Mozilla

Anybody who wants to practice their programming skills is welcome. We share our ideas, learn from each other, do some exercise, ask questions, etc. This meetup is the best for those who want to improve their skills by programming and learning in a group If you want to learn more about our Co-Learning, please have a look at our website: [https://opentechschool-zurich.github.io/](https://opentechschool-zurich.github.io/) \*\*\* We have a chat group you can join to get more information: [https://app.element.io/#/room/#ots-zh:matrix.org](https://app.element.io/#/room/#ots-zh:matrix.org) (You need to create a free account if you don't already have one) Remote participants are also welcome. You first need to join the Element chat and then get into the video call that we start at around 19:00 (if we forget, pleas ping us in the Element chat!) \*\*\* Our main languages are Python and Javascript, but we welcome every programming languages. Some of the skills we can help you learning: * Python and * ... PyGame (Zero / Play) -.... Flask * ... Jupyter and data science -... PySide2 / PyQt * ... Shoebot * C++ and * ... Qt * ... cmake * ... and modern C++ * Flutter for Apps * PHP and * ... Vue.js * ... Wordpress * JS and React.js We have a few Github repository that can be interesting to browse:: https://github.com/opentechschool-zurich/

Let's meet at the CNC meetup on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026, at 15:00 CET. **Location:** VSHN Tower, 8th floor, Neugasse 6, 8005 Zürich **Agenda:** Would you like to speak at this event? Contact us at [https://cnc-meetup.ch](https://cnc-meetup.ch)! Guidelines: * All sessions are held in English. * No product or sales pitches are allowed. * All projects showcased should be open source. * We cannot cover travel costs, but we welcome speakers from other regions. * We're seeking more diversity among our speakers: underrepresented groups are welcome! 14:30 – Door Opening 15:00 – Welcome, Intro, & Announcements 15:05 – TLS Hot Reload, Janne Kataja (SIX) 15:30 – 5 minutes pause 15:35 – Cloud-Native Application Definition and Delivery with OAM and KubeVela, Raffael Klingler (AXA) 16:00 – 5 minutes pause 16:05 – From Problem to Production: DevOps for AI with Kubeflow, Fabrizio Lazzaretti (Wavestone) and Marco Crisafulli (enki) 16:30 – 5 minutes pause 16:35 – Bye-bye Ingress-NGINX, hello Gateway API, Urs Zurbuchen (Airlock) 17:00 – Final words, networking & apéro TLS Hot Reload, Janne Kataja (SIX) Learn how to minimize disruptions caused by TLS certificate rotations by enabling hot reloading in your application. In Kubernetes, TLS certificates are typically stored in Secrets and mounted into pods. When a Secret is updated, for example, due to certificate rotation by cert-manager, Kubernetes updates the projected secret volume. Hot reload mechanisms detect these file changes and reload TLS certificates without restarting the pod. This enables live certificate rotation, maximizes availability, and reduces operational risk associated with restarts. The approach makes shorter-lived TLS certificates operationally viable. Janne is a Cloud Platform Engineer at the SIX Group, where he builds cloud platforms and services for the financial community. Originally from Finland, he now lives in Baar, Zug. Opinions are his own. Cloud-Native Application Definition and Delivery with OAM and KubeVela, Raffael Klingler (AXA) What if developers could focus on their applications instead of the platform beneath them? The Open Application Model (OAM) makes this possible by shifting the focus from containers and orchestrators to applications themselves. Instead of wrangling low-level Kubernetes manifests, developers define applications using modular, reusable building blocks. KubeVela brings this model to life, rendering abstract definitions into deployable resources. In this session, we'll explore how OAM enables application-centric definitions and see KubeVela in action. You'll see an application evolve from a simple definition to a sophisticated setup with cloud-managed services and GitOps integration. Raffael Klingler is a Platform Engineer at AXA Switzerland, where he helps development teams ship software faster and more reliably. He recently completed his Master's thesis on Internal Developer Platforms, diving deep into OAM, KubeVela, and the challenge of making application delivery less painful. When not wrangling Kubernetes manifests, he's probably thinking about how