IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

**Details** Happy New Year to everyone =). We would like to kickstart this year with a series of talks by AI Scientists from ST Engineering on Physical AI. Starting with an architecture that connects the three pillars of Physical AI (Agentic, Spatial & Robotics), we will explore why successful Agentic AI systems require moving beyond standalone tools to integrate business processes, infrastructure, and ROI-driven strategy for lasting organisational impact. We will also explore the frontiers of Spatial Intelligence and Robotics Intelligence, dissecting the algorithms that allow diverse, heterogeneous robots to coordinate and compete in complex, high-stakes environments. We are moving our events to Luma! **Please subscribe to the DSSG calendar on Luma.** You can find it [here](https://luma.com/datascienceSG?k=c). **​Agenda** 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM Registration & Networking ​7:00 PM – 7:15 PM Introduction to Physical AI @ ST Engineering by Kai Xin ​7:15 PM – 7:35 PM Agentic AI - Why AI Tools Alone Don’t Create Successful AI Systems by Michal ​7:35 PM – 7:55 PM Spatial AI - When World Model Meets Humanoid by Ruofei ​7:55 PM – 8:15 PM Robotics AI - Robust Physical AI by William ​8:15 PM – 8:30 PM Q&A and Closing **Synopsis** Agentic AI - Why AI Tools Alone Don’t Create Successful AI Systems Today, powerful AI tools are everywhere, yet most organisations still struggle to translate them into real business impact. Why is that? In this talk, Michal shares perspectives from consulting business units, evaluating AI startups, and designing end-to-end AI systems. He explains why many widely adopted tools, despite being technically impressive, fail to meaningfully transform organisations—and what needs to change for AI to deliver lasting value. The discussion moves beyond tools into the broader system: business processes, ROI and outcome measurement, software engineering discipline, self-hosting and infrastructure considerations, and model selection strategy. Attendees will leave with practical tips on what it actually takes to move from AI adoption to AI impact. Spatial AI - When World Model Meets Humanoid Dive into the frontier of Spatial Intelligence where generative agent-based simulations meet the reasoning power of LLMs and VLMs. We will discuss the architecture of scalable data factories designed to fuel robust robotics training and bridge the gap between virtual reasoning and physical execution. Join us to explore how these converged technologies are accelerating the development of advanced humanoid applications and embodied AI. Robotics AI - Robust Physical AI Uncover why Physical AI’s upcoming challenge is less about making smarter plans and more about executing reliably in the real world. Learn how coordination breaks down at scale and how NEAR Lab focuses on turning research into deployable autonomy. **Speakers** [Kai Xin Thia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thiakx/) is VP at ST Engineering Group Technology Office (GTO), heading the AI.DA Strategic Technology Centre (STC). AI.DA STC focuses on the research translation of AI, including Physical (Robotics Intelligence, Spatial Intelligence & Systemic Intelligence with Agents), Quantum, Urban Computing & AI Solutions. Kai Xin works at the intersection of data and product innovation, with over a decade of experience driving innovation across finance (London Stock Exchange, DBS), media (Tech in Asia), eCommerce (Lazada-Alibaba), and healthcare (Khoo Teck Puat Hospital). Kai Xin holds an MSc in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. [Michal Polanowski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/polanowskimichal/) is the Head of Generative AI at AI.DA STC. He builds production-ready AI systems and advises leadership and internal business units on strategic AI adoption. He focuses on transforming cutting-edge research into AI-first workflows that solve real operational problems and deliver tangible, verifiable ROI. With nearly two decades of experience across big data, data mining, data science, deep learning, and now Generative AI, Michal has seen both the hype and the reality of enterprise AI. His approach is deeply pragmatic, grounded in hands-on experience, focused on what works, and uncompromising about measurable outcomes. Michal holds a PhD in Consumer Economics / Market Research from The University of Georgia. [Ruofei Ouyang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ouyang-ruofei/) is the Head of Applied AI at AI.DA STC, specialising in spatial intelligence & simulation AI. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from NUS. His academic expertise lies in decentralised data fusion and distributed computing. He has established a strong research track record, with publications in top-tier venues in artificial intelligence and robotics, including UAI, AAAI, AAMAS, and Autonomous Robots. His professional profile combines deep theoretical knowledge in probabilistic modelling with practical experience in large-scale data science applications. [William Teo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/willteo/) is the Robotics AI Research Lead at AI.DA STC NEAR Lab, where he directs research in multi-robot systems and embodied AI applications. He is concurrently pursuing a PhD in Robotics at NUS MARMoT Lab, specialising in multi-agent robot learning. His diverse academic background includes a Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and a Master of Engineering in Supply Chain Management from MIT. Currently, he focuses on bridging academia and industry to make robots Smarter Better Faster.

