Green Design Architecture

**NEW ADDITIONAL LOCATION – Join us in Virginia for the Arts of Life: A meditative, creative journey with local artist Nancy Burbridge.** Join us every third Friday of the month in Virginia from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM for an afternoon of creativity, relaxation, and self-discovery. In this interactive session, you will learn how to draw, paint, and explore the beauty within, cultivating the best version of yourself in a serene and supportive environment. Come experience the magic of art and meditation as tools for self-expression and inner growth. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is necessary. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore! We can't wait to see you there! Fri., Jan. 16th, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. Held at the Brahma Kumaris Center, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl, Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/JNzf4](https://shorturl.at/JNzf4)

Join us ***in person* at the Brahma Kumaris Virginia Center** as we come together as a community to participate in a live Zoom class with BK Shila Sanghani. This shared experience offers a nurturing space to gently reconnect with yourself and realign your inner world. Our breath is one of the most profound tools for self-regulation, peace, and inner harmony. Through conscious breathing, we open the body’s meridians and energy pathways, activating the natural life force that supports healing on every level. From this heightened state of awareness, the mind becomes clearer, the body more relaxed, and the spirit more expansive. In this **weekly session**, you’ll be guided through simple yogic breathing practices and light stretching exercises that refresh the body, calm the mind, and uplift the heart. These techniques are accessible for all levels and offer a beautiful way to reset and recharge. BK Shila Sanghani, a certified yoga instructor based in the Chicago metro area, brings years of experience facilitating workshops, national retreats, and collaborative programs with medical professionals. Her compassionate approach has supported individuals navigating various health conditions, making her sessions both therapeutic and deeply restorative. Come nourish your well-being from the inside out - one breath at a time. Free Event - Donations Appreciated.

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. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Most real estate agents build their business one transaction at a time.** Investors build wealth—and they buy repeatedly. The Investor Decoder shows why serving investors is the fastest path to predictable income, repeat deal flow, and a higher-value role in real estate. In this session, you’ll learn how to identify and serve the four core investor profiles that drive the majority of investor activity: * The Flipper – speed, volume, and clear exits * The Landlord – long-term cash flow and stability * The Creative Investor – complex deals and problem-solving * The Private Lender – capital partners who enable scale You’ll discover how each profile thinks, what they value most, and what they expect from an agent—so you can position yourself as a trusted advisor instead of just another salesperson. We’ll also cover: * Why investors represent a massive opportunity in today’s market * How working with investors elevates you to a Real Estate Wealth Advisor * The key questions that quickly decode investor goals and timelines * A clear action plan to start building your investor pipeline If you’re ready to escape the transaction treadmill and earn more by working with investors, this session will show you how. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **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.

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

This class focuses on **advanced [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu) concepts**, including **takedowns**, **positional drilling**, **submissions**, **transitions**, **situational sparring**, **strategy development**, and **live training**. This class is designed to be **faster-paced** and may involve a high volume of **[rolling](https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/jiu-jitsu-rolls)**. While the class is scheduled for **one hour**, it may occasionally run up to **90 minutes** depending on content and participation. The **drop-in fee** for non-members is **$20**, payable on-site. Note that [OSMA](https://virginiabjj.com/) is located in **Suite #130**, and this class begins at **05:00 PM**.

Join us for an all plant-based meal at the always popular Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant in Vienna, VA. We've made a reservation for 20 attendees, so don't delay in RSVPing as this will fill up. You can preview Sunflower's menu [here. ](https://www.crystalsunflower.com/menu) Parking is available in the restaurant's lot and the Vienna Metro station is 1.6 miles away. Rides may be available from attendees with cars so please communicate needs/availability in the comments below. Please note that there is no outdoor dining at this venue and that this is an indoor event. **Update Your RSVP** Out of respect for others interested in attending this limited-space event, please update your RSVP promptly as your schedule changes. **VSDC: More Than A Meetup** We are delighted to have you as part of The Veg Society of DC Vegan Meetup group, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. Did you know that [VSDC](https://vsdc.org/%20) is a nonprofit organization with membership benefits? With VSDC membership, you will save money at area restaurants and businesses, attend VSDC member-only events, and, most importantly, support us as a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. The membership fee is minimal, but the impact is significant! [Join today](https://vsdc.org/membership/)! **Ways to Stay In Touch with Us** Thank you for being part of our Meetup presence and bringing like-minded people together. We invite you to: * Become a [VSDC member](https://vsdc.org/membership/) to save money at area restaurants and support us in being a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. * Sign up for our[ monthly e-newsletter](https://vsdc.org/about/newsletter/) to hear more about our activities. * Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/vegsocietydc/) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/vegsocietydc/) to engage with us. **Interested in Volunteering with VSDC?** VSDC offers many events each month, thanks to the dedication of our event planning team. Would you consider volunteering? To learn more and get started, [please visit our website](https://vsdc.org/volunteer/). **Only Vegan Food, Please** While VSDC welcomes people wherever they are on the path to an all-plant, vegan diet and lifestyle, it is our policy that only vegan food be served and consumed at our events. If you would like to [explore a vegan diet or get support in making lifestyle changes, consider these resources](https://vsdc.org/exploringvegan/). **Liability Waiver and Code of Conduct** When you sign up to attend, you automatically acknowledge [VSDC's Liability Waiver](https://vsdc.org/activity-waiver/) and commit to follow the code of conduct found at [Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC](https://vsdc.org/policies/). **VSDC. Creating communities. For your health, the animals, and the planet.**