to make developers' lives easier. From Problem to Production: DevOps for AI with Kubeflow, Fabrizio Lazzaretti (Wavestone) and Marco Crisafulli (enki) Despite massive investments in AI, most enterprise AI initiatives fail to reach production — not because of model quality, but because of fragmentation among data science, platform engineering, and business teams. MLOps addresses this challenge by applying DevOps principles to machine learning, and Kubeflow has emerged as a de facto open platform for operationalizing these practices in cloud-native environments. In this talk, we explore how Kubeflow enables collaboration, automation, and repeatability across the entire ML lifecycle, from requirements gathering and experimentation to deployment and continuous improvement. Using a real end-to-end example, we’ll demonstrate how Kubeflow Pipelines, training workflows, and integration with the CNCF ecosystem help teams move beyond ad-hoc experimentation toward production-grade AI systems. Attendees will see how a vendor-neutral Kubeflow-based MLOps architecture supports multi-cloud deployments, enforces operational best practices, and creates continuous feedback loops between stakeholders. Whether you are introducing MLOps for the first time or refining an existing platform, this session provides practical insights into using Kubeflow to turn AI from a research activity into a sustainable business capability. Fabrizio Lazzaretti is a Managing Consultant at Wavestone and CNCF Ambassador who bridges cutting-edge cloud-native technologies with enterprise architecture. As maintainer of the CloudEvents Rust SDK and co-author of "Crafting Great APIs with Domain-Driven Design," he brings deep expertise in event-driven architecture and microservices to complex challenges. With over 10 years of experience in software architecture, development, and DevOps, he currently drives architectural transformation and AI initiatives across sectors, connecting business and IT through collaborative API design. Marco Crisafulli is the co-founder of enki, a Swiss machine learning company focused on training, consulting, and implementing practical ML use cases for Swiss enterprises. With a strong background in enterprise software and cloud-native infrastructure, he specializes in MLOps, Kubernetes, and production-grade ML platforms, and has deep hands-on experience with Kubeflow. He works closely with organizations to bridge the gap between experimentation and reliable ML systems in production, helping teams operationalize ML at scale. Bye-bye Ingress-NGINX, hello Gateway API The Kubernetes ecosystem is undergoing a major transformation as the legacy Ingress model, long dominated by the NGINX Ingress Controller, reaches its limits and faces discontinuation. This talk explores why the Kubernetes Gateway API is emerging as the new standard for security and architecture. We'll dive into the shortcomings of traditional Ingress (including "annotation hell" and recent security vulnerabilities) and highlight the architectural and operational advantages of Gateway API. Finally, we will present a few options on how you can move forward and implement a new solution. Urs Zurbuchen is a Senior Security Consultant at Airlock. As an engineer and consultant for the design and implementation of IT security solutions, he is familiar with the requirements for secure digitalisation processes. Urs has more than 20 years of experience in designing and integrating web application security solutions (web application firewall, authentication, single sign-on, access control) as well as in designing and implementing identity & access management projects (user management, authorisation management, processes, provisioning). Mr Zurbuchen can advise on the conception of non-technical topics such as organisation, guidelines, compliance requirements and regulations, as well as on the implementation of application and system architecture audits. The event will be recorded and made available on VSHN's YouTube channel: [https://vshn.tv](https://vshn.tv). Subscribe to stay notified of updates. We expect all participants to abide by VSHN's Conference Code of Conduct: [https://www.vshn.ch/en/code-of-conduct/](https://www.vshn.ch/en/code-of-conduct/) If you would like to share your cloud-native projects at the CNC Switzerland meetup events or sponsor future events, just send us your talk suggestion here: https://cnc-meetup.ch. We look forward to hearing from you!

