Kanban

**This event is now full and RSVPs are closed.** *Please note that attendance is limited to participants who registered through the **official registration page** (the link that was previously provided). If you did not complete the official registration, unfortunately we won’t be able to accommodate you at the event.* This is a free full day hands-on training in-person training course on modern Excel. We'll cover many features of the new features of Excel 365 that will make our lives easier: for example, spill functions, dynamic ranges, summarising data with the new GROUPBY and PIVOTBY functions, and show how to use the powerful LET and LAMBDA functions.

**📅 Book your time here:** [www.betheband.org/book-online](http://www.betheband.org/book-online) 📍 **Exact location sent after booking** 🎸 **BetheBand Meet & Greet – Come Play & Say Hi** 🎤 Curious what it’s like to be in a band again? BetheBand is a London-based music programme for amateur to intermediate musicians who want to rehearse regularly, improve as players, and perform live — **without the hassle of organising bands, rehearsal rooms, or gigs yourself**. 🤝 **What’s the meet & greet?** This is a relaxed introduction — **not an audition**. You’ll play **one song** with a backing track alongside one of our band directors 🎶 You can **play whatever you like**, or choose from a **short song list** if you want some inspiration 📃 It’s friendly and low-pressure — just a chance for us to get to know your level, taste, and goals, and for you to see if BetheBand feels right for you. 🚀 **What happens if you join?** 🎯 Matched with musicians at your level 🏙️ Weekly rehearsals in a central London studio 🎼 Guided by a professional musician as your band director 🎤 Perform a full live set for friends & family at the end of an 8-week term 🎶 **Who it’s for** 🎸 Guitarists • 🎸 Bassists • 🎤 Vocalists • 🥁 Drummers • 🎹 Keyboard players ℹ️ **Practical details** 📍 Central London (address sent after sign-up) 💷 £15 meet & greet slot (non-refundable) ⏳ Limited slots — book a time that works for you If you’ve been playing on your own and miss making music *with* people, this is an easy, no-pressure way to take the first step 🎶✨

Join us for some fun, competitive, but friendly games at our 4-court sports hall. We use Yonex Mavis 600 Nylon shuttles during the 2-hour session. **PAYMENT** * **Session Fee: £9** * We are cashless, kindly pay the session fee **by midnight** on the night before the session. You are welcome to pay early! You can even pay when you book! See our About page for the full process. * If no payment is received, you will be removed and may even be liable for a late cancellation fee if your spot is not taken. * Please use **“your meetup name + date of event”** as payment reference * **Account name:** Thomas Lam * **Sort code:** 04-00-03 * **Account number:** 7478 8608 **LATE CANCELLATION OR NO-SHOW** * **All** **no-shows or late cancellations** (24 hrs or less) will be charged if your spot is not taken by someone else - you will have a title next to your name with the amount and date owed. * Members with 2 no shows/late cancellations will be removed from the group unless outstanding payment is received * **The late cancellation policy** is set up to discourage last-minute cancellations and therefore applies with or without the presence of a waitlist * **Note:** If you are on the Waitlist and a spot becomes available, you will automatically be bumped onto the On list provided the event has not yet started. It is your responsibility to **remove yourself from the waitlist** if you can no longer make it to avoid being charged a no-show if someone cancels late. **PLAYING** * Please wait to be marked off before entering the hall. * Sessions are to finish promptly on the hour by school requests. * If you finish a match with 5 minutes to go, please start packing up instead of starting a new game. **RACKET HIRE** * Please note that we won't be hiring out rackets, so kindly bring your own racket. **PARKING** * There is parking available, but it is now paid parking. Parking is opposite the entrance. Please check the signs for parking payment instructions. **TRACK & TRACE** * We will collect your phone number on-site. Your phone number will also be used in case of fire to contact you if you have not made it to the fire evacuation areas. You can see maps at the venue. We are excited to see you guys on the court! Team LSBC

This month we’re reading the Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer who must be one of the nicest people in show biz. I read his first novel and thoroughly enjoyed it. Should he stay in London or should he me move to Brighton where his girlfriend is about to open an hotel? Sinister forces are gathering in a cloud of vape smoke and the arrival of Mr Sequence puts Gary in an even worse predicament. Soon he might be dead…….. The novel is described as hilarious and gripping which our two previous books weren’t.

