Internet Startups

Many Canadian businesses are missing out on thousands - even millions - in government funding simply because they don’t know where to look or how to qualify. Join Emerge Elite for an exclusive workshop with **Shake (Shekhar) Dewan**, former consultant at Deloitte and Fractional Chief AI Officer at Paperstack, and founder of AI Forward. This session combines **business consulting expertise, entrepreneurship, and AI strategy** to help founders and business owners understand how to access and leverage Canadian government funding programs to scale. Shake brings real-world consulting experience helping companies grow using **data-driven strategy, AI implementation, and non-dilutive funding opportunities**. ### What You’ll Learn * Overview of Canadian government funding programs and grants * How startups and businesses qualify for funding * How to position your business for approval * How AI and innovation impact funding eligibility * Common mistakes founders make when applying * How consulting frameworks can help scale your business ### About the Speaker **Shake (Shekhar) Dewan** is an AI strategist, business consultant, and founder of AI Forward. With experience as a Deloitte consultant and Fractional Chief AI Officer, he specializes in helping businesses integrate AI, optimize operations, and scale using intelligent, strategic solutions. His mission is to help companies grow faster using **innovation, funding, and data-driven decision making**. ### Who Should Attend * Entrepreneurs and startup founders * Business owners * Consultants * Tech founders and innovators * Anyone interested in government funding or AI ### Tickets * **Early Bird:** $11.30 (limited quantity) * **General Admission:** $20

**NO PHILOSOPHY EXPERTISE REQUIRED!** **🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 **📓 HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 19:30-19:45 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the official start. * 19:45-19:55 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 19:55-21:15 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 21:15-21:30 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:30 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** **🗣** “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * **​What will we talk about? What's the topic?** ​The topic for the week is shared every Sunday in the Whatsapp group. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE). * **Do I need to study or read anything to attend?** No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what you think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it. * **Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on?** The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * **Is it mostly men that attend?** Surprisingly, no! Although often, philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * **Can I come alone?** Of course you can, we encourage it :) * **Can I be late?** Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * **Where do you meet?** The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY CLUB - Philosophy, everywhere. ✨** We started in Practical Philosophy back in 2021 and there are now 50+ chapters in over 25 countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ **\*\*\*** **Join our Toronto [Whatsapp Group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE) 👈** **Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈** **Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈**

Hey Toronto Elixir, Winter is in full swing in Toronto and we are back for our first meetup of 2026! This event will be **BOTH in person and online**! The hybrid format has been pretty successful so we are very excited to, once again, bring together local Torontonians and people from all over the world that we met during the online only meetups! We will be **hosted by BitGo**, with pizza and beverages provided for in-person attendees courtesy of **Instinct Science**. The appointment is for **Thursday March 19th, doors open at 6:00 pm** at the BitGo's Toronto office at 110 Spadina, 9th floor or [online](https://meet.google.com/jzv-reyt-wav). Talks will start around **6:30pm**. First, we're excited to welcome **Francesco Cesarini,** Founder of Erlang Solutions and author of Erlang Programming and Designing for Scalability with Erlang/OTP (https://github.com/francescoc). He'll be joining us in person for his talk **Thinking Concurrency: Dwelling in Erlang and Elixir.** The functional paradigm has been influencing mainstream languages for decades, making developers more efficient whilst helping reduce maintenance costs. As we are faced with a programming model that needs to scale on multi-core architectures and distributed environments, concurrency becomes critical. In these concurrency models, immutability, a key feature of functional programming paradigm will become even more evident. To quote Simon Peyton Jones, future concurrent languages will be functional; they might not be called functional, but the features will be. At this meetup, we will be discussing why! Next up, **Ben Schultzer** will present **SQL - An exploration of foreign language integration in Elixir** where he'll take a closer look at the state-of-the-art in database connection pools and disprove 30 years of dogma. If you wanna have a chat, look for our community on the **#toronto channel** of the Elixir Slack https://elixir-lang.slack.com p.s. Given that this is also a remote event please feel free to extend the invite outside the Toronto community as well! We'll be happy to have you!