Come and experience the infamous DC4131 hacker meetup vibe! 👾🍻 Please find more event specific info's on our **[webpage](https://www.beerontuesday.ch/)**. If you have any location specific questions, reach out to the local BoT Master, otherwise please don't hesitate to contact the board through our **[website](https://www.defcon-switzerland.org/)**. Did someone say **SWAG?! –** That’s right baby, we are back with our refreshed swag shop, where you can now again purchase the latest and sexiest DC4131 Swag – All options and details are here: **[DC4131 Swag Shop](https://industryink.co.uk/collections/defcon)** We are also on **[Discord](https://discord.gg/Q3KXn5u)**[ ](https://discord.gg/Q3KXn5u):) Come say hi!

Let's get together for the next TechTalkThursday to learn new things and share experiences! 17:30 Door opening 18:00 **Intro** – Thomas Hug, CEO & Founder of Nine \~ 18:05 **One Platform, Any Scale: Roche Linux** – Karol Swiderski (Principal Solutions Engineer at Roche) \~ 18:30 **A Few Quirks About MCP** – Thimo Koenig (Co-Founder & CTO at tekkminds) \~ 19:00 **Agentic Engineering: How To Use AI As Peer (DevOps) Programmer With Context, MCP, Prompts, Rules and Workflows** – Jonas Felix (Coach & Co-Founder at letsboot.ch) \~ 19:30 Snacks & Drinks Have we aroused your interest? Then please register! We look forward to meeting you! You can also watch this event's livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9_weIWteGA

Some outdoor activities can also be practiced indoors, and this is why we love to go indoor bouldering whenever we can! Indoor bouldering is a perfect place to start or improve your level safely and with almost no pre-requirements (except for the shoes and maybe some chalk). Whether it’s your first time or you are a bouldering veteran, tag along to have some fun together, meet new people and maybe learn something new. We are no instructors but we’re happy to introduce you to this activity and to share our knowledge with you 🙂 We meet at Minimum Flüela at 6:30 pm, in the restaurant area. The entry fee for bouldering is CHF 24 and shoe rental is an additional CHF 6. Looking forward to seeing you!

Join Walk & Talk, a new weekly event designed to bring people together for an enjoyable walk through Zurich City. This event provides the perfect opportunity to meet cool, outgoing individuals and engage in meaningful conversations while exploring the city's charm Join the Walk & Talk WhatsApp Chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EnKm7ngQnIq0jtMyuo9KMR/ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? We'll gather at the designated meeting point 📍where the host will lead you along a selected route through the city. Each week, a different path will be chosen to keep things fresh. The walk is easy-going and lasts approximately two hours, giving you plenty of time to connect with fellow like-minded people and simply enjoy and unwind from the day. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴? Comfortable shoes 📍Meeting Point this week: Zurich HB underneath the Blue Angel 👣 Route will be announced. ⏰ 19:00 See you there

Dies ist ein informelles Treffen für Lernende, die ihre ersten Schritte in der Programmierung machen oder ihre Grundkenntnisse vertiefen möchten. *** This is an informal meetup, for learners that want to do their first steps in programming or want to consolidate their skills. We spend one hour and a half working on tutorials, exercises or projects. If you need help to get started, we will help you finding a good way for learning. You should be prepared to spend your time "doing things": just hanging around and listening might get boring, if all other people are learning on their side. There are experienced people are around and you can ask questions as soon as their arise or bring with you questions you have had during the week. During the last half an hour, we do a (simple) exercise together. We speak German, English, and a few other languages. Currently, how main programming languages are: * Python * Javascript * Java * Flutter * C++ * C * C# * PHP But you're free to learn any programming language during our Co-Learning! If you want to learn more about our Co-Learning, please have a look at our website (no frequent updates...): https://opentechschool-zurich.github.io/ If you're starting with Python, we can suggest: * Learning Python the hard way (https://learnpythonthehardway.org/python3/) (for Python 3). * The Solo Learn Python 3 Tutorial (https://www.sololearn.com/Course/Python/). * A big list of Python tutorials: https://docs.python-guide.org/intro/learning/ For Node.js: * Nodeschool: https://nodeschool.io/ For C++ * https://de.wikibooks.org/wiki/C%2B%2B-Programmierung * https://www.sololearn.com/Course/CPlusPlus/

