Innovations in Software Testing

Welcome back to an exciting year of .NET meetups. We are excited to host our first event of the year to dive into the Microsoft Agent Framework that has recently reached General Availability. Our friend Rakesh has a hands-on journey planned for us to make the most of the new framework and helping us build an agent powered app (it's not just a simple chatbot)! So feel free to bring your laptop and follow along. **Agenda:** * 5:30pm arrival - Food and drinks provided in-person * 6pm kickoff - Welcome & Introduction and few words from our Sponsors - 10 min * 6:10pm - Session 1 **Session 1: Practical introduction to the Microsoft Agent Framework** by [Rakesh Lakshminarayana](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakeshl/) With the first Release Candidate of the Microsoft Agent Framework now available, this is an exciting time to start building AI agents using the framework. In this beginner-friendly session, we will explore the foundations of AI agents and the common challenges involved in moving beyond traditional chatbots. We’ll look at where the Microsoft Agent Framework fits in and how it enables you to design agents with structured memory, tool integration, and practical hosting patterns. Through live examples, we will build an agent step by step - giving you a clear understanding of how it works and how to apply these patterns in your own projects. **Hosts:** * [William Liebenberg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-liebenberg/) \- Microsoft \.NET MVP \| Consultant at Arinco * [Bron Thulke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronthulke/) \- Microsoft \.NET MVP \| CTO / Co\-Founder at YouLi * [Tama Waddell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tama-waddell/) \- Consultant at Arinco **Sponsors:** We have some amazing sponsors that help make this event possible: * [Arinco](https://arinco.com.au/) \- Venue\, Food and Drinks **Location:** In-Person at Arinco Melbourne. Level 6 / 440 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD 🗣 Apply to speak now: [https://bit.ly/melb-dotnet-cfp](https://bit.ly/melb-dotnet-cfp)

Join us for Linux Town Hall meeting where we discuss the upcoming Document Freedom Day. This is an open Town Hall meeting where all community members are welcome to attend, observe, and contribute to the discussion. Whether you're a long-time LUV member or new to our community, your input is valuable as we shape the future of Linux Users Victoria. The meeting will be held online, making it accessible for everyone to participate from the comfort of their own space. This is a great opportunity to learn about Linux Victoria's behind-the-scenes operations and how you can get involved in our growing open-source community. Come be part of the conversation as we work to strengthen and expand Victoria's Linux adoption and open source practice! ## Key Discussion Points \- Upcoming Document Freedom Day More to be added soon. ## How To Join Online Link to join: [https://electronworkshop.com.au/goto/venue](https://electronworkshop.com.au/goto/venue) We use a self-hosted Big Blue Button instance (aka BBB) for this meeting, managed by Electron Workshop and hosted by Serversaurus. ## Join In Person Maps Link for Inspire9: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/eRMAXpBdmG1Ece4m9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/eRMAXpBdmG1Ece4m9) **Getting to Inspire9:** Train station is located right next to Inspire9. Tram 70 is a short 2 minute walk. There is 2hr parking on the street but very often there are no spots. Inspire9 main entrance is wheelchair accessible. When arriving, head for the AKM building. ## Schedule 19:00 Meet and greet 19:30 Opening 20:30 Closure

