Manufacturing

**🏛️ 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://tally.so/r/81LP4A), 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: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the official start. * 19:15-19:25 - 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. * 19:25-20:45 - 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. * 20:45-21:00 - 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. * 21:00 - 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 (the topic was authority) 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** * **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://tally.so/r/81LP4A) 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/). 🤝**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 [Mississauga Whatsapp](https://tally.so/r/81LP4A) 👈** **Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈** **Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈**

**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 (the topic was authority) 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** * **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](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE) 👈** **Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈** **Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈**

## **Import & Export — Learn the Model, Remove the Risk, Build the Business** **Casual Learning & Support Session \| LeaderSHIFT Community** There is growing interest in import/export as a business — but most people get stuck on the same questions: * Where do I start? * How do I avoid getting burned? * How do I finance deals safely? * How do I find real clients (not tire-kickers)? This session is designed to answer those questions clearly and practically. ### **📌 Format (Two-Part Session)** **First Hour – Foundations (Beginner Friendly)** This is a structured walkthrough for anyone who wants to understand the business from the ground up. We will cover: * How the import/export business actually works * How to structure deals using government programs and banks to reduce or eliminate risk * How financing can be used properly (without putting yourself in danger) * How to find clients and generate deal flow * Common mistakes and traps to avoid All attendees will receive a **free booklet and resource package** with the information needed to begin setting up their own import/export business. **Second Hour – Open Support & Deal Discussion (Optional)** This portion is for: * People already working on deals * Those who understand the model and want deeper discussion * Anyone seeking feedback on a specific roadblock * Individuals who want to offer insight, support, or collaboration It becomes a collaborative, peer-supported environment rather than a formal presentation. ### **☕ Setting** This is a **casual, low-pressure meetup** held at Second Cup (Sheppard Centre, Yonge & Sheppard). Grab a coffee, bring your questions, and engage at your own pace. No pitches. No hype. Just real knowledge, real structure, and real conversation.

**🏛️ 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://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0), 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: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 19:15-19:25 - 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. * 19:25-20:45 - 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. * 20:45-21:00 - 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. * 21:00 - 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 (the topic was authority) 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://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0). * 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, but it's not required. * 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 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://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0) 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 - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in over 25 countries and 50+ chapters, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈

## **Global Service Jam – Toronto (March 13–15)** We’re hosting the Toronto edition of the **Global Service Jam** — a 2-day, hands-on design sprint happening simultaneously in cities around the world. Participants receive a shared “secret” theme on Friday evening and work in small teams to design and prototype service ideas over the weekend. This is not a talk or panel event. It’s collaborative, experimental, and focused on learning by doing. **Format** • Friday + Saturday: Core Jam • Sunday: Optional showcase + celebratory lunch 🎟 **Registration is required via Luma** Spots are limited and tickets are managed there. 👉 **Register here:** [https://luma.com/85b13pet](https://luma.com/85b13pet) Hosted by Service Design Drinks Toronto. Supported by Highline Beta.