The B2B Collective: Thrive & Connect 👉 Clarity. Connection. Momentum. Thrive & Connect is a monthly seminar + networking experience for entrepreneurs, small business owners, professionals, and purpose-driven leaders who want to grow sustainably—without burnout or hustle culture. This is a space for people who value clarity, connection, and aligned growth. ✨ This Event Is For You If: You’re an entrepreneur, founder, or professional You value growth without burnout You’re looking to connect with like-minded people You want clarity, confidence, and actionable next steps MARCH TOPIC – VISION BOARD If you can see it, you can build it 👀✨ This month we’re creating vision boards with intention, clarity, and strategy—not just pretty pictures. Thursday, March 19th, 2026 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM 💵 $10 investment 🤍 Build success that fits your life 🎁 Returning Guest Perk – Free raffle entry for a biz-boosting gift. (Bring a Gift and receive a Business Spotlight) Let’s connect. Let’s rise. Let’s keep building—together. ✨ RSVP now >>> [https://B2BNE0319.eventbrite.ca](https://b2bne0319.eventbrite.ca/) Seating is LIMITED to 25 people. \*1st 10 People to Register are FREE to attend. Perfect for those who want real tools, meaningful conversations, and a community that supports growth beyond the event. 🤝 Why Attend? This isn’t just another networking event. It’s designed for people who want: Sustainable business growth Authentic conversations and connections Support without pressure or comparison Success that includes health, flexibility, and fulfillment 👉 Register now and join us for Thrive & Connect. [https://B2BNE0319.eventbrite.ca](https://b2bne0319.eventbrite.ca/) Come as you are. Leave inspired, supported, and equipped. Come connect, dream, and design what’s next. 📅 Event Details 30-minute guided workshop Open networking & connection ✨ RSVP now >>> [https://B2BNE0319.eventbrite.ca](https://b2bne0319.eventbrite.ca/) 🌟 Looking for Ongoing Support? Thrive & Connect is part of an ongoing business community. Attendees will have the option to learn about our membership opportunities, which offer continued workshops, accountability, and deeper connection. (No commitment required—come for one event or grow with us long-term.) \*\*\*\*\*\* MARCH: Wellness – Thriving, Not Surviving Burnout is not a badge of honor 🚫 This event is all about wellness for entrepreneurs—how to thrive, protect your energy, and still grow. Because your health is part of the business plan.

🌟 Join Us for the March Tech Mixer! 🌟 We’re back with another evening of inspiration, ideas, and community! Join us at the GDG Mississauga Tech Mixer — a space where the local tech community comes together to connect, share experiences, and explore new opportunities. This month, we’re focusing on entrepreneurship and the founder journey. We’ll be hosting a panel discussion with startup founders who will share their stories, key turning points, and the lessons they learned while building their companies. Whether you’re thinking about starting something of your own or just curious about the realities of building a startup, this conversation will offer valuable insights. 🗓 Date: March 19 ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM 📍 Location: IDEA Mississauga Space, Square One Mall Bring your curiosity, your ideas, and your entrepreneurial spirit. Whether you're here to learn, connect, or meet new people in the tech community, there’s something for everyone. Let us know you’re coming by RSVPing — we can’t wait to see you there! Agenda --- Hosted By Ash Srivastava, Organizer Rucha Acharya, Co-Organizer Vikas Poojari, Co-Organizer Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-mississauga-presents-gdg-mississauga-march-tech-mixer-2026/.

Kick off March by connecting with pros and boosting your career growth in a fun, in-person meetup! ## **Professional Networking & Growth Series – Chapter 3** ### *Networking & Growth Kickoff – March* **Hosted by GFI** Join us for an exclusive professional networking evening designed to foster meaningful connections, collaboration, and long-term career growth. This kickoff event marks **Chapter -3** of the *Professional Networking & Growth Series*, bringing together professionals from multiple industries in a refined, business-focused environment. Whether you are looking to expand your professional network, gain industry insights, or explore mentorship and growth opportunities, this event offers a valuable platform to connect with like-minded professionals. ### **📅 Event Details** **Date:** Thursday March 19, 2026 **Time:** 5:30 PM – 8:30PM **Location:** Unit 302, 6345 Dixie Road Mississauga, ON ### **Who Should Attend** This event is ideal for professionals seeking collaboration, referrals, and growth opportunities, including: * Licensed HLLQP & Insurance Professionals * Healthcare Professionals * CPAs, Accountants & Tax Professionals * Immigration Consultants * Realtors * Mortgage Agent * Business Owners * Looking for new connections ### **What You Can Expect** * High-quality professional networking in a collaborative environment * Insightful discussions focused on career and business expansion * Growth and mentorship opportunities with experienced professionals * Light snacks and refreshments provided ### **Why Attend** * Build meaningful professional relationships * Exchange ideas with professionals across industries * Explore new opportunities for collaboration and referrals * Be part of an ongoing professional growth community ### **Registration** **Limited spots available. Early registration is strongly encouraged.** ### **Event Hosted By** **Atul & Priyanka Nanchahal** **For any other information please contact: +16478645309**

