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
Shut Up & Write! Kingsdale Shopping Center
Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington.
The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo.
Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine.
We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you.
The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly.
Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome.
The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit.
Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times.
Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have.
Happy writing!
Data & Analytics Wednesday - Mapping and Dashboards
**Total Eclipse of the Chart: School Redistricting Dashboards**
In this presentation, we will explore the utilization of maps, sets, and SQL within a Tableau dashboard to help provide “what-if” analyses generated through the use of a mapped dashboard, providing different scenarios and the potential implications of these.
While in this use case we are focused on a large school district, the concepts of utilizing existing data to explore the future impacts of modifying different geographic boundaries can be useful to many industries, balancing the mix of maps with visual analytics.
**About Our Speaker**
Robert Kramer is the Data Systems and State Reporting Coordinator at South Western City Schools in Grove City. He has worked there for 17 years, serving previously in the roles of Data Analyst, Programmer, and Operations Coordinator. Prior to working at South Western, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Pinnacle Data Systems in Groveport. He graduated in 2005 from The University of Toledo with his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics. Robert resides in Obetz with his wife, and their 15 and 12 year-old daughters. He was also just elected to his 3rd four-year term on the Obetz City Council.
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 PHP: Monthly Meetup
Our monthly PHP meetup.
A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm
LLM Showdown: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Local Models
Join us for a practical, beginner-friendly guide to choosing the right large language model. We’ll compare major models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, talk about when to use hosted APIs versus local models, and break down the tradeoffs around cost, speed, quality, privacy, context windows, coding ability, and reliability.
You’ll leave with a clearer mental model for picking an LLM based on your actual use case instead of hype, benchmarks, or brand names. No deep AI background required.
LOGISTICS AND PARKING:
The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks!
The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.
An Evening of Music, Message & Mirth with Armand & Angelina
Get ready for an unforgettable night of inspiration, energy, and soul-stirring performance with international speakers and artists Armand and Angelina. This is more than an event—it’s a live concert-style experience of music, message, and mirth that will uplift your spirit and move your heart. From the moment the evening begins, you’ll be immersed in a powerful atmosphere of love, laughter, and transformational sound.
Featuring the angelic, heart-opening voice of Angelina—singing across multiple languages—and the dynamic presence of Armand, whose inspiring talks, original compositions, and powerful vocals ignite a passion for life, this is a performance you don’t want to miss. Come out and feel the energy, connect with the message, and experience a night that celebrates love, transformation, and the power of music to move us all.
$20 Suggested Love Offering (None shall be turned away)
**Bonus Morning Experience**
Native Flute Playshop with A & A
Thursday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m.
Come back in the morning for a deeper, hands-on musical experience.
Idea Cafe Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Columbus Code & Coffee 86 @ 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!
Sunday Brunch
Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!
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
Hopeful Cafe Conversations @Panera Kentlands
**Hopeful Cafe Conversations @Panera Kentlands**
* **You are cordially invited to join in the conversation to catch the positive vibe... a cup of coffee, or another of your favorite refreshment.**
**At NEW HOPE CAFE CONVERSATIONS 8:30am-9:30am (3rd Saturdays, Monthly)**
**Address: Panera, 285 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878**
**Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83326239362**
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**New Hope Workshop**: What is Negativity Bias? How do we get ahead of it to reach more positive outcomes in work, life, and relationships? Discover the difference between goals and outcomes.
1\. How do we reaffirm ones role\, despite negativity bias from others?
2\. The New Hope Community Affirmative Statements of Foundational Principles \- What are some helpful affirmations?
3\. Your Perspectives in Conversation
**"Star Points Meal Deal"**
If you have New Hope "Star Points 💫" you can get a discount on a meal. Also you can earn Star Points, if this is your first time attending Cafe Conversations, in-person. Ask Gene, newhope321community@yahoo.com, 240-848-0808.
CMG Gives Back: Serve Brunch at FAITH MISSION GRANT KITCHEN!
Join us as we get together to get together to help those in need at this CMG Gives Back event! We have a great little community of Movie Group friends so rather than see a movie this time, we’ll help “create a better world” by helping serve those in need. Here are complete details and our plan for this event:
FAITH MISSION – GRANT KITCHEN: The Faith Mission kitchen and dining room serves residents 3 meals a day, every day of the year. For this event, our group will help prepare food, serve meals, assist residents in the dining room, wash dishes, and clean surfaces.
