Intelligent Conversation

Dear Data Enthusiasts, Join us this time at TU the Sky on **the 9th of March** to explore how data science and machine learning are powering the energy transition — from battery storage investment to energy volume forecasting and electricity trading for distributed energy resources. A big thanks goes to our co-organizers from the [AI Factory Austria](https://ai-at.eu/), who supports researchers and companies in accessing advanced computing know-how and infrastructure for applications in life sciences among other scientific domains. This time, we will have 3 speakears and a round table of discussion. **Comparative Case Study: Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Malaysia, Germany and United Kingdom – BESS Pilot Market Assessment** The presentation compares five grid-scale BESS pilot markets—Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Malaysia, Germany, and the UK—using a standardized project-finance and credit-risk framework to make IRRs and NPVs comparable. It models 15-year assets with consistent capex/opex, leverage rules (higher for contracted revenue, lower for merchant), and country risk, inflation, FX, and degradation impacts. Saudi Arabia offers the highest certainty and strong returns via sovereign contracted payments. Brazil is contracted but weakened by inflation/FX and immature market design. Malaysia is large but has blended, hard-to-hedge activation risk. Germany and the UK offer higher upside through merchant revenue stacking but face volatility and regulatory uncertainty. **[Sebastian Meyer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-meyer-5651081/),** entrepreneur Sebastian Meyer is an energy transition professional with expertise in battery storage, power markets, and project finance. He started his career in banking combining equity capital markets work in Central and Eastern Europe and project finance in London. Energy transition work started with an equity sell-down engagement for one of Europe’s earliest offshore wind projects. Sebastian worked on commercializing clean and renewable technology as a founder and partner in Azure International Beijing from 2003 - 2016, ultimately heading Strategy & Power Markets for EDF Renewables in the context of China’s ongoing power sector liberalisation 2017 - 2020. After returning to Europe, Sebastian played a coordinating role in CCE’s first BESS project in Germany now operational since December, and he supports an Austrian BESS developer at this time. He recently completed the BatteryMBA executive programme (Cohort 14), deepening his understanding of the battery value chain, storage technologies, lifecycle economics and emerging business models, and co-authored a BESS pilot market assessment presented to industry peers. Based in Vienna, Austria, Sebastian positions himself at the nexus of energy finance, flexibility markets, and power system integration, with a focus on renewables and grid-scale storage. **Energy Volume Forecasting** This presentation explores how data science supports energy trading decisions in the context of dynamic electricity tariffs. It begins with an introduction to aWATTar’s dynamic tariffs, which allow customers to consume "Energy in Sync with Nature," benefit from market fluctuations, and participate in the green energy transition. The session then outlines the trading workflow behind tariff-based energy procurement, highlighting where uncertainty and risk emerge. Building on this context, it motivates the need for accurate total energy forecasting as a critical input for trading decisions. The second half of the talk dives deeper into the forecasting problem, covering data flow, feature engineering, modeling strategy, and deep learning architecture used to predict aggregated energy demand and production for trading purposes. It concludes by sharing lessons learned from deploying forecasting models in production and their impact on more efficient, data-driven energy trading. **[Ekin Kaan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekin-kaan/),** *Machine learning engineering at aWATTar* Ekan is a Machine Learning Engineer at aWATTar, where he focuses on clustering, forecasting, and data-driven energy solutions. With a background in mathematics and theoretical physics, he enjoys uncovering patterns in data and turning them into actionable insights that create business impact. At aWATTar, he develops forecasting solutions that support smarter energy trading and contribute to a sustainable energy transition. **Unlocking Flex Trading for Consumers** As Europe's energy grid shifts toward renewables, price volatility on wholesale electricity markets is rising fast. Every connected household device — EVs, heat pumps, batteries, solar inverters — represents untapped flexibility that can be traded on these markets. The problem: until now, only large industrial assets and sophisticated utilities have been able to participate. So far, consumers have been locked out. In this talk, you will hear how to enable utilities to aggregate residential device flexibility and trade it on day-ahead and intraday electricity markets — turning thousands of small household assets into a coordinated virtual battery. **[Chris Bernkopf](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbernkopf-podero-flex-energy/),** *Podero* Chris Bernkopf has a degree in physics and data science. My journey as a founder started by selling t-shirts at 18. I burned my fingers in ed-tech and worked in e-mobility before building a procurement tool (YC W21). Since 2022, I've been building Podero, an electricity trading software for electric devices (DERs) for the world's leading utilities. **[www.podero.com](http://www.podero.com)** **Roundatble moderator:** **[Patrick Fodor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-sc/),** *marbl.* Patrick is a physicist from Vienna, committed to energy trading, and developing intelligent energy trading systems for a decade. In his free time, Patrick creates and teaches courses on topics such as Smart Contract Security, Solidity, Golang, and Quantum Computing. Professionally, former Algo Development Teamlead in Trayport and E\*Star. Currently, Patrick is Co-Founder and CTO of YQAPP and marbl.energy. At marbl.energy, they are optimizing renewable energy assets such as Wind and Photovoltaic systems in combination with energy storage systems. 🎤🎤 Open Mic We are going to open up the stage after the talks for community announcements. If you'd like to announce something, [open this slide deck](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yvFI_Lm7KjgletICOQ1hLW1hHKmCIPA1OWQF2EeZieo/edit?usp=sharing), make sure you are signed in with a google account, and click "View Only" -> "Request Edit Access". Explain in the text box what you want to announce, and we'll give you edit access to the slide deck. 🎤🎤 We’ll have some food and drinks after the event. Please note that during the event, photos might be made and later posted on VDSG's social media page. Please notify us if you do not agree. Attention attendees with food allergies. Please be aware that the food and drinks provided may contain or come into contact with common allergens, such as dairy, eggs, wheat, soybeans, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, or wheat. Best, The Organizer Team

