Instructional Design

**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.

**Accessibility Allies monthly roundtable** 2nd Tuesday of each month Proudly supported by [Builure](https://www.linkedin.com/company/builure/posts/) **Meet accessibility professionals and advocates.** * No presentations * Open discussion * Exchange ideas * Genuine connections **Topic for March**: Turning vocal support into action. How do we make meaningful change? Share your wins and your frustrations. **Tuesday 10 March 2026** 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm **[Registration via Humanitix](https://events.humanitix.com/a11y-allies-2026-03) is essential** (for building access) **Free** Light refreshments provided (incl vegetarian and GF) **Location: WeWork** 120 Spencer Street, Melbourne * Quiet exclusive space * Wheelchair access * Accessible toilet Please contact us if you have any accessibility needs or questions about this event. **Building Entry** Enter via the entrance on Little Collins Street after 5pm. Meet in the lobby near the elevators. Post a message in this event if you're running late and need access to the event after 5:30pm.

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.**

Hey everyone! If you're looking for a 5-a-side match on a Tuesday evening, we have it happening **at RMIT Bundoora from 6-7 pm**! Joining us is easy! Download the Stranger Soccer app and use the code **WELCOME** to book your first game for free if you're playing with us for the first time. Hop on the app now and get involved with us!

**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.

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.

This supportive program invites men to come together in a safe and respectful space to share experiences, explore challenges, and reflect on what matters most in their lives. Participants are welcome to bring a topic of their own or simply speak about what’s happening for them in the moment. Guided discussion topics may include navigating masculinity, communication styles, understanding personal needs and the needs of others, building resilience, connecting with emotions, and clarifying values—along with other issues that commonly impact men in relationships and daily life. When a topic is raised, participants are encouraged to explore how it relates to their own experiences, offering insights and reflections in a way that supports learning and growth. The facilitator participates alongside the group, modeling respectful sharing, open discussion, and thoughtful reflection, ensuring that everyone feels heard and empowered to engage at their own pace.

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/))

**Career Clarity: how to stop second-guessing and finally unlock the work you’re meant to do** Too many capable, high-performing professionals stay stuck, not because they lack talent, but because they’re caught in overthinking, self-doubt, and unclear direction. In this session, we’ll unpack how to gain real career clarity and turn self-awareness into decisions that actually move your career forward. What you’ll learn: ✨ Get unstuck fast by understanding why your career isn’t moving, and what actually fixes it ✨ Activate your Unfair Advantage by identifying the strengths and patterns that set you apart ✨ Craft a magnetic career message so employers immediately get your value ✨ Increase visibility without being louder through conversations & credibility, signalling ✨ Interview to land offers using psychology, story, and strategy A practical, no-BS roadmap to a career that fits your brain, your energy, and your ambition, and puts an end to the second-guessing. **Speaker** ✨ Anna Findlay is a career coach who helps ambitious but overlooked women step into $200K+ careers without pretending to be someone they’re not. A reformed corporate “failure,” Anna knows this journey firsthand. She spent years as a quiet achiever; capable, overworked, and stuck in roles that didn’t reflect her potential. By studying what actually builds dream careers (positioning, storytelling, and strengths-based personal branding). Anna was able to transform her own career. She went from a $60K role she hated to doubling her salary in under a year, doing work she loved (and then doubling it again), being headhunted for 4 of her last 5 roles, landing multiple offers without applying, and pivoting across 4 industries with no prior experience. Today, Anna runs Career AccelerateHER, a 90-day coaching program that helps high-potential women position their strengths, communicate their value, and get seen by the right decision-makers, so they can finally step into careers that match their capability, ambition, and worth. **Panelists** ✨ Viv Farrington - the Founder and Principal Consultant at Muse Digital, a people-first recruitment agency connecting Australia’s best product, design, and engineering talent with future-focused brands. Deeply embedded in the design and tech community, Viv is known for her integrity, market insight, and ability to match people and teams based on craft, culture, and long-term fit — not just CVs. ✨ Nabila Farhat is a Career Coach and former senior recruiter who helps high-performing professionals become First Choice Hires. Drawing on 10+ years in recruitment and a background in psychology, Nabila works with mid-to-senior leaders to sharpen their positioning, communicate their value, and land roles that reflect their true capability, influence, and earning potential.

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.