️ \*\***TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR EVENT --** **[CLICK HERE FOR THE TICKETS](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/founder-connect-tickets-1975905696127?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl)**[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/founder-connect-tickets-1975905696127?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl)\*\*️ Join us on **Tuesday, 10th March 2026, at 6:00 PM at The Commons QV, Melbourne** for Founder Connect: March Edition presented by The Startup Network. 🚀✨ In this edition, we'll be hearing from our friends [Paul](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-grimes/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-grimes/") and [Eleanor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbignell/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbignell/") from [OK200](https://ok200.net/ "https://ok200.net/") unpacking: "What's the next step? Working out what your tech Startup's next move should be". Date: 10th March 2026 Time: 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Venue: The Commons QV, 3 Albert Coates Lane, Melbourne, 3000 What’s the next step? Turning early-stage tech ideas into a clear plan forward. For founders at the start of the journey: This Q&A is for those with an idea or very early concept for a tech startup who aren’t sure how to move from inspiration, into action. Perhaps you’re starting with a completely fresh idea, or you’ve already done some early validation. Either way, it's important to figure out what to build first and how to shape a clear roadmap before committing significant time and money. [Paul](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-grimes/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-grimes/") and [Eleanor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbignell/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbignell/") will explore how a clear strategy and roadmap are important to uncovering your next logical step, whether that ends up being refining the concept, building an MVP, or validating and testing with potential users. Got a question? Send it in with your RSVP for a chance to have it unpacked on the night What to Expect: 🎤 Inspiring Speaker Session: Gain practical advice and insider knowledge from an experienced industry leader who will share insights to help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey. 💬 Interactive Q&A Session: Bring your questions! Learn actionable tech strategies from our expert speakers, Eleanor & Paul from OK200. 🤝 Networking Opportunities: Build meaningful connections with fellow founders, entrepreneurs, and startup enthusiasts over food and drinks. 🍔🍷 Whether you’re growing your startup, brainstorming your next big idea, or simply exploring the ecosystem, Founder Connect is your chance to gain valuable insights, connect with like-minded individuals, and walk away with inspiration for your entrepreneurial journey Why Attend? Founder Connect is your opportunity to stay informed, network with a thriving community, and gain practical knowledge to strengthen your business. Together, we’ll explore ways to tackle common challenges and build a resilient, innovative future. 📅 Save the date and RSVP now to secure your spot! See you there! 🎉

**Chasing Unicorns**: When Job Ads Demand Superhuman Skills, with Gaurav K In this talk, Gaurav will reveal why the “perfect candidate” is a myth and how both employers and job seekers can benefit from a more realistic approach to tech stack and domain knowledge demands in hiring instead of searching for a “unicorn” who fits every requirement. We will also be having a panel discussion after Gaurav's talk **Venue:** Hosted at Inspire9 Coworking Space Richmond https://www.inspire9.com/ **Gaurav Kathuria** is the Founder and Principal Trainer at **Business Analysis Upskill.** Gaurav offers professional training and coaching in Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Business Analysis certifications (ECBA, CCBA, CBAP), BABOK, Agile, Scrum, Process Automation, and Product Management. **Jade Bennett** is the Founder of **Middleton Executive**, an embedded hiring and executive search partner to product and technology companies. Jade is also the creator and host of The Product Edge podcast and a career strategist, known for her HIRED framework. **Jodie Marron** is a Senior Principal Consultant at **Frazer Tremble**, specialising in recruiting high-performing PMO, project, transformation, and tech teams across Australia in financial services, professional services, and utilities. She loves bringing people together through industry events and panels. **Andy Kelk** is a Fractional CTO and strategic advisor with over 25 years guiding scale-ups through technical growing pains. In senior roles at REA Group, Marketplacer, Australia Post, Wesfarmers, and others, he has architected platforms handling billions in transactions, scaled engineering teams from 15 to 100+. **John Parshotamdas** is a Lead Business Analyst at the **University of Melbourne**, where he oversees a team of more than 20 Business Analysts within the Digital Products Portfolio. +++ If you would like to volunteer to lead one or several sessions in 2026, please get in touch.

The Pet Store Agent Quest is an introductory AWS GameDay challenge focused on Agentic AI development using Amazon Bedrock AgentCore and the Strands framework. This Quest is designed to give attendees hands-on experience building and working with AI agents, utilizing prompt engineering and Amazon Q Developer Pro to assist in solving a series of challenges. Participants will build AI agents for a new Virtual Pet Store, creating specialized agents for pet recommendations, care advice, and customer service while implementing appropriate guardrails for responsible AI responses. AWS GameDay is an interactive, team-based learning opportunity where participants use and expand their AWS skills in a realistic, gamified, risk-free environment. Participants are given an AWS account to share with pre-provisioned infrastructure that they will evolve in response to realistic business and technical requirements designed to challenge them. Teams will be given 1.5 hours to play through the GameDay and there will be an awards ceremony at the end of the event. **A laptop is required to participate.**

Visitors and newcomers are very welcome, please see https://hackmelbourne.com/newcomer-faq/ for more details. COVIDSafe restrictions are also in place, please see https://hackmelbourne.com/covid-19-restrictions/ for the latest. Short walk from Glenferrie train station. Car parking at Hawthorn town hall. Bring a laptop and a project you are working on. There is also a number of group projects that you are welcome to join in. We have starter kits for Arduino, a couple of 3D printers, various tools and equipment available for use. Typically our sessions run from 6:45pm till later in the evening (depending on our members' availability to close) but if you're new please come early.