Whether you're new to Insight meditation or an advanced practitioner looking for like-minded people to sit with, you're welcome to join us at our Sunday morning drop-in group, sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. Insight meditation cultivates our natural wisdom and compassion. Meditation practice develops concentration, which allows us to calm and steady the mind. This class includes a 30-minute lightly-guided meditation, followed by a short talk and time for questions and discussion. The size of the group usually runs somewhere between 25-40 people in-person and between 12-25 online. Chairs are provided, or you may bring a sitting cushion or bench. You may also use the blankets and bolsters offered by the yoga studio. **We offer both in-person and online attendance.** To learn more about our topics and teachers, view our videos or **get the Zoom link**, visit our [class page](https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=735&utm_source=MeetUp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vienna-drop-in).

• What we'll do Learn how to take great pictures BEFORE you go on that expensive trip! And we will teach you how to use your camera IN THE FIELD, not in a classroom! Join our standard Monuments and Memorials workshop, offered Wednesdays and Saturdays, in which the instructor takes you to some of DC’s most popular attractions: White House, Lafayette Park, the Einstein, Lincoln, Korea, and Vietnam Three Servicemen Memorials, and finally to Union Station, where you learn to make all the moving people DISAPPEAR! Remember, it was Confucius who said: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do, and I understand." At Washington Photo Safari, we help you "do " and understand! That is why our motto is "See. Click. Learn." This $71 Safari (a 20% discount from the regular $89 price) begins with a 45-minute travel photography orientation, giving you basic tips in composition, F-stops and shutter speeds, portraiture, and interior photography. While you are taking pictures, you receive hands-on guidance on how to make those images even better! Advanced and smartphone photographers will appreciate the instructor’s extensive knowledge of the best camera angles in DC. This is suggested as a preliminary course before taking special safaris. Open to any photographers at any skill level with any camera, phone, or tablet. Transportation from site to site is provided by the instructor. • What to bring camera and all lenses • Important to know travel, architectural, portrait and street photography techniques

***Registration required at Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy -*** [Birding Algonkian - Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy](https://loudounwildlife.org/event/birding-algonkian-january/) Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on a search for birds at the Algonkian Regional Park in eastern Loudoun County. This bird walk takes place each month except December. With extensive frontage along the Potomac River, its rich bottomland forests, extensive wetlands and grassy areas combine to make it Loudoun’s top birding hotspot. Bring binoculars if you have them. We’ll meet at the boat ramp next to the parking lot.

A unique worship experience for adults looking to engage their mind, body, spirit, and taste buds! Sundays, 5PM Join us each Sunday for a guided time of stretching, meditation, and mindfulness (think Yoga Church) – followed by a free mocktail and conversation! It’s a great day to end one week – and begin another. No reservations needed; just show up. (Invite a friend!) [https://www.thevineva.org/stretch-sip](https://www.thevineva.org/stretch-sip?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR5PvfHVivaZWvu3F4k-dNoYLoXZ9EkAZKcaOcJ2fBP09QM_svyEG0tkZgIH-w_aem_GVuOBm_3I478NQM3Lkqe0A) 2501 Gallows Road, Dunn Loring, VA 22027

**Join us for an insider's guide to achieving financial freedom through house hacking.** We will share proven strategies for turning your home into a powerful wealth-building tool. Discover multiple methods to successfully house hack your way to financial independence, including how to find the right property, choose the proper strategy, and own for less than renting. Come for the training, stay for the networking! ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Did you miss it?** [Watch all GRID event playbacks on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/gridinvestor) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Join the GRID Facebook Community** [Join our online GRID community here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/gridinvestor) to post deals, ask questions, and connect with other investors across the globe.