**Come along to a friendly game of 5 a Side Football @ Civil service club rooftop 60 Tessemsohn Road 1-hour game** The game is 15SGD per pax for 1 hour, 15SGD is non-refundable if you don't play for any reason. Please RSVP in to book your playing slot now. After you RSVP one of the organisers will reach out to you to confirm your attendance and collect payment. If you do not reply you will be removed from the list so please check your meetup messages

AI is transforming how developers work, and this session will show you how to stay ahead. We’ll explore the transition from coding fundamentals to AI engineering, dive into generative AI and edge computing trends, and discuss how businesses measure the ROI of AI projects. **Guest Speaker: Ho Zi Hao** An AI and machine learning engineer who will share practical insights on both the technical skills and the business impact needed to thrive in AI engineering. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hozihao) Whether you’re a student, a career switcher, or already in tech, this event will give you knowledge and inspiration to grow in the evolving AI landscape.

**RSVP**: [https://www.traders.sg/free-session/advanced-options-trading-strategies/](https://www.traders.sg/free-session/advanced-options-trading-strategies/) ​Take your options trading to the next level by mastering **capital-intensive yet highly versatile strategies** used by professional traders to profit from **volatility, direction, and income generation**. ​This advanced session goes beyond basic calls and puts—focusing on **real-world execution, risk management, and live market analysis**. **RSVP**: [https://www.traders.sg/free-session/advanced-options-trading-strategies/](https://www.traders.sg/free-session/advanced-options-trading-strategies/)

Craving a midweek reset? Slide into Burgers, Board Games & Chill - our weekly Tuesday night hangout where the buns are toasted, the vibes are relaxed, and the conversation’s always juicy. ​We’ve added **11** new board games — come by, play a few rounds, and help with new ideas! ​Check the latest burger review from Daniel Food Diary > **[https://danielfooddiary.com/2025/05/15/opensourced](https://danielfooddiary.com/2025/05/15/opensourced)** ​ Come solo or bring a friend. It’s low-pressure, good food, and great company — perfect if you’re new in town, working nearby, or just need a breather from the grind. **Venue:** Open Sourced **Website:** [www.opensourced.so](http://www.opensourced.so) **Date:** Tuesday **Time:** 6.30pm-9pm **Location:** 10A Perak Road, Singapore 208131 **Bonus:** Free tatter tots upgrade with every burger

Evening coffee/tea session followed by dinner later, to meet new friends, exchange and share different cultures in a group event - group experience sharing is one of the best way to know your new friends ;-) Hey everyone, we will be at the the tables right in front of the Old Chang Kee, at the outdoors! Hope to see you soon! Closest MRT is Bugis and City Hall. Event Etiquette: • Please understand that this is not a business networking group, and please don't sell MLM (multi level marketing) here. You may still exchange numbers but it will be at your own discretion. • The organizer has the right to ban members from attending events and from the group.

