Hadoop

👋 Hello AWS User Group Community! Join us on Wednesday, 20th May 2026, for our May meetup at the AWS Singapore Office, IOI Central Boulevard! We’re bringing the community together again for an evening of sharing, learning, and connecting — stay tuned as we finalise the session lineup 👀 📅 Date: Wednesday, 20th May 2026 🕡 Time: 6:30 PM 📍 Location: AWS Singapore; 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🎤 **Meetup Track** ✅ **Lessons Learned Deploying an LLM-Powered Knowledge Assistant** 📌 Speaker: Hairizuan Noorazman, DevOps Engineer Engineering teams often lose time navigating fragmented Jira and Confluence documentation. To address this, an LLM-powered chatbot was built on AWS — using ECR, EKS, and Amazon Bedrock. The initial RAG approach quickly surfaced critical issues such as data leakage in vector stores, prompt injection, and broken access controls. This session breaks down these failure modes and explores a pivot to a Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration with Atlassian, allowing queries over live data instead of duplicating it. Attendees will gain practical insights into RAG vs MCP trade-offs and a reference AWS architecture for building safer LLM systems. ✅ **Kiro IDE Best Practices in SDLC and Scrum Sprint DevSecOps** 📌 Speaker: Tim Wu, Senior GTM Specialist SA AI/ML An AI-powered development environment that embeds enterprise standards directly into your workflow. See how Kiro transforms traditional SDLC approaches through its Five-Element Architecture, making compliance, security, and best practices automatic rather than afterthoughts. Kiro provides ready-to-use configurations that enforce guardrails while accelerating development. This session focuses on live demonstrations to show you exactly how steering files, hooks, skills, subagents, and MCP integrations work together in real enterprise scenarios. ✅ **Running AI agents that control computers: AWS architecture for sandboxed autonomous execution** 📌 Speaker: Sahil Sharma, Applied AI Enthusiast Agents that browse, click, and type need more than an API call- they need isolated sandboxes, warm container pools, and an architecture that scales. This deep dive covers how 14 AWS services come together to run autonomous computer-use agents safely and fast in production. 📢 **IMPORTANT! Registration Information** To ensure a smooth check-in process, please take note of the following: ✅ ✅ Confirmed attendees will receive a confirmation email before the event titled *"**AWS User Group Singapore: Registration Confirmed for AWS User Group Meetup – May 2026**."* You must present this email at the Level 2 Concierge to gain access to Level 5 for attendance verification. 🚶 Walk-ins (those without a confirmation email) will only be considered if the venue has not reached full capacity. Priority will be given to registered attendees with confirmation emails. 🔒 Strictly enforced: No confirmation email = walk-in. Entry not guaranteed. 💡 **Pro Tip:** Arrive early to avoid queues and secure your seat for the sharing sessions! Additional Highlights: 🍕 Pizza Time: Begin your evening with some delicious pizza at 6:30 PM, courtesy of our generous sponsor, AWS. Vegetarian and halal options will be available. 🍻 Post-Meetup Networking: Stick around for casual networking over drinks. Let’s forge new connections and continue the conversations! 🎁 AWS Swag & Promo Codes: Don’t miss the chance to win exclusive AWS swag and promo codes. Prizes will be drawn for attendees present at the event—so stay till the end! **Connect with us here!** Meetup: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-sg/) LinkedIn: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aws-user-group-singapore/) Discord: [https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG](https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG) Please reach out to us at **[aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com](mailto:aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com)** for collaboration or other enquiries!