\*\*\*Meditation in our sacred space will begin promptly at 7:15 pm. Please refrain from entering after 7:15 pm. Additionally, space is limited to the first 35 attendees. Your RSVP here does not guarantee you a spot and tickets are available first come, first served. \*\*\* Donations are appreciated, and the average donation is generally $20, but all are welcome regardless of means! A portion of all proceeds will help fund the Crystal Ashram non-profit project where the Human Activation School of Expanded Consciousness will be located. A unique musical experience called a "Sound Bath" Sound bath! What's that? According to sonic specialist Monte Hansen from Annapolis MD, "A sound bath is an immersion in sound frequency that cleans your soul." Leave your rubber ducky at home. Bring your blankey instead, for this super relaxing immersion! According to cutting-edge doctors from Harvard, some of the deepest most profound healing in the body are accomplished with sound frequency. That's old news though. A 2nd century stone relief in the Himalayan mountains shows us that Buddha and his entourage knew this before Christ walked the earth. The stone relief depicts the Buddha and his buddies playing ancient Tibetan singing bowls. A sound frequency specialist from the [Human Activation School](https://humanactivation.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d88b4fea1b0f4ceaeb58f0e82&id=d6674b4603&e=465ba11f44), will be playing several of these rare Singing Bowls, some of which are over 200 years old. A magical alchemy of 7-12 different metals rings in the past, present, and future for our relaxing enchantment. Even modern doctors are using these old metal bowls for healing, and they are not practicing Buddhists! As a matter of fact, modern Buddhists no longer use the bowls in their practice. Come experience these gifts from the past in this NON-religious practice of our present. Come be rejuvenated or just captivated by this unique musical performance. Bring your pillows, blankeys, and yoga mats and snuggle into the comfort of the tranquil sounds. Feel free to sit, lay, or even stand! ***Did You Know?*** Singing bowls invite the mind and body into a tranquil state of being in which remarkable healing can occur, events that are unexplainable from a conventional biomedical perspective” *Music and the Meditative Mind: Toward the Science of the Ineffable*[Source](https://humanactivation.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d88b4fea1b0f4ceaeb58f0e82&id=9222616fc4&e=465ba11f44) "The sound bath meditation provides a nurturing space to connect and grow spiritually. The group atmosphere is welcoming and fun, and the meditation work is soothing and enriching. Loved it!"**-Cara** 7:00 pm - Meditation Reception\*\*\*Meditation in our sacred space will begin promptly at 7:15 pm. Please refrain from entering after 7:15 pm.\*\*\* 7:15 - Doors Close & Meditation Begins 8:15 - Meditation Ends, Followed by Community Reflection \*Please be respectful of Sticks and Stones employees and their instructions upon entering and exiting the space for the meditation\* A portion of all proceeds will help fund the [Crystal Ashram](https://humanactivation.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d88b4fea1b0f4ceaeb58f0e82&id=11664c3011&e=465ba11f44) non-profit project where the [Human Activation](https://humanactivation.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d88b4fea1b0f4ceaeb58f0e82&id=41699e76d8&e=465ba11f44) School of Expanded Consciousness will be located. Community sharing and engagement following after the meditation Questions? Please email [robert@humanactivation.com](mailto:robert@humanactivation.com) or visit [crystalashram.com](https://humanactivation.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d88b4fea1b0f4ceaeb58f0e82&id=7d92f9b8f7&e=465ba11f44)\. \|

Gaming, AdTech, EdTech, Media Streaming, and FinTech are just a few of the workloads where high-availability cloud infrastructure matters. Whether you’re doing battle daily in one of these spaces or are just curious about ways to improve performance, meet us in Reston for an in-person discussion on bare metal cloud architecture. You’ll meet our product lead, James MacKenzie, who will walk through how modern bare metal serves as a control plane for hybrid and private cloud architectures. **What we will cover** * Ways to leverage bare metal, containers, and orchestration for better performance and predictable economics; * Real-world hybrid, disaster recovery, and data-intensive architectures; * Our approach to eliminating ingress and egress fees. **Who should attend** * Cloud architects and platform engineers; * DevOps professionals and infrastructure leads; * FinOps stakeholders managing data-heavy or hybrid workloads. **Why attend** This is a technical, architecture-first conversation. You will leave with a clearer understanding of high-availability cloud infrastructure and how organizations are scaling cost-effectively. Food and drinks will be provided. Space is limited to keep the discussion interactive.