— scroll down for English — Der Zürichsee ist ein Ort der Weite, der Spiegelungen und der stillen Bewegung. Bei diesem achtsamen Walk treffen wir uns am Seeufer – ein Raum zwischen Wasser, Beton, Holz und Erinnerung. Wir beobachten das Wasser. Wellen, Lichtreflexe, Strukturen unter der Oberfläche. Wir nehmen uns Zeit für Details: abgeblätterte Farbe, Spuren des Sommers, leere Stege, ruhende Treppen ins Nichts. Die Kombination aus natürlicher Dynamik und stiller Architektur eröffnet spannende Kontraste. **Warum teilnehmen?** Du schärfst deinen Blick für feine Veränderungen und minimale Bewegungen. Wasser wird zur Bühne für Licht und Zeit. Die verlassene Badi bietet grafische Linien, Texturen und Geschichten. Ein idealer Ort, um bewusst zu fotografieren oder kurze Sequenzen zu filmen – reduziert, klar, präsent. **Was dich erwartet:** * **Ankommen & ausrichten:** Mit einer kurzen Einstimmung starten wir in den Walk * **Wasser beobachten:** Spiegelungen, Transparenz und Rhythmus entdecken * **Raum erkunden:** Formen und Strukturen der Badi bewusst wahrnehmen * **Gemeinsamer Abschluss:** Austausch und Reflexion direkt am See Dieser Walk ist eine Einladung, Stille sichtbar zu machen – mit Kamera oder Smartphone. Es geht nicht um perfekte Bilder, sondern um Präsenz und Wahrnehmung. Ich freue mich auf dich. Daniel PS: Dieser Spaziergang ist kostenlos, eine [Donation](https://tscharner.payrexx.com/pay?tid=861b78d0) zur Deckung der Unkosten ist sehr willkommen. *** **English** Lake Zurich offers space, reflections, and quiet movement. On this mindful walk, we meet at a lakeside lido, a place between water, concrete, wood, and memory. We observe the water: waves, light reflections, subtle structures beneath the surface. We take time for details – peeling paint, traces of summer, empty docks, silent stairs leading into the lake. The contrast between natural movement and still architecture creates powerful visual moments. **Why join?** You refine your perception of subtle change and minimal motion. Water becomes a stage for light and time. The abandoned lido offers strong lines, textures, and stories. An inspiring setting for mindful photography or short video sequences – reduced, clear, present. **What to expect:** * **Arrival & intention:** A short introduction to focus your attention * **Observing water:** Discover reflections, transparency, and rhythm * **Exploring the space:** Experience shapes and structures with awareness * **Closing circle:** Reflection and exchange by the lake This walk invites you to make stillness visible – whether with a camera or smartphone. Looking forward to seeing you, Daniel PS: This walk is free, a [donation](https://tscharner.payrexx.com/pay?tid=861b78d0) to cover expenses is very much appreciated.

After a long hiatus of the compiler social, Lorenzo is joining us to talk about the exciting work happening at NVIDIA that you have probably heard about, namely cuTile/TileIR. As usual there will be pizza, snacks, beer, and soft drinks after the event for participants, sponsored by NVIDIA. **Astract:** GPU programming has evolved significantly over the past decade, driven by rapid hardware innovation such as Tensor Cores and new numerical formats. However, the gap between high-level productivity frameworks and low-level performance-centric programming models continues to widen. In this talk, we introduce cuTile and TileIR, a new block-level programming model and intermediate representation designed to simplify high-performance GPU development while preserving forward compatibility with evolving NVIDIA architectures. cuTile provides a tile-centric abstraction for data-parallel workloads, accessible from Python, while TileIR—an MLIR-based low-level IR integrated with CUDA—offers a stable, portable foundation for targeting tensor cores and future hardware generations. Together, they establish a middle ground between usability and control, enabling expressive kernel development without sacrificing performance. We present the programming model, illustrate it with examples, discuss performance considerations, and, if time permits, take a deeper dive into the core abstractions behind TileIR: https://github.com/NVIDIA/cuda-tile **Location:** The event is taking place in the room G59 in the CAB building of ETH Zurich at the Zentrum campus. Enter from Universitätstrasse 6.