**Wednesday Evening Full Body Circuit Training for Beginner & Intermediate Levels** **Event Description:** Ready to get moving? Join us every Wednesday evening for a fun and energizing Full Body Circuit Training session, designed especially for beginners! ️‍♂️ Each class will guide you through a circuit-style workout that targets all major muscle groups, helping you build strength, increase endurance, and improve overall fitness. No stations, just one solid circuit workout that keeps your body moving from start to finish! Our friendly trainers will be there to ensure you stay on track, providing modifications and tips to help you succeed. Whether you’re just starting out or returning to fitness, this workout is perfect for you! **Time:** Wednesdays at 7:15PM - 8:15PM **Location:** Aperia Mall, Level 3 Open Plaza **What to bring:** Comfortable workout clothes, water , a towel, and yoga mat Come sweat it out and take your fitness to the next level! ‍♀️✨

**Special topic for this week: TODO!** Have you ever wondered what happens after you write your program in any programming language and hit "Run"? Welcome to the new group dedicated to Compiler Engineering so we can discuss language design, static analysis, VMs, and code generation. Topics related to hardware architecture and FPGA are also welcomed! **Join us weekly and learn about:** * The vision for this group. * A crash course on how to start learning compiler dev (including top book recommendations). * An open networking session for showcasing projects and finding collaborators. * Weekly topic to learn about particular aspect of programming languages or hardware **Who is this for?** * Anyone building DSLs or new languages. * Anyone curious about low-level systems and programming * Anyone hiring for compiler/toolchain roles (come pitch your jobs!). * Anyone who wants to learn more about programming languages nature! This isn't a lecture—it's a conversation. Come share your projects and get motivated! This group is not super serious, so if you want to just yap about how bad is the new C++ standard you can find some listeners here. See you!

We’re a welcoming ladies-only community where women come together to meet, mingle, and build genuine connections over sweet treats. From waffles and ice cream socials to fun mixers and curated gatherings, this is a space to make new friends, share laughs, and enjoy meaningful moments in a warm, stylish setting. Come solo or bring a friend — leave with great memories and even better company. Entrance fee $5: you may redeem a canned drink or a cup of single scoop ice cream of your choice.

**About the Event** The global architecture around us, work, money, and nations, are being reimagined for a hyper digital borderless world. \*\*\*REGISTER [HERE](https://luma.com/j78i1hau)\*\*\* ​This is a joint event between [e-America](https://e-america.org/), [Aspire](https://aspireapp.com/), and [Mamba Partners](https://www.mambapartners.com/). ​We are bringing together a small group of founders, builders and investors in Singapore for a casual evening of community building. ​The theme of the event is that the core systems we rely on, how we work, how we earn, and how we belong, are starting to change. ​Across Asia, startups are increasingly being built across multiple markets from day one. Talent is fluid across cities like Singapore, Bangalore, and Hong Kong. Capital is global. And new forms of coordination are beginning to emerge alongside these shifts. ​We will spend a bit of time exploring these ideas, then keep things open and social. **Format** ​Short and casual panel Short Q&A Networking, light snacks and drinks **Speakers** ​-[James Sun](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessun1/), Founder of [Mamba Partners](https://www.mambapartners.com/) -[Vikram Bharati](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrambharati/), Co-Founder of [e-America](https://e-america.org/) -[Alyssa Ng Misialek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssanicoleng/), Head of [Aspire for Startups](https://aspireapp.com/) **What We’ll Explore** ​-**Work:** New models of earning, participation, and ownership -**Money:** Global banking, money movement, and what breaks -**e-Nations:** Digital citizenship, borderless nations, and new forms of belonging **Who Should Come** ​Startup founders building or thinking globally, especially those operating across Asia, curious about where work, money, and e-nations are heading. Location \*\*\*REGISTER [HERE](https://luma.com/j78i1hau)\*\*\*

Welcome beginners and intermediate to join us. Please pm me to confirm your slot, or feel free to reach out if you have any enquiries. thanks 😊 Add my xiaohongshu id: 27421369691 欢迎新手 / 中等水平球友加入我们！如果有什么问题可以私我， 谢谢～ 欢迎加我小红书ID: 27421369691

**GopherCon Singapore 2026** **ANNOUNCEMENT – Tickets via [website](https://2026.gophercon.sg/) only.** The international Go programming language conference for Singapore and Southeast Asia is back. GopherCon Singapore 2026 will be held on **20 to 22 May 2026**. We are very excited to once again meet like-minded Go developers from Singapore, other parts of South-East Asia, and the rest of the world. Keep a lookout on the website for our speakers and agenda update. You can still sign up for the conference or a conference + workshop. Sales are happening fast. *The end time at 10pm takes into account the After-party Event which will take place after the conference at a venue which will be made known soon. Attendees will need to show their conference passes for the After-Party event.* See you there! Cheers! GoSG for GopherConSG 2026