Hello Viennovans! Pickwick's is getting quizzical every monday night! You have a chance to win a round of shots, a 40€ bar tab and/or eternal bragging rights 😉 Teams of up to 6 people, reserve your spot today! Start time is 7! FREE SHOT FOR EVERYONE COMING FROM VIENNOVA!

This is a weekly training session with Vienna Gaels, a Vienna-based Irish GAA club playing Gaelic football and hurling. The session is relaxed, structured, and welcoming, with coaching provided throughout. Agenda • Arrive from 5:45 and meet the group • Warm-up as a full group • One hour of Gaelic football training and one hour of hurling training • The order alternates each week • Wrap-up shortly before 8:00 pm Who it’s for • All levels are welcome • New players are encouraged • No previous experience of Gaelic sports is needed • Men’s and ladies teams train on the same night What to bring • Sportswear suitable for outdoor training • Football boots or trainers (astro or moulded studs work best) • Water No equipment is required to try your first session. We can provide hurleys and helmets if needed. Where & how to find us 📍 Location: Meiereistraße 20, 1020 Wien Training takes place on the pitches beside the Ernst Happel Stadium. If you arrive and don’t immediately see the group, wait by the pitches and someone will come over to you. Good to know • Training takes place every Monday from 6:00–8:00 pm • Sessions go ahead in all weather conditions • Training runs even if Meetup attendance looks low, as many regular members do not use Meetup If you have any questions beforehand, feel free to message via Meetup — otherwise just turn up and give it a go 🍀