⚠️ **IMPORTANT: You must sign up and buy a ticket here to attend:** [https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/) **Join the Zürich Coffee Club and make new friends!** Each meetup brings together 4–6 people for casual conversations over coffee. We use the Groupvibe platform to facilitate the meetup and ensure everyone’s a good fit. 👉 **To attend, you’ll need to complete registration via this link:** [https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/) We’ll share the exact location of the upcoming meetup the night before only if you have bought a ticket or membership plan. **Why this works:** \* Smaller groups make real conversations easier. \* Discover new brunch spots in your city, together. \* Curated brunch venues with good food and vibe. \* If you hit it off with your brunch group, there’s plenty of time to hang out afterwards. **Note:** RSVPs on Meetup don’t reflect total attendance. Many attendees register directly via our website. The event on [Meetup.com](http://meetup.com/) is only a placeholder. This meetup is organized by Groupvibe, a small team passionate about helping people form meaningful friendships offline.

Join us on Thursday, March 12th for an evening of **Flutter**, **mobile product development** and **real-world lessons** \- with talks\, networking and a community roundtable\. This meetup is for **everyone involved in building mobile products**, not just developers: Flutter & mobile engineers, UX/UI designers, product & project managers, QA, engineering leads, founders and decision makers. You don't need to write Flutter code to benefit — this is about building better mobile products, end-to-end. Event language: **English** Free **snacks & drinks** will be available on-site (while supplies last that is) **WHAT YOU'LL LEAVE WITH** • Practical patterns for moving from MVP to maintainable codebases • Architecture lessons for scaling Flutter apps beyond a side project • New contacts across dev / UX / product / leadership (and fresh perspectives) **SCHEDULE (CET / Zürich time)** • 18:30 Doors open @ Liip AG + Google Meet starts • 19:00 Talk #1 (45 min) • 19:45 Break (15 min) • 20:00 Talk #2 (45 min) • Afterwards Networking + community roundtable (demos, questions, discussion) **TALKS** • 19:00: **From MVP to Maintainable** by Radivoje Ostojic (45 min) • 20:00: **Building Production-Ready Flutter Apps: From Side Project to Scalable Architecture** by Mordecai Shekwogaza (45 min) **COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE (before / between / after talks)** Show what you're working on (even early prototypes), share open-source contributions, ask for feedback, discuss app architecture, UX challenges, performance, analytics, delivery pipelines, and the future of app development. **JOIN ONLINE (Google Meet)** https://meet.google.com/tjf-htxa-xmm **JOIN ON-SITE (Zürich)** The location will take place at the offices of: Liip AG Limmatstrasse 183 8005 Zürich Bring a colleague (dev, UX, PM, stakeholder) — the more perspectives, the better!