**Important:** Register at the [external event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026012623)[ ](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2025120823)is required for admission. **Description:** Welcome to the AI meetup in Melbourne, in collaboration with AI Innovation Centre. Join us for deep dive tech talks on AI, GenAI, LLMs and Agentic AI, hands-on experiences with code labs and workshops, and networking with speakers and fellow AI developers, builders, startup founders. **Agenda:** * 5:30pm\~6:00pm: Checkin and networking * 6:00pm\~7:30pm: Tech talks and Q&A * 7:30pm: Open discussion & Mixer **Topics/Speakers:** Check the [event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026012623) for Speakers and Topics. If you have a keen interest in speaking to our community, we invite you to submit topics for consideration: [Submit Topics](https://forms.gle/JkMt91CZRtoJBSFUA) **Sponsors:** We are actively seeking sponsors to support our community. Whether it is by offering venue spaces, providing food/drink, or cash sponsorship. Sponsors will not only speak at the meetups, receive prominent recognition, and but also exposure to our extensive membership base of 5,000+ AI developers in Melbourne and 500K+ worldwide.

RSVP on https://www.meetup.com/gdg-melbourne/events/313154207/ We at GDG Melbourne and Women Techmakers Melbourne are holding a night of talks, food and networking for International Women's Day! All genders and all levels of technical expertise welcome! Codeword: IWD Our friends at Block are hosting us at their office, make sure you check the address - it is different to our usual venue! We have two great sessions lined up: Thao Tran: When Tech Turns Personal: A Human Story of Digital Safety, Resilience and Recovery" Thao is the founder of Ditox, a digital health and wellness company that helps organizations, families and individuals to reduce digital behavioral and mental health issues and improve social connection in a hyper-connected digital world. Leadership & Career discussion panel Hosted by Katie Barnett (Engineering Manager at Bilue, GDE Android, WTM Ambassador) Agenda *** Hosted By Katie Barnett, GDE Android / GDG Organiser Katie is passionate about all things Android. She has taken on a wide variety of challenging projects including in the live event, media and travel space. Her favourite thing is to see someone having a delightful experience using something she has worked on. Katie is very active in the development community, she is a Google Developer Expert for Android, one of the organisers of GDG Melbourne and is a Women Techmakers Ambassador. She frequently runs events, speaks on technical and non-technical topics and enjoys writing blog posts to share her experience with others. Katie is based in Melbourne, Australia but loves to travel the world and outside of tech she enjoys boardgaming and attempting to finish many craft projects. Suesi Tran, Senior Flutter Developer Google Developer Expert in Dart, Flutter & Firebase, Women Techmaker Melbourne ambassador, GDG Melbourne & Flutter Melbourne co-organiser. In short: Flutter is love, and mobile is life. Poornima Sivakumar, GDG Organiser Lovee Jain, GDG Organiser Lovee is a Software Engineer at Prezzee, a GDG Melbourne Organiser and also a Women Techmakers Ambassador. A tech inquisitive philomath, she loves problem solving and solution design. She has worked at a city council where she developed a lot of useful system integrations and while at Prezzee she develops and works on multiple gift card solutions to cater the B2B2C market. Zach Jensz, GDG Organiser Passionate about the web, seamless UX and accessibility. I love attending meetups, find me and come say hi! Ujjawal Raj, GDG Organiser Bramley Turner-Jones, GDG Organiser Yuba Raj (UV) Panta, GDG Cloud Organiser Kartik Arora, Android Engineer Google Developer Expert in Android Android Engineer @ Bilue Carolyn Ai Chi Wong, *** Partner Block (https://block.xyz) *** Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-melbourne-presents-international-womens-day/.