**Bookable via our website ➡️** https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/intro-to-woodwork-flip-lid-dovetail-box-6-afternoons-51/ ⋆⋆⋆ **Details:** An absorbing five-week course for confident beginners and an enjoyable learning experience for anyone with a little woodworking experience. Using a fusion of hardwood and softwood, this five-week course will teach you the fundamentals of woodwork and give you an opportunity to use classic hand tools; brass-backed tenon saws, sharp wood chisels and delicately honed vintage wood planes. This well-proportioned flip-lidded box is constructed of European redwood using a single dovetail joint at each corner and the fitted hardwood lid is attached to the base by a handmade ‘dowel’ peg hinge. The project will familiarise learners with many classic woodwork techniques and is taught with patience and enthusiasm by Andy Nicholl, who has devised this informative and challenging project. You will take home a treasure to treasure- and we hope it will enthuse you to learn how to make many handmade woodwork projects in the years to come. If your keyboard-weary hands have been needing the skill to fulfil and satisfy a yearning desire to create something you can hold, come and join us in our well-equipped and inspiring workshops and discover the wonderful world of woodwork. **Key skills:** * Measuring marking and cutting dovetail joints to make an accurate framed box. * Planing and shaping a hardwood lid to fit the softwood frame base. * Making and fitting a hardwood dowel joint to attach the frame base to the lid.

**Meetup are having issues with RSVP’s. If it says closed, ignore it. Comment or message your attendance and turn up. Thank you.** ‘ This will be the first of our many outside Picture Hunts this year. If any issues with weather, we’ll switch to 50-50 Trivia in the nearby Wetherspoon Metropolitan pub, so something will be on regardless. Please aim to turn up for 1:00-1:30 when teams are being arranged. The Hunt starts at 1:30. You're losing search time if you're late! Bring a pen please. The event will be centred around shops on one side of Baker St, so there’s no crossing of busy roads. As usual, portions of the road are split up into four areas where teams search for the locations of photographed items in the street, buildings or shop windows, and then record where they found them. Picture Hunts are a great new way to get up to speed with slices of London history while sleuthing around the area. Everyone is presented with twenty partial photos of objects around an area. Your team mission is to find them. Some well known, some well unknown! This makes Picture Hunts more interesting and challenging, bringing out the best of your teams detecting skills. You will also have a map of the area. It will be sub-divided into four sections, P, Q, R, S. Each photo will come from one of these. Four players max per team, but the lower number teams get a point per player start from the biggest team. For example, four teams of one, two, three and four. Four player team, no advantage, (the biggest and theoretically the more knowledge between them, except it doesn't always work like that). Three player team, one point start. Two player team, two point start. One player team, three point start. Scores are always close and around the 15-20 points mark. How many players do you want in your team? There's a dilemma! The clipboard holder enters one of the letters to note its area location. Dead simple, right? 90 minutes to do the hunt. We have the usual prizes of chocolate, including some great new varieties. There is also an equal prize for the funniest team name judged by Sue, my glamorous assistant. Names win prizes too! So there’s everything to play for. We mark up at the hunt finish point. The Wetherspoon Metropolitan. Hunts are good fun and the proven experience so far is that members get to know each other better after working in teams as you all have to communicate. Great icebreakers. This is what Meetup is all about. Come and join us. There is a £7 cash/card charge for this event. Contact number on the day is 07422334411 if your transport is delayed. **If you can’t make it, please cancel using the “Edit RSVP Button”.** **Your consideration is greatly appreciated.**

