Human Factors

**🔥 Modernizing ASP.NET Framework to Core in 2026** Inside Microsoft’s AI‑Driven App Modernization Work 📅 Wednesday, 11 March 2026 🕠 5:30pm – 7:00pm NZDT 📍 Microsoft Auckland (Hybrid) 🎤 Presenter: Taylor Southwick **🌏 Why this session is special** This is a rare opportunity for the Auckland / New Zealand .NET community. Taylor Southwick is based in Redmond, working directly inside Microsoft engineering on application modernization tooling and strategy. He’s only in Auckland for a short visit — and this session gives local developers a chance to hear first‑hand how Microsoft is approaching AI‑assisted App Modernization for large, real‑world .NET applications. This isn’t a conference replay or a polished marketing talk — it’s direct insight from the team building the tools. **🧠 Session overview** Modernising large, long‑lived ASP.NET Framework applications is no longer a “someday” problem — it’s a right‑now reality for many teams across NZ and beyond. In this session, Taylor Southwick will share how Microsoft is thinking about modernising ASP.NET Framework applications to ASP.NET Core in 2026, drawing directly from real customer and ISV engagements involving very large, very real codebases. **Rather than a theoretical migration guide, this talk focuses on:** ✅ What actually works in practice ✅ What breaks (and why) ✅ How teams are using AI‑assisted and incremental approaches to modernisation ✅ Where the latest App Modernization (AppMod) tooling is heading Much of this thinking is shaped by recent work with enterprise customers — including Vista‑backed organisations — navigating complex, multi‑year modernisation programs under real business constraints. **🧩 What Taylor will cover** Taylor will start with \~30 minutes of prepared content, followed by an open, interactive discussion. Topics include: * The current state of ASP.NET Framework → Core migrations in 2026 * How Microsoft and customers are breaking down large monoliths without “stopping the world” * Common anti‑patterns and traps teams fall into during modernisation * Where incremental modernisation makes sense — and where it doesn’t * How AI‑driven tooling is starting to influence AppMod decisions * How teams are thinking about risk, ROI, and sequencing for long‑running migrations * This content comes straight from frontline engineering and customer work, not greenfield demos. 🧪 Format ✅ \~30 minutes of prepared walkthrough and insights ✅ Followed by open Q&A and discussion ✅ No heavy slide deck — this is about shared learning and lived experience Whether you’re: * Sitting on a 10+ year old ASP.NET Framework app * Mid‑migration and feeling the pain * Or trying to work out how to even start …this session should give you practical clarity and confidence — straight from the source. 🍕 Logistics * Food & drinks provided (thanks Arinco!) * In‑person and remote attendees welcome * Please RSVP so we can plan catering

**Setbacks happen…but so do restarts!** Come hang out **IN PERSON** at Shift & Sip for a casual hour of mindset shifts, life systems exploration, and good conversation with like-minded people. Bring a notebook and your awesome energy...we’ll supply the cuppa and snacks! **The Mayfair, Kaikōura** 12 March \| 7–8pm Koha appreciated

