Internet of Things

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)

️ \*\***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! 🎉

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.**

**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.

**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.

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/.

**Register now to attend! =>** [https://konfhub.com/ksug-au-2026-03-12](https://konfhub.com/ksug-au-2026-03-12) **<=** **Latest promotions** discovered by our community! * Missed **75%** off [LF / CNCF](https://lf.ksug.ai/)? [Get Notified](https://ksug.ai/?notify&ref=meetup) for next BIG drop! * **20%** off [KubeCon Europe](https://ksug.ai/events/?ref=meet) 2026 using code **KSAI20** * Up to **30%** off popular [Books](https://ksug.ai/books/?ref=meet) and [Events](https://ksug.ai/events/?ref=meet) We're excited to welcome you to the upcoming Hands-on workshop — happening in-person at at Amazon ! 🎉 We're actively seeking more awesome AI topic speakers! 👉 [https://speaker.ksug.ai](https://speaker.ksug.ai) **About the event** Learn how to deploy and scale AI applications using Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service). This hands-on workshop demonstrates how to build a complete generative AI platform with automated cluster management, hybrid infrastructure, and enterprise-grade observability. **What You'll Learn:** * Leverage EKS Auto Mode for automated Kubernetes cluster management * Architect hybrid node pools for optimal performance and cost efficiency * Implement end-to-end observability and LLM serving with vLLM **Hands-on Lab Experience:** Learn directly from AWS experts who have helped organizations successfully deploy and manage large-scale GenAI infrastructure. Through hands-on labs and real-world examples, you'll learn to master: * EKS cluster setup optimized for NVIDIA GPU workloads * Efficient model serving and scaling using vLLM * Distributed inference architecture implementation with Ray * Comprehensive monitoring and observability using Prometheus and Grafana * Best practices for production GenAI deployments on Kubernetes. **Who Should Attend:** Whether you're looking to deploy your first language model or scale existing GenAI workloads, this workshop will provide you with best practices and hands-on experience using industry-leading tools and frameworks. **Requirements:** * Bring your laptop and power adapter * AWS account access will be provided * Basic familiarity with cloud infrastructure concepts * Basic Kubernetes concepts Through guided exercises, you'll gain practical experience deploying and managing enterprise AI applications on AWS infrastructure. **Full Agenda** **Introduction - AI Platform on Kubernetes** 09:30 - 09:45 GMT+11 Nikola Cuca & Hantzley Tauckoor Explore the fundamentals of running AI/ML workloads on Kubernetes and understand why container orchestration is crucial for GenAI deployments. Learn key concepts and benefits of running AI platforms on Amazon EKS. **Hosting inference workloads on Amazon EKS** 09:45 - 10:30 GMT+11 Frank Fan Deep dive into designing scalable AI architectures that combine cloud and on-premises resources using Amazon EKS, focusing on inferencing. **Hands-on: Explore environment, vLLM model loading, scaling vLLM** 10:30 - 12:00 GMT+11 Frank, Don & Parikshit Hand-on labs on inferencing on EKS using vLLM **Lunch Break** 12:00 - 13:00 GMT+11 **Voice of customers & panel discussion** 13:00 - 14:00 GMT+11 Panel Hear from existing customers who implemented similar architectures in their production environment. **Introduction to monitoring and observability** 14:00 - 14:15 GMT+11 Melchi & Parikshit Explore observsability stack for AI on EKS **Hands-on: Observing LLM Inference workloads** 14:15 - 15:45 GMT+11 Don, Frank & Melchi Hand-on labs on observsability stack for AI on EKS **Quiz & Wrap-up** 15:45 - 16:00 GMT+11 Nikola & Hantzley Interactive knowledge check covering key concepts learned throughout the workshop. Review of best practices, Q&A session, and discussion of next steps for implementing GenAI workloads on EKS. **[Register here](https://konfhub.com/ksug-au-2026-03-12) to secure your spot!** See you all there! **Location:** Amazon MEL12, Level 13.304 [555 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Kbi13GZqj2zDqDz2A) 👉 Join our [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/Rp9WzYyKua) and [WhatsApp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/D9a9IDiCS7U4cqQ0Sh60cz?mode=gi_t) for latest update! 🔖 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬: ☸ 30% OFF **[Kubernetes](https://lf.ksug.ai/)** Certs - Code: **30K8SUG** ☸ 37% OFF **[KodeKloud](https://ksug.ai/kk/?ref=meet)** Plans - Code: **K8SUGKK** 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬: ✅ Learn 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⚡ ✅ Certify 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 💰 ✅ Grow 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 💪 𝟐𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ follow **[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** 🔥 [linktr.ee/ksug.ai](https://linktr.ee/ksug.ai) *By registering, you consent to the management of your personal information in accordance with KSUG.AI Meetup's [Privacy Policy](https://k8sug.ai/privacy). Additionally, you agree that our sponsors may contact you.* **[KSUG.AI](https://ksug.ai/?ref=meet)** is an independent community and not affiliated with or endorsed by CNCF. Kubernetes, K8s, Kubestronaut are registered trademarks of The Linux Foundation.

**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.

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/))

⚠️ **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)

**FromHereOn** is proud to sponsor this special event with **Women in Architecture Australia (WIA)** in Melbourne **Panel Guests & Networking Event** This event is open to everyone—women, men, and supporters of diversity. Connect with like-minded professionals, build meaningful relationships, and unlock new opportunities. Please make sure to **register on Humanitix** (RSVP on Meetup won’t secure your spot): [https://events.humanitix.com/women-in-architecture-networking-event-in-melbourne-xu49tqj2](https://events.humanitix.com/women-in-architecture-networking-event-in-melbourne-xu49tqj2) Join us for an inspiring evening of thought leadership and networking as we celebrate **International Women's Day** with some notable voices in **architecture, innovation, and leadership**. Enjoy food and drinks while connecting with peers and gaining insights from our panelists. This is a fantastic opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, expand your network, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of Women in Architecture. **Find out more details here: [https://events.humanitix.com/women-in-architecture-networking-event-in-melbourne-xu49tqj2](https://events.humanitix.com/women-in-architecture-networking-event-in-melbourne-xu49tqj2)**

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

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

Connected Westerville Night of Networking flips the script on networking, with surprises and connections that'll make you say, "Who knew networking could be this much fun?!"

**Google Analytics Alternatives** Is it finally time to make the switch away from Google Analytics? Two-and-a-half years ago Jason Packer asked this question at Columbus Web Analytics Wednesday. Since then: Google’s Universal Analytics has been sunset, we’ve changed our name to Columbus Data & Analytics Wednesday, and Jason has released two editions of his book “Google Analytics Alternatives”. Fresh off the release of the 2nd edition of his book, we thought it was time to re-open this conversation. While people love to complain about it, GA’s market share has remained relatively constant (at least in the United States). Why is that? You won’t find any complaints about GA4 in this talk, but rather an overview of what’s currently available in the market and how to frame your decision-making process. We’ll also be giving out some free copies of Jason’s book! So even if you’ve got a “GA4Lyfe” tattoo (no judgement), there’s free books to go with the free pizza and beer. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

Join us for a casual chat over coffee & tea at Porter’s Coffee House. Come out and meet some new people, enjoy your favorite drink, and make some new friends!

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.

**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