Saturday HIIT — Let’s move together! 🔥 Worried the workout might be too intense? Can’t run or squat? No problem! Our professional coach will guide both beginner-friendly and advanced variations, so everyone can join at their own pace and get healthier together 💪💪 周六 HIIT，大家一起动起来！🔥 不用担心动作太激烈，不会跑、不能深蹲也没关系！ 我们有专业教练带领，全程会示范 “新手动作” 和 “进阶动作”，让每个人都能跟上自己的节奏，一起变健康 💪💪

Hello Gophers! Our **Ultimate Practical AI** workshop will be held on **21 May 2026**, before our GopherCon Singapore 2026 conference. You can buy tickets for the conference and this workshop at our [GopherCon Singapore 2026 website](https://2026.gophercon.sg). Workshop description follows: This is a hands-on, full-day workshop where you'll build a complete AI-powered application in Go — from first prompt to production-ready system. You'll start by connecting your Go application to a language model and grounding its responses in real data using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Then you'll give it the ability to act on the world through Tool Calling, Function Execution, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP). With the core system working, you'll learn the advanced optimization techniques that separate prototypes from production — speculative decoding, semantic caching, and intelligent model routing. Finally, you'll harden everything against the security threats unique to LLM-powered systems, from prompt injection to data exfiltration. Each part builds on the last. By the end of the day, you won't just understand these concepts — you'll have built, optimized, and secured a working system that retrieves, reasons, and acts. ### Full Curriculum #### What a Student Is Expected to Learn By the end of this workshop, you'll leave with working code, a production-ready mindset for AI-powered Go applications, and hands-on experience across the full stack: retrieval, action, performance, and security. 🚀 ##### Part 1: Ground It — Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) in Go * **Understanding RAG Concepts** – Improve responses by dynamically retrieving relevant context rather than relying solely on static training data. * **Ingesting and Processing Documents** – Build pipelines to index and retrieve documents from client systems. * **Interacting with AI-Compatible APIs** – Learn how Go applications can connect to local inference engines, OpenAI-compatible servers, or cloud AI services. * **Optimizing Performance & Latency** – Implement caching, batching, and parallel processing to enhance efficiency. * **Using Vector Databases** – Store and search embeddings with tools such as Chroma, Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus or pgvector in PostgreSQL. ##### Part 2: Make It Act — Tool Calling, Function Execution & MCP in Go * **How AI Uses Tool Calling** – Enable external system control by allowing AI to invoke predefined functions in Go. * **Building Function Calls with OpenAI-Compatible Systems** – Define structured function inputs and outputs for AI-driven interactions. * **Connecting to External APIs & Databases** – Trigger real-world actions, query databases, and automate workflows. * **Handling Responses & Errors** – Ensure safe and reliable execution of AI-invoked functions. * **Introduction to the Model Context Protocol (MCP)** – Understand how MCP standardizes the way models discover and invoke tools. Build a simple MCP server in Go that exposes tools to any MCP-compatible client, showing how it compares to direct function calling. ##### Part 3: Make It Fast — Advanced Optimizations * **Speculative Decoding** – Use a smaller draft model alongside a larger verification model to get near-large-model quality at small-model speeds. Applicable to both local inference libraries and serving engines that support it natively. * **Automatic Prefix Caching & KV Cache Reuse** – Structure multi-turn conversations so shared prefixes (system prompts, conversation history) are cached and reused across requests, avoiding redundant computation. Manage message arrays carefully to keep prefixes stable across turns. * **Semantic Caching** – Embed user queries and check vector similarity against cached query-response pairs, returning cached answers for semantically equivalent questions without running inference — implementable in Go with any embedding model or API. * **Adaptive Retrieval** – Use a lightweight classifier or a small local model to decide whether RAG context is needed at all, avoiding irrelevant context injection that can degrade response quality. * **Cascading Model Routing** – Route queries to different models based on complexity: a fast small model for simple questions, escalating to a larger model only when confidence is low, implemented as Go middleware. ##### Part 4: Lock It Down — Securing LLM-Powered Go Applications * **Prompt Injection Defenses** – Understand direct and indirect prompt injection attacks, and implement role separation, input sanitization, and detection strategies. Demonstrate how injected instructions in user input or retrieved documents can hijack model behavior. * **Securing Tool Calls** – Apply least-privilege principles to exposed functions, prevent command injection from model output, and enforce authorization checks before execution. * **RAG Pipeline Security** – Guard against data poisoning and indirect injection via ingested documents. Show how a malicious document in the vector DB can manipulate retrieval results and model responses, and defend with access controls, relevance thresholds, and content isolation. * **Output Sanitization & Exfiltration Prevention** – Sanitize model-generated content before rendering in web UIs to prevent XSS. Defend against data exfiltration where the model encodes sensitive retrieved data into tool call arguments targeting attacker-controlled endpoints, using domain allowlists and egress filtering. * **Chain-of-Call Escalation** – Show how a model can chain multiple tool calls in a single turn to escalate privileges. Implement call budgets, supervision layers, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints in Go.

