Information Science

We plan to discuss and study the topic of out-of-body experiences (OBE). Ideally, it would be great if we initiate a seminar going over Robert Bruce's book Astral Dynamics. It would be great if people who have had OBEs can join and share their experiences! Looking forward to good discussions! **Language of event:** English **Venue:** We plan to meet at the restaurant on the 1st floor of the hotel in Riga with address Elizabetes iela 73, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050 **Transportation fee and fee for food and drinks:** In case this event is in-person, for each participant, I will give 5 Euros to cover his/her transportation fee and also cover the fee for any food and drinks he/she orders at the venue.

I am thinking of doing a speed dating event in Riga at the restaurant of the Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel, prefarably for people interested in math and/or spirituality, but anyone above 20 years old may come. Please RSVP if you are interested in coming so that I know whether to hold the event and provide more details.

There are multiple people who claim that we are in a reincarnation soul trap, sometimes called the soul trap theory. Among them are Howdie Mickowski, Isabella A. Greene, David Icke, Courtney Brown, and Sarita Sol. We intend to look into the idea of a soul trap. If we are indeed in a reincarnation soul trap, then one of the main goals of life should be to figure out how to escape it. If we just focus on making the present life good, then perhps we are missing the larger picture of our eternal spiritual existence. We need to expand scientific inquiry into the nonphysical and paranormal and obtain evidence-based answers to the ultimate questions of life, such as those pertaining to reincarnation and how to exit it.

Come to check out our hackerspace, talk to people and learn some new things, maybe use the tools for a short while, or just sit down with a laptop and do some work in a quiet place. Also a good time to sign up for a membership! We will have tea and coffee, likely also cookies. Come whenever from 19:00 till 22:00 - we might even be open until 24:00! If there's a problem (i.e. doors not open), call 28701072.

The Riga Tech Dinner is an in-person event for those who typically have deep thoughts, have lots of questions and ideas to share. Everyone is welcome to discuss or just listen! **Special guests of this event:** * [Denis Chichmaryov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-chichmaryov-6a6b9198) \- Starting my career from full\-stack engineering\, now I am leading 2 large EPAM offices in CEE where we build world\-class solutions for Global and regional Clients\. In addition to that I drive one of largest transformational efforts at EPAM related with AI\-powered Knowledge Management and Talent Management\. * [Anrijs Snipke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anrijssnipke) \- Sales executive with 20\+ years of experience in the IT industry\, supporting customers across the public sector\, utilities\, telecom\, financial services\, and high\-growth startups\. I help organizations deliver digital transformation initiatives by aligning business outcomes with modern \(cloud\) technology\. I am also an active member of the Latvian Open Technology Association \(LATA\)\, contributing to the advancement of open technologies in Latvia\. **About the event** You might be wondering, what's the value of such an event? Why are other existing Business Networking events not enough? - The key difference is that we meet, enjoy dinner, and discuss whatever we like. It's an event for professionals in Tech to exchange ideas and grow. The special guests will tell a little about themselves and do their best to initiate a discussion if awkward silence enters the room. However, *"Runāšana – sudrabs, klusēšana – zelts"* (translation: "talking - silver, silence - gold"). It's also a good time to think and listen to conversations that you typically would not have at home and work. **Communication and channels:** Join us on [WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GYDCBI5ca2BBvmgDVjA3fM](https://chat.whatsapp.com/GYDCBI5ca2BBvmgDVjA3fM) You can check out the previous events on the [Techies of Baltics LinkedIn page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/riga-tech-dinner/). We record short interviews with special guests for the Riga Tech Cast podcast during the event. Follow on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1pr3DU9Tu6GJZO67CuUj5Z), [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLIQbshchl7uBmsPwkDNsDLt3l022o8V5), and other popular places. Tell the host if you want to be featured as well. **Expectations from participants:** * try not to be late * introduce yourself * don't interrupt others * come with an empty stomach and pay for your own dinner * try not to be grumpy if you're hungry * this is not a party. However, a glass of wine may oil the tongue a bit * if you don't feel like talking, then don't. But coming to a networking event and not saying a word is like window-shopping * pay the event fee in cash at the spot. No online transaction is possible * judgment-free mind is a must * RSVP - show up or update your status timely if you can't **Why the event fee?** \- we always have 2 special guests at the event\. They have received a special invitation to join us\. We should cover their dinner expenses as the least minimum we can do beyond a "thank you"\. The event fee is a fund for that\. **The host:** Uldis Karlovs-Karlovskis is an [IT expert](https://uldiskarlovskarlovskis.com/) with 20 years of diverse experience. He is a certified DevOps Leader, the board chairman of the DevOps & AI Latvia community, the director of the Dzīvais Rīgas Teātris and a lecturer at the BDA, Riga Technical University and Riga Business School. *'Please note that photographs and footage will be taken throughout this event without a warning. These can be used by the Community for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website and in social media or in any third-party publication.*