**Bookable via our website ➡️** https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/intro-to-japanese-joints-16/ ⋆⋆⋆ If you are intrigued by the precision and elegance of Japanese joinery, we hope you will join us for six sessions of learning how to produce Japanese joints. Using unique and creative ways to avoid using screws, nails, and glue, this art is passed down from master to apprentice. Even with the advent of power tools, the craft is still practised by hand as a sign of respect towards their heritage, culture, and traditions. Japanese woodworking is all about principle, discipline, and accuracy. The lack of power tools is a testament to the practice put into mastering the craft. Experienced woodworker Auram Desforges is a Japanese joinery enthusiast. He will guide you through the Japanese tools and techniques to make several wood joints. You will learn which tools to use, and how to measure and cut with accuracy so that you can attempt any joint design in the future. Expect a calm workshop with lots of concentration. This course is not project-based but you will take home as many joints as you have crafted. Auram teaches other classes at the centre: Kumiko coasters, Kumiko lamp, Make a chair

Startup Session #12 – The Founder Bottleneck: Reclaim Your Time, Rewire Your Business Let It Go: The Founder’s Guide to Delegation **Date:** Tuesday 24th March 2026 6:15-9 PM UK Time **Location:** [1 Warwick by Maslow’s](https://share.google/MnxwD6w1PqaJ512K6) [Sign up for this event here!](https://founders500.com/session/the-founder-bottleneck-reclaim-your-time-rewire-your-business/) ### The real reason you’re stuck isn’t strategy. It’s you. Most founders don’t fail because they lack vision. They stall because they are the bottleneck. Doing everything yourself feels responsible. It feels lean. It feels “early-stage smart.” Until it isn’t. Until you’re: * **Drowning in admin** * **Reacting instead of building** * **Working 1am–4am “because it’s your baby”** * **Stuck in noise instead of growth** This session is about the moment when doing it all stops being a strength — and becomes the ceiling on your business. ## What this session is This is **not** a motivational talk. This is **not** generic productivity advice. This is a **working session** for founders who are ready to: * Diagnose where they are the bottleneck * Separate **real work** from **loud work** * Reclaim cognitive space * Design a calendar that supports growth * Delegate without guilt, fear, or chaos You’ll leave with clarity, structure, and a practical plan you can actually implement. ## What we’ll explore ### 1) The Founder Bottleneck Diagnosis When does “scrappy” become self-sabotage? We’ll identify: * What you’re doing that no longer scales * What should be **delegated** * What should be **automated** * What should be **deleted entirely** ### 2) Time vs. Cognitive Load It’s not just hours. It’s mental fragmentation. We’ll unpack: * Why cheap outsourcing often keeps you stuck * Why tools and AI increase overwhelm without operational clarity * Why your brain space is your most valuable asset Includes real data on time loss, admin drag, and revenue impact. ### 3) Calendar Architecture for Growth If your calendar is reactive, your business will be too. You’ll learn how to: * Build deep work blocks * Protect non-negotiables * Stop operating in emergency mode * Design weeks that actually move the needle ### 4) Budget-smart operational support Outsourcing isn’t about cost. It’s about ROI. We’ll reframe: **“I can’t afford help.”** into **“What is this costing me in revenue and growth?”** You’ll leave knowing: * When it’s time to get support * What level of support to hire * How to structure it properly No hard selling. Just clarity. ## How the evening works This session is interactive. We’ll move in focused 15-minute blocks featuring: * Short strategic frameworks * Partner diagnostics * Live calendar exercises * Founder discussion * Structured reflection You won’t just listen, you’ll redesign how you operate. ## Who this is for * Solo founders * Early-stage teams * Operators stretched too thin * Founders stuck in admin * Anyone feeling “busy but not growing” If you’re exhausted but ambitious — this is for you. ## About Cecilia Brown Cecilia is the founder of **[Pickle](https://findpickle.com/?privacy=updated)** (formerly Fyxer People) and works with founders navigating growth without burning out. Her philosophy is simple: **“Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.”** Pickle supports founders in building operational clarity, reducing overwhelm, and reclaiming their time, so they can focus on what actually grows the business. *** ## Evening schedule **6:15pm — Doors Open + Drinks** **6:45pm — Session Begins** **6:45–8:00pm — Working Session (Frameworks + Exercises)** **8:00–8:15pm — Key Takeaways + Q&A** **8:15pm onwards — Optional Networking** [You can sign up for this event here](https://founders500.com/session/the-founder-bottleneck-reclaim-your-time-rewire-your-business/)