Bei der Swiss Usability Night hast du die Möglichkeit die Usability (Gebrauchstauglichkeit) von Softwarelösungen zu testen, zu teilen und gleichzeitig nette Leute kennenzulernen. Egal, ob du ein Technikliebhaber, ein Designenthusiast oder einfach nur neugierig bist - dieses Event ist für jeden geeignet! **Was erwartet dich:** * **Usability Tests:** Teste Softwareprodukte und teile dein Feedback. Deine Meinung hilft dabei, Produkte benutzerfreundlicher und intuitiver zu gestalten. Es hat 2 Test Sessions zu je 60 Minuten. * **Verpflegung:** Für Apéro ist gesorgt und selbstverständlich gibt es eine Essenspause zwischen den Test Sessions. * **Networking:** Knüpfe neue Kontakte, tausche Ideen aus, lerne interessante Menschen kennen * **Spaß:** Entdecke Softwarelösungen und erlebe, wie deine Meinung direkt Einfluss darauf haben kann, wie sie sich entwickeln. **Was du mitbringen solltest:** * Neugierde und Offenheit für neue Erfahrungen * Gute Laune und die Bereitschaft, deine Meinung zu teilen **Anmeldung:** Die Teilnahme am Usability Test Event ist kostenlos, aber die Plätze sind begrenzt. Melde dich daher am besten noch heute an, um dir deinen Platz zu sichern! **Komm vorbei und sei Teil einer einzigartigen Gelegenheit, die Welt ein Stückchen benutzerfreundlicher zu machen! Wir freuen uns darauf, dich dort zu sehen!** *Das Bild wurde mit Hilfe von DALL·E 3 erstellt.* At Swiss Usability Night, you'll have the opportunity to test and share your thoughts on the usability of software solutions while meeting interesting people. Whether you're a tech lover, a design enthusiast, or just curious, this event is for everyone! **What to expect:** * **Usability tests:** Test software products and share your feedback. Your opinion helps make products more user-friendly and intuitive. There will be two 60-minute test sessions. * **Refreshments:** Appetizers will be provided, and there will of course be a meal break between the test sessions. * **Networking:** Make new contacts, exchange ideas, and meet interesting people. * **Fun:** Discover software solutions and see how your opinion can directly influence how they are developed. **What you should bring:** * Curiosity and openness to new experiences. * A positive attitude and a willingness to share your opinion. **Registration:** Participation in the usability test event is free, but places are limited. So register today to secure your spot! Come by and be part of a unique opportunity to make the world a little more user-friendly! We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us for our next GraphQL Meetup on **March 12th** in Zürich! The event will start at **6:00 PM**, with time for networking and the first talk beginning at **6:30 PM**. Location, drinks, and food are generously provided by **Digitec Galaxus**. If you’d like to host one of our future events, please reach out to us at contact@chillicream.com. The event will be **hybrid**. We strongly encourage you to join us in person for the full experience, but we will also provide a livestream for remote attendees. When you sign up, please let us know whether you’ll attend in person or online. **Schedule** **18:00 – 18:30** Welcome & Networking **18:30 – 19:00** **GraphQL Batching: DataLoaders and Batch Resolvers Explained** \- Michael Staib GraphQL servers rely on batching to avoid the N+1 problem, but where should batching actually happen? In this talk, we explore three common approaches: DataLoaders, Batch Resolvers, and breadth-first (BFS) execution. While all aim to reduce redundant data fetching, they solve different problems and live at different layers of your stack. We will examine how each approach works, when to use one over the other, and how modern GraphQL servers implement batching under the hood. Along the way, we will look at practical execution details like field merging and batching across multiple operations. By the end, you will have a clear mental model for GraphQL batching and the trade-offs between DataLoaders, Batch Resolvers, and BFS execution. **19:00 – 19:30** **Semantic Introspection** \- Pascal Senn GraphQL's rich type system makes it an ideal foundation for agents to explore and work with APIs. The SDL provides the structure agents need to reason about capabilities and data. Queries let them retrieve information, while mutations enable them to take action. In practice, however, production GraphQL schemas are often too large to fit in the context window and difficult to understand without additional context. So what if agents could interact with any GraphQL API in a generic, reliable way? In this session, we'll look at the challenges of agentic interactions with GraphQL and how semantic introspection could unlock a new way for agents to navigate the schema and interact with GraphQL APIs more reliably. **19:30 – 20:00** **The Future of GraphQL Federation: Composite Schemas in action** \- Tobias Tengler GraphQL federation enables teams to compose multiple services into a single unified API. But the federation ecosystem is evolving. In this talk, we introduce the GraphQL Composite Schema specification, a new open standard developed under the GraphQL Foundation and co-created by Apollo, The Guild, and ChilliCream. Rather than introducing yet another competing approach, the Composite Schemas specification aims to standardize and modernize GraphQL federation by addressing limitations of earlier federation protocols. We will explore how GraphQL APIs can be federated using Composite Schemas and how queries are planned and executed across services. Along the way, we will demonstrate the first implementation of the specification with Hot Chocolate Fusion 16 and share some of the design decisions behind it. By the end, you will understand what Composite Schemas are, how they improve GraphQL federation, and how to start using them with Fusion.