EVERY FRIDAY! FREE dance classes & social dancing and Reggaeton every week with Obsesión Latina - Salsa & Bachata & OYE Latino at The Albion Rooftop - South Melbourne! Main room: 6:45pm Doors open. Come in for a drink! 7:00pm 2 levels of Salsa classes 8:00pm 2 levels of Bachata classes 9:00pm Non-stop Bachata & Salsa 11:00pm Reggaeton all night! Rooftop: 11:00pm After the Bachata & Salsa in the main room, we can head upstairs to the rooftop for some more Bachata & Salsa until late. FREE entry all night every Friday! Book your class spots to helps us manage the class ratios and also because we may need to start capping numbers as we sometimes have over 140 students! First-timers welcome! No need to bring a partner, but the more the merrier! Dress as you would usually going to a bar or club. Guys smart casual, no trackies! https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/free-salsa-bachata-classes-social-every-friday-in-south-melbourne-tickets-1978557074471?aff=oddtdtcreator

Our regular monthly presentation night on the second Thursday of the month from 6:30pm! Thanks to Mantel Group for hosting us again this month. If you're coming in person we're there with food and drinks from 6pm. We will be live streaming the presentations as usual from 6:30pm at [http://www.melbournecocoaheads.com/live](http://www.melbournecocoaheads.com/live) \-\-\- **Agenda** \| 6:00pm \| Food \+ Networking \| \| 6:30pm \| Event begins\. Introductions \| \| 6:40pm \| Luke Howard — An embedded audio product built with Swift \| \| 7:15pm \| TBC \| \| 7:55pm \| Wrap up \+ social time at a nearby venue \| \* All times are approximate. Presentation order will be confirmed on the night. \-\-\-\- We are always looking for speakers and believe everyone has an interesting talk hiding inside themselves. If you are interested in letting that talk out at a future event you can get in touch on the website [https://www.melbournecocoaheads.com/talks](https://www.melbournecocoaheads.com/talks) or on Slack.

⚠️ **Important: This is an ONLINE webinar.** To attend, you **must register using the Zoom link below**. 👉 **Register here to receive the webinar access link:** [https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_skhcBgLATRGj4GbKehajyg](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_skhcBgLATRGj4GbKehajyg) *** ## **Event Overview** Many businesses are currently exploring AI. But most are **starting in the wrong place**. The instinct is usually to automate the most visible frustration. However, when we map a business properly, the **highest ROI AI opportunity is often somewhere else entirely**. In this live **AI Audit Masterclass**, we will show you how to systematically identify where AI can create the greatest business value. This session is designed specifically for **SME owners, founders, and operations leaders** who want to approach AI strategically rather than experimenting with random tools. *** ## **What You’ll Learn** In this practical 45-minute session we will cover: • How to map the **30–50 core processes inside your business** • How to identify genuine **operational bottlenecks** • How to rank AI opportunities by **ease of implementation and ROI** • Why **discovery quality determines implementation success** • A **live walkthrough of an SME AI audit example** This is **not a “cool AI demo” session**. Instead, we focus on a **business-first framework** that helps organisations think clearly before investing time and money into automation. *** ## **Who This Is For** This webinar is ideal for: • SME owners exploring AI adoption • Founders building more efficient operations • Operations and strategy leaders • Businesses wanting **clear ROI from AI investments** No technical background is required. *** ## **Event Details** 📅 **Date:** Wednesday, 11 March 2026 ⏰ **Time:** 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM (AEDT) 📍 **Location:** Online Webinar (Zoom) *** ## **Hosts** **Andrew Lai** Managing Director, SMEC AI Australia’s federally mandated AI adoption centre supporting SMEs. **Ahmed Alassafi** AI strategist and automation specialist helping businesses implement practical AI systems. *** ## **How to Join** ⚠️ **Meetup RSVP alone will NOT give you access to the webinar.** You **must register via Zoom** to receive the joining link. 👉 **Register here:** [https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_skhcBgLATRGj4GbKehajyg](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_skhcBgLATRGj4GbKehajyg)