Hey AWS Security fam 👋 A new year, a new meetup, and plenty to look forward to. January is here — and we are kicking off 2026 with fresh stories, new faces, and another night of security and cloud in action at the AWS Singapore office. **Our goal remains the same: bring security and cloud practitioners together.** Security is wide; cloud teams move fast. Let us meet in the middle — share what is working, what is painful, and how we can ship safer, faster. Want to speak next time? We are lining up lightning talks and deep dives for upcoming meetups — 30-minute sessions, interactive by design. New voices welcome: operators, builders, blue/red/purple teamers, platform folks. If you have shipped it, broken it, or fixed it, we want to hear it. (Ping the organizers / DM us after you RSVP.) 🎤 **Speakers** ✅ **Building and Securing Systems at Scale - Lessons from Cybersecurity Practice** 📌 *Gaurav Keerthi – CEO, StrongKeep* Gaurav will share lessons from building and securing systems at scale, drawing from his experience across national digital infrastructure and his current work in cybersecurity. He will reflect on real world security challenges, how cloud has shaped security decisions, and what practitioners should focus on as systems grow in complexity. ✅ **AI Security Operations: AWS Frontier Agents + Custom Agent Development with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro** 📌 *Loi Liang Yang – Principal Security Specialist Technical Account Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)* Loi explores how teams can deploy enterprise AI security using two complementary approaches on AWS. He will show how ready to use AWS AI Investigative, DevOps, and Security Agents can be enabled quickly for autonomous threat detection, while custom agents built with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro handle unique security needs. You will see how combining managed and custom agents enables scalable, practical AI powered security operations that actually work in real environments. ✅ **Accidentally Exposed MCP Servers: Lessons From a Real Incident** 📌 *Mayank Nauni – Cybersecurity Researcher* Mayank shares findings from a real investigation into Model Context Protocol servers unintentionally exposed to the public internet. He will explain how these exposures happen, what internal context can leak, and why this matters even outside traditional OT environments. The session concludes with practical steps to secure MCP on AWS, including private VPC deployments, identity controls, and continuous posture checks. 🧭 **Event Details** 📅 Date: Thursday, 15th January 2026 🕡 Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM 📍 Venue: AWS Singapore, 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🛂 **Registration & Check-in (Important)** Watch for an email titled: AWS Security User Group Singapore: Registration Confirmed for AWS Security Meetup – January 2026 Show this email at Level 1 Concierge to access Level 5 for verification. Walk-ins: Only if capacity allows. Confirmed registrations get priority. No confirmation email = walk-in; entry not guaranteed. 🙌 **What to Expect (and why it’s worth your evening)** * 30-minute interactive sessions — no death-by-slides * Live Q&A & show-and-tell — bring questions, tooling, and war stories * Security × Cloud crossover — incident learnings, IaC guardrails, identity, data protection, cost/risk trade-offs 🍕 **Agenda & Housekeeping** 6:30 PM — Pizza & drinks (vegetarian + halal options) Talks — Start right after dinner Networking — Meet builders, defenders, and platform folks 📸 Photos/recordings may be used for future promo Pro tip: Arrive early to skip queues and snag a good seat 🎁 Swag & promo codes — stay till the end for giveaways

**Hosted by AWS User Group Singapore x AWS Security Users Group Singapore** Hey AWS Community, A new year is here, and so is our first meetup of 2026. Expect new speakers, practical security insights, and plenty of energy at the AWS Singapore office. This meetup brings together both security and cloud practitioners. Security is broad. Cloud moves fast. Let us meet in the middle, share what works, what breaks, and how we can build safer and faster on AWS. Whether you work in development, operations, architecture, or security, you will walk away with ideas you can apply the next day. 📅 **Date:** Thursday, 15th January 2026 🕡 **Time:** 6.30pm – 9.00pm 📍 **Location:** AWS Singapore; 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🎤 **Speakers** ✅ **Building and Securing Systems at Scale - Lessons from Cybersecurity Practice** 📌 *Gaurav Keerthi – CEO, StrongKeep* Gaurav will share lessons from building and securing systems at scale, drawing from his experience across national digital infrastructure and his current work in cybersecurity. He will reflect on real world security challenges, how cloud has shaped security decisions, and what practitioners should focus on as systems grow in complexity. ✅ **AI Security Operations: AWS Frontier Agents + Custom Agent Development with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro** 📌 *Loi Liang Yang – Principal Security Specialist Technical Account Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)* Loi explores how teams can deploy enterprise AI security using two complementary approaches on AWS. He will show how ready to use AWS AI Investigative, DevOps, and Security Agents can be enabled quickly for autonomous threat detection, while custom agents built with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro handle unique security needs. You will see how combining managed and custom agents enables scalable, practical AI powered security operations that actually work in real environments. ✅ **Accidentally Exposed MCP Servers: Lessons From a Real Incident** 📌 *Mayank Nauni – Cybersecurity Researcher* Mayank shares findings from a real investigation into Model Context Protocol servers unintentionally exposed to the public internet. He will explain how these exposures happen, what internal context can leak, and why this matters even outside traditional OT environments. The session concludes with practical steps to secure MCP on AWS, including private VPC deployments, identity controls, and continuous posture checks. 🚨 **IMPORTANT – REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED VIA THE AWS SECURITY MEETUP PAGE** 👉 **Please RSVP here:** 🔗 [https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/events/312353393/](https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/events/312353393/) 📌 This event is hosted under the **AWS Security Users Group Singapore**. 📩 All attendees **must register** via the link above to receive a confirmation email and secure access to the venue. ❗ Registrations on other meetup pages will **not** be considered valid. 📸 Kindly note that photographs and recordings captured during the event will be used for future promotional purposes. 🍕 **Agenda & Housekeeping** 💡 Pro Tip: Arrive early to avoid queues and secure your seat for the sharing sessions! 🍕 Pizza Time: Dinner starts at 6.30pm, enjoy pizza and drinks before the talks begin. 🎤 Talks start around 7.00pm 🍻 Post-Event Networking: Stick around to meet fellow builders, practitioners, and experts. 🎁 Swag & Promo Codes: AWS swag and giveaways await those who stay till the end! 🔗 Connect with us: Meetup: [AWS Security Users Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/) Meetup: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-sg/) LinkedIn: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aws-user-group-singapore/) Discord: [https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG](https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG) 📬 Enquiries: [aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com](mailto:aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com)

