IBM Power Users

Join us for a fun-filled discussion about how AI can help organizations manage, scale, and optimize their IT environments. We'll explore Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI), which combines compute, storage, networking, and virtualization into a single, software-defined platform. HCI simplifies data center operations by replacing complex, siloed hardware architectures with modular, scalable building blocks. **Featured speaker:** * [Ian Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianwevans/), Chief Executive Officer @ Karios **Location:** AWS Skills Center, 1550-G Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 **Drinks and Networking After:** Water Bar --> 1601 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 **Description:** Join us at AI Innovators Network for our upcoming meetup in the Mosaic, which is dedicated to exploring the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a professional, or someone curious about the intersection of technology and AI, this event is perfect for networking, learning, and sharing insights. Connect with like-minded individuals from DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland as we dive deep into the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation driving innovation and progress in Artificial Intelligence.

Join us for Career Night to learn how our agency works, what we do, and how you can earn part-time or full-time income helping families with financial literacy and protection.

Mini Relief Two-Part Class Tuesdays from 7PM to 9:30PM Session 1: Jan 6 & 20 \| Session 2: Jan 13 & 27 Session 1 serves as an introduction to relief through the easy cut method with a rubber stamp medium block. Participants will practice hand printing on Japanese paper through multiple iterations, and then proceed to mount their images. Completing these exercises will demonstrate how different blocks can be used interchangeably in a modular format, which will prepare them for creating a small book. All materials will be provided as part of the registration fee. Session 2 will involve collaboration among participants to create an accordion-style book utilizing blocks made in session one. There will be an opportunity to refine blocks and make artistic choices as a group to determine how the different compositions can be incorporated into a completed piece. Additionally, new printing techniques like rainbow rolls will be introduced to provide variety. All materials will be provided as part of the registration fee, and participants are encouraged to bring their materials from session one.

Let's visit the Museum of the American Indian together and check out the diverse and fascinating art, artifacts and history exhibits, including exhibitions [like this one by the Plains nations.](https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item?id=1005) Then if you have time, let's enjoy a unique lunch at their [Mitsitam Cafe](https://share.google/h3llKmNOh6qVSjkkR), which offers a food-court-like array of Native-inspired dishes. [According to the museum website](https://americanindian.si.edu/visit/dc/dining), "stations reflect the bounties of the various regions throughout the Western Hemisphere, from the Four Corners to coastlines and woodlands. “Mitsitam” means “Let’s eat!” in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples." Admission is free, and we will meet near the entrance at 10 am, or at the cafe about 11:30. I'll have a FFF>50 sign, and I'll also text you to make sure we find each other (please include your cell # with your RSVP, thanks!) Hope to see you! Meetup has brought us together, but please also join Finding Female Friends >50 on Mighty Networks! Any member can create an event there (even a super-simple one like coffee or a walk), and great women will join you! Plus there's no pressure to pay or upgrade. [Join here,](https://community.fff50.org/share/dbWb9iJu5XwSN2TR?utm_source=manual) hope to see you! Here's to more in-person events and more friendships in 2026!

Looking for a new skill? Want to seem mysterious when people ask about your hobbies? Enjoy puzzles? Lock picking might be right for you! Is this legal? Yes! Is it fun? Yes! The meeting is very casual, come and go as you please. We meet in the upstairs area of Board Room. No payment, skills, tools, or RSVP necessary. If you can make small precise movements with your hands, you can learn to pick locks. Introductory talk at 7pm. All are welcome. We meet in a bar but minors are allowed to attend. We are not in a private room; parental discretion advised. If you are a minor or are responsible for one who's attending, please email the organizer in advance at chapter-DC@toool.us Open invite; bring friends! We are the DC chapter of TOOOL. More information here: http://toool.us/