Applied Scholastics Study Technology is able to improve anyone's ability to study. Millions of people are already using this technology and whole countries are now adopting it. - You can learn Faster with less stress - You don't forget the information - You stay interested in the subject - Your marks increase English literacy rates routinely improve by 25 to 35 percent. Likewise, student test scores improve dramatically with students routinely meeting or exceeding grade level expectations in EVERY ACADEMIC SUBJECT. Our workshop will be focusing on how students learn. Study Technology can easily be incorporated into any educational activity—from classroom instruction and curriculum design to employee training or homeschooling. It provides a stable foundation enhancing all educational efforts. Study Technology is what teachers, tutors, trainers, parents and students can use to improve the quality of teaching and learning. No matter the curriculum in your current academic setting, Study Technology offers proven teaching strategies and resources that can help resolve classroom issues and improve student achievement. No matter if you are a teacher yourself or a good students or bad student we can all do better at study once we have this technology under our belt. Teachers who use this technology report amazing turn around with once troubled students. The application of Study Technology has quite literally changed millions of lives. You are most welcome to bring along a friend or those that struggle with study. (any topic) If you are unable to attend this meetup then let me know, We can arrange for you to meetup at a different time and date. Light refreshments will be provided.

2026 is here and we are excited to announce Nosh Darbari, Human Centred Service Designer giving our first talk on "Hidden drivers behind good Design work." This talk will explore how Cognitive Load is a precursor to mental health and well-being. Nosh leads with his heart. Innovates with Purpose and Consciousness. He's an internationally experienced product and service designer working at the intersection of technology and human centred experience. Most recently he has worked within the vast and often tangled landscape of a federal government organisation. He thrives in complexity, despite the frustrations. Every challenge is a chance to design better systems or services with more human experiences. Beyond the 9-to-5, Nosh is a seeker of stillness. He chases sunrises and sunsets, not just for their beauty, but for the quiet lessons they offer — presence, perspective, and peace. Nosh also helps people recognise the early signals of stress before burnout takes hold. He helps them to rediscover their point of stability and offers simple, practical tools to navigate the noise of modern life with clarity and care. Event will start at 5:30pm with Pizza, Drinks and networking with the talk starting at 6pm. We are in the Jenny Florence Room on Level 3 at The Ross House Association. **Please enter code #219851 and come up to level 3 where you will need to enter the code again to gain access.** This event is sponsored by [askable](https://www.askable.com/) ([https://www.askable.com/](https://www.askable.com/)) and Experience Design "UX" Agency [blueegg](http://www.blueegg.com.au/) ([http://www.blueegg.com.au/](http://www.blueegg.com.au/))

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

## Hey Columbus WIP peeps! ## Are you ready for an event that actually gives you what you asked for?? **\-\-\-\-\-\-** **A Small-group coaching conversations for women in product navigating growth, leadership, and career decisions.** **March 10 \| 5:30–8:00 PM** **Rev1 -- NEW SPACE** **330 Rush Alley #100** **Parking Options:** • **Rev1 at The Peninsula** • **Starling St. Garage South** – 377 W. Capital St. • **LAZ Parking (COSI)** – 50 Belle St. • **LAZ Parking Limited** – 375 W. State St. • **Veterans Memorial Lot** – 300 W. Broad St. • **Metered Street Parking** **What moves are you making?** A promotion you’re working toward. A role change you’re considering. A bigger leadership opportunity. A conversation that needs to happen. A decision that’s been sitting in the back of your mind. For our Q1 Women in Product Columbus event, we’re creating space to actually work through those moments. **Making Moves** is an evening of focused, facilitated coaching conversations with experienced mentors from our local product community. This isn’t a panel. It’s not passive networking. It’s small-group dialogue designed to be thoughtful, practical, and worth your time. Here’s how it will work: • You’ll choose a topic that reflects what you’re navigating right now • You’ll join a small coaching circle (5–7 participants) • Each circle is led by a mentor who has lived experience in that area • We’ll run two rounds so you can go deeper or explore a second conversation ### Coaching Topics: • Communicating the Value of Your Work (or Team) • Career Transitions & What’s Next • Growing Into Leadership • Staying Relevant as Technology (and AI) Changes • Getting Alignment and Decisions from Leadership Our goal is simple: you leave with clearer thinking, practical perspective, and at least one next step you feel confident about. Space in each circle will be limited to keep conversations meaningful. If this sounds like the kind of room you’ve been wanting to be in, we’d love to see you on March 10. RSVP here! [https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event](https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event "https://community.womenpm.org/c/all-local-events/making-moves-a-columbus-wip-event") *And if you haven't joined the WIP group - do that too, would ya?!?!* — Your Columbus Chapter Leads - Amber, Leah and Liz!

