New Product Development: Software & Tech

​Hey Toronto ClickHouse community 👋 ​We’re back with another meetup — bringing together database enthusiasts for an evening of talks, networking, food, and drinks! ​**Agenda** * ​**5:30 PM** – Arrivals, food & drinks * ​**6:00 – 6:10 PM** – Intros! * ​**6:10** – **6:30PM** \- Khaled Zaky Sr\. Director @ RBC \( Royal Bank of Canada\) * ​**6:30 – 6:50 PM** – Maxim Mirkin Director @ Questrade * ​**6:50 - 7:10PM -** Alexei Zenin Software Consultant * ​**7:10 - 7:30PM** \- Semyon Khlavich founder & Evgenii Baldin Developer @ Socialpruf * ​**7:30 – 8:00 PM** – Q&A + Networking ​✨ Expect insightful talks, interactive discussions, and plenty of time to connect with fellow ClickHouse users and experts.

**.... Do you *dread* speaking in front of others? .... Need to *present* an important meeting? .... Is it time to *enhance* your communication skills?** **Meeting Theme: 'Research Your Topic**' Your speech will be more effective if you can support your main points with statistics, testimony, stories, anecdotes, examples, visual aids and facts. Tell an interesting story to explain a difficult concept. Engage your audience with a narrative that supports your point.” Why Attend: \* Learn how to structure a research-based speech that engages your audience. \* Hear about techniques that make your message clear, credible, and captivating. Gain new insights and benefit from the information provided by Toastmasters Speechcraft program. Join our meeting and experience the hands-on “how-to” instruction in public speaking. If you are an experienced Toastmaster or a guest exploring Toastmasters, you will acquire a new way of communicating your thoughts with increased clarity and impact. Each ‘discovery’ meeting will provide valuable tips to boost your confidence on stage. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from experienced speakers. **What is the Toastmasters Speechcraft Discovery meeting?** You will: * gain insights into principles and strategies from expert speakers, * hear speeches and learn from evaluations given by advanced Toastmasters, * experience what happens at a real Toastmasters meeting, * get familiar with the Toastmasters Speechcraft program and resources, * discover the benefits of Toastmasters Speechcraft for personal and club growth. **Register NOW for any FREE Discovery meeting.** **Discovery Meeting:** Tuesday, Jun 2, 2026 7:00PM to 8:30PM Doors open 6:45PM **Have a question, contact organizer:** Phoenixtmvppr@gmail.com **Sponsor:** Phoenix-Toronto Toastmasters Club Phoenix-Toronto Toastmasters empowers individuals to master the communication skills that drive personal achievement and confidence. Through practice and peer feedback, you will rapidly develop presentation abilities, persuasive influence, and leadership presence. Accelerate your audience impact and transform your trajectory with skills that will help you grow your opportunities. **Speechcraft Discovery Series** **Week 1 – Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026** ‘How to Choose a Topic’ **Week 2 – Tuesday, Mar 3, 2026** ‘How to Organize a Speech’ **Week 3 – Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026** ‘Know Your Speech Purpose’ **Week 4 – Tuesday, Apr 7, 2026** ‘How to Impact with Body Language’ **Week 5 – Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026** ‘How to Use Vocal Variety’ **Week 6 – Tuesday, May 5, 2026** ‘How to Create Images with Powerful Words’ **Week 7 – Tuesday, Jun 2, 2026** ‘Research Your Topic to Elevate Your Credibility’ **Week 8 – Tuesday, Jun 16, 2026** ‘Evaluate to Elevate’

Join us for a special pre-summit **“Meet the Community” evening** with **AWS User Group Toronto**! This casual networking session is a great way to connect with fellow builders, cloud enthusiasts, and AWS community members ahead of the main summit. Whether you’re a student, developer, architect, or just curious about cloud, this is a perfect space to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas, and grow your network. Expect light conversations, meaningful connections, and a relaxed atmosphere as we bring the community together before the big event. 📅 **Date:** June 2, 2026 🕠 **Time:** 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM 📍 **Venue:** Amazon Toronto Office (YYZ16), Floor 47, Rooms 101 & 102 📍 **Address:** 40 King St W, 47th Floor, Toronto, ON M5H 3Y2 , (Take Elevators from lowest floor to Floor 47) Looking forward to seeing everyone there and kicking off the summit with great energy and conversations!