Too many kids as well as teenagers and adults have problems with study. Today's meetup will inform you about the basics in STUDY TECHNOLOGY that provides an understanding of the basics of learning and supplies exact ways to overcome all the pitfalls one can encounter during study. This is applicable to young children, teenagers (or their parents that are trying to help them) and adults alike. Study Technology shows how one studies in order to comprehend a subject so one can apply it. Laws on which learning is based and workable methods have also been discovered for anyone to apply for themselves or when teaching others. Too many students graduate from school and college unable to put to use what they’ve learned in school. It’s not that they’re stupid or that their teachers didn’t know how to teach. More than likely it traces back to the one thing missing from most educations—learning how to learn in the first place. We all went to school, yet isn’t it odd that no one taught us how to study? The information presented at this meetup can help anyone improve others or his own ability to learn. It is a practical tool that parents and teachers alike can use to enhance a child's study performance. You’ll learn the barriers that lie between your own or a child's education. And you will very quickly learn how to overcome them. This technology will enable you or a child to pursue any subject with skill and confidence. Teachers who have "hard to handle/distributive " or slow learners in class will absolutely love the amazing turn around most often seen in improved behaviour and student performance in class. If you or your child has difficulties at school (or learning new things at work or online) than this meetup is important to you. If you can not make it to our meetup than contact the organizer and arrange it to suit your time. This technology can if one was to live far away be taught online. (extension course) You may offcourse also opt to have this technology taught to your own child by experienced volunteeer staff or learn about this yourself and transfer this knowledge to those you want to have better grades. Yes it is possible to improve anyone's study performance. All it takes is just 5 steps. See you at this meetup. Pam

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.

Smashing! Try something new Friday night Interactive workshops Everyone speaks multiply times - we typically start in small groups and gradually build up confidence and skills **Free parking** close: O'Connell and Cobden streets **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close when the show starts** “Proudly Australian" – Free-flowing teamwork, greater good, all funds stay within Australia Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, Orange room More to come...

One of the most valuable parts of this community is the opportunity to think out loud with other product professionals. This session is built for exactly that. As we wrap up the quarter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. What’s on track? What needs adjustment? Where could a small shift create bigger impact? Join fellow product professionals for a focused, interactive conversation designed to help you recalibrate for the next quarter. You’ll have the opportunity to share where you are, hear how others are thinking through similar challenges, and gain fresh perspective you can bring back to your team and organization. We’ll gather at 8:00AM, with discussion starting promptly at 8:15AM. 📍 First Watch - 7227 N High St Located in: The Shops at Worthington Ample parking is available. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Start your morning with clarity and connection — we hope to see you there! ☀️

## 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!

**Web Design Decoded: Tools, Practices, and Proven Processes:** **Semantic HTML** At WebDev Columbus, we are exploring some of the most important topics of professional high-end web design and page building. Primarily focused on site building in the WordPress environment, our group explores tools, tips, and techniques for building the best WordPress sites possible. Additionally, we focus on disciplines and technologies that take website design from visually appealing to optimized spaces for delivering you and/or your client's message effectively and with a nod towards extended reach. Each session combines practical demonstrations with real-world insights, giving you actionable knowledge you can apply immediately. Whether you're a seasoned developer looking to enhance your design skills or a newcomer wanting to understand design best practices, this series offers valuable insights for every skill level. **What to expect:** * Hands-on demonstrations of popular design tools * Best practices for design-to-development workflows * Tips for creating responsive, accessible designs * Real-world problem-solving scenarios * Interactive Q&A sessions * Networking opportunities with fellow developers **Each meetup features:** 60 minutes of focused presentation 30 minutes of live demonstrations 30 minutes for questions and discussion **See you there!** Our casual, collaborative environment encourages learning from both presenters and fellow attendees. Bring your questions, share your experiences, and connect with Central Ohio's web development community! **Stay tuned for specific session topics and dates.**

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

**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

Is your business taking more of your time than you would like? [Rob Young](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinci-robyoung/) principal at [Stage 3 Group](https://www.linkedin.com/company/stage-3-group/), hosts this workshop series and is the author of Stage 3 Success. * Provides a framework and a playbook for leaders of emerging businesses * Reviews business management tools and techniques for scaling and maturing a business * How to recognize and leverage stories hidden in financial statements * How to implement financial and operational controls and use leading indicators to spot trouble before it occurs * How to manage your time for maximum effect * How to deal with nonperforming employees * How to create standard operating procedures throughout your organization Four sessions will include two hours of content and an optional 90-minute hands-on lab. Reserve your spot via this link: https://clintonvilleba.com/calendar/#!event/2026/3/20/chaos-to-clarity-to-control ($200 for non-CABA members.)

We will show a variety of methods for building agents that run in Microsoft Foundry. This covers the different types of agents: Prompt, Multi, and Hosted, as well as the development lifecycle using evals and traces.