On March 11th, Startup Grind Toronto is bringing together a founder, a venture capitalist, and an angel investor to tackle the real challenges of building and fundraising in FemTech. Join us for an honest, tactical look at navigating the market, closing the funding gap, and scaling companies in FemTech today. Meet the Panel Parnian Majd (Founder and CEO, Fibra): A pioneer in the FemTech space, Parnian is navigating the front lines of health-tech innovation and breaking the taboos of women's health. Mellie Chow (Venture Partner, Archangel Axion & Techstars Toronto): An engineer-turned-venture capitalist, Mellie is deeply committed to closing the gender equity funding gap, with a portfolio featuring 27% women-led companies. Orchid Jahanshahi (Founder and Angel Investor, ThinkrBelle): A seasoned founder and angel investor, Orchid brings a unique perspective on scaling in overlooked sectors and navigating the challenges of early-stage growth. Meredith Bacal (Partner, Dentons): Our moderator, ensuring we bridge the gap between legal strategy and founder reality. AGENDA: 5:30 PM: Registration & Networking 6:15 PM: Panel & Audience Q&A 6:45 PM: The Mixer (Refreshments and curated networking) WHO SHOULD BE IN THE ROOM? Founders & Builders: If you are currently raising capital or growing a company—especially in complex sectors like HealthTech or FemTech—this is your peer group. Investors & Angels: VCs and private investors looking to connect with high-growth, female-led ventures and stay pulse-checked on 2026 trends. Ecosystem Leaders: Advisors and operators who want to engage in straightforward knowledge-sharing rather than just standard networking. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN The 2026 Fundraising Market: A transparent look from Mellie Chow (Venture Partner, Archangel Axion & Techstars Toronto) and Orchid Jahanshahi (Angel Investor and Founder, ThinkrBelle) on what investors are actually looking for in the current climate. Scaling in Overlooked Sectors: Parnian Majd (CEO of Fibra) shares the reality of building a company in a market that traditional investors often misunderstand. Effective Support Systems: How to move away from trying to solve every problem on your own. Our speakers will share the specific advice and introductions that actually moved the needle for them. Curated Networking: Following the panel, we’re hosting a mixer designed to help you meet the right investors, mentors, or future partners. Capacity at Dentons is limited to ensure everyone has a chance to make quality connections. Secure your spot today. About Our Venue Partner, Dentons Dentons is the world's largest law firm. Our legal and business solutions benefit from deep roots in our communities and award-winning advancements in client service, including the Dentons Venture Hub, an innovative and informative online resource centre. Dentons’ polycentric and purpose-driven approach, commitment to inclusion and diversity, and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client and public interests in a rapidly changing world. Agenda --- Moderator Meredith Bacal - Dentons (Partner) Meredith Bacal is a partner in the Firm’s Intellectual Property, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution groups. Meredith has extensive experience litigating media, entertainment, defamation, and technology disputes. She has acted on several leading cases on Canadian copyright and personality rights in the course of her career. In addition, she has appeared before many levels of court, including… Hosts Lydia Emanuel - Startup Grind Toronto (Events Lead) Daria Tilikanova - Winner Capital (Startup Coach and Mentor) Daria Tilikanova is a business and startup coach who helps founders and service-based entrepreneurs build scalable businesses with clear strategy, strong positioning, and predictable revenue systems. Originally from Russia, she founded and sold two education companies before moving to Canada, where she shifted into full-time mentoring for early-stage and growing foun… --- Global Partner Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind) Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com. Partners Winner Capital (https://winner.capital) Winner Capital is an early stage to growth stage syndicate fund investing across North America Dentons (https://www.dentons.com/en/) Dentons Venture Tech Group --- Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-toronto-presents-international-womens-day-2026-founder-investor-panel-and-mixer-givetogain/.

Hello Everybody! 【College Park food court is closed again, so we change the location to the food court in Brookfield Place（181 Bay St., Toronto, ON）, near the Union Station.】 I am helping organize a mandarin-english language exchange downtown. If you want to improve your Mandarin/English, feel free to come by downtown and meet others to practise your language. There will be native Mandarin and English speakers to help you! Or you can share your language skills with others! Every Saturday 3:00pm-5:00pm Brookfield Place Food Court（181 Bay St., Toronto, ON） [ Please find a table with "meetup" label (like the Featured photo).] [ Usually in front of the Longo's supermarket] —————————————— 大家好： 【College Park的food court又给封了，所以我们把活动地点换到了 Brookfield Place的food court （181 Bay St., Toronto, ON），靠近Union Station。】 我正在组织一场中英文交流活动。如果你想提高你的普通话或者英语，那就快来参加吧！你可以在这里认识很多母语为普通话或者英语的新朋友！他们都非常乐于帮你提高你的中英文表达能力！也欢迎你同我们一起分享你的语言技巧! 谢谢! 每周六 3:00pm-5:00pm Brookfield Place Food Court（181 Bay St., Toronto, ON） 【请找到一张桌子，桌上有张纸，写着“Meetup”。】 【位置通常会在longo's超市前面】 ———————————————— 大家好： 【College Park的food court又給封了，所以我們把活動地點換到了Brookfield Place的food court （181 Bay St., Toronto, ON），靠近Union Station。】 我正在組織一場中英文交流活動。如果你想提高你的國語或者英語，那就快來參加吧！你可以在這裡認識很多母語為國語或者英語的新朋友！他們都非常樂於幫你提高你的中英文表達能力！也歡迎你同我們一起分享你的語言技巧！ 謝謝! 每週六 3:00pm-5:00pm Brookfield Place Food Court（181 Bay St., Toronto, ON） 【請找到一張桌子，桌上有張紙，寫著“Meetup”】 【位置通常會在longo's超市前面】