The June Ohio North Database Training user group meeting will be held on **June 2nd, 2026 at 5:00PM**. This will be a **HYBRID** event and we will be joined online by **Sam Nasr.** You're welcome to come meet in-person at our meeting location, the offices of Improving at **[6000 Freedom Square Dr,](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** **[Unit 110,](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** **[Independence, OH 44131](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Improving/@41.4004167,-81.6614462,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x8830e5b8255c5919:0xd8297060eb68fe04!4m6!3m5!1s0x8830dc7a0fe35dc9:0xbfc4710ecadfc5c!8m2!3d41.4004127!4d-81.6588713!16s%2Fg%2F1hm3hkqp3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)** [Teams Link ](https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/215625630917731?p=vxNb3zudhNj0S6Cg0v)if anyone needs it after RSVP-ing for in person. If you would like to subscribe to our email list outside of Meetup, we have changed platforms recently and you will need to register [here in Kit ](https://ohio-north-data-training.kit.com/b8f036f615)instead to receive emails. Agenda: **5:00 PM EST**: Online and in-person meeting begins with a social hour. This is an unstructured hour where you can join us to catch up and meet other group members before the session starts. There will be food brought in for in-person attendees. **6:00 PM EST**: Elections, announcements, followed by our feature presentation. See below for presentation details. **7:30 PM EST**: Optionally after the main presentations, the in-person crowd may go out for snacks and drinks at a local establishment. We hope to see you there! Session Abstract ### SQL Server 2025: The Developer’s Revolution Explore SQL Server 2025’s new dev features -JSON type, Regular Expressions, and Change Event Streaming for real-time pipelines. See how REST API and Data API Builder turn your data into secure, high-performance APIs. Packed with demos, this session is perfect for developers, DBAs, and architects \*Please note, that we will be using Microsoft Teams for the online portion of this meeting. You may want to join a few minutes early to ensure you do not have any issues. If you are attending in person, there are large TVs at the office, and you do not need to bring a laptop or use Teams.

Do you want to improve your Public Speaking skills, your Impromptu Speaking skills, learn how to present Feedback with Evaluations, and build your Leadership skills? If the answer is YES to any, attend SUN LIFE SPEAKERS CORNER online for an informative and fun filled session each Tuesday at Noon EST/EDT (except following a Holiday Monday). Guests/Visitors are welcome to participate in the Table Topics (impromptu) session. Join and become a Member to have access to all roles and Pathways, the education system. Please email info.sunlifespeakerscorner@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

We are a group of men that meet weekly. Regular attendees do not always RSVP but we usually have 12 men present. Expect a frank and confidential space where you can speak personally, engage in interesting conversations or get support for your personal goals. **We start our meeting at 7:15 sharp. You can rsvp via meetup or email Saul (sauljoy@gmail.com) for this week’s address.** Guests are welcome but it's pretty casual so make sure you are expected in case we move outdoors to the park. Our group is part of Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI) The MDI Mission: To cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and, as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers and communities. From MDI website: https://goo.gl/3DQ6aY From Toronto Star: [https://goo.gl/oDH3uX](https://goo.gl/oDH3uX)

