Network Engineering

Good Day all, Sorry I’ve been slow on posting this years’ trips. Our first trip will be the **Cayman Islands Aggressor May 30 – June 6.** Why? The Cayman Islands have some of the best diving in the Caribbean. We dove Little Cayman in 2024 and the diving was some of the best we had done in the Carribean. During your Caymans Island liveaboard scuba diving trip, the Cayman Aggressor IV will dive the best of all three of the Cayman Islands, which includes the North Wall and South Wall in Grand Cayman, Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman & everyone's favorite, Stingray City. The Oro Verde, Doc Poulson, Russian Destroyer and Kittiwake wrecks are bustling artificial reefs that disguise once magnificent ships and are a must see for every diver. Some of the sites may include: **Grand Cayman:** the Purpose sunk Kittiwake, wreck of the 10 Sails, finger reefs, Stingray City, and a wall are all available off Grand Cayman. **Little Cayman:** Bloody Bay Wall is off Little Cayman and l is about 1,000 meters (3,280) deep and attracts all types of life. We saw sharks on almost every dive when we did Little Cayman a couple of years ago. The nice thing about a wall is that if the group goes deeper than you want to dive (or are certified for), you can just follow along above and keep the group in sight to stay with it. **Cayman Brac:** Easy diving, relatively shallow with incredible soft corals. It is also home of the Captain Tibbits, which is the only Russian warship in recreational depths, that I am aware of, and is one of my favorite dives due to the types of coral on it. It is also one of the few purpose sunk warships that still has its guns. * Diving begins Sunday morning and ends Friday around noon when the Aggressor returns to port. * Up to 5 dives per day (including night dive), averaging 24-27 dives on 7-night charters. * Depth Range: 25 – 110 ft (8m – 33m) * All dives are from the yacht. * 3mm wetsuit recommended, but exposure suit is a personal preference. * Water temperature range from 78 - 82F, 25 - 28C. * Boat has individual dive lockers and a camera table * All diving is done from the mother ship * You will set you equipment up once. No changing of tanks as tanks are re-filled with your gear on it (which saves a lot of time and effort, and which makes this some of the easiest diving that you will do) **Current pricing i**s $3,695 plus $95 port fee. If we can get a total of 5 people to sign up this week, we will get a $500 per person group discount, but I’ll need to have 5 paid people by Friday $/17 to get this. That would make a final price of $3,695 -$500 +$95 port fee for a total of $3,295. I’ll get the invoice on Monday 4/13 so I’ll be able to confirm the final price at that point. I’m seeing air fare to Grand Cayman between $500 and $600 at this point. Costs include all diving, all meals and snacks, accommodations, your own dive locker, and weights. I’ve added the port fees. You will be responsible for tips (unless you want me to handle that also), rental equipment if needed, etc. and air fare. I’ll go over everything in more detail at the info session. The $500 cost through Meetup to sign up is the deposit. I'll send an invoice to pay the remainder within a couple of days. $500 holds your spot, but you need to pay the remainder quickly as the full amount is due to Aggressor. You can pay with check or charge or similar payments. Remember, we need to get a total of 5 paid people to get that $500 discount, so share this info and bring a friend. I’ll go over flight arrangements at the info session, but I will be able to purchase round trip flights from DC for up to 7 other people. The benefit is that you share my status and get upgraded seats (if still available), free checked bags, and priority boarding. This is on American Airlines. I’ll be booking the air fare by April 17 for those that want to jump on this. There are 3 Types of cabins (prices may vary depending on room type): Master state Room has a King bed Deluxe state room has 2 single beds which can be pushed into a King bed Bunk-Style Deluxe Stateroom which has a full bed on bottom and a twin bed on top. Do you need to bring a dive buddy to get that price? No. You can come single as long as you are open to either the dive club or the Aggressor putting you with another person in the cabin. Due to the short notice of this trip, we will need to pay our full amount of the trip within a week or two, so as soon as you sign up and pay the deposit, I’ll be sending out an invoice for the remainder. Air fare is paid at time of booking, so if I purchase your air fare, I’ll need it on 4/17 also. We will have at least 6 spots on this trip, but let me know if you are considering joining so that I can get more. Other upcoming trips are Bonaire in the summer, and probably the Belize Aggressor in the fall/winter.

