress code: business smart casual. **Register now - space is limited to 50 attendees only!** **P.S. Click Follow for future event alerts!**

Join fellow product people at The Product Group London on **Thu 2nd April** for an evening of learning, sharing and networking. **Topic of the Night: Product Outcomes Over Outputs** Product management is changing to be much more focused on achieving quantifiable outcomes over outputs and hitting dates. So how do product people make the shift and stay in the outcomes lane? On the night, we’ll explore what this really means incl. the important outcomes to focus on; making the culture shift to outcome focused; adjusting success metrics; using outcomes to drive product strategies, roadmaps, discovery and delivery; getting stakeholders onboard with a different way of thinking, and much more. **Featured Guest: Phil Hornby, Global Product Lead, ZF Group** Phil is a product leader, coach and technologist with over 20 years of experience across SaaS, IoT and Automotive. His career has spanned development, sales and operations, but product management is where he found his home, focusing on solving complex customer problems with scalable solutions. Today, Phil works as Global Product Lead at ZF, leading a tier 1 commercial vehicle diagnostics platform. As a senior IC, he works across multiple product teams to shape cohesive products that combine commercial thinking with deep technical expertise. He also founded a ZF community of practice to connect and grow digital product professionals. Alongside his ZF role, Phil continues to coach product leaders and teams, having supported thousands of individuals across hundreds of companies. He is known for helping people think clearly, make better decisions and take action that drives real impact. Phil is also a regular speaker and co-host of the Talking Roadmaps podcast. **About The Product Group London** The Product Group London is a monthly meetup designed to bring product people of all levels together for topical discussions, as a group and with our guest speakers. With attendees from startups to large enterprises, there is no shortage of opportunities to network and make new connections. And whilst the focus is on product management, we welcome product designers and engineers to join for some friendly and lively discussions. **A word about our sponsor and host, BrainStation** [BrainStation](https://brainstation.io/london) is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 500 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.

**MONTY ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP** [https://montyenglish.co.uk/english-conversation-group-classes-in-london](https://montyenglish.co.uk/english-conversation-group-classes-in-london) **How to find us** When you arrive at the Royal George we go down into the basement and you will find us there. Just ask a staff member if you cannot find us! Here is the location of the Royal George on google maps: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/HpkySsu2rEqUUub1A](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HpkySsu2rEqUUub1A) * Food or drink at the pub is not included (please make at least one purchase - they have a good range of drinks and great food if you feel hungry) **How are the lessons?** The lesson is a General English lesson focused on speaking and error correction - every lesson we usually cover 3 different topics. This will encourage you to use new vocabulary and practise grammatical structures. The group has a limit of 25 people but I usually accept people if you are on the waiting list. You will be divided into groups of 3-6 with others of a similar speaking level so you'll have plenty of opportunity to talk and ask questions to your qualified, native teacher Jon. The lesson takes place in the relaxed environment of the Royal George basement which is a pleasant pub, a two-minute walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. The lesson is ideal for pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper-intermediate students wishing to get to the next level. If you have any questions about the English lesson then please call me or send me a message. **Payment** Payments can be made in cash or by card (free of charge) when you come to the class. If it is your first time it is only £2! After your first time it is £6 for a single class or you can buy a ticket that makes each class cheaper; 5 classes for £20, 10 classes for £25 (you can use these tickets whenever you like and do not need to come in a set period of time) or 20 classes for £40 which has a limited use to within a six-month period. You can also pay via our website: [https://montyenglish.co.uk/english-conversation-group-classes-in-london](https://montyenglish.co.uk/english-conversation-group-classes-in-london) I hope to see you soon - if you have any questions please message me (via WhatsApp) on 07771 561 576 All the best, Jon (event organiser)