**Every Friday & Sunday \| All Levels Welcome** Reconnect with your body, breath, and nature through a grounding Hatha Yoga practice set in the lush greenery of Singapore Botanic Gardens. This class is designed to energise the body, calm the mind, and leave you feeling refreshed and centred for the day ahead. **What to Expect** * **Kriya (breathing techniques)** to cleanse and detox the body * **Hatha Asanas** to stretch, strengthen, mobilise, and relax the body * **Pranayama & long mindful relaxation** to quieten the mind and reduce stress * Gentle guidance with **variations for every body**, including complete beginners No prior yoga experience needed. We have been practising there since 2018. If you’ve never done yoga before, you are most welcome 💙 **Class Schedule** **Friday** * 7:15am – 8:15am * 9:00am – 10:30am **Sunday** * 8:00am – 9:30am *Other weekday classes are also available and taught by other teachers:* * Monday: 8:30am – 9:30am * Wednesday: 7:00am - 8:00am **Fees** * **$40 per person (single drop-in)** * Class packages available on[ www.namastewithhwee.com](https://www.namastewithhwee.com/booking-calendar/botanic-garden-yoga-class?referral=service_list_widget) **Meeting Point** * Meet **10 minutes before class** * **Botanic Gardens MRT, Exit A (Level 1)** **What to Bring** * Comfortable exercise clothing * Yoga mat * Towel & water bottle **How to Reserve Your Spot** Your spot is **only confirmed after WhatsApp confirmation from the host**. -> **WhatsApp Hwee:**[ +65 9646 9599 ](https://wa.me/6596469599) -> Or purchase a ticket via [www.namastewithhwee.com](https://www.namastewithhwee.com/booking-calendar/botanic-garden-yoga-class?referral=service_list_widget) Follow on social media: Instagram & Facebook: **@NamasteWithHwee** **About the Instructor – Hwee Hwee** Hwee is a yoga instructor who hurt her wrist, dampening her asana practice and just could not recover it 100% with physiotherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. A calling drawn her to **Reiki healing** and her recovery progressed so much more! Hwee is an advanced Reiki Level 3 practitioner. With yoga, Hwee fell in love with the **low impact** workout (which was gentle for her teenage injured lower back). Wanting to know yoga beyond the physical aspects (asanas), she went to one of the oldest yoga school in world, G.S. College of Yoga and Cultural Synthesis, Kaivalydham in Lonavla, Pune, India in 2017 and attained her Hatha Yoga teaching certifications from both Kaivalydham and Quality Council of India (QCI) by Indian Yoga Association. Hwee is also into meditation since 2013 and with Hatha Yoga now, the practice between asana (physical exercise) and meditation has integrated into one. > *“We don’t do meditation — meditation happens to us.”* Join Hwee for a nourishing outdoor practice of yoga, pranayama, and gentle healing. Hwee also speaks **Chinese & Japanese.** Instagram & Facebook: **@NamasteWithHwee** [https://www.facebook.com/namastewithhwee/](https://www.facebook.com/namastewithhwee/) [https://www.instagram.com/namastewithhwee/](https://www.instagram.com/namastewithhwee/) [www.namastewithhwee.com](www.namastewithhwee.com)