【College Park food court is closed again, so we change the location to the food court in Aura Concourse（384 Yonge St., Toronto, ON）, near the College Station.】 I am helping organize a mandarin-english language exchange downtown. If you want to improve your Mandarin/English, feel free to come by downtown and meet others to practise your language. There will be native Mandarin and English speakers to help you! Or you can share your language skills with others! Every Sunday 3:00pm-5:00pm Aura Concourse（384 Yonge St., Toronto, ON) [ Please find a table with "meetup" label (like the Featured photo).] [ Usually in front of the pharmacy ] —————————————— 大家好： 【College Park的food court又给封了，所以我们把活动地点换到了 Aura Concourse的food court（384 Yonge St., Toronto, ON），靠近College Station。】 我正在组织一场中英文交流活动。如果你想提高你的普通话或者英语，那就快来参加吧！你可以在这里认识很多母语为普通话或者英语的新朋友！他们都非常乐于帮你提高你的中英文表达能力！也欢迎你同我们一起分享你的语言技巧! 谢谢! 每周日 3:00pm-5:00pm Aura Concourse food court（384 Yonge St., Toronto, ON） 【请找到一张桌子，桌上有张纸，写着“Meetup”。】 【位置通常在药房前面】 ———————————————— 大家好： 【College Park的food court又給封了，所以我們把活動地點換到了Aura Concourse的food court（384 Yonge St., Toronto, ON），靠近College 】 我正在組織一場中英文交流活動。如果你想提高你的國語或者英語，那就快來參加吧！你可以在這裡認識很多母語為國語或者英語的新朋友！他們都非常樂於幫你提高你的中英文表達能力！也歡迎你同我們一起分享你的語言技巧！ 謝謝! 每週日 3:00pm-5:00pm Aura Concourse food court（384 Yonge St., Toronto, ON） 【請找到一張桌子，桌上有張紙，寫著“Meetup”】 【位置通常會在藥房前面】

🚨👉 To RSVP for this event, head to our [Luma event page](https://luma.com/wzaj4vzy). RSVPs are intentionally closed on Meetup.👈🚨 https://luma.com/wzaj4vzy ​**$90 · TAX INCLUDED — LUMA RSVP + PAYMENT REQUIRED TO CONFIRM YOUR SPOT** To reserve your spot, please **e-transfer $90 to** 📧 **techtankto@gmail.com** ​Registration is **confirmed only once payment is received**. Please include your **full name + “Code Diversity Clay & Connection”** in the transfer note. ​Spots are limited and will be filled on a **first-paid, first-confirmed** basis. is. *** ​This winter, we’re doing something a little different. ​For International Women’s Day, join **CodeDiversity ×** [TigerBaby](https://www.instagram.com/tigerbabycc) for a cozy, hands-on **pottery + coffee social** designed for **women and non-binary folks in tech** who want to connect, slow down, and have some fun. ​Instead of our usual discussion-based meetup, this event is intentionally low-pressure and creative — a chance to step away from screens, work with your hands, and spend time in good company. ​We’ll spend the afternoon: * ​sharing coffee and conversation * ​getting our hands dirty with clay *(no experience needed)* * ​escaping winter isolation in a warm, welcoming space * ​making new connections — **without networking pressure** *** ​🧱 What’s Included ​Your **$90 (tax included)** covers: * ​A guided pottery workshop led by [TigerBaby](https://www.instagram.com/tigerbabycc) * ​All materials * ​Firing of your finished piece *** ​🕰 Schedule ​**11:00 – 11:30** Welcome + mingle — grab something to eat or drink ​**11:30 – 1:30** Pottery workshop ​**1:30 – 2:00** Clean-up + wrap-up ​📍 **Creeds Coffee Shop** *** ​[TigerBaby Coffee & Clay](https://www.instagram.com/tigerbabycc) is a Toronto-based creative brand rooted in slowing down, working with your hands, and finding joy in everyday rituals. Founded by siblings Sarah—a ceramics artist—and Thomas—a self-proclaimed specialty coffee nerd—TigerBaby brings together craft, care, and community. ​In this hands-on pottery class, you’ll create your own ceramic mug from start to finish using hand-building techniques. This workshop is beginner-friendly and designed to feel calm, welcoming, and unhurried. You’ll be guided through shaping, attaching a handle, and refining your form, with plenty of time to explore the process and make the mug your own. Quick reminders: * ​This event is intended for **women & non-binary folks** * ​No prior pottery experience required * ​Attendance is confirmed **only after e-transfer is received** * ​Please make sure your **RSVP name matches your e-transfer name** ​If you’re craving connection, creativity, and a softer way to mark International Women’s Day, we’d love to have you join us! **Important Notes for RSVPs** We’re introducing a few questions when you RSVP to help us manage space and ensure an inclusive environment: ​​**This is a space created to support people who are underrepresented in tech.** We ask **cisgender men** (men who were assigned male at birth and identify as male) to respect this and not attend. ​​**Photography & Video Disclaimer:** By attending this event, you acknowledge and agree that photographs and/or video recordings may be taken. These may be used for promotional purposes, including social media, websites, and other marketing materials. If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please inform the event organizer upon arrival. **Organized by TechTank** Let’s continue fostering diversity, inclusion, and innovation in tech—this month and beyond! **Join our vibrant community for the latest updates and continued discussions:** [https://linktr.ee/techtankto](https://linktr.ee/techtankto)