A fun and hands on introduction to LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, ideal for those who have not experienced the method before. After being welcomed by our experienced facilitator Sean Blair, you will explore building models as an individual and as a group. You will become practiced at several methods of communication and learn to hear and understand others, all using LEGO! Following the workshop we will send you a free pdf copy of the book "SeriousWork" - a hands on guide to using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® yourself (5\*\*\*\*\* reviewed book that sells for £25 on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Facilitate-Meetings-Workshops-Serious-Method/dp/0995664706) Ideal for those who are interested in participatory leadership, better communication and creativity. If you have attended a taster workshop before, you are welcome to attend but please note this introductory workshop will be a similar experience.

**——————————** **Event Description:** **——————————** Welcome product enthusiasts! We're a meet-up group that hosts regular speaking events for those interested in the world of **digital products** and **doing things differently!** Each meet-up features new guests from some of the most influential product companies around the world, providing unique insights, tangible ideas, and new techniques to help drive change from the inside out. **————————** **Event Format:** **————————** This is a **hybrid** event, offering the option to come along in person or join us from anywhere in the world online! **————** **Venue:** **————** 🚨 We are at Wrap co-working Brighton, a stone's throw from the station. We're looking forward to seeing you there! 🚨 **————————** **Our Supporters:** **————————** Our March event is supported by **[MPB](https://www.mpb.com/en-uk)** the world’s leading platform for buying, selling and trading used photography and videography equipment, making kit more accessible and sustainable for creators everywhere. And as always our friends at **[Silicon Brighton](https://siliconbrighton.com/)**, whose mission is to put Brighton on the map as a technology hub, spotlighting the region for talent and investment. **————————** **Our speakers:** **————————** **Steve Down** **Steve Down is a Senior Product Manager at Channel 4, specialising in building high performing streaming apps for the biggest screen in the home.** He’s spent years shaping TV experiences at major UK broadcasters, tackling platform fragmentation, performance constraints and all the quirks that make doing product on TV Apps a whole world of its own. He regularly writes and speaks about the realities of Connected TV product development, sharing lessons from building and scaling TV apps across diverse platforms and fast changing user behaviours. His industry contributions unpack everything from platform limitations and UX challenges to experimentation gaps and the future of big screen viewing. **————————** **About the Talk:** **————————** **Behind the Streams: The untold story of TV App Product Management** Forget what you know about doing Product Management on web and mobile - TV is a whole different ball game. You’re juggling dozens of platforms & stakeholders, designing for a lean-back user experience, and working in an environment where optimal performance is everything. Add in the giants like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube as competitors, and standing out gets tough. **In this session, Steve will pull back the curtain on:** \- What makes TV product management so different \- The skills you need to succeed in streaming \- How you can break into one of the most exciting areas in product today If you’ve ever thought about working in streaming or just want to know what happens behind the biggest screen in the house, this talk is for you. **Raff Di Meo** Senior Product Design Manager at Optimizely. Raff has spent over 10 years designing products across startups, agencies, and enterprise SaaS, including a startup acquisition. Today, he's a Senior Product Design Manager at Optimizely, where he leads a team of designers reshaping how marketing teams create content across the web. He's an active speaker in the UX community and writes Some Designers on Substack, championing inclusivity and supporting designers through a profession that won't sit still. **————————** **About the Talk:** **————————** **When too easy to use becomes a problem: from e-commerce returns to AI in design** A few years ago, Raff designed a returns flow for an e-commerce product. It was fast, frictionless, and users loved it. It also helped normalise a behaviour that cost businesses millions and generated thousands of tonnes of waste. By every metric tracked, it was a success. By every metric not tracked, it was a disaster. Today, the same pattern is playing out. Not just in the products we design, but in how we design them. Teams are reshaping their entire process around AI tools that can't even retain their own users. We're told the old ways are dead. Move faster. Ship more. Trust the tools. In this talk, Raff will share what the returns project taught him about the gap between a successful design and a responsible one, and how those lessons are shaping how his team is navigating AI right now: what they're using, what's genuinely working, and what they're deliberately protecting. You'll leave with three things you can take back to your team: why understanding the problem still comes first, how to explore with AI without losing your craft, and a dead-simple habit for catching unintended consequences before they ship. **——————————** **About your hosts:** **——————————** Product Unleashed is brought to you by your hosts **[John Griffin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-griffin-designer/)** and **[Dominic Port](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-port/)**. The duo have worked on the design of products of all shapes and sizes and bring their energy and enthusiasm to this unique meetup, packed with great guests and knowledge - for anyone interested in levelling up their game in the world of products.