Welcome to our second London meetup of 2026, where we discuss Gen AI and Kubernetes! Details below: **Location:** Civo Tech Junction, First Floor, 32-37 Cowper St, London EC2A 4AW **Time:** Doors open at 6PM **Drinks, snacks, talks, and networking.** We’re excited to invite you to our second in-person **DevOps Society Meetup** of 2026, proudly **sponsored by Cast AI**. This event is focussed around Gen AI and Kubernetes, with two really exciting speakers lined up for this one in Carly and Kunal. Format of the Meetup: 6:00pm – 6:30pm — Networking on arrival, with food and drinks provided by CastAI 6:30pm – 7:10pm — First speaker + Q&A 7:10pm – 7:20pm — Break for refreshments and networking 7:20pm – 8:00pm — Second speaker + Q&A 8:00pm onwards — More networking at the venue, then at a nearby pub. *Timings can vary slightly depending on Q&A.* We’re excited to welcome everyone to our next DevOps Society London meetup, where we’ll be diving into two incredibly relevant topics in modern infrastructure: observing GenAI applications in production and optimising Kubernetes clusters. We’ll be joined by two brilliant speakers from the ecosystem who are working at the forefront of developer tooling and cloud infrastructure. As always, expect a relaxed evening of technical learning, discussion, and networking with fellow engineers from across the London tech community. *** ## 🎤 Speaker 1 - Carly Richmond **Developer Advocate Lead @ Elastic** ### Observing AI Applications with OpenLit and OpenTelemetry Observability is the ability to measure the current state of a system. With the rapid emergence of LLMs and GenAI applications moving into production, teams now need deeper insight into how these systems behave in real-world environments. In this talk, Carly will explore best practices for observing production AI applications, covering how engineers can capture logs, traces, and metrics to better understand how LLMs interact within their application ecosystem. She’ll walk through a real example of instrumenting an AI agent application written in TypeScript, using OpenLit to generate OpenTelemetry signals. The session will show the types of telemetry data teams can capture to identify usage patterns, detect errors, and troubleshoot issues commonly seen in production GenAI applications. ### About Carly Carly Richmond is Developer Advocate Lead at Elastic, based in London. She’s a UI developer who also writes backend services, a keynote speaker, and a tech writer who is passionate about helping developers build better systems. Outside of tech, Carly enjoys cooking, photography, drinking tea, and chasing after her young son. *** ## 🎤 Speaker 2 - Kunal Kushwaha **Senior Developer Advocate @ CAST AI** ### Optimizing Kubernetes and Unlocking Blockers with Container Live Migration Kubernetes promises automation, yet most clusters run at around **10% CPU utilisation**, leaving large amounts of infrastructure sitting idle. With endless instance types, constantly shifting prices, and the complexity of modern workloads, maintaining efficient clusters can quickly become a full-time job. In this talk, Kunal explores the real-world challenges teams face when running Kubernetes in production. He’ll cover where Kubernetes automation works well, where it falls short, and why optimisation remains difficult for many teams. Topics include: * Why most Kubernetes clusters are underutilised * The realities of autoscaling in production environments * Challenges around instance types and Spot capacity * Common mistakes teams make with HPA and VPA Once these challenges are laid out, Kunal introduces Container Live Migration as a way to overcome some of these long-standing blockers. To bring the concept to life, he’ll run a live technical demo where Pods running a small video game are migrated across nodes in real time, while the audience participates. The game continues running without downtime, demonstrating how live migration can improve cluster efficiency without disrupting workloads. Please register below to secure your spot. Spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. We’re really looking forward to getting the community back together again for our first event of 2026. [Our slack community](https://join.slack.com/t/devopssociety/shared_invite/zt-3mswuylw7-MhJg1IZ70rX_GpJTluG2Cw) \- join in and introduce yourself\! [Our Youtube Channel ](https://www.youtube.com/@DevOpsSociety)for regular podcasts with DevOps professionals + more DevOps content. [Website](https://thedevopsociety.com/) [To partner with us](https://thedevopsociety.com/partnerships) CAST AI website - https://cast.ai/ Thanks! From the DevOps Society team [Ben](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwhitmarsh/) and [Vytas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vytasdevops/)

We’re keeping things moving in March with a return to one of our favourites, **The Otherist**! Located right in the heart of the City near Liverpool Street and Bank, this place has the perfect relaxed vibe for sinking into some good product chat! It’s an ideal spot to grab a drink, catch up with familiar faces, and meet some new ones - see you there 👋 **About Product Pints:** Product Pints events do away with formal talks and presentations to focus on the things that matter - meaningful connections and interesting conversations for product people. We see a diverse range of folk attending from those looking to enter the product world, CPOs, entrepreneurs, devs, designers, and technology enthusiasts. Whether you're there to get advice on an idea or a pain point, hoping to understand more about what other PMs are doing or simply looking to share a beer with some fellow product people, we'd love to see you there. **If your company might be interested in sponsoring future events in 2026, please reach out to us at hello@productpints.com**

If you’ve recently stepped into leadership, you’re probably facing decisions that feel heavier than expected. Not because they’re complicated. Because they involve trade-offs. You might be circling: * A hire you’re unsure about * A pricing change with ripple effects * A pivot that feels risky * A messy internal process * A trade-off with no clean answer This is a small, facilitated working session (max 3 participants). We take real decisions and think them through properly. Not networking. Not theory. Not pitching. Structured thinking. ### Format • 3 participants • Each brings one real decision • We clarify the actual problem • Separate facts from assumptions • Map options and consequences • Identify trade-offs • Define the next move