## **Global Service Jam – Toronto (March 13–15)** We’re hosting the Toronto edition of the **Global Service Jam** — a 2-day, hands-on design sprint happening simultaneously in cities around the world. Participants receive a shared “secret” theme on Friday evening and work in small teams to design and prototype service ideas over the weekend. This is not a talk or panel event. It’s collaborative, experimental, and focused on learning by doing. **Format** • Friday + Saturday: Core Jam • Sunday: Optional showcase + celebratory lunch 🎟 **Registration is required via Luma** Spots are limited and tickets are managed there. 👉 **Register here:** [https://luma.com/85b13pet](https://luma.com/85b13pet) Hosted by Service Design Drinks Toronto. Supported by Highline Beta.

We're excited to bring the community together for an evening of learning and connection! Come support your fellow developers, learn something new, and meet others who are passionate about search, observability, and security. **Date and Time:** Thursday, March, 12th from 5:30-7:30 pm **Agenda:** * 5:30 pm: Doors open; say hi, grab a seat, and eat some food. * 6:00 pm: Building Agentic AI on ELK stack, by **Gleb Gadyatskiy**, Principal Engineer at PointClickCare * 6:30 pm: Q&A * 6:40 pm: "One Does Not Simply Query a Stream", by **Viktor Gamov** is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent * 7:10 pm: Q&A * 7:20-7:30 pm: Networking & refreshments **Talk Abstracts:** **"Building Agentic AI on ELK stack"** Story how I built AI Agent using pure ELK + LLM to automate incidents investigations 1. What is AI Agent, ELK and why I decided to build AI Agent using only ELK 2. Building simple AI Agent using pure Logstash pipelines 3. Building advance AI Agent using Ruby plugin 4. Connecting AI Agent to Elastic AI Assistant **Gleb Gadyatskiy** is a Principal Engineer at PointClickCare. He is a part of the Infrastructure Architecture team and describes his role as “the first line in attack and the last line in defense”. Gleb provides support for all teams to aggregate logs from various apps into Elasticsearch, use AI to get insights from logs and actively promotes Elastic stack in PointClickCare. Gleb enjoys outdoor traveling with his wife and two kids in a camper. **"One Does Not Simply Query a Stream"** Streaming data with Apache Kafka® has become the backbone of modern applications. While streams are ideal for continuous data flow, they lack built-in querying capabilities. Unlike databases with indexed lookups, Kafka’s append-only logs are designed for high-throughput processing—not for on-demand queries. This necessitates additional infrastructure to query streaming data effectively. Traditional approaches replicate stream data into external stores: relational databases like PostgreSQL for operational queries, object storage like S3 accessed via Flink, Spark, or Trino for analytics, and Elasticsearch for full-text search and log analytics. Each serves a purpose—but they also introduce silos, schema mismatches, freshness issues, and complex ETL pipelines that increase system fragility. In this session, we’ll explore solutions that aim to unify operational, analytical, and search workloads across real-time data. We'll demonstrate stream processing with Kafka Streams, Apache Flink®, and SQL engines; real-time analytics with Apache Pinot®; search capabilities with Elasticsearch; and modern lakehouse approaches using Apache Iceberg® with Tableflow to represent Kafka topics as queryable tables. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution, understanding the tools and trade-offs will help you design more robust and flexible architectures. **Viktor Gamov** is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent, founded by the original creators of Apache Kafka®. With a rich background in implementing and advocating for distributed systems and cloud-native architectures, Viktor excels in open-source technologies. He is passionate about assisting architects, developers, and operators in crafting systems that are not only low in latency and scalable but also highly available. As a Java Champion and an esteemed speaker, Viktor is known for his insightful presentations at top industry events like JavaOne, Devoxx, Kafka Summit, and QCon. His expertise spans distributed systems, real-time data streaming, JVM, and DevOps. Viktor has co-authored "Enterprise Web Development" from O'Reilly and "Apache Kafka® in Action" from Manning. Follow Viktor on X - @gamussa to stay updated with Viktor's latest thoughts on technology, his gym and food adventures, and insights into open-source and developer advocacy. **Location:** Improving Office 171 East Liberty St Unit 235 Toronto, Ontario M6K 3P6 **Directions (171 E Liberty St - Suite 235)** **By transit** Streetcars 504 and 509 both travel close to the office (less than 10 minute walk to the office from either), the lakeshore GO train is also a 5 minute walk from the office. **By car/parking** On street parking is available - there are a handful of paid parking spots directly in front of the entrance - with a large city parking lot across the street. **Entrance** The entrance to the office is beside the Bulk Barn entrance facing Hannah Street. There is an Improving logo on the door.