PLAN: We will be preparing / serving / cleaning for BRUNCH from 10:30am to 12:30pm and have space for a total of 7 volunteers. Please arrive at 10:20am and wear closed-toe shoes and long pants.
LOCATION: Faith Mission – Grant Kitchen is located at 245 N. Grant Ave. Enter the kitchen at Dock 1 (in the back of the building), indicated in the attached map. On-site parking in the adjacent lot and street parking is available in the surrounding area. Below are some links / attachments with additional info/details:
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our group will be providing all of the volunteers on this day so a firm RSVP count is essential. Please only sign up if you are certain you’ll be able to attend. If something unavoidable comes up, please try to update your RSVP no later than one week prior to the event. With few exceptions, no shows or cancelations within 1
week of the event will not be eligible for future CMG Gives Back events. I appreciate your understanding as we try to ensure the agencies have the volunteers needed to provide the essential services they provide to the vulnerable population they serve. Our Partner Agency for this event is Lutheran Social Services! A huge THANK YOU to all of YOU for volunteering at this (and any of our previous) CMG Gives Back events!
Should be another good/fun/meaningful time together, Dan
CHROMA @CCAD
FREE event
[https://www.ccad.edu/chroma](https://www.ccad.edu/chroma)
Friday, May 15, 3–7 p.m.
CCAD campus, 60 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH
Join Columbus College of Art & Design for *2025* *Chroma: Best of CCAD*, our annual campuswide exhibition showcasing outstanding student work from across the college’s academic programs. This faculty-juried show features select work from CCAD students of all class years, and is a can’t-miss end-of-year campus celebration recognizing their tremendous achievements.
It’ll be a night of fun and entertainment, with interactive games, animation and film screenings, art symposiums, poetry and prose readings, and more (along with some of the best local food trucks). *Chroma* is free and open to all.
Many exhibitions including...
**Game Art & Design:**
**DSB, first floor, Welcome Center lobby and Room 115**
Idea Cafe Events Near You
Connect with your local Idea Cafe community
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
Building Momentum: From Ambiguity to Execution
**Building a great product is one thing—building momentum behind it is another.**
Join **Senior Product Manager Adam Solaiman** and **User Experience Manager Tyson Smith** for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into scalable products inside large organizations.
In this session, they’ll share how teams move from ambiguity to execution—navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and continuously evolving products after launch.
You’ll walk away with insights on how to:
* Build and sustain momentum across teams
* Adapt to changing priorities without losing direction
* Scale products thoughtfully in complex environments
Whether you're driving a new initiative or growing an existing product, this conversation will give you practical strategies to keep things moving forward.
Come connect, learn, and swap stories with fellow product professionals.
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Food and drinks will be provided by Switchbox, our generous host.
Free parking will be available at the front and back sides of the Switchbox Office.
Brunch Club: Make New Friends
⚠️ **IMPORTANT: You must sign up and buy a ticket here to attend:**
[https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/)
**Join the Columbus City Brunch Club and make new friends!**
Each meetup brings together 4–6 people for casual conversations over brunch. We use the Groupvibe platform to facilitate the meetup and ensure everyone’s a good fit.
👉 **To attend, you’ll need to complete registration via this link:**
[https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/)
We’ll share the exact location of the upcoming meetup the night before only if you have bought a ticket or membership plan.
**Why this works:**
\* Smaller groups make real conversations easier.
\* Discover new restaurants in your city, together.
\* Curated lunch venues with good food and vibe.
\* If you hit it off with your group, there’s plenty of time to hang out afterwards.
**Note:**
RSVPs on Meetup don’t reflect total attendance. Many attendees register directly via our website. The event on [Meetup.com](http://meetup.com/) is only a placeholder.
This meetup is organized by Groupvibe, a small team passionate about helping people form meaningful friendships offline.
Sunday Afternoon Coffee at Grandview Grind
Who else is ready to sit outside?
Join us for a casual chat over coffee & tea at Grandview Grind! Come out and meet some new people, enjoy your favorite drink, and make some new friends!
Quarterly Community Gathering
Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space.
No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving.
If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share.
Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus.
Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/)
Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)
TBD
**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
You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge.
**Abstract**
TBD
**YouTube Link**
TBD




