Welcome to Singapore **AgentCamp 2026**! Organized by the Global AI Community, this global initiative brings together AI enthusiasts and developers to learn, share, and grow their AI knowledge. Join us for an action-packed **5-hour evenin**g filled with **expert-led presentations**, real-world engineering insights, and practical, **hands-on learning**. We’ll be covering everything from low-code AI development in Copilot Studio to pro-code orchestration and AI security. Whether you're taking your first steps in AI engineering or you are looking to build an autonomous agentic SOC, we have an incredible lineup of Experts ready to share their expertise. 🗓️ **Event Agenda** (Note: As this is a highly interactive session, the first hour will act as a buffer to help everyone get set up with their environments before the tech sessions begin!) **4:00 PM \| Welcome\, Setup & Logistics** Arrive, get comfortable, and use this time to get your infrastructure ready. Our team will be on the ground to help you with activating your Azure subscription, getting used to the GitHub repo, and prepping your environment for the Hands-On Lab! **5:00 PM \| Click\. Configure\. Deploy\. Your First AI Agent in 90 Minutes** (Low-Code Session) 🗣️ **Speaker:** Pardha Sardhi Komanduri, Sr. Solutions Engineer **5:40 PM \| Building Agent Orchestration Using Microsoft Agent Framework** (Pro-Code Session) 🗣️ **Speakers:** Sithu Kyaw, Sr. Solutions Engineer & Jana Lee, Solutions Engineer **6:20 PM \| Break & Networking** Grab a bite, stretch your legs, and connect with fellow AI enthusiasts. **7:00 PM \| Hands\-On Lab \(HOL\): Building Agentic Apps from Low to Pro Code** 🗣️ **Conducted by:** Zafir, Solutions Engineer Put theory into practice! One comprehensive lab covering the overarching concepts from the previous sessions. You can take what you've built home with you. **8:00 PM \| Security & AI Engineering: Building an Autonomous Agentic SOC** 🗣️ **Speaker:** Joe Tan, Sr. Solutions Engineer **8:45 PM \| Closing & Open Q&A** **9:00 PM \| Event Concludes** 💻 What to Bring & Prerequisites * **Your Laptop:** This event features a 1-hour Hands-On Lab, so bringing your own device is a must! * **GitHub Account:** Please ensure you have an active GitHub account[[1](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.globalai.community%2Fazure-client.html)]. * **Azure Subscription:** You will need an active Azure Subscription. **Don't have one? We've got you covered!** We will provide a free subscription invite code at the event. ***Only 80 seats are available.*** **RSVP [HERE](https://konfhub.com/checkout/sg-gai-may-2026-agentcamp) to secure your spot! See you there!**