### The Hip Haus presents: [Professionals Networking Event](https://thehiphaus.com "https://thehiphaus.com")! Hosted at Parc Ave ### \*\*\*\* What is The Hip Haus? \*\*\*\*The Hip Haus is an organization that exists to empower young and experienced professionals alike in the GTA and help the growth of local business. As professionals (especially post pandemic world) it is sometimes difficult to network with other like minded individuals, get good career advice or simply make connections with others you may be able to help or get help from. The Hip Haus is committed to providing social gatherings in an atmosphere where such networking can take place. \*\*\*\* Who Should Attend? \*\*\*\*The Hip Haus events are ***19+***. The focus however is the growth and development of professionals in the GTA. It doesn’t matter if you are a business owner, have a job, are looking for a job, recently graduated university/college, still in university/college, looking for others to launch a new idea or just want to meet other professionals, our events are for you. Remember that Industry is Industry. One is not better than the other to The Hip Haus. We are expecting a diverse range of industry professionals. Our events in clude professionals from Tech & AI to Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Artists, Bankers, I.T Professionals, Accountants, Investors, Advertising/Marketing Professionals, Bloggers, Authors, Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists (This List Can Clearly Go On). ALL ARE WELCOME! \*\*\*\* What to Expect at Our Events? \*\*\*\*Bring Business cards or have your LinkedIn QR code at the ready. Networking! That is the key to these events. Sure it can be a great place to hang out and have a beer with a few friends but it is important to come with an open mind to meet new people and make new connections. Build your network of friends/colleagues/advisors to help yourself as well as them. The Hip Haus wants the professionals of the GTA to come together to help foster personal and professional development. \*\*\*\* Dress Code! \*\*\*\*This is a tricky one. There is NO strict dress code but remember this; you are meeting professionals in an informal manner and we all know first impressions last forever. Come dressed in a way that would allow you to be comfortable and professional according to your industry. Consider This…would a professional musician/artist necessarily dress the same as an investment banker at work? Be who you are or who you want to be. #YoungProfessionalsNetworking #ProfessionalsNetworking #EntrepreneurNetworking #FounderEvents #FounderNetworking #AINetworkingToronto #TechNetworkingEvents #YoungProfessionalsAI #EntrepreneursAI #AIandTechToronto #NetworkingEventsGTA #IssabellsToronto **\*\* Let's Get Social!\*\*** WEB: [www.thehiphaus.com](http://www.thehiphaus.com/ "http://www.thehiphaus.com/") [INSTAGRAM](m/thehiphaus/ "m/thehiphaus/") \| [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/thehiphaus "https://www.facebook.com/thehiphaus") \| [TWITTER](https://twitter.com/thehiphaus "https://twitter.com/thehiphaus")

This is a paid event Ticket Link: https://allevents.in/toronto/80001655139268?ref=sharer GLOBAL STARTUPS CLUB l STARTUP NETWORKING Toronto 2026 GLOBAL STARTUPS CLUB l STARTUP NETWORKING Toronto 2026 WHAT YOU GAIN FROM THE MEET? \* Networking accesses \* Networking games \* 30-sec Elevator Pitch for Startups Introducing the Global Startups Club – a dynamic networking community fueled by 3X Events Mojo Capital 100x Brands Gamezon. This exclusive club will meet monthly providing a platform for talented founders experts consultants influential leaders and startup professionals to connect and collaborate. Our mission is to foster a thriving business community through a carefully curated 2.5-hour offline event where members can showcase their ventures and drive meaningful conversations. (PS: Tickets cover the attendance fee. However Food and beverages (as per your order) will be at your own expense. Kindly ensure to place an order to support the venue ) In Toronto the club will host monthly meetings designed to help you expand your network and enhance your business prospects. The ecosystem brings together Founders VCs Directors Power Networkers and Consultants creating meaningful connections and collaboration opportunities. Support Number: Mohit Sureka - +971 585797400 - WhatsApp Only Email id : [brands@globalstartups.club](https://allevents.in/toronto/global-startups-club-l-startup-networking-toronto-2026-tickets/80001655139268#) \| [connect@mohitsureka.com](https://allevents.in/toronto/global-startups-club-l-startup-networking-toronto-2026-tickets/80001655139268#) Also check out other Business events in Toronto Workshops in Toronto Conferences in Toronto. Also check out other Workshops in Toronto.