**Register now to attend! =>**[https://konfhub.com/ksug-sg-2026-01-14](https://konfhub.com/ksug-sg-2026-01-14)**<=** **Latest promotions** discovered by [KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet) community! * **30%** off [KubeCon Europe](https://ksug.ai/events/?ref=meet) 2026 using code **KSAI** * **30%** off [Linux Foundation](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet) Certs using code **30K8SUG** * Up to **30%** OFF popular [Books](https://ksug.ai/books/?ref=meet) and [Events](https://ksug.ai/events/?ref=meet) * **25%** off [THRIVE-ONE subscription](https://jf1.ksug.ai) We're excited to welcome you to the upcoming **KSUG.AI Singapore Meetup** — happening both in-person at **[Nutanix](https://www.nutanix.com/)**[ ](https://www.nutanix.com/)office and online via [Zoom](https://linktr.ee/ksug.ai)! 🎉 **Agenda and topics preview:** * Food, drinks and Socializing * Welcome / Introductions by the Organizers @**[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** * **Topic 1:** Microservices Canary Deployment in a DevSecOps Pipeline Powered by Service Mesh and CELYNA AI by [Doddy Kristianto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/doddy-kristianto-3888ba1a/) [Lukas Septa Hernanda](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukasepta/) and [Restu Nursobah](linkedin.com/in/restunursobah) at [Telkomsel](https://www.linkedin.com/company/telkomsel/) * **Topic 2:** AI-Driven Kubernetes Operations Integrating with Model Context Protocol (MCP) by [Siva Yakkanti](linkedin.com/in/sivaiah-yakkanti-83a57412), Platform Engineering. * **Quiz time:** nice swags giveaways Food and drinks will be provided between **6 and 6.30 pm** on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a great opportunity to learn and network with our peers. Thanks to our sponsors @**[Nutanix](https://www.nutanix.com/)**, @**[KodeKloud](https://kodekloud.com/k8sug)**! **[Register here](https://konfhub.com/ksug-sg-2026-01-14) to secure your spot!** See you all there! **Location:** [Nutanix Singapore office, 38 Beach Road #33-11 South Beach Tower, Singapore 189767](https://maps.app.goo.gl/sfAu6mKEBjQyPq1WA) Join **[#Discord](https://discord.com/invite/Rp9WzYyKua)** for latest update 👉 [https://discord.com/invite/Rp9WzYyKua](https://discord.com/invite/Rp9WzYyKua) 🔖 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬: ☸ 30% OFF **[Kubernetes](https://lf.ksug.ai/)** Certs - Code: **30K8SUG** ☸ 37% OFF **[KodeKloud](https://ksug.ai/kk/?ref=meet)** Plans - Code: **K8SUGKK** 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬: ✅ Learn 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⚡ ✅ Certify 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 💰 ✅ Grow 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 💪 𝟏𝟖𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ follow **[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** 🔥 [linktr.ee/ksug.ai](https://linktr.ee/ksug.ai) *By registering, you consent to the management of your personal information in accordance with KSUG.AI Meetup's [Privacy Policy](https://ksug.ai/privacy). Additionally, you agree that our sponsors may contact you.* **[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** is an independent community and not affiliated with or endorsed by CNCF. Kubernetes, K8s, Kubestronaut are registered trademarks of The Linux Foundation.