Join our monthly “Queer Kegelabend”, which is mostly a pure fun event with a slight sportive touch. No previous experience required. Beginners and all genders most welcome! It is our ambition to welcome a broadly diversified crowd! Your own omfortable footwear might contribute to an enjoyable evening. **Schedule:** 1. 19:20 Get together 2. 19:25 Instructions (including safety), line-up of participants 3. 19:30 Getting started * *Latecomers unfortunately can´t be admitted.* * *Please bring a few EUR 1 coins to keep the coin operated machinery going.* There is no drinks or food service in the basement (Kegelbahn) of Café Weidinger. So feel free to order something on arrival and take it downstairs before we get started. Alternatively bring your own drinks or food. Yes, this is possible! Its chatting, meeting (new) people, catching-up with the ones you might already know from our monthly MeetUps at the HIVE or other events. Communication is key, like always. Let’s enjoy a nice evening together with a modest sportive touch on the side! **Please show respect to the others and arrive on time.** As we need to line-up the players before getting starteted, hence late comers unfortunately can´t be admitted. **What is skittles play (Kegeln)?** Skittles play has a very long tradition in Europe and is the game before the Americans "invented" bowling. So we will play with 9 pins and smaller balls with less weight compared to bowling. **Costs:** To rent the skittle alley is just EUR 8 per hour for the whole group. We will divide costs by the number of participants. So expect a contribution of around *EUR 2-3 for the whole evening*. The number of participants is limited. The machinery of the skittle alley is coin operated and accepts EUR 1 coins only. So please bring along a few EUR 1 coins to keep the machinery going! **Participation Fee:** To help cover the Meetup maintenance fee, we recommend a donation of 1-2 Euros directly to the organizers. **Results:** The results of the evening (Igo is so kind to count the scores and enters theses for each participant in a spreadsheet) are published in the "pictures" area of the MeetUp. Historic results are availble there. **Cafe Weidinger** has not been renovated over the last at least 50 years. The skittles alley dates from 1964. You can feel this "special flair". A bit shaby, but inexpensive fun for a whole evening. It´s almost a museum of a skittles alley. **The difference between bowling and skittles play**: * The bowling lanes are covered with an oil film, the skittles lane is not. * In bowling, the ball is is considerably larger and heavier. * Bowling lanes are slightly curved, our lane is flat. * Bowling balls have three holes, our balls have none, one or two. Most of our balls have two holes. * Nine pins are thrown instead of ten. * In bowling, the pins are set up by so-called pin-setter machines and therefore stand freely in contrast to skittles, where the pins hang from strings. * Our skittles lane is an asphalt lane. * You do not need to rent or bring special shoes llike for bowling. But to play in sneakers or sportive footwear is more comfortable.

-Outdoor Functional Training for All Fitness Levels- Get your week off to a great start with us! HIIT the ground running on Mondays with some fun, energetic training! As always at My Pace, you'll get to enjoy our unique blend of playful and holistic elements to give you your fundamentally different functional training! Expect HIIT, strength training with your own bodyweight and absolutely no seriousness! A reminder for those nervous about their fitness level: Everything we do, we do with all fitness levels in mind; so the exercises are always adjustable to your level and you’re always strongly encouraged to take it at your own pace - after all, it's not called My Pace for nothing! Spaces are limited, so be sure not to leave booking until the last minute! How to find us: Throughout the winter, we meet and train under the elevated tracks of the U2 between the stations Messe-Prater and Krieau. The easiest way to find us is to look up "Fit Fabrik Messecarree" at Vorgartenstraße 204 - we'll be **behind** that! Cost: In the interest of inclusivity, we've decided to make our sessions donations based, so you are invited to pay what you can afford/what the session is worth to you. If you are unsure what kind of amount might be appropriate, just pop me a quick message :) I promise it's not a big deal! Please transfer your contribution to: Jason Oliver Miller IBAN: DE86 1001 1001 2391 8079 70 BIC: NTSBDEB1XXX (ideally) before the session with your full name and the date of the session as your reference (eg.: Jason Miller - 25.12.2026)

save the date! got anything to share? Reach out to [Dominik Dorn](https://www.meetup.com/members/36867052/) Agenda: 18:00 Doors Open, Networking 18:20 Welcome + Orga 18:30 **Building your own lock (from scratch)** \- Matthias Langer / dynatrace 19:30 Break, Food, Networking 19:55 Raffle 20:00 **AI-Driven Development Meets Jakarta EE** \- Ondro Mihalyi / OmniFish 21:00 Networking **Building your own lock (from scratch)** In this talk we are going to investigate how locks can be built from concurrency primitives and discuss various questions around atomics along the way. *About Matthias Langer* [Matthias Langer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthias-langer-67440365/) is an IT enthusiast with 20+ years of experience with JVM technologies and is always eager to learn. **AI-Driven Development Meets Jakarta EE** As AI tools increasingly assist in software development – from code generation to architecture decisions – the value of stable, well-documented, and consistent APIs has never been greater. In this talk, we’ll explore how Jakarta EE and MicroProfile provide the perfect foundation for AI-assisted and even autonomous application development. Drawing on practical experiments developing applications with the help of AI, I’ll demonstrate how modern AI-enhanced development tools can understand and generate Jakarta EE applications more effectively than ad-hoc or framework-specific codebases. Producing up-to-date code that works together much better than if assembled from various libraries or frameworks. We’ll also discuss the role of open standards in making application behavior predictable for AI, improving maintainability, testability, and avoiding vendor lock-in. You’ll leave with a clear picture of how enterprise Java can thrive in an AI-assisted future – and how your team can start leveraging AI tools today to boost productivity while staying grounded in proven architectures. *About Ondro Mihalyi* [Ondro Mihalyi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihalyiondrej/) is a Java Champion, leader of [CZJUG](https://jug.cz/), the Czech Java User Group, and a conference speaker. He is an active contributor to the Jakarta EE community and its specifications. He co-founded OmniFish, the company behind the development of Eclipse GlassFish, which builds open-source products based on Jakarta EE, and provides enterprise support for them. Ondro is passionate about helping his clients and the wider Java community to be successful with their projects and to love the technology they work with.