Good Day all, Sorry I’ve been slow on posting this years’ trips. Our first trip will be the **Cayman Islands Aggressor May 30 – June 6.** Why? The Cayman Islands have some of the best diving in the Caribbean. We dove Little Cayman in 2024 and the diving was some of the best we had done in the Carribean. During your Caymans Island liveaboard scuba diving trip, the Cayman Aggressor IV will dive the best of all three of the Cayman Islands, which includes the North Wall and South Wall in Grand Cayman, Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman & everyone's favorite, Stingray City. The Oro Verde, Doc Poulson, Russian Destroyer and Kittiwake wrecks are bustling artificial reefs that disguise once magnificent ships and are a must see for every diver. Some of the sites may include: **Grand Cayman:** the Purpose sunk Kittiwake, wreck of the 10 Sails, finger reefs, Stingray City, and a wall are all available off Grand Cayman. **Little Cayman:** Bloody Bay Wall is off Little Cayman and l is about 1,000 meters (3,280) deep and attracts all types of life. We saw sharks on almost every dive when we did Little Cayman a couple of years ago. The nice thing about a wall is that if the group goes deeper than you want to dive (or are certified for), you can just follow along above and keep the group in sight to stay with it. **Cayman Brac:** Easy diving, relatively shallow with incredible soft corals. It is also home of the Captain Tibbits, which is the only Russian warship in recreational depths, that I am aware of, and is one of my favorite dives due to the types of coral on it. It is also one of the few purpose sunk warships that still has its guns. * Diving begins Sunday morning and ends Friday around noon when the Aggressor returns to port. * Up to 5 dives per day (including night dive), averaging 24-27 dives on 7-night charters. * Depth Range: 25 – 110 ft (8m – 33m) * All dives are from the yacht. * 3mm wetsuit recommended, but exposure suit is a personal preference. * Water temperature range from 78 - 82F, 25 - 28C. * Boat has individual dive lockers and a camera table * All diving is done from the mother ship * You will set you equipment up once. No changing of tanks as tanks are re-filled with your gear on it (which saves a lot of time and effort, and which makes this some of the easiest diving that you will do) **Current pricing i**s $3,695 plus $95 port fee. If we can get a total of 5 people to sign up this week, we will get a $500 per person group discount, but I’ll need to have 5 paid people by Friday $/17 to get this. That would make a final price of $3,695 -$500 +$95 port fee for a total of $3,295. I’ll get the invoice on Monday 4/13 so I’ll be able to confirm the final price at that point. I’m seeing air fare to Grand Cayman between $500 and $600 at this point. Costs include all diving, all meals and snacks, accommodations, your own dive locker, and weights. I’ve added the port fees. You will be responsible for tips (unless you want me to handle that also), rental equipment if needed, etc. and air fare. I’ll go over everything in more detail at the info session. The $500 cost through Meetup to sign up is the deposit. I'll send an invoice to pay the remainder within a couple of days. $500 holds your spot, but you need to pay the remainder quickly as the full amount is due to Aggressor. You can pay with check or charge or similar payments. Remember, we need to get a total of 5 paid people to get that $500 discount, so share this info and bring a friend. I’ll go over flight arrangements at the info session, but I will be able to purchase round trip flights from DC for up to 7 other people. The benefit is that you share my status and get upgraded seats (if still available), free checked bags, and priority boarding. This is on American Airlines. I’ll be booking the air fare by April 17 for those that want to jump on this. There are 3 Types of cabins (prices may vary depending on room type): Master state Room has a King bed Deluxe state room has 2 single beds which can be pushed into a King bed Bunk-Style Deluxe Stateroom which has a full bed on bottom and a twin bed on top. Do you need to bring a dive buddy to get that price? No. You can come single as long as you are open to either the dive club or the Aggressor putting you with another person in the cabin. Due to the short notice of this trip, we will need to pay our full amount of the trip within a week or two, so as soon as you sign up and pay the deposit, I’ll be sending out an invoice for the remainder. Air fare is paid at time of booking, so if I purchase your air fare, I’ll need it on 4/17 also. We will have at least 6 spots on this trip, but let me know if you are considering joining so that I can get more. Other upcoming trips are Bonaire in the summer, and probably the Belize Aggressor in the fall/winter.

Monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners. One specific topic, one to three actions you can run this week. You can be the best at what you do and still be invisible. If local buyers cannot find you, the phone does not ring. Marketing Monday Lunch + Learn is a monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners focused on building relationships, local networking, and local marketing. Every kind of local business welcome. No pitch round, no pressure, no upsell. **This month** Most local businesses pick one or two places to be visible and call it good. The result is inconsistent calls and a feeling that marketing is not working. We will walk through the three places every local business needs to show up, plus the fourth place most owners ignore that quietly produces the warmest leads. **What to expect** Doors open at noon. Order lunch and drinks at the cafe counter or bring your own. You get real conversation with other local owners and a focused marketing lesson. You leave knowing people and with one to three actions to run that week. The room is reserved through 1:30 PM. **Who this is for** Any local business owner who wants clearer marketing direction and real local relationships. Service businesses, retail, home services, professional services, online owners building local presence, anyone serious about being part of the Columbus business community. **Not the right fit if** You are here to pitch the room or recruit for an MLM. **Details** * Second Monday of every month * 12:00 to 1:30 PM * Good Cafe Easton, 4400 Easton Commons, Ste 150, Columbus, OH 43219 * Order lunch and drinks at the counter when you arrive * Free to attend, RSVP required, space is limited **About the host** Rita Suzanne is a local marketing strategist and the founder of Local Marketing Method. She runs Visibility is Profitability, the membership where local business owners build the system that keeps their phone ringing. Learn more at learnlocalmarketing.com. Register here: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator)

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

Topic to be announced. **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

**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose** Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap. Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn: * Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge * How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change * Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction * How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work. **About Our Speaker** [Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use. 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)

Build your network the fun and productive way! We have had THOUSANDS of amazing connections created at our luncheons over the last 9 years! Join us at the brand new North High Brewing, in Downtown Dublin, every 3rd Monday from 11:30am-1pm! The address is: 56 N High St, Dublin, OH 43017 There is plenty of free parking across the street in the Library Parking lot! All are welcome, and there is no charge for the event. Just purchase your own lunch! Whether you are a new networker, or a seasoned networker, you'll feel welcome from the time you arrive, and leave energized with all of your new connections! Arrive at 11:30am to enjoy some open networking in a very cool location! At 11:45am, everyone will be seated, order their own meals, and get to know their new table-mates! Beginning at noon, we provide the opportunity for all participants to be introduced and welcomed to the group. Having a good conversation and want to stay longer? No problem, we have a private room, so stay as long as you like. We do have a limited amount of space, so RSVP right away and please honor your RSVP! I will keep an eye out and close off the event once we reach capacity. See you at lunch! By attending an event with the CONNECTED Networking Group, Become a Better Networker, and/or Chris Borja, you are granting permission to the CONNECTED Networking Group, Become a Better Networker, Chris Borja, and anyone authorized, to have unlimited right, without charge, to use your likeness in photos, videos, recordings and in all media now known or hereafter created to be used and distributed in perpetuity for promotional and publicity purposes. By attending an event you agree to release the CONNECTED Networking Group, Become a Better Networker, Chris Borja, and anyone authorized, their staff, board of directors, members and their partners from any liability.

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!