**A2A Summit \+ AI Dev 25 x NYC \| Key takeaways** **Location: Prefect at Foggy Bottom DC + Online** Hello everyone and Happy New Year! The AI world keeps innovating and we’ve moved past the "How do I write a prompt?" phase and entered the era of **AI Agents**—systems that don't just talk, but actually *act*. I recently attended the **[A2A (Agent-to-Agent) Summit](https://a2asummit.ai/)** and **[AI Dev 25 with Andrew Ng](https://ai-dev.deeplearning.ai/)**. We are hosting this event to distill the high-level strategy for our product leaders and the technical "how-to" for our engineers. **The 2 big themes we will explore:** **1\. The Agentic Shift \(A2A Summit\)** We are moving from humans talking to AI, to **AI Agents talking to other AI Agents** to solve complex business problems. * **For Product & Business:** How this changes your roadmap from "features" to "automated workflows." * **For Tech:** The infrastructure and protocols required to let agents collaborate securely. **2\. Building the Future with Andrew Ng \(AI Dev 25\)** Andrew Ng shared a powerful message: the next big leap in AI isn't just bigger models, but **better workflows.** * **For Product & Business:** Why "Agentic Reasoning" will make your products more reliable and user-friendly. * **For Tech:** A deep dive into iterative loops, design patterns, and why your coding workflow is about to change forever. 📍 **In person and Online Event!** You can join us in person at Prefect in Foggy Bottom DC for some great company and maybe even some new friends! Or, if you prefer to chill at home, you can easily join us online! 💻 Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/grx-yzgd-meu Or dial: ‪(US) +1 401-349-1786‬ PIN: ‪206 985 943‬# **Agenda** * 6:00pm - 6:30pm EST Networking and Refreshments * 6:30pm \- 7:30pm EST A2A Summit \+ AI Dev 25 x NYC \| Key takeaways * 7:30pm - 8:00pm Networking **Resources** * [A2A Summit](https://a2asummit.ai) * [A2a Summit - George's key takeaways](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/a2a-summit-internet-agents-here-george-zoto-vbtce) * [AI Dev 25 x NYC](https://ai-dev.deeplearning.ai/) * [AI Dev 25 x NYC - George's key takeaways](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-prototypes-production-my-key-takeaways-andrew-ngs-george-zoto-ld6se) The recording of this cool series 😎 is available at: [https://bit.ly/dla-generative-ai](https://bit.ly/dla-generative-ai) Join us on Slack: Ask the hosts for an invite. 👉 **RSVP now and secure your spot! We can't wait to see you there!** 💖 David, Robert and George Deep Learning Adventures is a member of Data Community DC, a nonprofit dedicated to data education in the nation's capital and around the world. Learn more at [www.dc2.org](http://www.dc2.org/)

**Parents are you looking for a positive, inspiring space for your son to grow and thrive?** Every young man deserves to feel confident, capable, and connected to a greater purpose. At Empower & Elevate, we’re helping young men (ages 11–19) step into their strength, build emotional resilience, and discover their path forward with support, mentorship, and real tools for success. Led by motivational speaker Kenny Bey, this monthly program offers your son a safe, uplifting environment to: ✅ Heal from emotional setbacks and build self-worth ✅ Gain financial wisdom and life skills for long-term success ✅ Discover his purpose and inner power Whether your son is thriving or facing challenges, this is a space for growth, encouragement, and real transformation. Empower him with the guidance he needs to rise—and remind him that he already has everything it takes. **Held every second Saturday of the month.** **Let’s raise strong, self-aware, and successful young men - together.** Motivational speaker **Kenny Bey**, a Chicago native, grew up as the youngest of three sons in a single-parent household, where his mother instilled in him the belief that education was the key to opportunity. Embracing her wisdom, he became the first in his family to graduate from college. Motivated by a desire to give back, Kenny chose a career in education and now serves as an Assistant School Administrator in Montgomery County, MD. He is also pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership at George Washington University. Outside of his professional life, Kenny is dedicated to mentoring, volunteering, and traveling, all while cherishing time with his family. A devoted husband and father of four, he is passionate about helping others discover their potential and live a fulfilling, purpose-driven life. Saturday, January 10th 1:00pm - 2:30pm. Held at the Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. Free Event.

Laser tag with the

**A 90-Minute Experiential Workshop with Marc Stoecker & Marsha Bonet.** (This event was offered once before. To cater to both new attendees and those who attended previously, this offering has been upgraded, expanded upon and new interactive scenarios have been added.) When life feels unpredictable, it’s easy to tense up, overthink, or lose sight of your own worth. Chaos—whether situational, emotional, or strategic—can feel like a wave you’re fighting against. But what if, instead of resisting, you could find your footing, keep your rhythm, and even move with confidence through the unknown? In **part two** of this immersive, in-person session at **Real Eyes Meditation Center**, purpose and mental fitness coach **Marc Stoecker** and choreographer, teacher, and motivator **Marsha Bonet** guide you through a powerful blend of movement, mindfulness, and mindset work. Together, you’ll explore how uncertainty shows up in both body and mind—and how to transform it into clarity, courage, and flow. Through guided reflection, embodied exploration, and partner activities, you’ll learn to: * Notice and release the tension that chaos creates in your body * Shift from fear and self-doubt toward confidence and self-worth * Discern the “signal” from the “noise” when everything feels loud and unclear * Work with the rhythm of change—giving and receiving, leading and following * Build resilience and adaptability through trust-based movement exercises You’ll leave with a renewed sense of optimism, a toolkit for grounding yourself in uncertain moments, and a deeper connection to your own courage. ### What to Expect * Gentle movement (no dance experience required) * Positive Intelligence-based mindset tools * Partner and group activities to practice adaptability and trust * Opportunities for personal reflection and community connection * A safe, supportive environment to explore your relationship with change **Who It’s For:** Anyone navigating personal or professional transitions—whether stepping into a new role, adapting to life changes, or simply wanting to meet the unknown with more confidence. Cost for this event: $25. We also have an 11am singing bowl sound bath meditation in case you would like to join for both events. Please remember to respectfully keep your speed to under 10MPH while on our shared driveway. With Love & Gratitude