A Board Game Evening at Munchy The Urban Kitchen am Schottenring! Come, play, socialize, meet and enjoy! You can bring your own games or choose from the ones available. We have: * Jenga * Monopoly * Tabu * Uno and so on... We are excited to see you here! Enjoy your nice Monday evening! 🥳 [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/makingfriendsinvienna)❤️ [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/makingfriendsinvienna)💙 Do you have questions? Write us on Instagram 🎉

***What is conversation for, and what makes it good or bad?*** *Is it our main tool for creating meaning? Or is it just social performance?* In this session of **Marginal Thoughts**, we go full meta by talking about talking. Before indulging in this mild crisis of purpose, we'll read these three short pieces: * An essay by Ursula K. Le Guin: ["Telling Is Listening"](https://www.nonknowledge.org/media/pages/hfbksose21/3874102952-1621341422/ursula-k-le-guin.pdf) (\~50 min read) * A poem by Billy Collins: ["Table Talk"](http://archive.today/nx96c) (\~2 min) * A short story by Franz Kafka: ["An Imperial Message"](https://www.kafka-online.info/an-imperial-message.html) (\~2 min) In these, Le Guin compares conversation to amoeba intimacy, Collins survives a dinner TED talk, and Kafka obsesses over the second checkmark. **How to prepare** Please read all the materials in advance. As you do, try to identify at least one point of curiosity, confusion, or uncertainty - these will be natural starting points for our discussion. **What to expect** This is an in-person, conversational meetup in English. The goal isn't to debate, lecture, or "confess" - it’s to explore ideas and leave with better questions than we arrived with. **Optional stuff for the extra curious** Le Guin's essay is from the collection ["The Wave in The Mind"](https://www.ursulakleguin.com/the-wave-in-the-mind). And this time the honorable mention goes to Simon & Garfunkel's ["The Dangling Conversation"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jAQPMKXj6Y).

