Idea Cafe
Starting a new project, career, business, or campaign? Exchange information and ideas with people who are interested in making their dream into a reality. Make new friends!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out idea cafe events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the idea cafe events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find idea cafe events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Idea Cafe Events Today
Join in-person Idea Cafe events happening right now
Disc Tues / Horror-Thriller Pop Up: BACKROOMS at Lennox Phoenix!
Join us as we get together for a Discount Tuesday / Horror-Thriller Pop-Up event to see the very buzzed-about psychological-horror from A24, BACKROOMS! Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve and Mark Duplass star in this film about a therapist, a missing patient and a strange doorway. Here are details, a trailer and our plan for this event:
DESCRIPTION: After a therapist's patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him. The film is directed by Kane Parsons and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve (who was outstanding in The Worst Person in the World and Sentimental Value), Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell.
TRAILER: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z6a6NUFlsU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z6a6NUFlsU)
BUZZ & EXCITEMENT: Buzz and expectations are off the charts! And over the past week, box office projections have more than doubled as theaters are left scrambling to add showtimes for a film that keeps selling out! Critics call the film “gripping,” “as mesmerizing as it is terrifying” and say it “casts a surrealist spell that’s unlike anything else in contemporary cinema!” It’s an “intellectual puzzle” filled with “unnerving suspense” that’s earning a Certified Fresh 89% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes!
PLAN: Purchase your ticket for the 6:30pm showing and meet in the theater lobby between 6:10 and 6:20pm! Discount Tuesday tickets just $5.00! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments below!
Look forward to seeing you there, Dan
Break Up With What Broke You, Columbus, Ohio
On a list of "My Favorite Things", few people would put a "break up" in their top ten. More often, these words evoke feelings of shame, embarrassment, poor choices, and bad or sad endings. Before the new and beautiful can be built, the old, broken, and unnecessary must be cleared away. This process can be painful, but it is good, needful, and can produce wonderful results when done wisely and well.
How does one break free from anxiety, comparison, or shame? Christian Bevere points people to the freedom God desires for His children, as well as giving practical ideas on how to shed both unhealthy baggage and the lies that seek to leave us anchored to past failure. Drawing from the Bible, ***Break Up With What Broke You*** clearly shows that what Satan would seek to use for evil, God uses for good and to accomplish His purposes.
Join us **Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:30 pm**, when we gather at **True Food Kitchen, Easton Town Center, Columbus**. We'd love to see you there!
Get your tickets on [EventBrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/break-up-with-what-broke-you-columbus-ohio-tickets-1987018079565)!
Check us out on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/events/1431801124815007/)!
In-Person Meeting: How I Get Private Lenders and Partners to Fund My Deals
(Note: RSVPing here on meetup does NOT reserve your seat. To do that, you’ll need to register at our website, **[HERE](https://www.coreerocks.com/Events.aspx?ID=In-Person-Columbus-Meeting-How-I-Get-Private-Lenders-and-Partners-to-Fund-My-Deals-14-6-2-2026)**.)
Tuesday, June 2nd, 5:00–8:30 PM Eastern
Central Ohio Chapter Meeting
IN PERSON IN COLUMBUS
How I Get Private Lenders and Partners to Fund My Deals
If you can’t fund it, you don’t have a deal.
And right now, funding is where more investors are getting stuck.
Private lenders are more cautious.
Partners are asking better questions.
And deals that look good on paper still fall apart when the money doesn’t show up.
That’s why we’re bringing in a panel of investors who are actually getting their deals funded right now.
You’ll hear how they’re finding money, structuring deals, and building relationships that lead to repeat funding.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
* Where they’re finding private lenders today
* How they start conversations that lead to funding
* What makes lenders and partners say YES
* How they structure deals to be fundable
* The biggest mistakes investors make when raising money
* How to build repeat funding relationships
**Early Session (6:00–7:00 PM Eastern):**
**Having Trouble Finding Tenants? How Community Shelter Board Can Help**
Nicholas Brenner will walk you through programs designed to help rapidly rehouse tenants, including financial support that can stabilize your rentals.
**The Deal Room (7:00–7:30 PM Eastern)**
Bring deals, funding needs, buyers, and problems.
This is where connections turn into action.
This meeting is for serious real estate investors nationwide, and we’re known for our high-content, real-life education and our nationwide community of dealmakers.
Members and non-members at all levels are welcome.
Register below to reserve your seat.
Remember, to actually reserve your seat, you have to go **[HERE](https://www.coreerocks.com/Events.aspx?ID=In-Person-Columbus-Meeting-How-I-Get-Private-Lenders-and-Partners-to-Fund-My-Deals-14-6-2-2026)** and register on our website!
Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup
Jimmy V's Grill & Pub in Grandview Heights. You are responsible for your own meal/drinks. We usually don't have any agenda other than eat, drink and talk. :) If the weather is nice we will be on the back patio, otherwise we are in the cigar room.
This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us.
COTA bus #5 comes to W. 5th and Wyandotte Rd. And it's a minute walk to the restaurant.
Columbus Yarn Club at the Grandview Heights Library
5:45-7:45 in Conference Room B, Library lower level. Bring your yarn projects, meet new friends.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP yes. If you can’t attend, please change your RSVP to no. This helps anyone who is waitlisted and it allows me to have an accurate count of attendees as our space is quite limited.