We're excited to be heading to Civo Tech Junction for our March meetup. We'll have some great talks, detailed below, and drinks and food for everyone. **We are short of volunteers so please get in touch if you can help with logistics on the night**. **6:00pm - Arrival** **6:45pm - Introductions** **7:00pm - The Talks** **Building Secure CI/CD for Multi‑Cloud: An AWS Builder’s Perspective - Alam Ahmad** “Shift left on security” sounds simple until you’re juggling AWS and Azure, Terraform templates, and CI/CD pipelines moving faster than you can keep up. In this talk, AWS Community Builder Alam Ahmed shares how he brought practical, automated cloud security to life across multiple cloud environments without slowing delivery. Through real‑world stories and live demos, Alam shows how to embed policy‑as‑code tools like Checkov and Trivy into GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Jenkins pipelines. Expect working examples you can drop into production and see how open‑source tools (Terraform, Prowler, Trivy, and more) can help teams catch misconfigurations before they ship. You’ll learn how to bridge security patterns between AWS and Azure, apply Security‑as‑Code that actually works, and harness the open‑source ecosystem to move faster while staying compliant. Alam Ahmed began his career in a Network Operations Center before shifting into cloud security and automation. He’s an AWS Community Builder in Security, a regular meetup speaker (Elastic London, Yorkshire DevOps, Cloud Native London), and an open‑source contributor pursuing opportunities as a Junior Cloud Engineer or Application Support Engineer. His talks connect hands‑on ops experience with actionable security automation for the real world. **Into the Agentic Mud Fight: Surviving the Shift from Scripts to Vibes - Ivan Pedrazas** We started with Copilots, then the AI IDEs arrived. Then the Terminal took the spotlight with Claude Code, which was nice... until the OpenClaw landed, and now we're knee deep in an "Agentic Mud Fight", and the DevOps community is caught in the crossfire. While AI Agents promise a future of self-healing infrastructure and autonomous deployments, they introduce a radical paradigm shift. We are moving from deterministic, script-based automation to probabilistic, goal-oriented autonomy. DevOps was built on the comfort of "if this, then that," but Agents operate on the principle of "this is likely the best next step." Suddenly, we’re wondering if an ever-mutating pipeline is actually the way to go (or just a very fast way to break things). In this light-hearted journey through the trenches, we’ll look at the three pillars of our new daily reality: security, observability and reliability. With two decades of experience in distributed systems, Ivan Pedrazas has spent the last year at the forefront of the AI evolution. He is currently building the next generation of developer tooling, integrating AI agents and MCP servers to create seamless workflows between LLMs and (non-deterministic) production environments. **Participate in a future Meetup** If you'd like to speak at a future meetup, or if you are able to host or sponsor the event, please fill in this [form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FYGHEWTeBb5vVztGGg2YoUJmKR03o9mZaFIghf6vjzo/viewform?edit_requested=true) and we'll get back to you.

**Stop Experimenting. Start Delivering. Go from Proof-of-Concept to Production.** We continue with **Part 2** of our **AI Ops with Databricks** series, where we explore how to move from AI experimentation to real, production-scale value. In this session, **Wynand Jordaan** and **Matthew Thomson** will unpack the practical steps, architecture patterns, and operational best practices for delivering **AI at scale** using Databricks. We’ll discuss: * How AI Ops bridges the gap between data science and production systems * Leveraging Databricks to operationalise machine learning workflows * Building robust monitoring, observability, and governance for AI models * Expert heuristics, tips, tricks and rules of thumb for building reliable agentic systems * Real-world examples of accelerating AI delivery and reducing time-to-value Whether you’re a data engineer, data scientist, or tech leader looking to scale AI impact, this session will give you actionable insights and a roadmap to production success. **Speakers**: * **Wynand Jordaan** – AI & Data Engineering Specialist, passionate about scaling intelligent systems in production. * **Matthew Thomson, PhD** –Director for Architecture, Consulting and Enablement for UK&I at Databricks, focused on helping customers build and deploy Apache Spark and machine learning models at scale. Join us to learn, share ideas, and connect with others shaping the future of AI operations.

**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception** Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory. For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy. She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps). Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way. **About Our Speaker** Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. 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.

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

Attend a free seminar on how to have successful and lasting relationships. At this seminar you will learn: How to spot and handle negative and toxic relationships. How to get through the "rough patches" in a relationship. How to choose the right people to work with. The three things that make or break any relationship. How to make a good relationship great. All are welcome. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. Hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

Central Ohio Radio Enthusiasts—CORE—is an informal community for anyone enthusiastic or curious about radio—whether you're new to radio and want to learn or you've been tinkering for years and want to share. Ham radio operators, GMRS users, Meshtastic fans, software-defined radio nerds, makers, and technical and non-technical folks are all welcome. No experience required or expected. This month we have **WiFi HaLow: Introduction and Practical Use** with **Alex Barbur**. Details are are [core.radio](https://core.radio).

We meet to learn and practice American Sign Language and to grow our familiarity with Deaf culture. Facilitated by hearing folks (with a connection to a professional interpreter) using Deaf-created content. People of all ASL skill levels are welcome! As we learn, we hope to connect more with the Deaf community in Central Ohio. Join us as you're able! Come regularly or just once - whatever you're looking for! Each meetup will explore different topics related to ASL/Deaf culture, and will feature time to practice conversation with one another. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn!

The global Azure community is coming together again, and Columbus is officially on the map. View the session lineup and speakers at [Global Azure Columbus 2026](https://coazure.github.io/cbus-global-azure-2026/) On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup, DevOps Meetup, and Code and Coffee Meetup are hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!