Join the Toronto Founders Hub every other Saturday at 3:30pm for our regular meetup at 5 Elements Espresso Bar. Sit down with other entrepreneurs to network and discuss business ideas or strategies. \- Broaden your network \- Get critical feedback \- Socialize in low pressure setting I look forward to seeing you!

**A relaxed social mixer for women in entrepreneurship and business who wants to step away from the screen and connect in real time having conversation and mingling.** [Register here ](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/refresher-tickets-1984736704912)

**Sorry, No More New Members!** **Cost :** $10 per person. (cash only) Plastic badminton shuttle to be supplied by event host. **Racquets :** Bring your own racquet. Rentals are available at the club if needed. **Shoes :** Please bring indoor gym shoes and change into them at the club before entering the courts. **Winter reminder :** Ensure you change into court shoes before stepping onto the courts during the winter months. **This event is for the purpose of four players are playing friendly in one badminton game and for all levels of players from beginner to advance. Please do not use this as an opportunity to do training and single games.** **If you are not able to attend, please advise 48 hours(Thursday) prior to the event to allow other people on the waitlist to have your spot. No shows and less than 48 hours notice of non-attendance will be noted. 1 or more such occurrences will unfortunately lead to removal from the group. Thank you all for your understanding and consideration.**

**Founders Running Club** (FRC) brings founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking. We like to be comfortable when we run and finish with coffee and conversations. Choose your pace or follow a pacer—pets, friends, family, are welcome. 🗓️ Launched in San Francisco, July 16, 2022 🌍 Now in 35+ cities 📅 Running + Networking events + Community **Join the community** https://bit.ly/frc-toronto-chat **Stay updated**: Instagram [http://instagram.com/foundersrc/](http://instagram.com/foundersrc/) Podcast [http://podcast.foundersrc.com/](http://podcast.foundersrc.com/) LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/](http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/) Strava [http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC](http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC) Website [http://foundersrc.com/](http://foundersrc.com/)

If you are single and feeling sad, we have a solution for both of those problems. We are organizing a singles’ mixer AND a comedy show, where finding a date is your job, but making you laugh is our job. This is part 2 of the series and part 1 had - 4 people who found a date in just 2 hours, 1 couple who won a dreamy date night (on the house), and many more warm interactions for everyone single and looking at one spot. For a limited time, the tickets are 23% discounted. Last show was sold out one week before the show, so if you are interested, grab the tickets while they last: [Click Here](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/torontos-south-asian-comedy-singles-mixer-volume-2-win-a-date-voucher-tickets-1984416957539?aff=yb) Note: comedy only tickets will not get you entry to the mixer event. Also, read everything in the description on Eventbrite. Hey folks - just a note that I won’t be able to make it to the event for something urgent thing at the same time. However, the event had 50/60 people last time and we are expecting the same energy this time. So, if you have purchased your ticket, please enjoy the event (without me), I am sure you won’t miss me. Haha