**Attention attendees!** **To register, use** [Luma](https://luma.com/9iu5ehdh) Warning: The meetup is not a platform for RSVP registration; for this, you need to follow [thisLink ](https://luma.com/9iu5ehdh)to purchase a registration ticket. The meetup is one of the platforms through which we offer participation in our events. **Startup Valley — Toronto** A curated pitch night for startup founders, operators, angels and VC partners. We design these sessions to help founders sharpen their thinking through direct, candid feedback — and to give strong investors access to serious teams. **What happens:** • 4-8 startups pitch live and receive feedback from angels and VC partners • Feedback focuses on real decisions and next steps — not surface-level opinions • Investors stay in the room before and after pitches • The format leaves space for real conversations, not rushed networking • Attendance is limited to keep the room focused Designed for clear thinking, not noise. **Who you’ll meet:** * Startup founders * Angel investors and VC partners * Operators in marketing, sales, and tech * AI engineers * Local and international founders * AI Experts * Founders from Europe, Asia, and the United Kingdom **Practical details** **For investors:** We invite angel investors and VC partners to participate as judges and contributors. **To become a judge,** and get early access to our startups database, please fill out th[ the form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8CVqvhQJu-AcclIF6PCuwjL4YpQt4w0FchGSoutRkt58v4g/viewform). Join the judge table, meet other investors, and see what teams are building early. Founders need your experienced view. **For pitching startups:** Startups selected to pitch will present live on stage and receive feedback from investors. **After purchasing a ticket:** Please[ submit your pitch deck](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchcZr9gCNJh0RLiKBgbdbDBKEOc-92LNySkzHf8qGPHg5Wpg/viewform) and ensure it is open for viewers. **Agenda** **19:00 – 19:30** **Registration** Guests register, receive badges, and event programs. This is an opportunity for casual networking, making first connections, and preparing for the event. **19:30 – 20:30** **Event Kickoff & Interactive Networking** Official welcome from the organizers with a brief overview of the event goals and schedule. Interactive networking helps participants set their objectives and connect with key contacts. **20:40 – 21:20** **Startup Pitch Session** Startups present their projects to investors and experts. Each team has 5 minutes to pitch, covering the project's core idea, business model, and target market. **21:20 – 22:00** **Chill & Networking** Participants enjoy casual conversations with investors, discuss collaborations, and exchange ideas over refreshments.

**Attention attendees!** **To register, use** [Luma](https://luma.com/9iu5ehdh) Warning: The meetup is not a platform for RSVP registration; for this, you need to follow [thisLink ](https://luma.com/9iu5ehdh)to purchase a registration ticket. The meetup is one of the platforms through which we offer participation in our events. **Startup Valley — Toronto** A curated pitch night for startup founders, operators, angels and VC partners. We design these sessions to help founders sharpen their thinking through direct, candid feedback — and to give strong investors access to serious teams. **What happens:** • 4-8 startups pitch live and receive feedback from angels and VC partners • Feedback focuses on real decisions and next steps — not surface-level opinions • Investors stay in the room before and after pitches • The format leaves space for real conversations, not rushed networking • Attendance is limited to keep the room focused Designed for clear thinking, not noise. **Who you’ll meet:** * Startup founders * Angel investors and VC partners * Operators in marketing, sales, and tech * AI engineers * Local and international founders * AI Experts * Founders from Europe, Asia, and the United Kingdom **Practical details** **For investors:** We invite angel investors and VC partners to participate as judges and contributors. **To become a judge,** and get early access to our startups database, please fill out th[ the form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8CVqvhQJu-AcclIF6PCuwjL4YpQt4w0FchGSoutRkt58v4g/viewform). Join the judge table, meet other investors, and see what teams are building early. Founders need your experienced view. **For pitching startups:** Startups selected to pitch will present live on stage and receive feedback from investors. **After purchasing a ticket:** Please[ submit your pitch deck](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchcZr9gCNJh0RLiKBgbdbDBKEOc-92LNySkzHf8qGPHg5Wpg/viewform) and ensure it is open for viewers. **Agenda** **19:00 – 19:30** **Registration** Guests register, receive badges, and event programs. This is an opportunity for casual networking, making first connections, and preparing for the event. **19:30 – 20:30** **Event Kickoff & Interactive Networking** Official welcome from the organizers with a brief overview of the event goals and schedule. Interactive networking helps participants set their objectives and connect with key contacts. **20:40 – 21:20** **Startup Pitch Session** Startups present their projects to investors and experts. Each team has 5 minutes to pitch, covering the project's core idea, business model, and target market. **21:20 – 22:00** **Chill & Networking** Participants enjoy casual conversations with investors, discuss collaborations, and exchange ideas over refreshments.