**Hello Columbus!** **The community is buzzing and growing well.** **We are thrilled to bring our third BrowserStack QA Meetup on March 12th!** We are creating a space for deeper insights, meaningful connections, and a vibe you won't want to miss. **What to expect:** * **Connect:** Network with Columbus' top engineering and QA minds. * **Learn:** Real-world tactics and trends you can use immediately. * **Enjoy:** Food, drinks, and great community spirit. **Agenda** * **[Sam Gomez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueljgomez/)** is presenting "AI is more than LLMs: Choosing the right AI for your needs." **RSVP Essential:** Space is limited, and we want to ensure a great experience for everyone. **RSVP now to secure your spot!** 📍 **Venue:** Leading EDJE, 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 📍 **Free Parking:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017 📅 **Date & Time:** March 12, 6:00 PM **Stay Connected!** Want to continue the conversation beyond the meetup? Join our **BrowserStack Discord Server** to get updates, connect with fellow QA professionals, and be part of an ongoing discussion. **Don’t miss out—click below to join!** 🔗 [\[](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[Join the BrowserStack Discord Server](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[\]](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW) **A Few Notes:** ✅ This is an **in-person event** ✅ **RSVP does not guarantee a seat** – A confirmation email will be sent one day before the event. **TALK ABSTRACT:** AI is all the hype these days; however, despite (or maybe because of) the excitement around it, a high percentage of AI projects fail. Projects that are over budget, delayed, or that fail to scale past the POC phase are very common. In many of these scenarios, choosing the right approach can be as critical as the solution itself. Should you build a tailored machine learning model, leverage the power of large language models (LLMs), or integrate with AI copilots? Each option has unique strengths, trade-offs, and resource requirements, and the key to success lies in aligning your choice with your business goals and technical constraints. In this talk, we will go beyond the basic concepts and definitions to provide a practical guide that allows attendees to navigate these decisions through real-world case studies. We will examine scenarios in which different AI paradigms were chosen, discuss the factors that influenced those decisions, and outline the process for evaluating needs, constraints, and outcomes. From assessing data availability and team expertise to balancing cost and scalability, you'll gain insights into the critical considerations that guide the selection process. By the end of this session, you’ll have a clear process for determining whether machine learning, LLMs, or copilots are best suited to your AI challenges and understand the resources and strategies needed to bring your chosen solution to life. This talk is ideal for decision-makers, technical leads, and innovators seeking to demystify AI implementation and maximize the impact of their investments.

Drake Lundstrom is presenting: Code Anywhere by Talking to your Phone Abstract: Have you heard the trend of people deploying code anywhere from checkout lines to doctors' offices? In this talk, you will learn how to talk to your phone and have an app on Azure to show your friend 5 minutes later. The basic DevOps tools you already know, plus a little bit of AI magic, are all you need! If you want to follow along, the demo will be in Azure with GitHub Actions and GitHub Copilot, and you can have it set up on your phone by the end of the session. Just come in with an Azure account and a GitHub repo. Join us for pizza, drinks, and networking @ Improving's office. Doors open at 5:45.

Builders, creators, architects, admins, consultants - come one, come all. This one's for you. We're bringing a little friendly competition to the Columbus ServiceNow community while highlighting the cool things people have built on the platform. Five presenters will take the stage to showcase something they've built, solved, designed, or imagined on the ServiceNow platform - and a panel of judges (plus YOU, our amazing audience) will score them live. So basically, America's Got Talent but make it ServiceNow's Got Talent. Bring a notepad if you'd like 'cause you'll definitely be learning something new. Each presenter gets 10 minutes max to wow the crowd with: • A demo • A real-world business solution • A bold idea • A UX transformation • Or a creative use of the platform Judging Criteria: 🏆 Business Value 🚀 Innovation ✨ User Experience This event is about celebrating ideas, sharing knowledge, and showing how ServiceNow can drive both business impact and meaningful user value. Come learn. Come support. Come get inspired. Refreshments and bites will be provided. And maybe next time… you’ll be on stage.

**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

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!