Plenty of parking in the lot, in the overflow lot across the street, and on the street.
See you there!
Idea Cafe Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Feel Good Friday: POWER BALLAD at the Gateway Film Center + SHAKE NO. 8!
Join us as we get together to see Paul Rudd in the latest comedy-drama-musical from John Carney, POWER BALLAD! The film follows a washed-up wedding singer, a fading boy band singer and a stolen hit song. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event:
DESCRIPTION: Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick's song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. Power Ballad is written/directed by John Carney, the master of the modern musical and creative mind behind Once, Begin Again and Sing Street! It stars Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu and Jack Reynor.
BUZZ & ACCLAIM: The film premiered to rave reviews at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival where critics call it “a sure-fired crowd-pleaser” that “just might be the feel-good hit of the year!” Others say, “Paul Rudd delivers a career-best performance in this charmer” that’s both “hilarious and deeply moving." The film continues John Carney’s “long run of success with yet another charmer” and “a sharp, hopeful crowd-pleaser that strikes the right notes!”
SUMMER OF ICE CREAM, VOL 2: SHAKE NO. 8! Ranked the #1 Ice Cream Shop in Columbus, this is a perfect early stop on our Summer of Ice Cream! Their menu uses made-from-scratch recipes in an array of traditional, specialty and vegan shakes, hot cocoa, crepes, waffle sticks, specialty coffee & espresso, and more! Their specialty shakes are as delicious as they are over-the-top and they offer an extensive vegan menu! You can check out their full menu here: [https://www.shakeno8.com/menu.php](https://www.shakeno8.com/menu.php)
PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 6:45pm showing and we’ll meet in the upstairs lobby between 6:25 and 6:35pm! Advance ticket purchase is advised for this opening night showing! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. We'll head to nearby Shake No. 8 immediately following the show!
Should be a fun one, Dan
Westerville Pride Festival
Westerville Pride Festival
Sat\. June 6\, 2026 \| 5 PM \- 8 PM
If you're thinking of attending, or being a sponsor, vendor, or volunteer, visit our website at https://www.westervillequeercollective.org/pride for more information!
Location and other info will be announced soon :)
Gold Star Business Networking
Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!
Saturday Mornings @ East Market
Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating.
Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator.
Per what this group is about:
"Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."
Shut Up & Write!™ Easton Town Center
We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator.
Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking!
• What we'll do
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings.
Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.
SCHEDULE:
10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros.
10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour.
11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing.
OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing.
BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer.
Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you!
• What to bring
Whatever you need to be able to write!
Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible.
See you at The Café on Saturday!
Idea Cafe Events Near You
Connect with your local Idea Cafe community
Data & Analytics Wednesday - Finding Product Insights
**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose**
Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap.
Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn:
* Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge
* How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change
* Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction
* How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools
This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work.
**About Our Speaker**
[Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use.
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)
Columbus Code & Coffee 87 @ Improving
Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you!
**What to Expect at the Intro Circle**
\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~
Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup:
* Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics
Round 1 - (7 secs max):
* Your name
* What you're working on
* What you can help others with
Round 2:
* Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too.
Round 3:
* Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool.
After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!
Psychic Development Series II - Pueo Group
Private Group. Closed to the Public
Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy.
In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected.
The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve.
I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia
June 2026 AWS Columbus - Topic to be announced
Topic to be announced.
**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
BeComing Circle Initiates
http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/a/9/6/600_348310902.jpeg
Instructor - Crow, HPS
Class fee is $30 at the door or approved exchange
RSVP with Advance pay of $25 (discounted) by PayPal on the web or by contacting Enchanted Elements (614) 437-2642.
Reservations made directly to Enchanted Elements will be added to the class list manually not online.
Private Instruction ~ Closed to the Public ~ Initiated Members Only
Please come prepared for ritual.
Blessings ~ Crow
Stop Guessing: A Product Person's Guide to AI Adoption
## 🤝 Host Information
A co-hosted event by ProductTank Columbus & Women in Product Columbus
💡 About the Workshop
AI adoption is stalling across organizations — not because of a lack of motivation or tools, but because it's fundamentally a behavior design challenge.
This hands-on workshop applies proven Behavior Design models and methods to help you move from a vague organizational wish to boost AI adoption to 3-5 concrete, testable interventions you can act on starting tomorrow.
Whether you're a product manager, on a product team, or just someone trying to get AI to actually stick at work, you'll leave with a clear picture of what's worth focusing on, what to ignore, and how to drive real, sustained adoption — no guesswork required.
🛠️ What to Bring
Laptop: Fully charged and ready to go.
AI Assistant: Have your favorite AI assistant pulled up. (Dom will be using Claude, but feel free to use whichever assistant you prefer!)
🍕 Logistics & Perks
Food & Drink: Pizza and drinks provided!
Parking: Plenty of free spaces available on-site.
###
QA or The Highway 2026
QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry.
This is a ticketed event please register here:
https://www.qaorthehwy.com/
Featured Keynote Speakers:
**Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\.
**Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.





