[Summary] This meetup is for those who are interested in code, web development, design, cloud, or AI. All levels are welcome, so feel free to bring your laptop and discuss what you are working on or what you are learning. You can share your projects and ideas with other participants freely. There are outlets and WiFi, drinks are about $5 for tea, they take card only. [Price] Attendance is FREE. But you need to buy something from the venue. [Policies] \- We do not tolerate harassment of our members \- We remind users that that this meetup is intended for networking and hobby development\, and any attempts at using this meetup event as a dating platform will not be not be tolerated Further information: https://torontostack.exchange/

Let’s do some coding together at a cafe! No more working alone in the weekend. Here, we write code together. And I mean together together. Not occupying-the-same-space-but-separate together. Here’s how it works: Jennifer brings her mobile app project, tells everyone that it is like Pinterest for recipes and she’d like to work on the nav bar. Paul and Chloe think Jennifer's project is fascinating, and they join the group. They gather around Jennifer’s laptop and work on the nav bar for 2 hours. Jennifer is the one typing out the code while Paul and Chloe research, brainstorm, and offer suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck on your own project or need a motivation boost, bring it to mob programming! Want to learn by watching how others code and solve problems? Join someone else’s project at this event! Oh and we love your half-done projects that you are a bit embarrassed to share. Absolutely bring those to the event! **Discord**: We use Discord to share screen & code snippets during the event. Also feel free to share your projects here before the event! https://discord.gg/xwjDdVSw3E **Event policy**: * We have 0 tolerance for harassment. * We don’t allow the projects that are not meant to be shared in public such as school assignments, interview tasks, or trade secrets. * The goal is to write code. We discourage you from pitching business ideas here, doing code reviews, or spending the whole event on planning what to do. * Please buy a drink, and tip the barista well.

AI is becoming part of automation, observability, and quality workflows. As adoption grows, teams are also managing new challenges around complexity, engineering data, and trust. Join us at the Test Automation Summit – Toronto 2026 \| Toronto\, Canada \| 5 June 2026 & explore practical insights on AI\-assisted quality engineering\, agentic AI\, observability\, and scalable QA workflows\. Who Should Attend • QA & Quality Engineering Leaders • Automation Engineers & SDETs • Engineering & Delivery Managers • DevOps & Platform Teams • Teams exploring AI-assisted engineering workflows • Professionals focused on scalability, observability, and quality strategy Join QA leaders and practitioners sharing real-world experiences from modern engineering environments. These are some of the conversations shaping modern QA today — and they’re exactly what this summit is designed to explore. Keynote Session Neil Price-Jones, President of TASSQ What Are We Going to Do with All the Information? A perspective on how engineering teams can make better use of growing amounts of testing, quality, and operational data. Featured Sessions \- Jeremy Berriault\, Founder of Berriault & Associates Consulting Group AI Won’t Save Your Quality: Build a Decision-Making Operating System That Scales. Exploring why sustainable quality engineering requires stronger operational decision-making — not just more AI tools. \- Don Jackson\, Technical Evangelist from Perforce Software Sick of Framework Frustrations? Agentic AI Can Remove Them All. A practical discussion on how agentic AI may help reduce complexity within automation frameworks and engineering workflows. \- Natalia Moyseyenko\, Head of Test Management Practice from EPAM Canada AI-Powered Quality Engineering: Strategy, Automation, and Insights at Scale. Insights into how AI-assisted quality engineering practices are evolving across enterprise-scale environments. Panel Discussion Navigating the Next Wave: How AI, Sustainability, and Human-Centered Design Are Redefining Quality Assurance Featuring: \- Rob Virdee\, Senior Consultant from NVP Software Solutions \- Ian Howlett\, Vice President from Innosphere \- Syed Faeez Sultan\, Associate Director from Iris Software Fireside Speakers Rob Virdee\, Senior Consultant \| NVP Software Solutions Ari Rowland\, Co\-founder \| Canadian Quality and Testing Association\. Topic: Beyond the Hype: Personal Journeys in Shaping the Future of QA through Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Innovation Why This Event Matters Many organisations are currently experimenting with AI across engineering and QA workflows. At the same time, teams are also navigating the following: • Increasing delivery complexity • Larger volumes of engineering data • Faster release expectations • Evolving automation architectures This summit focuses on those practical realities through implementation experiences, engineering discussions, and lessons learned from teams actively exploring the shift. Seats are starting to fill — if this is already on your radar, it’s worth planning early. [Register here](https://www.testingmind.com/event/test-automation-summit-toronto/?utm_source=meetup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Toronto) If you're involved in modern QA, engineering quality, automation, or secure delivery practices – this is a conversation worth being part of.