Shilohites Toastmasters meets every 2nd and 4th Sundays. Meetings start at 4:00 pm, and last one hour. We are a community club open to all. Parking is free. We focus on personal goals for professional development.

Want to mess with some electronics? Or perhaps contribute to HacDC's main group project? HacDC's latest event brings hardware projects to the community. We will focus primarily on the main project (Space Blimp!) but please feel free to bring some of your own projects to show off and work on!

SQL Server 2025 delivers a major round of improvements across performance, security, manageability, and hybrid connectivity, and this session gives you a practical, no‑nonsense tour of what matters most. We’ll cover enhancements to the core engine, query processing, storage, and availability that benefit DBAs and developers regardless of where SQL Server runs. You’ll see how SQL Server 2025 aligns with Azure SQL’s roadmap while still supporting strong on‑premises and VM‑based deployments. We’ll highlight new management, monitoring, and troubleshooting capabilities designed to simplify operations and reduce firefighting. AI‑powered features exist in this release, but the focus here is on the foundational improvements you can use immediately. Whether you’re modernizing, maintaining, or planning your next upgrade cycle, this session will help you understand what’s new and how to prepare your environment and your team.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

**Doing KPIs Right: a KEY to Analytics (and AI!) Impact!** On the one hand, KPIs are such a Business 101 concept that it may seem a little silly to dedicate an entire session to the topic. On the other hand, KPIs get handled so poorly so often that a case could be made that this meetup could just be one of the most impactful sessions of the entire year! We’re starting off the year at a new location: [COhatch Upper Arlington](https://www.cohatch.com/locations/columbus/upper-arlington/) but with a familiar speaker, Tim Wilson! We’ll be back at Rev1 in February, when the speaker will presumably not be Tim. Tim will make the case that effectively measuring performance of projects, campaigns, and initiatives (and even meetups!) should be a foundation for any data analytics program. Topics covered will include: the “two magic questions” of performance measurement, how to help business partners distinguish between outcomes and outputs, and effective tactics for collaboratively establishing KPI targets. He will also stick his neck out by demonstrating some of these techniques in real-time by measuring whether his talk lives up to the promise of this description! All CBUSDAW events are free thanks to our 2026 Sponsors: Clarivoy, Conductrics, What Box Consulting Group, and Piwik PRO. Check out [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com) for more information.

We meet at lunch each week and each meeting follows a fairly organized agenda. First all participants pass their business cards around. Then each member and guest is invited to give a one-minute overview of their company and what is a perfect referral for the week. We always have a 10 minute presentation from one of the members about their business in more detail. And finally we pass referrals. You're welcome to visit. Nobody is ever put on the spot. Bring plenty of cards!

Coming in January 2026: a warm, reflective gathering to close one chapter and open another. More details coming soon. Together, we look back at the moments, shifts, and practices that shaped the past year—what worked, what surprised us, and what we’re ready to release. Then we lean forward into who we want to become: the intentions, experiments, and stories we want next January’s version of ourselves to be telling. A gentle, inspiring circle that invites clarity, connection, and shared wisdom.Check us out on Meetup to learn more and rsvp #womeninagilecolumbus #womeninagile

* Who Can Attend * The Central Ohio .Net Developers Group meetings are free and open to the public! All developers; professional, student, and hobbiest are welcome and encouraged to attend. * When we meet * The Central Ohio .Net Developers Group meets on the 4th Thursday of every month. * Where we meet * Please check our Meetup group link below for location details! * Join our Meetup Group * https://www.meetup.com/Central-Ohio-NET-Developers-Group-CONDG/