Build strength. Improve stamina. Reconnect with nature. Start the New Year with a purposeful outdoor challenge at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore’s highest natural point. This guided morning brisk walk is designed for individuals looking to improve endurance, experience elevation, and prepare for future hiking or adventure activities. Ideal for active individuals seeking a structured, supportive environment to stay fit, connect with nature, and meet like-minded participants. ✨ Why Participate? ✔ Enhance cardiovascular fitness and endurance ✔ Experience natural trails with elevation ✔ Prepare for upcoming hikes and expeditions ✔ Network with an active, health-focused community 🥾 EVENT DETAILS 📍 Location: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve 📅 Date: Friday, 16 January 2026 ⏰ Meeting Time: 7:45 AM (Sharp) 🚇 Meeting Point: Beauty World MRT – Passenger Service Counter 🥾 Walk Duration: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM 🗺️ ROUTE OVERVIEW • Bukit Timah Nature Park • Bukit Timah Summit – Loop 1 • Wallace Trail • Dairy Farm Hut • Bukit Timah Summit – Loop 2 • Return to Bukit Timah Nature Park ⚠️ PREPARATION & REQUIREMENTS ✅ Proper hiking footwear ✅ Adequate hydration ✅ Readiness for inclines and uneven terrain ➕ Optional: Light snacks, sun protection, insect repellent ⏰ Strict punctuality required — departure at 7:45 AM 📝 DISCLAIMER Participation is voluntary and undertaken at your own discretion. Participants are responsible for their personal safety and well-being throughout the activity. Please stay alert, adhere to instructions, and notify the organizer immediately if you feel unwell or need to withdraw. Walking and hiking involve inherent risks, including slips, falls, and physical fatigue. The organizer assumes no liability for any injury, loss, or incident arising during or as a result of participation. ✨ Begin the New Year with purpose, fitness, and adventure. 📝 RSVP to secure your place.

**⚠️ REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED VIA [THIS SIGN UP FORM (LUMA)](https://luma.com/bwg0i788) ⚠️** — **ABOUT THE RANGE VILLAGE** ​The Range Village is a community driven cyber range interest group aimed to provide community curated Cyber Range content for people who are interested in practicing their cyber skills such as active directory testing, lateral movements, defence evasion, and provisioning of an attack infrastructure. We live in a world where cybersecurity education is within a Google search or a GenAI prompt, but the access to a certain range or resource to practice those skills can be costly to individuals who are not in the position to self-fund a paid cyber range or premium access range. **ABSTRACT** The workshop will cover: 1. ​Introduction to Active Directory 2. Active Directory Attacks 101 **SET UP INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS** Participants will need to bring their own laptop with a Kali Linux virtual machine **AGENDA** * ​10:30 \| Door opens * ​11:00 \| Workshop starts * ​12:00 \| Mini lunch break * ​12:45 \| Workshop continues * ​13:45 \| End of workshop \- start of hangout * ​16:00 \| End of event **SPONSORS** * VENUE SPONSOR: [CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybersg-tig-collaboration-centre/) **LEAD FACILITATOR** **Sim Cher Boon \|** Cher Boon is a Security Engineer at Grab and the Co-Founder of the Range Village community group. He has competed in multiple CTFs, both locally and overseas, spoken at local and overseas conferences on security topics, and now focuses on developing the next generation of cyber talents through guidance and meetups. **IMPORTANT NOTICES** * Code of Conduct: [https://www.div0.sg/code-of-conduct](https://www.div0.sg/code-of-conduct) * Terms of Use & Disclaimer Notice: [https://www.div0.sg/terms-of-use-disclaimer-notice](https://www.div0.sg/terms-of-use-disclaimer-notice)

Register at [bit.ly/gdgsg-jan26](https://bit.ly/gdgsg-jan26) \-\-\- Join us for an exclusive session with Thorsten Schaeff, Developer Relations Engineer at Google DeepMind. This isn't just another overview; it’s your first look at the next generation of multimodal models and the tools that will redefine your development workflow. What to expect: * Meet Gemini 3: Be among the first to explore the capabilities of the latest Gemini 3 family, including the highly anticipated Nano Banana Pro model. * Defy Gravity: Discover Google Antigravity, the new tool designed to remove friction from your build process. * Master the Studio: A guided walkthrough of Google AI Studio to help you prototype faster and smarter. Whether you are an AI researcher or a mobile developer looking to integrate on-device smarts, this session will equip you with the knowledge to accelerate your work. #GoogleDeepMind #GoogleForDevelopers #GDGSingapore