**[UPDATE Feb 26]** We have some **incredibly good news** 🎉🥳 for you, but before we get to that (**read to the end!**), we must reiterate our call for lightning talks: 📢 **Call for Lightning Talks — We Want YOU on Stage!** **We need 6–7 more speakers** (we already have 3 confirmed) who want to share something cool they've built with OpenClaw or Codex in a **maximum of 7 minutes**. **What we're looking for:** * OpenClaw agents and automations you've built * Creative Codex workflows and coding setups * Combinations of OpenClaw + Codex (or other AI tools) * Lessons learned, fails, surprises — the real stuff * Anything that makes the audience go "wait, you can do THAT?" You don't need perfect slides or a rehearsed talk. Just show up with a demo, a workflow, a lesson learned or even a spectacular failure. 7 minutes, that's it. **How to submit:** Write us an email at **[viennaaiengineering+speakers@gmail.com](viennaaiengineering+speakers@gmail.com)**. A few sentences about what you would present is enough. First come, first served. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 🎉 Now to the great news: 📍 **We have a much bigger venue: Magenta HQ** Demand for this meetup has blown past what we imagined and what our Greentube venue could handle, so our friends at **Magenta** jumped in to help — their venue gives us room for a much bigger audience. A huge thanks to Magenta and especially to Georg for getting this approved so quickly! Find the exact address in the location section. The rest remains unchanged: **same date, same time, same schedule**. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 🥳 And now for the amazing news that probably everybody has been hoping for: 🦞 **The Clawfather is joining us!** The Clawfather himself, **Peter Steinberger**, will greet the Vienna OpenClaw community from SF via **live stream**. So see you at **Magenta**, and for Pete's sake, submit your lightning talk to **[viennaaiengineering+speakers@gmail.com](viennaaiengineering+speakers@gmail.com)** ! **[END UPDATE]** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Hello everyone! We're beyond excited to announce the 🦞**OpenClaw & Codex Edition** of our **Vienna AI Engineering Meetup** on Tuesday, March 10th! Once again, we'll be hosted by **Magenta Telekom** at their HQ on Rennweg 97-99. **This one is going to be different.** If you've been following what's happening in the OpenClaw community, you know the energy is through the roof. The recent OpenClaw Vienna Meetup organized by **Peter Steinberger** was an absolute blast, and we knew immediately: we need to bring this energy to our next meetup. So here's the plan: **we're doing lightning talks.** Short, punchy, **7-minute** demos and mini talks - no death by PowerPoint, just builders showing what they've built. The topics: **OpenClaw** and **coding with OpenAI Codex**. Whether you've wired up an OpenClaw agent to automate your entire deployment pipeline, built something weird and wonderful with Codex, or found a creative way to combine the two — we want to hear about it. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 📢 **Call for Lightning Talks — We Want YOU on Stage!** This is the heart of the event. We're looking for **8–10 speakers** who want to share something cool they've built with OpenClaw or Codex in a **maximum of 7 minutes**. **What we're looking for:** \- OpenClaw agents and automations you've built \- Creative Codex workflows and coding setups \- Combinations of OpenClaw \+ Codex \(or other AI tools\) \- Lessons learned\, fails\, surprises — the real stuff \- Anything that makes the audience go "wait\, you can do THAT?" To keep it simple and engaging, you don't need to prepare a big polished slide deck. Just make 2-3 slides explaining the main ideas and show us what you've built or learned, ideally with a demo. Our main goal is to have fun and inspire eachother. **How to submit:** Drop us a message on [meetup.com](meetup.com) or write us an email at **[viennaaiengineering+speakers@gmail.com](viennaaiengineering+speakers@gmail.com)**. A few sentences about what you would present and why you think the audience absolutely needs to hear it are enough. First come, first served. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 🎉 **Welcome Alex Gavrilescu as Co-Organizer!** Furthermore we're thrilled to announce that **Alex Gavrilescu** is joining the organization of the Vienna AI Engineering Meetups! Many of you already know Alex. He's been a speaker at our meetup several times, most recently with his talks on the Cambrian Explosion of Agentic AI and his Backlog.md deep dives. Alex is an OpenAI **Codex Ambassador** and the creator of **Backlog.md**. He's bringing fresh ideas and new initiatives to the meetup, and as Codex Ambassador he will be your direct point of contact with the OpenAI Codex team — meaning he can forward your feedback and questions straight to the source. If you have thoughts on Codex, this is your channel. Welcome aboard, Alex! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Schedule** 18:00 - Get together with food and beverages 18:30 - Welcome & intro 18:40 - Lightning talks begin (7 min each, back to back) 20:30 - More drinks & networking. Looking forward to seeing you at the **Magenta Telekom**! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- This event is sponsored by **Magenta Telekom**, part of the **Deutsche Telekom Group**. **Magenta** is one of Austria's leading telecommunications providers, offering mobile, internet, and entertainment services. Sponsoring the Vienna AI Engineering Meetup is part of our effort to contribute to the creation of a strong Data & AI community in and around Vienna.

**Update**: due to the high number of interested parties, we have had to change the venue to Cafe Museum on Karlsplatz. New year, new format. With the **AI Breakfast**, we’re creating a San-Francisco-style morning gathering for the Austrian AI ecosystem: casual, high-signal, no stage, no slides — just real conversations. This is an open exchange for decision-makers, deep tech builders, Clawdbotlers, founders, CIOs, researchers, public sector innovators and anyone actively shaping AI. Corporate meets startup, policy meets engineering, research meets product. The goal is simple: meaningful connections, sharp discussions, and cross-pollination of ideas — before 9am. Breakfast is ordered at your own expense. The table is reserved under **Cristian Hofmann** / **AI Austria**. Seats are limited. Your host Cristian Hofmann, Amin Khater & Ruben Hetfleisch will welcome you. 👉 Please only RSVP if you truly plan to attend 🙂