**ANNOUNCEMENT – Registration via this [link](https://go.gov.sg/stackmeetup-21may2026-mc) only.** * Seats are on a first-come, first-served basis. * For admission into our event space, please register beforehand via GovEntry only. * Please present the QR code within your registration confirmation email upon check-in at our event space. **About this Meetup** As AI reshapes the future of defence, how do we stay ahead of machine-speed threats? Dive into the high-stakes world, where AI meets modern security, as we explore the critical intersection of AI-driven resilience and the next frontier of digital warfare. This session unpacks what it takes to stay "In Command" in an increasingly complex landscape, covering the evolution of security operations, strategic leadership, and the transition to post-quantum security. By connecting technical innovation with strategic leadership, we provide the insights needed to navigate today’s dynamic threat landscape. [Join us](https://go.gov.sg/stackmeetup-21may2026-mc) to gain the practical tools to fortify your organisation and lead with confidence in this new era! **Programme** 6:30pm: Networking 6:55pm: Opening Announcements 7:00pm: The Threat Landscape Shift with Claude Mythos By Sean Lim, Security Engineer, Vectra AI 7:10pm: Overwhelmed to 'In Command': How AI‑Driven Defence Empowers Modern SecOps By Jason Heng, Regional Director, Rapid7 7:20pm: Power the Agentic Security Operations Center (SOC) By Jeff Yeo, Leader Solution Engineering, Splunk 7:30pm: Can You Trust Your AI Agents? Evaluation-driven AI for Cyber Intelligence Operations By Simeon Tan, Co-Founder and CTO, Protos Labs 7:40pm: Transitioning from Red to Blue in the AI Era: The CISO Navigator By Terence Teo, Chief Information Security Officer, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment 7:50pm: Beyond the Hype: What Post-Quantum Security Actually Looks Like in Practice By Regal Star, CEO, ZENTARA Technologies 8:00pm: Closing 8:30pm: End of STACK Meetup Click **[here](https://go.gov.sg/stackmeetup-21may2026-mc)\*** to sign up! \*Registration will be accepted via GovEntry only.

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

***¡¡¡ Pura Vida !!!*** Come alone, leave with friends! This is what Meetup is all about. Being able to join and do what you wanted to do . . just not alone. We are going to Costa Rica for 9 nights/10 days of exploration and tropical adventures. . . . **Best Meetup ever!**! To see how fun it is . . . Here are photos from when we did go before [https://photos.app.goo.gl/cswRyeNZp1r6WW9t9](https://photos.app.goo.gl/cswRyeNZp1r6WW9t9) Costa Rica is a playground for the adventurous and an eco-tourist's dream! It is an unspoiled tropical paradise. * Beautiful beaches * Rainforest biodiversity * Misty volcanoes * Roaring rivers * Lush jungles * Exotic flora and fauna * And more!! **And we are going there to enjoy it, learn about it and make memories of a lifetime!** This event is a true Meetup. We are creating it from scratch, and bringing like-minded people together on this adventure. Along the way making lifelong memories and friendships. Together . . . let’s make a Meetup to remember! * Hike around the base of the Arenal Volcano * Selvatura Zip Line Canopy Tour * Guided visit to Finca Luna Nueva Farm * Caño Negro Refuge Tour/Visit * Rio Frio Wildlife Refuge Boat Tour * Hanging Bridges Walking Tour * Ecotermales Hot Springs * Monteverde Night Walk Tour * Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Tour (daytime) * River Floating Tour * Tamarindo Beach * Sunset Sailing * Snorkeling Tour * And more! For a detailed Day By Day itinerary **[Click Here](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8)**[ to fill out our info request form](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8) **Land Tour cost $3350 per person, double occupancy** (we match roommates for those traveling solo, and most of us are doing just that). If you want your own room: **Solo occupancy additional $950** The only way to secure your spot for this meetup is a $300 deposit that is refundable up to 90 days before departure. **[Click here for secure deposit link](https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/24X2UREP9XPKC)** When you make a deposit be sure to fill out this [ATTENDEES FORM](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11uywUNCIB5ONrpZ-gU_4mk3bvpc4p_nhhL3ewsbkC5A/edit)**.** As we mentioned, . . . the cost is $3350. This is for the "Land" portion only. Airfare is not included. This gives you the flexibility to have a flight with timing that works best for you. Or to use points/miles. I can also help arranging your airfare. To receive an offer, **[CLICK HERE and send me a message.](https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=14363992)** **What is Included in this trip:** * **9 Nights hotel accommodation** * **9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners.** * **Meet & Greet at the airport.** * **Pick-up from airport to our hotel, and hotel to airport at the end of the trip** * **Transportation throughout the trip** * **Private naturalist English speaking tour guide** * **All entrance fees and tours mentioned in the itinerary day-by-day description** * **Daily water bottles for the group** * **Hotel and Added Value Tax** Does not include: ***x*** *International Airfare* ***x*** *Meals other than specified* ***x*** *Optional Tours* ***x*** *All items of personal nature (telephone calls, Laundry, room service, etc.)* ***x*** *Tipping for tour guides and drivers* **Want more info?** **[Click Here to fill out our info request form](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8)** **OR** **RSVP to the event with your email to receive additional info.** **OR** **[CLICK HERE to send me a message](https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=14363992)** Whatever is easiest for you! *Still have questions?* **We do a Q & A Zoom once a month.** **[CLICK HERE](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/296044209/)** for our Q & A Zoom. RSVP on that event to get a reminder for the zoom. [Click here for the ](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/305233138/)**[MAIN ](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/288444641/)[location of this event on Meetup](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/305233138/)** RSVP there to post any discussion and to get notice of any comments and discussions. As well as any updates and reminders **We believe in good decent social.** **SOT 2000318-10** **[Click Here to see all our other events](https://www.meetup.com/CulturalArts/Events)**