IMPORTANT: You must also register at this link [Henry's Church - Crafting Impactful Portraits with Raph Nogal Tickets, Friday, Mar 13 from 1 pm to 3 pm | Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/henrys-church-crafting-impactful-portraits-with-raph-nogal-tickets-1983618316783?aff=oddtdtcreator) Join professional photographer, Raph Nogal, at Henry’s Church St. for an inspiring and creative workshop sponsored by Sony and Profoto. This workshop is free to attend. This session dives into shaping light with intention — from concept to execution — using Sony camera system & lenses, and Profoto lighting tools to create bold, dimensional portraits. Raph will break down his approach to building mood, directing subjects, and crafting images that feel both cinematic and commercially polished. Perfect for photographers looking to elevate their lighting, refine their creative process, and produce work that stands out. **Follow Raph on instagram (@raphnogal) and make sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel (@RaphNogalPhotography)** **About Raph:** Raph Nogal is a Polish-Canadian professional photographer based in Toronto (est. 2009). Known for his bold use of colour, hard light, and sculpted shadow, Raph specializes in commercial, editorial, and lifestyle photography. His work is defined by a creative off-camera lighting approach that blends cinematic mood with commercial precision. Raph is a Profoto Ambassador, Sony Pro, and active educator and speaker, regularly sharing his expertise on lighting, creative direction, and visual storytelling. Before transitioning fully into commercial work, he built a strong foundation as a wedding photographer. A 24-time recipient of the WPPI Honours of Excellence Awards, Raph is also a Fearless Photographers Award winner, Shutterfest Print Competition Award winner, and a PPOC award recipient, with images selected for both National and Regional Loan Collections across Canada.