Hey Badminton Enthusiasts! **This meet-up is only for intermediate players and up!** Everyone is welcome to join our large weekly events, test their skills and have some fun together! However, ***this event is for the people that want to push their skill forward and would like to play during the week as well.*** The host will reserve courts in advance, that means please only register if you really plan to come (or cancel at least 24 hours before the event starts). The fee for this event is 12€: * If you plan on paying in cash, please bring the exact amount as the host might not have any change available * you can also pay via card on the spot We are meeting at about 18.55 pm near the reception by the lounge area (next to the courts). Come a bit earlier so you have time to change into workout/sports clothes. The locker rooms are free to use, but for the men lockers you need a padlock - or you can also take your bag of clothes upstairs to the courts if you do not have a padlock. Also, bring clean indoor sports shoes, your racket and a water bottle with you. If you are just passing through town and do not have a racket, it is possible to rent rackets, either from the club or from us. Sometimes the host or other members have spare rackets - please ask in the comment section below! If you are joining our events for the first time, **WELCOME!** We are an open and friendly group and we are sure you will develop connections with the people in our community in no time! Without further ado - let's play some (intermediate) badminton and have fun together!

We will meet in a calm and friendly place ( Parc, Café, Restaurant) to explore together some of Jiddu Krishnamurti’s key questions about awareness, relationship, and freedom. There will be no teaching, no authority — only open dialogue and attentive listening. Everyone is welcome, whether you are familiar with Krishnamurti or simply curious about life and self-understanding. We’ll start with an open conversation around a theme such as “Listening without judgment” or “Can thought bring clarity?” Please bring openness, curiosity, and a readiness to listen — no books or notes needed. The spirit is not to discuss “what should be,” but to observe together “what is.”

**Women in AI Austria - Vienna Meet up. Feierabend Edition.** **Come, connect, learn, and get inspired.** Join us for a relaxed evening full **great conversations** at Aumann's. Meet great people and spend a nice relaxed evening with great deep talks. Whether you are an experienced professional, a newcomer to the field, or simply curious about AI - **We are excited to meet you but** **please only register if you plan to come.** **When:** **March 12** \| 6 PM **Where:** [Aumannpl. 1, 1180 Wien](https://www.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x476d07d702676ab3:0x7a4f9b95c4d30acd?sa=X&ved=1t:8290&ictx=111) **What to expect:** * Versatile discussions about AI, new technologies and everything you are interested in :) * Get to know WAI Austria without a set agenda * Great people and delicious food (**SELF PAYMENT** :) ) **Cant’t make it? Please cancel your registration to free up the spot for someone on the waiting list!**

**The Listening Room — First Gathering** So much of life happens in loud spaces and quick conversations that never quite go beneath the surface. The Listening Room is meant to be the opposite of that — a quieter space where people can slow down, talk honestly, and actually listen to one another. For this first gathering, we’ll meet in a small group and explore a simple conversation prompt together. The goal isn’t debate or performance — just thoughtful conversation and the chance to connect with others in a genuine way. Our prompt for this gathering will be: **When have you felt truly seen or understood by another person?** Everyone will have the opportunity to share if they’d like, but there’s absolutely no pressure — listening is just as valuable as speaking here. We’re keeping the group intentionally small so the conversation can feel relaxed and natural. Looking forward to meeting you. — Benny

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Our March speakers are Molly Gaines and Zack Parrish, co-organizers of the Secular Education Association: They will share their story of how a small group of Ohio parents grew into a national organization tracking released-time religious instruction and other church–state issues in public schools. The presentation will cover SEA’s early wins and hard lessons, what we’re seeing nationally right now, and how local advocates can play a meaningful role in protecting public education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the landscape — and practical ways to get involved. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

**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.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Belle's Bread Bakery and Cafe. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

This is not an event, but an announcement that we are accepting new members. If you'd like to pursue joining our group, please write us at columbusmensgroup@gmail.com with a few paragraphs about yourself, what you'd like to experience in the group, and the contribution that you'd like to make. Thank you!

Bienvenue! Columbus French Conversation group invites you to our Saturday morning French conversation club. Expect a casual and welcoming atmosphere in which to learn french! I will bring my laptop so we can look up new vocabulary as needed! The venue is a beautiful French restaurant so you can really get into the zone :)