Apéro Mensuel

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 are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

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

**Confidence in Bloom: How Creativity Builds Confidence** What happens when creativity becomes an intentional practice? In this month’s Confidence Lab, we’ll gather at **Petals That Inspire: The Flourish Studio** for an evening exploring the connection between creativity and confidence. How making with our hands, engaging our senses, and allowing space for expression can shift how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible. Our featured speaker, **Amanda Lorenzetti**, owner of Petals That Inspire, will share how creativity has shaped her own confidence journey and why creative environments play such a powerful role in well-being, resilience, and personal growth. Drawing from her work leading an experience-driven floral studio and a community-centered workforce development program, Amanda will reflect on creativity as both a personal and collective catalyst. Amanda will also guide us through a **hands-on floral design experience**, creating a fresh arrangement in a wide mouth mason jar. No prior floral experience is needed, just curiosity and a willingness to engage the process. This evening is an invitation to slow down, create, and reconnect with the part of yourself that grows through care, attention, and imagination. You’ll leave with a floral arrangement to take home, and a deeper understanding of how confidence can be cultivated through creative practices. **Featured Speaker: Amanda Lorenzetti** Amanda Lorenzetti is the owner and founder of [Petals That Inspire](https://www.petalsthatinspire.com/) and The Flourish Studio, a social enterprise florist based in Columbus, Ohio. She brings more than a decade of experience in wedding and event sales, paired with hands-on expertise in floral and event design. Amanda’s connection to the floral industry began early, spending time alongside her godmother, a professional florist on the East Coast. After earning her business degree, she returned to her hometown in Connecticut to work as a floral and event designer, blending creative artistry with strong operational and client-focused skills. In 2020, Amanda returned to the floral industry with a renewed purpose, driven by a desire to build a business rooted in creativity, community impact, and sustainability. During this pivotal time, she founded Petals That Inspire—an innovative floral concept that reimagines the traditional florist model by combining event florals, workshops, and experiential offerings with a mission-centered approach to workforce development. Today, Petals That Inspire is a thriving social enterprise known for its thoughtful design, educational experiences, and commitment to empowering young adults facing barriers to entry in the workforce. Amanda is deeply passionate about building businesses that are both profitable and purpose-driven, and she leverages her strong business acumen to create a scalable & sustainable model that inspires creativity while giving back to the community. **What is Confidence Lab?** Confidence Lab is a monthly community experience for bold, thoughtful leaders building confidence from the inside out. Whether you’re launching a business, leading a team, navigating change, or simply striving to show up more fully—you belong here. Our work demands clarity, courage, and conviction—but the pace of daily life can erode our sense of self. Confidence Lab creates space to reflect, reconnect, and grow with others doing purpose-driven work. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, creatives, corporate professionals, activists, and anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact. ***Please note:*** *All are welcome! If cost is a concern, please use promo code PUBLIC to access a free ticket—we want you to join us.*

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm

**Starliner Diner -** We'll shut down wine club at 8 pm this evening and take a short walk to our neighborhood eclectic eatery - Starliner Diner. Join us after wine club for a snack or meal. Starliner is a longtime favorite in Hilliard. Please RSVP early AND Please let me know in the comments if you plan to join us after at the diner so I can have accurate numbers for the reservations. **On Freestyle night** \- just bring a bottle to share\. There is NO formal wine tasting like on other weeks\. Door charge is $10 \(cash or Venmo only please\)\. We may have some left over wines to clear out\! Glasses are provided\. Take Care\. See you there\. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. I am told that the Chase parking lot is safe after hours. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the EMPTY glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please do not make me hunt down your empty glass. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!