You're invited to our next Women in Product London event! Join us for an in-person evening with a panel of senior product leaders as we unpack what it really takes to succeed at the highest levels of product leadership — and how to build a lasting legacy along the way. Are you curious about what changes when you move into executive territory? The focus shifts from product strategy to influencing a board, owning commercial outcomes, shaping culture, and building the right leadership team around you to succeed. In this candid fireside-style conversation, our panel will share the realities of executive product leadership, from developing executive presence and navigating complex organisations, to the mistakes and lessons that rarely get talked about, plus how they juggle these pressures alongside their personal life. You'll have an opportunity to ask the panelists questions in a safe and friendly environment, as well as the chance to network with your peers over drinks and canapés before and after our panel take the stage. \-\-\-\-MEET THE PANELLISTS \>\>Faith Forster\, Founder and CPO @ Discoveree Faith is a Chief Product Officer (ex. Wise, Dext, Legl) and advisor to PE owned companies. She is currently building an AI-native platform called Discoveree, which helps product leaders and teams better align product work with customer and commercial goals, and is recording a weekly podcast on the process of building an AI native product called Building Out Loud. Faith also manages a program with the charity Centrepoint, to help disadvantaged young adults access the tech industry. \>\>Cait O'Riordan\, VP Product for Search Verticals at Google Cait O'Riordan has two decades of experience in product management leadership for global companies - Google, FT, Shazam and BBC. As VP Product for Search Verticals at Google she was responsible for multiple products with more than a billion monthly active users - consistently innovating across a portfolio that covers more than 40% of Search traffic. Previously: CPTO at the Financial Times, running product and engineering, driving strategy and huge subscription growth; VP of Product at Shazam driving user and revenue growth that resulted in acquisition by Apple; Head of Product for BBC Sport for the London 2012 Olympics, the first truly digital Games. \>\>Jacintha Love\, Product Director @ Wise Jacintha is a Product Director at Wise, where she leads the development of the Finance and Treasury products that power Wise. She is passionate about building financial infrastructure for the world's money. Prior to joining Wise, Jacintha spent 14 years in financial markets trading and technology. \*Additional panelist to be announced shortly\* \-\-\-\-MEET THE MODERATOR \>\>Lucinda Faucher\, VP Product @ Valve Lucinda Faucher is a product leader with over 14 years of experience and a track record of building high performing, diverse teams. As VP of Product at Valve, she drives product strategy within the commercial real estate tech space. Lucinda has built her career on a simple but powerful belief: that great products are made by great teams, and great teams thrive when they feel seen, heard and empowered. Beyond her role, she mentors, consults, and speaks at events and on panels; and as a fierce advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, Lucinda also founded TheProdBox podcast to champion a more inclusive, empowered product community and to demystify the world of product management helping to open doors for those finding their way into, and within the field. Venue, food and drinks are proudly sponsored by [Wise.](https://wise.com) #careerhackseries #wiplondon #alwayslearning