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy registration at [Birding Gilbert’s Corner - Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy](https://loudounwildlife.org/event/birding-gilberts-corner-january/) Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a bird walk at the relatively new [Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park](https://www.novaparks.com/parks/gilberts-corner-regional-park) in Aldie (see map below). With a combination of scrub, brush and meadow, this park is a great birding hotspot in southwestern Loudoun. *Limit 14. **Registration required.*** ***Questions:*** *Contact Joe Coleman at [jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org)*.

**Important! Please register on [Luma Page](https://luma.com/n7h7ynr4)** This event is organised by Projector Institute community and Ukrainian Tech Space DC MD VA Join us for an exclusive evening dedicated to exploring what it truly means to be a Product Designer — and how to manage this role more effectively in today’s fast-changing digital landscape. ​ During this session, we’ll dive into: • The pros and cons of working in product vs. non-product companies • Communication as one of the main design tools • Business-oriented approaches to product design • Practical insights for both junior and senior designers • The use of AI tools and workflows — backed by real-world examples ​ Speaker: [Misha Rybachuk](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-rybachuk/) — Co-founder of [Projector Institute](https://prjctr.com/en/about), Art Director at [Lezo.io](https://lezo.io/en), and former designer at Accenture. With over 10 years of experience in interface design, Mike has helped build impactful digital products by merging creativity, strategy, and technology. ​ This event is your opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, gain hands-on insights, and see how design bridges creativity, communication, and business success.

**\*This is an in-person event\*** Most people hold their ideas too tightly. They refine too early, hesitate to share half-formed concepts, and wait for “perfect” before putting anything in front of a user. Frankie Abralind works the opposite way and that mindset is a big part of why his projects succeed. In this session, Frankie walks you through his real creative process: messy drafts, discarded versions, surprising user reactions, and the moments when he threw out something he loved because the evidence pushed him in a new direction. You’ll see firsthand how treating ideas as *disposable, not precious* accelerates learning and leads to better outcomes. You’ll also get to examine real artifacts from the development of his games **BrainSpin**, **DIEKY**, and **eckso**. Explore prototypes, dive into design dilemmas, and hear candid stories of iteration, failure, and breakthrough that have earned former DT:DC director Frankie Abralind a reputation as an “entrepreneur who ships.” **What you'll learn** • What you need to test an idea quickly • Where to find real users (beyond friends and family) • How to ask non-leading, non-biasing questions • User-testing methods that uncover meaningful insights • Best practices for rapid iteration • How to log feedback, share modifications, and track updates • How to receive feedback with openness and use it productively • How to build, and reward, a network of testers and supporters **Agenda** **6:00pm** – Snacks & connection **6:30pm** – Case Study 1: *BrainSpin* — finding user testers **6:50pm** – Case Study 2: *DIEKY* — play tester appreciation **7:10pm** – Case Study 3: *eckso* — rapid prototyping **7:30pm** – *Zenmo* — live user testing **8:00pm** – Debrief & questions **8:30pm** – Adjourn **About our presenter** **Frankie Abralind** is an experience designer, artist, and neurodiversity advocate. He earned his MBA from the University of Maryland, where he has taught “Innovative Thinking” to graduate students since 2014. He also served as co-director of the Innovation Hub at Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital. In 2018, Frankie co-founded **The Good Listening Project**, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening psychological safety in healthcare. He is the inventor of the bestselling game **BrainSpin**, which showcases the power of divergent thinking and collaboration. Today, he leads the stealth startup **Zenmo**, which helps people connect through color. He’s Autistic (and proud!)

**Happiness is a Decision** Happiness does not come from outside, it comes from inside, and when you radiate a happy energy, you'll be amazed by what it attracts into your life. Wed., Jan. 21st, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Held at Brahma Kumaris, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl., Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free event - Register at: [https://shorturl.at/9BR5y](https://shorturl.at/9BR5y)

**Planting Seeds of Peace** What happens in this theater of life is the result of actions planted in the past. Let us now plant seeds of peace to create a life of serenity. Wed., Jan. 28th, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Held at Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/OelS7](https://shorturl.at/OelS7)

Our local amphibians and reptiles are both susceptible to habitat destruction and pollutants and can often be victims of being misunderstood. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for an introductory look at our local amphibians and reptiles, what our citizens can do to help protect their habitats, and what related programs are available through Loudoun Wildlife to help monitor populations and increase community awareness of these often overlooked and fragile species. This presentation takes place at Rust Library and is co-sponsored by the Loudoun County Public Library and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.