**Attention attendees!** **To register, use** [Luma](https://luma.com/9iu5ehdh) Warning: The meetup is not a platform for RSVP registration; for this, you need to follow [thisLink ](https://luma.com/9iu5ehdh)to purchase a registration ticket. The meetup is one of the platforms through which we offer participation in our events. **Startup Valley — Toronto** A curated pitch night for startup founders, operators, angels and VC partners. We design these sessions to help founders sharpen their thinking through direct, candid feedback — and to give strong investors access to serious teams. **What happens:** • 4-8 startups pitch live and receive feedback from angels and VC partners • Feedback focuses on real decisions and next steps — not surface-level opinions • Investors stay in the room before and after pitches • The format leaves space for real conversations, not rushed networking • Attendance is limited to keep the room focused Designed for clear thinking, not noise. **Who you’ll meet:** * Startup founders * Angel investors and VC partners * Operators in marketing, sales, and tech * AI engineers * Local and international founders * AI Experts * Founders from Europe, Asia, and the United Kingdom **Practical details** **For investors:** We invite angel investors and VC partners to participate as judges and contributors. **To become a judge,** and get early access to our startups database, please fill out th[ the form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8CVqvhQJu-AcclIF6PCuwjL4YpQt4w0FchGSoutRkt58v4g/viewform). Join the judge table, meet other investors, and see what teams are building early. Founders need your experienced view. **For pitching startups:** Startups selected to pitch will present live on stage and receive feedback from investors. **After purchasing a ticket:** Please[ submit your pitch deck](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchcZr9gCNJh0RLiKBgbdbDBKEOc-92LNySkzHf8qGPHg5Wpg/viewform) and ensure it is open for viewers. **Agenda** **19:00 – 19:30** **Registration** Guests register, receive badges, and event programs. This is an opportunity for casual networking, making first connections, and preparing for the event. **19:30 – 20:30** **Event Kickoff & Interactive Networking** Official welcome from the organizers with a brief overview of the event goals and schedule. Interactive networking helps participants set their objectives and connect with key contacts. **20:40 – 21:20** **Startup Pitch Session** Startups present their projects to investors and experts. Each team has 5 minutes to pitch, covering the project's core idea, business model, and target market. **21:20 – 22:00** **Chill & Networking** Participants enjoy casual conversations with investors, discuss collaborations, and exchange ideas over refreshments.