Open Coffee Riga is a friendly informal networking event for entrepreneurs, professionals, locals, guests, people in the startup community, and students in Riga. Open Coffee Riga is an “un-meeting” without a speaker or agenda. We are focused on attendees gaining value from other attendees. The rules, tools, structure and moderation aim to facilitate this goal. You may find a mentor, investor, client, co founder, employer, vendor, inspiration or a friend. What is the BIG idea behind Open Coffee? We want to help people create valuable & meaningful connections. Everyone is welcome to our meetings, and we especially love first-timers. We want to make sure that if somebody coming from an unsupportive background/country has the courage to join, they will notice that we are glad they came because we welcome them. If you feel shy, you can also just listen but we encourage you to talk. We start at 19:00 sharp. Everybody gets up to 2 minutes to present: 1. Who they are and what they are doing 2. What they want 3. How they can help others At 20:00 sharp we stop hosting and you can talk to people who are most interesting to you. We are focused on business and social entrepreneurs, community builders, game-changers, earth-shakers and anyone else who is doing something interesting or wants to get involved in other people's projects. You can talk about any project/topic. This event is based on the Open Coffee Krakow format, run by Richard Lucas and others in Krakow, Poland since 2012. The Open Coffee Riga is a revival of the Open Coffee Riga from 2011 (!) where it evolved into TechHub Riga & that evolved into StartupHouse Riga. If you are interested in knowing more about the Open Coffee format, take a look at our video for potential leaders [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z99E2z8anFU). Open Coffee format events are organised world-wide in Krakow, Lisbon, Porto, Tokyo, Sydney & many more places.

Jira migration is a hot topic for many teams today, but we've got you covered. We’ll cover practical tips, common challenges, and best practices to help you navigate the migration process with confidence, along with tips and tricks for everyday Jira use. This event is designed for Project Managers, Jira Admins, and Jira users who are planning or considering a move from Jira Data Center to Cloud—and beyond. Come and learn more, share your experience, and make connections.  Agenda 6:00 PM: "Kick off" by Svetlana Avene-Avenina, Atlassian Champion, eazyBI 6:15 PM: "The roadmap from DC to Cloud" by Kalle Sirkesalo, Eficode Jira Cloud transformation lessons from the Trenches "Migration isn't just a technical 'lift and shift'—it’s a chance to hit the reset button on years of configuration debt. Join Kalle Sirkesalo from Eficode as he breaks down the reality of moving from Jira Data Center to the Cloud. We’ll dive into real-world lessons from Eficode’s most complex migrations, including how we navigated the 'App Gap' and transitioned thousands of users without losing our minds. Whether you are an Admin worried about Atlassian Access, a PM looking for better reporting, or a User just trying to find where the 'Create' button moved, this session is packed with practical 'Notes from the Field' to ensure your move is a leap forward, not a step back. 6:45 PM: "Tips and tricks for Jira users" by Artūrs Zvaigzne, Evolution --- Speakers Arturs Zvaigzne - Evolution (IT Project Coordinator) Artūrs is a Project Coordinator at Evolution currently overseeing data initiatives and cross-departmental projects. Over his three-year journey at Evolution, he has progressed from Process Master to Product Owner in a data team before assuming his current role. Prior to Evolution, he spent 11 years at a navigation technologies company HERE, ultimately serving as Service Delivery Coordinator in… Kalle Sirkesalo - Eficode (Customer Services DevOps Leader) Moderator Svetlana Avene-Avenina - eazyBI (Partners and Marketing Manager) Svetlana is a Marketing Manager at eazyBI, specializing in partnership development with a robust background in marketing, event management, and partner relations. With 10 years of marketing experience, among them four years in the open-source realm, she is dedicated to driving impactful marketing strategies and fostering strong partnerships at eazyBI. Outside of work, Svetlana is passion… Hosted By Svetlana Avene-Avenina, Community Leader Rūdolfs Rutkovskis, Atlassian business team lead --- Global Partner Atlassian (http://atlassian.com) Millions of users globally rely on Atlassian products every day for improving software development, project management, collaboration, and code quality. Partner eazyBI (https://eazybi.com/) eazyBI is a leading reports, charts, and dashboards app for Jira, seamlessly integrated into Jira Cloud and Data Center. Enterprise-ready, scalable, flexible, secure, and powerful, eazyBI adapts to growing reporting needs for organizations of all sizes. --- For over a decade, Atlassian customers have come together to network, share ideas, solve problems, and find new ways to use Atlassian products. Today, more than 15,000 people take part in Atlassian community events in more than 30 countries. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://ace.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-riga-presents-jira-from-data-center-to-cloud-and-practical-tips-for-project-managers/.

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.

**New Dojo Location!** **Draft Day Columbus** 1130 Dublin Road Columbus, OH 43215 We're going to try a new dojo location for a few weeks and see how it works Dojos are informal Python group study sessions where everyone interested in Python gathers to learn about Python, help others with Python, or just hang out. Everyone is welcome from Python beginners to experts. Bringing a laptop is encouraged (we'll have extension cords and power strips). If there's something you want to learn leave a comment on this invite so we can plan ahead. We're looking for topic suggestions and people interested in presenting at our monthly meetings. To this end we've set up a survey form at [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc)

This meeting will be a discussion of the book "the Science of Aliens" by Mark Brake

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

**Google Analytics Alternatives** Is it finally time to make the switch away from Google Analytics? Two-and-a-half years ago Jason Packer asked this question at Columbus Web Analytics Wednesday. Since then: Google’s Universal Analytics has been sunset, we’ve changed our name to Columbus Data & Analytics Wednesday, and Jason has released two editions of his book “Google Analytics Alternatives”. Fresh off the release of the 2nd edition of his book, we thought it was time to re-open this conversation. While people love to complain about it, GA’s market share has remained relatively constant (at least in the United States). Why is that? You won’t find any complaints about GA4 in this talk, but rather an overview of what’s currently available in the market and how to frame your decision-making process. We’ll also be giving out some free copies of Jason’s book! So even if you’ve got a “GA4Lyfe” tattoo (no judgement), there’s free books to go with the free pizza and beer. 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)

**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** TBD **YouTube Link** TBA