***Tickets must be purchased in advance!*** 🔗: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-real-estate-interior-designer-construction-finance-networking-tickets-1984646029700?aff=ebdsoporgprofile Get ready to connect with Toronto's finest real estate, design, construction, and finance professionals at a networking event like no other! Stellar Socials by Limitless: Elite Networking for Toronto Real Estate, Interior Designer, Construction & Finance Networking Join us for an exclusive evening designed to connect ambitious professionals in law, real estate, and construction. This event is your opportunity to build valuable relationships, discover new opportunities, and take your career or business to the next level. Whether you’re seeking partnerships, fresh career insights, or simply looking to expand your professional circle, this is the perfect space to **network, collaborate, and exchange ideas**. **DRESS CODE: BUSINESS CAUSAL** ### **About Stellar Socials by Limitless** Stellar Socials is the **premier networking experience** for professionals across North America. We bring together lawyers, real estate leaders, construction innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors in a **stylish, dynamic, and welcoming environment**. Our mission is simple: foster **authentic connections** that spark collaboration, innovation, and growth. ### **Who Attends?** Expect a diverse mix of driven professionals, including: * **Legal Experts** – Attorneys, paralegals, and consultants in real estate, construction, and business law * **Real Estate Professionals** – Agents, brokers, developers, investors, and builders * **Construction Leaders** – Architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers * **Entrepreneurs & Investors** – Business owners and firms seeking partnerships * **Graduates & Job Seekers** – Ambitious professionals looking to break into the industry * **Startups & Innovators** – Companies seeking investors, talent, and collaborations * **Media & Marketing Experts** – Creators and journalists covering industry trends 📍 **Age Group:** 21–55 \| **Venue:** 21+ (Bar setting) ### **What to Expect** ✨ High-impact conversations on legal trends, real estate opportunities, and urban development ✨ Direct access to industry leaders and like-minded peers ✨ Career-boosting insights and potential collaborations ✨ A relaxed and open social atmosphere—perfect for organic connections Whether you attend solo or with friends, you’ll leave with **new contacts, fresh insights, and future opportunities**. ### ***The Stellar Socials Experience:*** Our events are curated to encourage **natural, pressure-free conversations**. With a focus on relationship-building, you’ll connect with professionals who can inspire your next move—professionally and personally. Come ready to meet, collaborate, and grow. ### Join the Community 📲 Instagram: [@stellarsocialsbylimitless](https://www.instagram.com/stellarsocialsbylimitless "https://www.instagram.com/stellarsocialsbylimitless") 📘 Facebook: Stellar Socials by Limitless 🎥 TikTok: [@stellar.socials]() ### Notice of Photography: *Please note: Photos and videos will be taken for promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to being photographed and/or filmed. If you prefer not to appear, kindly inform an event organizer upon arrival.*

Calling all founders, CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs to join our special *Founder Edition* of Sip & Read meetup event. Let's sip on fine wine and discuss our first book **The 5AM Club- Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life, by Robin Sharma**. We will pair this book with our favorite wine at **Wine on High** and engage in thought-provoking discussions on startup businesses and entrepreneurship, and network with like-minded individuals in a cozy book club setting. Come prepared to discuss this month's book. At the end of each book club meeting, we will take next book and venue suggestions from the participants for the next meeting. Whether you are a book lover, women entrepreneur, or a content creator, this event is perfect for sharing ideas and insights with other funders and founders in the entrepreneurial world. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Sign up now to reserve your spot! *Fun fact! This meetup was established in 2015 and had over 1,000 members. I had to shut down operations while attending law school, but we're back!!*

**PLEASE BUY TICKETS THROUGH EVENTBRITE. RSVP THROUGH MEETUP IS NOT A TICKET PURCHASE CONFIRMATION.** Strive welcomes you to 'General Business Networking', Columbus' hottest networking event! We are set in the perfect central location in Downtown for all to join. Are you interested in business? Want to elevate your career? Meet Consultants, Analysts of all types, Bankers, Software Engineers, Entrepreneurs, and more who are active in the space or are eager to get started. **\*\*This will be a multi-vertical event\*\*** **There will be professionals with backgrounds in the arts, finance, tech, real estate, healthcare, and more. Come with an open mind, and leave with connections that wouldn't be possible otherwise!** Pack some business cards and come with an open mind! Meet your future business partners, employers, coworkers, investors, and friends. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your network and create a brighter future. We will have a space for our event to check-in. The event will go from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (feel free to come at any point in this timeframe). Name tags will be provided. Business casual dress code. Job fair attire. **Remember, it's not who you know, it's who you meet tomorrow!** We look forward to meeting you at the event! Sincerely, Strive Networking Team *Refund requests are permitted up to 24 hours after purchase, so long as we are not within 48 hours before the event start time. Refunds will be made in full and repaid to your method of payment. Note that we are unable to reimburse PayPal fees.* *Disclaimer: By attending Strive Networking events you agree to photos/videos taken during the event being used to promote future events.*

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

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

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.)

OpenClaw, NemoClaw, personal assistants, 24/7 agents. What does it all mean? How does it all work and what should we know about it? Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)