Calling all foodies and gardening enthusiasts! Join us for an exclusive **Sip and Learn** event where you'll get to taste fresh, live herbs while learning how to grow your own food indoors year-round. 🌱 **Clift** will demonstrate how easy it is to grow more than **75 pounds of food** every year using **LED grow lights**—all from the comfort of your home. Whether you live in an apartment or have limited outdoor space, this event will show you how you can maximize small areas to grow delicious, pesticide-free produce. ### **What to Expect**: * **Live Herb Tasting**: Sample fresh herbs like basil, mint, and thyme, and discover their flavorful uses in your favorite dishes or drinks. * **Grow 75+ Pounds of Food**: Learn how you can grow your own fresh food year-round indoors with minimal setup. * **Indoor Gardening Benefits**: From saving on grocery bills to having pesticide-free herbs and vegetables at your fingertips, we’ll cover the perks of indoor gardening. ### **Why Attend?** * **Perfect for small spaces**—no backyard needed! * Gain expert tips on indoor gardening and sustainable food production. * A fun, engaging way to explore the benefits of fresh herbs and veggies for your meals. * Connect with like-minded individuals passionate about urban farming and sustainability. **How to Join**: Simply RSVP here to secure your spot! Bring your favorite drink or meal to pair with our live herbs. 🌿 Don’t miss out on this chance to sip, taste, and learn! Visit **[indoorgardenmarket.com](https://iwantagreenthumb.com)** to learn more, and RSVP now for a fun afternoon of herbs, learning, and indoor gardening! Thank you, Clift --- Chief Community Grower at indoorgardenmarket.com

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun – Resource Presentation** **What You Really Need to Know from an HR Professional** **Presented by Donna Giarratana** **Wednesday\, May 27 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun** Join us for a practical and insightful resource presentation designed to help small business owners navigate one of the most critical — and often overlooked — areas of growth: **Human Resources**. *** ## **About the Session** As your business grows, so do the complexities of managing people, processes, and compliance. Many entrepreneurs wait too long to think about HR — and by the time they do, they’re already reacting instead of planning. In this session, **Donna Giarratana** will break down what small business owners *really* need to know about HR — in a way that is clear, actionable, and relevant to your stage of growth. This conversation is designed to help you move from uncertainty to confidence when it comes to building and managing your team. *** ## **What You’ll Learn** * When it’s the right time to hire * How to set your business up for success before bringing on employees * Why HR matters — even for small businesses * Common pitfalls and how to avoid them * The foundational HR knowledge every business owner should have *** ## **Who Should Attend** * Entrepreneurs preparing to hire their first employee * Small business owners currently managing a team * Founders looking to strengthen operations and compliance * Anyone who wants to build a business with a strong, scalable foundation *** ## **Why Attend?** * Gain clarity on one of the most important aspects of business growth * Learn how to avoid costly mistakes before they happen * Ask questions and get real-world insight from an HR professional * Walk away with practical knowledge you can apply immediately *** ## **About 1 Million Cups** 1 Million Cups is a national program that brings entrepreneurs and communities together to learn, connect, and grow through presentations and discussion. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month. Join us on **May 27** for coffee, connection, and a conversation that will help you build your business the right way from the inside out. We look forward to seeing you there.