We start 2026 with an evening that covers a range of topics at the frontier of AI - and please note that the topics below are "subject to change" depending on new model releases, etc... Talks: **"Nested Learning; mHC/Engram and Sub-1bit Compression" - Martin Andrews** In his talk, Martin will outline several interesting recent works: (a) Nested Learning from Google (which follows on from their TITANS paper at NeurIPS); (b) mHC and Engram from DeepSeek, which may be foreshadowing an upcoming release; and (c) "LittleBit: Ultra Low-Bit Quantization" which had flown under the radar until NeurIPS itself... The goal is to explain a little of both the "why" and the "what" behind this research. **"The Big Shift: From "Bigger Models" to "Smarter Systems"" - Sam Witteveen** In this talk, Sam will go through some of the papers and topics covered at NeurIPS and in general research over the past few months that cover how in the race for AGI, research is moving to Agentic Systems rather than just Big Models **"EmergentDB: What if Your Database Learned Like an LLM?" - Rach Pradhan** In his lightning talk, Rach will describe his highly-rated entry into the recent DeepMind Gemini Hackathon held in Singapore. His "EmergentDB" is a proof-of-concept vector database that uses MAP-Elites (Quality Diversity) to automatically discover optimal index configurations. Instead of hand-tuning HNSW parameters or guessing at partition counts, the idea is that the database evolves configurations specific to your data with impressive speedups over alternatives. **FOOD UPDATE :** Google has told us that **there WILL BE** pizza at the event **ALSO:** Sign-ups are on **MeetUp** this time! Registration here should be FREE - if MeetUp requires you to sign up for a subscription somehow, let us know! (We haven't heard of this happening for registrations via their mobile app, FWIW). \-\-\- Talks will start at 7:10pm (entry at 6:45pm) and end at around 9:00pm, at which point attendees can come up to the front for a bit of a chat with each other, and the speakers. As always, we're actively looking for more speakers - both '30 minutes long-form', and lightning talks. For the lightning talks, we welcome folks to come and talk about something cool they've done with keras, PyTorch, JAX and/or Deep Learning for 5-10mins (so, if you have slides, then #max=10). We believe that the key ingredient for the success of a Lightning Talk is simply the cool/interesting factor. It doesn't matter whether you're an expert or an enthusiastic beginner: Given the responses we have had to previous talks, we're sure there are lots of people who would love to hear what you've been playing with. If you're interested in talking, please just introduce yourself to Martin at one of the events.

A Path Forward – Grand Opening & 2-Year Anniversary Celebration! Join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of A Path Forward’s new Leesburg studio and mark two years of supporting mothers through every stage of motherhood. A Path Forward is a maternal wellness studio offering integrated lactation support, strength-based fitness, nutrition coaching, and restorative therapies designed to help moms rebuild strength, confidence, and balance — not just “bounce back.” This open-house style event is an opportunity to: * Tour the new studio space * Learn about our services, including Red Light Therapy * Meet the founder and local providers * Ask questions and explore how A Path Forward can support you in your current season * Enjoy light refreshments sponsored by Robin with 'Keeping It Real' Real Estate * Community Connection **Give-A-Ways!** We wil be doing 2 give-a-ways at the top of every hour. * 10:00AM, 11:00AM, 12:00PM and 1:00PM Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, a toddler mom, or simply ready to prioritize your own wellbeing again, this celebration is for you. Come celebrate a new chapter, a new space, and a shared commitment to supporting moms in our Loudoun community. We can’t wait to welcome you.

Gaming, AdTech, EdTech, Media Streaming, and FinTech are just a few of the workloads where high-availability cloud infrastructure matters. Whether you’re doing battle daily in one of these spaces or are just curious about ways to improve performance, meet us in Reston for an in-person discussion on bare metal cloud architecture. You’ll meet our product lead, James MacKenzie, who will walk through how modern bare metal serves as a control plane for hybrid and private cloud architectures. **What we will cover** * Ways to leverage bare metal, containers, and orchestration for better performance and predictable economics; * Real-world hybrid, disaster recovery, and data-intensive architectures; * Our approach to eliminating ingress and egress fees. **Who should attend** * Cloud architects and platform engineers; * DevOps professionals and infrastructure leads; * FinOps stakeholders managing data-heavy or hybrid workloads. **Why attend** This is a technical, architecture-first conversation. You will leave with a clearer understanding of high-availability cloud infrastructure and how organizations are scaling cost-effectively. Food and drinks will be provided. Space is limited to keep the discussion interactive.