**🔥 Modernizing ASP.NET Framework to Core in 2026** Inside Microsoft’s AI‑Driven App Modernization Work 📅 Wednesday, 11 March 2026 🕠 5:30pm – 7:00pm NZDT 📍 Microsoft Auckland (Hybrid) 🎤 Presenter: Taylor Southwick **🌏 Why this session is special** This is a rare opportunity for the Auckland / New Zealand .NET community. Taylor Southwick is based in Redmond, working directly inside Microsoft engineering on application modernization tooling and strategy. He’s only in Auckland for a short visit — and this session gives local developers a chance to hear first‑hand how Microsoft is approaching AI‑assisted App Modernization for large, real‑world .NET applications. This isn’t a conference replay or a polished marketing talk — it’s direct insight from the team building the tools. **🧠 Session overview** Modernising large, long‑lived ASP.NET Framework applications is no longer a “someday” problem — it’s a right‑now reality for many teams across NZ and beyond. In this session, Taylor Southwick will share how Microsoft is thinking about modernising ASP.NET Framework applications to ASP.NET Core in 2026, drawing directly from real customer and ISV engagements involving very large, very real codebases. **Rather than a theoretical migration guide, this talk focuses on:** ✅ What actually works in practice ✅ What breaks (and why) ✅ How teams are using AI‑assisted and incremental approaches to modernisation ✅ Where the latest App Modernization (AppMod) tooling is heading Much of this thinking is shaped by recent work with enterprise customers — including Vista‑backed organisations — navigating complex, multi‑year modernisation programs under real business constraints. **🧩 What Taylor will cover** Taylor will start with \~30 minutes of prepared content, followed by an open, interactive discussion. Topics include: * The current state of ASP.NET Framework → Core migrations in 2026 * How Microsoft and customers are breaking down large monoliths without “stopping the world” * Common anti‑patterns and traps teams fall into during modernisation * Where incremental modernisation makes sense — and where it doesn’t * How AI‑driven tooling is starting to influence AppMod decisions * How teams are thinking about risk, ROI, and sequencing for long‑running migrations * This content comes straight from frontline engineering and customer work, not greenfield demos. 🧪 Format ✅ \~30 minutes of prepared walkthrough and insights ✅ Followed by open Q&A and discussion ✅ No heavy slide deck — this is about shared learning and lived experience Whether you’re: * Sitting on a 10+ year old ASP.NET Framework app * Mid‑migration and feeling the pain * Or trying to work out how to even start …this session should give you practical clarity and confidence — straight from the source. 🍕 Logistics * Food & drinks provided (thanks Arinco!) * In‑person and remote attendees welcome * Please RSVP so we can plan catering

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

Window functions have nothing to do with the Windows operating system but provide a “window” to a result set when used in SQL queries. They are powerful, set-based methods to view data in unexpected ways. Window functions provide easy, set-based solutions to solve some common problems: * Using running totals * Performing operations in intervals * Identifying data gaps and islands * Performing aggregates without losing detail Many people are confused by window functions and do not know how to use them properly. This session will explore window functions, how they work, and how to use them. Demonstrations with several examples will solidify how window functions can simplify queries and make them more powerful.

One of the most valuable parts of this community is the opportunity to think out loud with other product professionals. This session is built for exactly that. As we wrap up the quarter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. What’s on track? What needs adjustment? Where could a small shift create bigger impact? Join fellow product professionals for a focused, interactive conversation designed to help you recalibrate for the next quarter. You’ll have the opportunity to share where you are, hear how others are thinking through similar challenges, and gain fresh perspective you can bring back to your team and organization. We’ll gather at 8:00AM, with discussion starting promptly at 8:15AM. 📍 First Watch - 7227 N High St Located in: The Shops at Worthington Ample parking is available. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Start your morning with clarity and connection — we hope to see you there! ☀️

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

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Start your week the right way with Manic Mondays. Giving you an enjoyable Bachata lesson with a push of cool moves. The second hour has Beginner/Intermediate Salsa on 1. You must understand basic Salsa skills to participate. 730pm-830pm Bachata Cool Moves 830pm-930pm Salsa On 1 (Beginner/Intermediate) $15 for One Class $20 for Both Free Parking & Plenty of Dance Space.

Is your business taking more of your time than you would like? [Rob Young](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinci-robyoung/) principal at [Stage 3 Group](https://www.linkedin.com/company/stage-3-group/), hosts this workshop series and is the author of Stage 3 Success. * Provides a framework and a playbook for leaders of emerging businesses * Reviews business management tools and techniques for scaling and maturing a business * How to recognize and leverage stories hidden in financial statements * How to implement financial and operational controls and use leading indicators to spot trouble before it occurs * How to manage your time for maximum effect * How to deal with nonperforming employees * How to create standard operating procedures throughout your organization Four sessions will include two hours of content and an optional 90-minute hands-on lab. Reserve your spot via this link: https://clintonvilleba.com/calendar/#!event/2026/3/20/chaos-to-clarity-to-control ($200 for non-CABA members.)