Please register here: https://hazelcast.com/resources/resilient-java-in-production-meetup/ ### Modern Java systems don’t fail all at once. They fail under load, during warmup, and sometimes days after a “successful” zero-downtime deployment. Join us for an evening focused on real-world resilience in production Java systems, from JVM performance stability to the hidden risks of mixed-version state during rolling upgrades. Come for the talks, stay for the conversations. Food, drinks, swag, and a LEGO® raffle included. ### **Special Guest: Simon Ritter** Java Champion and Deputy CTO at Azul, Simon Ritter shares how to make JVM performance more resilient by reducing latency risk from GC, warmup, and JIT behaviour without changing application code. ### **Hazelcast Session** Zero-downtime rolling upgrades in distributed Java systems are hard when multiple versions of the same service and data model must run concurrently and share state. Using Hazelcast and Hazelcast Compact Serialization, we’ll show practical Java examples and tests that demonstrate how mixed versions behave and how to make those upgrades resilient in real systems. ### **What’s in Store?** * Two technical talks on resilience in production Java systems * Food & drinks included * Swag + LEGO® raffle * Networking with the local Java community Please register here: https://hazelcast.com/resources/resilient-java-in-production-meetup/

\*\*Please make sure to head to the [AI Exchange Meetup Page](https://www.meetup.com/ai-exchange/events/313741366/?eventOrigin=your_events) to Register for this event\*\* Join us on Tuesday 24th March for the next AI Exchange event, where we will be hosted at Dawn Capital. We have three great talks lined up; heavily backed startup [Conduct AI](http://ttps//%5Bwww.conduct.ai/%5D(www.conduct.ai/)) will give us insight and lessons on how they've managed to take Agentic AI into some of the worlds largest organisations. [Canonical](https://canonical.com/) will be diving into how advances in AI have been driven by major improvements in customer interaction and [Capgemini](https://www.capgemini.com/gb-en/) are exploring the evolution of Engineering with an AI-native mindset. As always, doors open at 6:30pm and talks start at 7pm sharp. Drinks and food will be provided. **Agenda:** **[Henry Thompson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryithompson/) @ [Conduct AI](https://www.conduct.ai/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23305058141&gbraid=0AAAABCJY88zM3GE_S23wWaidRlqn_riJk&gclid=CjwKCAjwpcTNBhA5EiwAdO1S9vDNKLdlyXUqKM-5bV0MrytI_N6IuNjoIqYTsjZrDQMgMx8VmvWABBoC1EAQAvD_BwE)** **Teaching Old Systems New Tricks: Agentic AI in the Enterprise Core** The most valuable AI opportunities in large enterprises aren't greenfield, they're buried inside legacy landscapes and specialist teams who've operated the same way for decades. Most AI deployments never reach them. This session shares what we've learned taking agentic AI into some of the world's largest organisations: the product decisions forced by legacy constraints, the approaches required to ingest complex business data, and what it takes to embed agents inside teams with little AI experience. We take a dive into the technical, organisational, and commercial questions that only arise at true enterprise scale and how you turn that friction into real value. **[Artur Vartanyan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/artur-vartanyan/) @ [Canonical](https://canonical.com/)** **How Global Technology Alliances enable AI success** Artur will dive into how modern advances in artificial intelligence have been driven by major improvements in how customers experience and interact with AI. These advancements are largely enabled by strategic technological alliances. Instead of competing, leading tech companies are joining forces to make AI more accessible and impactful. This talk will explore the programs and tools that enable collaboration among technology companies in developing AI solutions, supported by real-world examples of successful alliances. Bio: Artur has 20+ years of business development experience in the IT industry across EMEA. Since January 2024 Artur has been working as Dell Alliance Manager at Canonical in London, UK to drive joint Canonical/Dell efforts in the AI, Cloud and Open Source. Prior to joining Canonical, he spent over 10 years at Dell Technologies (EMC) in various sales and leadership roles. Since 2016, Artur has been working as a visiting university professor and developed 12 educational programs on Big Data, IT Infrastructure and Digital Transformation for the leading universities in the CIS. He also authored 15 scientific publications on digital technologies, including SCOPUS. Holding a Phd in Economics, as well as honours degrees in Business Management and International Law, Artur was also certified in digital technologies by top universities (Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, INSEAD, Wharton, NYU) and global companies (Dell, IBM, Linux Foundation). As a digital technologies expert, Artur has been invited as a keynote speaker to over 200 IT-related conferences across the world. In 2023, Artur was endorsed as a Global Exceptional Talent in the field of digital technologies, by Tech Nation UK. **[Ezhil Suresh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezhilsuresh/) @ [Capgemini](https://www.capgemini.com/gb-en/)** **Evolution of Engineering Organisations** Ezhil will explore how static governance models give way to adaptive, AI‑driven controls — forming the backbone of a fully governed autonomous engineering control plane. When hundreds of engineers rely on shared platforms, standards, guardrails, auditability, and developer experience can’t be afterthoughts. They must be embedded. Becoming AI‑native demands a new mindset: one where engineering systems govern themselves, teams move faster with trust, and AI becomes the multiplier across the entire technology organisation. Bio: Ezhil Suresh Chockalingham is a cross‑functional technology leader in UK Public Sector , specialising in transforming engineering organisations into AI‑native, autonomous delivery ecosystems. With a background spanning cloud, data platform engineering, developer experience, and large‑scale governance, Ezhil focuses on building high‑trust, self‑governing engineering systems that accelerate value creation across complex enterprises. Ezhil serves as a strategic bridge across engineering, product, and governance functions — championing adaptive standards, AI‑driven guardrails, and scalable platform capabilities that enable hundreds of engineers to deliver securely and autonomously. Their work is centred on moving organisations from static governance to dynamic, AI‑powered control planes that reshape how modern technology gets built. We have a tight capacity for this event, so please RSVP as soon as you can to secure your space. We hope to see many of you at this event! **Sponsors...** The AI Exchange is brought to you in partnership with[ LinuxRecruit](https://www.linuxrecruit.co.uk/) and[ AWS.](https://aws.amazon.com/) LinuxRecruit is building the next wave of Tech Unicorns in Europe. Whether you're hiring or exploring your next opportunity, [get in touch](https://www.linuxrecruit.co.uk/jobs). The types of roles we have currently are across Founding Engineers, Engineers across Product, Software, AI/ML, Data and Platform Infrastructure/DevOps.

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is the gold standard for grounding LLMs in proprietary enterprise data. However, the journey from a flashy proof-of-concept to a reliable, secure production system is fraught with complexity. This talk bridges the gap between rapid prototyping and rigorous engineering. We will begin by exploring the actual merit of “vibe-coding”—using AI-assisted, rapid prototyping to build compelling demo apps that secure client buy-in and validate use cases. Once the demo is sold, the real work begins. We will navigate the architectural decision matrix, comparing the trade-offs of off-the-shelf products, cloud-managed services, and fully custom-built RAG solutions. Diving into the technical pipeline, we will cover modern ingestion strategies like agentic chunking and sophisticated retrieval methods, including re-ranking and GraphRAG, to overcome the limitations of simple vector search. We will detail the essential role of telemetry and LLM-as-a-Judge evaluation frameworks in ensuring sustained performance, faithfulness, and relevancy. Join us to learn how to transition from impressive demos to robust solutions that deliver measurable business value. Our Speaker, **[Dr. Enrico Fonda](https://www.linkedin.com/in/enricofonda/)** is a data scientist with a background in physics. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland and New York University, where he studied quantum fluids and applied deep learning to turbulence. In 2019, Enrico moved to London and transitioned his skills to the industry. He has since worked across the MarTech, Telco, and Tech sectors, focusing on machine learning modeling, generative AI applications, and code generation. Today, as a Solution Consultant at Sahaj Software, he continues to solve complex problems in data science and AI. 🗓️ **Save the Date:** 26th March, 2026 📍 **Location:** Sahaj Software, 1 Quality Court, London, WC2A 1HR 🕕 **Time:** 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (BST) The evening will feature: 🎤 **One engaging talk** with Q&A 🤝 **Plenty of time for networking** over free pizza and non-alcoholic drinks Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and share with fellow tech enthusiasts. 👉 Please click the link below to register. https://sahaj.ai/events/the-rag-reality-check-from-vibe-coding-to-production/