**Agenda :** * 4.30 to 4.45 PM ET: Food and Networking * 4.45 to 5.30 PM ET: "Building Smarter Agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio (Jan 2026 Edition)" Hello Everyone! Please join us for our Jan 13th edition of the AI-ML MeetUp. **Please note this is an in-person meeting and light refreshments/food will be provided.** **Title:** Building Smarter Agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio (Jan 2026 Edition) **Description:** Discover how to design intelligent, task-driven AI agents using **Microsoft Copilot Studio**. Learn how to connect copilots to enterprise data, workflows, and external systems. Explore real-world use cases, best practices, and architecture patterns for scalable agents. Get hands-on insights into what’s new in the Jan 2026 edition and what’s coming next **Location:** The meeting will be hosted in the Applied Information Sciences ( AIS ) office in Reston, at 11440 Commerce Park Dr # 600 · Reston, VA. The location is also right off the Silver Line metro's Wiehle-Reston Metro Station. **Parking:** Parking is paid and can be validated at the AIS office reception. We will meet in Room Lake Anne. We hope to see you all there!!!!

Volunteers collect, store, and deliver donated furniture and other household items, free of charge, to needy families in the Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, and Culmore areas. The furniture is stored in a building donated by Annandale United Methodist Church. ACCA receives requests for furniture through Fairfax County human services staff and specialized agencies, churches, and schools. ACCA churches and community volunteers take turns providing teams of volunteers to work at the warehouse located at 6935 Columbia Pike on Saturday mornings. [https://accacares.org/furniture/](https://accacares.org/furniture/)

Ready for the **FIRST Loudoun CyberTech Event of 2026** \- featuring the **Loudoun County CISO**?!?! Join us on **Tuesday, January 13, 2026,** at **Honor Brewing Company** at **42604 Trade West Dr, Sterling, VA 20166**! Want a custom name tag to enhance your networking opportunities? Register here and yours will be ready at the door: https://share.hsforms.com/1J8_8W2-vSe2WSqQbnxxz0Adwxz1 Are you prepared for what cyber threats will define 2026? Which ones matter and which should be ignored? What does modernization look like in 2026 at the intersection of risk, cost, and security? Join us for an exciting evening with the **Loudoun County CISO** and our spotlight speaker, **Dr. Elizabeth Di Bene**, as she explores these questions and addresses what to expect in cyber in 2026! **Dr. Elizabeth Di Bene** is the **CISO** for **Loudoun County Government,** overseeing information security strategies with a focus on risk management, data analytics, and SaaS. She brings more than 20 years of cyber leadership experience across the federal government and private sector, including roles at **CACI International,** **the U.S. Department of Justice,** and the **U.S. Marine Corps** where she also served in cyber leadership roles at **Marine Corps System Command**. Dr. Di Bene is nationally recognized for her expertise in network and information security and is a frequent industry speaker and FinOps ambassador. Join us next month to meet **Dr. Elizabeth Di Bene** to learn what should matter most for cyber in 2026! **Agenda** 5:30 Social hour and networking begins 6:10 Welcome 6:20 Spotlight Speaker - **Dr. Elizabeth Di Bene** 6:50 Q&A 7:00 Open Mic & Networking Continues 7:30 Adjourn

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## **1 Million Cups Loudoun Workshop: How AI Can Work for Your Business** **Wednesday\, January 28 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun – Ashburn** Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword — it’s a practical tool that businesses of all sizes can begin using today. Join **1 Million Cups Loudoun** for a special **workshop-style presentation** led by **Victor Meer of AI Prime** and **Jay Jay Billings of Band Gap AI**, designed to help entrepreneurs understand how AI can realistically support their business operations. This workshop will provide: * A clear, practical overview of what AI actually is * Real-world examples of how businesses are using AI today * Insight into where automation can save time and reduce friction * Guidance on how to start leveraging AI without needing technical expertise Whether you’re AI-curious, overwhelmed by the noise, or ready to explore automation in your business, this session will help you think clearly about where AI fits — and where it doesn’t. As always, coffee, conversation, and community are at the heart of 1 Million Cups Loudoun. ### What Is 1 Million Cups? 1 Million Cups is a national program powered by the Kauffman Foundation that brings together entrepreneurs and community members for weekly conversations that educate, support, and inspire. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Join us on **January 14 at 9:00 AM** for coffee, connection, and a meaningful conversation about reimagining after-school education in Loudoun County. **We look forward to seeing you there.**