你一个人，但需要做 5 个人的事。 *You're one person. But you're doing the work of five.* 需求文档？你写。代码架构？你定。测试？你跑。部署？还是你。 *Product spec? You write it. System architecture? You design it. Testing? You run it. Deployment? Still you.* 这不是抱怨，这是 Solo Founder、独立工程师、技术 Lead 的日常现实。 *This isn't a complaint — it's the daily reality of solo founders, independent engineers, and technical leads.* *** 哈佛商学院今年刚发布了一项研究：他们跟踪了 200 名工程师长达 9 个月，结论出人意料—— *Harvard Business Review recently published a striking finding: they tracked 200 engineers over 9 months, and the conclusion was counterintuitive —* **用了 AI 的人，工作量反而增加了。** ***People who used AI ended up with more work, not less.*** 速度更快，被分配更多任务。工具更多，注意力更碎片化。AI 放大了原有的工作节奏，而不是改变它。 *Work faster, get assigned more. More tools, more context-switching. AI amplified the existing pace of work — it didn't change it.* 这项研究说中了很多人的感受：AI 没有给我们自由，它只是让我们更忙。但这也说明——问题不在 AI，在于我们怎么用它。 *This research captured what many of us already feel: AI hasn't freed us — it just made us busier. But that also means the problem isn't AI. It's how we use it.* *** 本次分享，讲者将从自己的真实项目经验出发，拆解他如何用 **Agentic Engineering** 方法论，真正实现了一个人跑出整个工程团队产能的工作方式。 *In this talk, the speaker will draw on his own real projects to break down how he uses the **Agentic Engineering** methodology to genuinely achieve the output of a full engineering team — as one person.* 不是让 AI 帮你聊天，而是让 AI 成为你的产品经理、工程团队、工程文化和 DevOps—— *Not using AI to chat — but making AI your product manager, your engineering team, your engineering culture, and your DevOps.* 分享将以 **10 DOs & Don'ts** 为主线，每一条都有对应的真实场景。10 个 DO/DON'T，是他从中整理出来的实战清单。 *He's been there. The 10 DOs & Don'ts are the practical checklist he built from those mistakes.* *** **你将带走什么 · What You'll Take Away** 不是理论框架，是一套当晚就能用的判断标准： *Not a theoretical framework — a set of judgment principles you can apply the same night:* * 什么时候用 Claude，什么时候切 Codex，什么时候用 Raycast *When to use Claude, when to switch to Codex, when to reach for Raycast* * 为什么"提问前先优化提示词"能把输出质量翻倍 *Why optimizing your prompt before asking can double output quality* * Plan Mode 和直接对话的区别，以及在什么情况下必须用 Plan Mode *The difference between Plan Mode and direct chat — and when you must use Plan Mode* * 如何把反复有效的提示词固化为跨项目的 Skill 资产 *How to crystallize effective prompts into reusable Skills that compound across projects* * 如何搭建一套多机可同步、一行命令恢复的 1 Man Company 工程环境 *How to build a 1 Man Company engineering environment: portable, multi-machine, one-command recovery* *** **适合谁来 · Who Should Attend** 正在用 AI 写代码、但感觉还没找到节奏的工程师。独立开发者或 Solo Founder，想把个人产能天花板再往上推一层。对 Agentic AI 感兴趣，但还没有实战经验可以参照的技术人。 *Engineers who are using AI to code but haven't found their rhythm yet. Independent developers or solo founders who want to push their personal productivity ceiling higher. Technical practitioners curious about Agentic AI but without real-world reference points yet.* 不需要提前了解 Claude 或 Codex，只需要有过"AI 没帮上忙"的困惑，就值得来听一听。 *No prior knowledge of Claude or Codex required. If you've ever felt that "AI just isn't helping me the way it should" — this talk is for you.* *** Speaker： Bryan Zheng， Founder of Startup4Chinese, developed several in-house products for a crypto data analysis firm. *** **Fee: $25 per person**, with fresh tea and exquisite snacks served. ***Special thanks to Jiamu Tea House.*** https://www.instagram.com/jiamuteahouse.ca/ Started in August 2017, our mission is to **inspire**, **empower**, and **connect** entrepreneurs not only among Chinese but beyond. We want to: • inspire your passionate entrepreneurship spirit • empower your brilliant startup idea, and • connect you with your future reliable partner We value *openness*. We provide *pragmatic* topics. We want to help you *succeed*! Startup4Chinese，成立于加拿大多伦多，致力于联结华人创业者与各个族群中的聪明才智，弘扬华人创业者的创业激情，赋予华人创业者更大力量。Startup4Chinese 主张开放心态，锐意开拓进取，注重脚踏实地，让我们一起享受创新、创业的过程。 Please check out our [website](http://startup4chinese.com/) for more info, and [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5anEPSp8wwEMJFZjwsThHA) for past meetups.

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

Start your week the right way with Manic Mondays. Giving you an enjoyable Bachata lesson with a push of cool moves. The second hour has Beginner/Intermediate Salsa on 1. You must understand basic Salsa skills to participate. 730pm-830pm Bachata Cool Moves 830pm-930pm Salsa On 1 (Beginner/Intermediate) $15 for One Class $20 for Both Free Parking & Plenty of Dance Space.

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

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

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.