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

Hike approx 4.0 miles at approx. 18 minute mile pace. Meet in front of the Nature Center.

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.

Come chat about Atlassian tools and best practices at the Nationwide Sunny Street Cafe and Breakfast is on Atlassian! Let's get the day started off with breakfast with your ACE Leaders! We're always excited to talk about Atlassian Products, share our knowledge and hand out swag! Come chat with us about new product news and anything you are working on within the Atlassian product stack. This is a great opportunity to come see what we are all about, hear new business news and share with other Atlassian users your questions and experiences. We'd love to see new and old friends come out to chat and learn about Atlassian! Agenda --- Moderators Kimberly Deal - Columbus Atlassian User Group Leader Kevin Stanley - Columbus Atlassian User Group Leader Hosted By Kimberly Deal, Atlassian User Group Leader Kevin Stanley, Chief Everything Greg Sprowls, Agility Lead --- Global Partner Atlassian (http://atlassian.com) Millions of users globally rely on Atlassian products every day for improving software development, project management, collaboration, and code quality. Partner Atlassian --- For over a decade, Atlassian customers have come together to network, share ideas, solve problems, and find new ways to use Atlassian products. Today, more than 15,000 people take part in Atlassian community events in more than 30 countries. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://ace.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-columbus-presents-rise-and-shine-with-atlassian-downtownnationwide-22/.

We will meet next to the restrooms at the [Big Meadows Picnic Area](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HBK_Web_1980.png). They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates [40°09'06.6"N 83°02'30.2"W](https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B009'06.6%22N+83%C2%B002'30.2%22W/@40.151828,-83.0423587,214m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m10!1m5!3m4!2zNDDCsDA5JzA4LjAiTiA4M8KwMDEnNDUuMSJX!8m2!3d40.1522222!4d-83.0291944!3m3!8m2!3d40.151827!4d-83.041715?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) (near the playground and the zip line). We'll hike about 5 miles at [Highbanks Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/highbanks/) on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to [Olentangy River Brewing](https://www.olentangybrew.com/) for drinks, coffee, or food (their Sunday [food truck](https://www.olentangybrew.com/eventsandfood) is Venezuelan and always gets good reviews). The actual address of the brewery is [303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035](https://www.google.com/maps/place/303+Green+Meadows+Dr+S,+Lewis+Center,+OH+43035/@40.1551938,-83.0144045,17.25z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x8838f395cef06c97:0xe407de61b3e30069!8m2!3d40.1551765!4d-83.0124352!16s%2Fg%2F11c26jc7j9?entry=ttu). If you can't make the hike, we should be there by noon. **How to find our starting point in Big Meadows:** If you are new to Highbanks, the Big Meadows picnic area is 1.5 miles into the park just after you turn into the park off of U.S. Route 23. That is, after you enter the park, drive a mile and a half into the park. You will come to a crosswalk with a yield sign in the middle of it (this is not to be confused with the first such crosswalk you come to just in front of the Nature Center, which you arrive at maybe a quarter of a mile into the park). Just after this second crosswalk, make a left. Then make another almost immediate left into the parking lot on your left. There you will see the jungle gym and the kiddie zip line to your left. I will be just in front of the restrooms just a bit further down from the jungle gym and picnic shelter; the restroom building will also be on your left.

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/