Please reserve your spot by registering on the below link : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/join-biggest-community-investors-founders-toronto-online-tickets-1975993203865?aff=meetup QUESTIONS ? Pls Reach out to; Rose - +971528033410 ( WhatsApp Only)

## 🤝 Host Information A co-hosted event by ProductTank Columbus & Women in Product Columbus 💡 About the Workshop AI adoption is stalling across organizations — not because of a lack of motivation or tools, but because it's fundamentally a behavior design challenge. This hands-on workshop applies proven Behavior Design models and methods to help you move from a vague organizational wish to boost AI adoption to 3-5 concrete, testable interventions you can act on starting tomorrow. Whether you're a product manager, on a product team, or just someone trying to get AI to actually stick at work, you'll leave with a clear picture of what's worth focusing on, what to ignore, and how to drive real, sustained adoption — no guesswork required. 🛠️ What to Bring Laptop: Fully charged and ready to go. AI Assistant: Have your favorite AI assistant pulled up. (Dom will be using Claude, but feel free to use whichever assistant you prefer!) 🍕 Logistics & Perks Food & Drink: Pizza and drinks provided! Parking: Plenty of free spaces available on-site. ###

Join the local UX community for our casual monthly breakfast event. We're exploring the West Side this month with a member suggestion –those are always welcome. Thanks to the team at Nationwide for supporting the group!

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\.

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

**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)

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

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT NOTES:** 1. The dates for this series are simply placeholders at the moment. We are working on our 2026 schedule, and adjustments are forthcoming. 2. Each class in this series has an attendance fee. 3. Each class, from BOTH a sign-up and fee perspective, is a separate entity. 4. As the Etch toolset evolves, so too will the class outline below. **Introduction:** Our Site Building with Etch class provides detailed instructions on the philosophy of the Etch development framework, as well as in-depth, hands-on instruction on using the Etch environment and associated tools. Anyone familiar with Kevin Geary and the Digital Gravy set of products will tell you that they offer ground-breaking approaches to professional WordPress site development. As we write this, the Etch toolset and environment are rapidly taking shape, with weekly quantum leaps forward in WordPress development methodologies. As early investors in the Etch product offering and its development process, we are actively testing and evaluating the toolset as it takes shape. We are beyond excited to see how WordPress site development is being modernized, and can't wait to bring this course set to you. It will be a paradigm shift in page and site development within WordPress, as well as moving your development mindset light-years forward. Join us as we explore Etch and dive deep into development approaches that will genuinely elevate your craft as a website developer and agency provider. Scalable, responsive, compliant websites are now within easy reach, and Etch provides both the platform and toolset to take you there. **The breakdown of the 10-class series is as follows:** * Class 01 - TBD * Class 02 - TBD * Class 03 - TBD * Class 04 - TBD * Class 05 - TBD * Class 06 - TBD * Class 07 - TBD * Class 08 - TBD * Class 09 - TBD * Class 10 - TBD Throughout the class sessions listed above, we cover the following key areas of web development with Etch: * **Introduction to Etch Interface:** * Familiarization with the toolset's layout and understanding how to navigate and interact with its various components. * **Visual Site Building:** * Techniques for creating layouts using Etch's interface, incorporating sections, divs, containers, and elements to build semantically correct page structures. * **Styling and Design:** * Utilizing Etch's styling approach to customize elements, apply global CSS classes for consistent design, and leverage features like Flexbox and CSS Grid for responsive layouts. * **Dynamic Content and Custom Fields:** * Integrating dynamic content from custom post types and custom field plugins (like ACF, Meta Box, and even built-in fields) to build data-driven websites. * **Component Building:** * Creating and managing reusable components for headers, footers, post type layouts, and other site-wide elements. * **Performance Optimization:** * Understanding how Etch contributes to fast-loading websites and implementing performance best practices. * **Advanced Features:** * Depending on the class level, it might delve into advanced topics such as conditional logic, interactions, and custom code integration to enable more complex functionality. The series aims to equip participants with the skills to efficiently build, customize, and maintain WordPress websites using Etch, catering to both beginners and experienced web developers alike.