Product Development

**Start your 2026 with Bang!** You got an idea or MVP and want to scale or just looking to partner with like minded Hungry entrepreneurs to build something. Join our Founder Match maker Dinner/Drink. An invite-only, small-group networking evening for early-stage founders and operators looking to build together. This is **not a typical mixer**. **The Ticket fee will cover** * Drink * Sharable **Who should attend** The goal is to create **real connections** between like-minded entrepreneurs who are: * Building or validating a startup * Looking for a **CTO, CMO, or CRO** * Open to co-founder or early leadership conversations We’ll keep the group intentionally small (max 10 people) and use light structure to help meaningful 1:1 conversations. Luma RSVP Link - https://luma.com/ngmkpzax * Startup founders (idea → early revenue) * Technical or business leaders exploring co-founder roles * Builders serious about long-term collaboration If you have any questions please reach out to me - [C K | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kchandank/) **Questions** **What best describes you?** * Founder * Operator (CTO / CMO / CRO) * Exploring both **What are you currently working on? (1–2 lines)** **What role are you looking for right now?** * CTO * CMO * CRO * Co-founder (open) **Startup stage:** * Idea * MVP * Early users * Revenue **Industry or domain (optional)** **What are you hoping to get out of this evening? (1 line)** Learn More about TorontoAI - https://www.torontoai.io/

**Important:** **RSVP’ing on Meetup does not reserve your spot.** **To join this experience, you must sign up at [app.cinders.dating](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=0oHdIe0WlnSd4EVZ9acw&utmSource=meetup) and complete your profile. Only confirmed guests will receive the exact location and details.** Make new girl friends. Try a new restaurant. Then have fun at ping pong with curated single men. This Cinders social is exclusively for **single girls** who want both: **new female friends**, and **a fun way to meet curated single men**. **How it works** [Cinders](https://cinders.dating/?utmSource=meetup) is a social dating app that brings singles together through curated IRL social experiences. Our app learns your preferences and who and what you're into, then matches you into IRL experiences with people you might typically swipe right on, except there is no swiping or texting required -- you simply show up. We also connect single women with other single women for friendships. **What to Expect** 🍽 Enjoy dinner at a cozy Italian restaurant with a small group of other like-minded single women in your age range. 🏓 After dinner, head together to a nearby modern ping pong bar where you'll meet up with a group of curated men for a playful night of ping pong and cocktails. Come solo, leave connected, with new girl friends and maybe a special guy. **How to sign up** To join, you must [sign up at cinders.dating](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=0oHdIe0WlnSd4EVZ9acw&utmSource=meetup) and complete your profile. Only confirmed guests will receive the location and details. **Experience Details** 📍 Wellington Place (exact location will be revealed to confirmed guest before the experience date) 📅 Jan 16 at 6:45pm 🎟️ $15 (early bird) [Sign up here](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=0oHdIe0WlnSd4EVZ9acw&utmSource=meetup)

This is an introductory event for the AWS Cloud Club at Sheridan College. During the session, we will introduce the club’s mission and goals, provide a brief overview of cloud computing and core AWS services, and highlight the exciting activities and opportunities we have planned, including a short interactive quiz. The event will conclude with a Q&A session and an open networking discussion.

*Unwind, get creative, and connect with cool people.* Looking for a calm space to do some art, have meaningful (or silly) convos, and meet new friends in the city? This is your spot. I’ll be bringing **colouring pages and markers** for anyone who just wants to show up and relax. You're also totally welcome to bring whatever creative activity helps *you* unwind — think **sketchpads, mini canvases and paint, journals, clay sculpting, wire bending, model building kits, and collage supplies**. We’ll hang out, make art, and enjoy chill conversations in a cozy, no-pressure environment. No experience or talent required — just bring yourself and whatever helps you feel creative and calm. **✦ What to Bring (optional):** * Any relaxing art or activity you enjoy **✦ I’ll provide:** * Colouring pages, markers, and good vibes **Where to Meet (MADO Cafe at the Food Hall inside The Well):** * The easiest way to get to the venue is to make your way to La Plume restaurant or The Dorset restaurant and turn towards the statue then take the stairs to the lower level. * Shoppers will be on the right and across from Shoppers will be an entrance to The Well's food court. * Make a left and you should see the long tables and MADO cafe. * **We'll meet at the long tables in front of MADO Cafe** Come solo or bring a friend — this is all about slowing down, making connections, and enjoying a creative evening together ✨

# 🎾 Pickleball + Contrast Therapy Afternoon (Markham) **📅 Date & Time:** **Friday, September 19th, 2:00–5:00 PM** **📍 Location:** Athlete Hub – Ronin/MyAthlete.io, **217 Idema Rd., Markham (Steeles & Woodbine)** **💲 Cost:** $25 per player (save $5 with promo code below) *** ### 👋 About the Event Join us for a unique **3-hour sports & recovery experience** at our Markham gym. * **2 hours of Pickleball** (rotating doubles on 2 courts, max 16 players) * **1 hour of Contrast Therapy** (cold plunge + heat cycle, guided recovery) * **Recovery tools throughout the session** — compression boots, red light therapy, and massage guns available during off-court breaks * Don’t want to get paired randomly? No problem — bring a friend and you can play together! This is not just a drop-in — it’s a chance to **play, recover, and connect** with other athletes in the community. *** ### 🏓 Format * 16 players max → 8 per court * Rotating doubles every \~15 minutes * Everyone gets 6–8 matches across 2 hours * While off court → access recovery stations (compression boots, red light, massage gun) * 1-hour contrast therapy block: * Wave 1 (8 players) → Cold plunge → Heat station → Lounge (\~25 min) * Wave 2 (8 players) → Same cycle (\~25 min) * Social hangout in lounge to finish *** ### ✅ What’s Included * Guaranteed pickleball play (2 hours, rotating format) * Pro-style contrast therapy session (cold + heat cycle) * On-court recovery tools during breaks (compression boots, red light, massage guns) * **Towels provided** * Light refreshments *** ### 📌 What to Bring * Paddle (if you have one — extras available) * Court shoes + comfortable clothes * **Bathing suit + toiletries** (for contrast therapy) * Water bottle * **Bring a friend!** If you’d like, you can register with a partner to guarantee you play together during the pickleball rotations. *** ### 💲 How to Register This event is limited to **16 players only**. To confirm your spot: 1. RSVP here on Meetup 2. **Register & pay** on **[MyAthlete.io](https://myathlete.io/org_profile/1757696830905x685739735532699600)** 3. Buy a **Trial** and use promo code **MEETUP20** at checkout to save $5 for your first time. ⚠️ Meetup RSVP alone does *not* guarantee your spot — registration must be completed on MyAthlete.io.

I also wanted to share, for awareness only, that we are hosting a **marriage readiness workshop** titled *Building Secure Attachment* on **Friday, the 16th.** Learn the science of secure attachment and lasting love with a therapist trusted by 500+ clients. This is thoughtful preparation for anyone who wants to understand why relationships feel the way they do, and how to build healthier connection going forward. This is an educational session focused on understanding relational patterns, emotional responsibility, and how secure attachment supports healthy partnership. This is not therapy and there is no expectation to participate, it is simply an opportunity for those who want to prepare well. If you would like more details or the registration link, feel free to let me know.

**Join us for the ['Warm & Bright'](https://juliewellness.ca/warm-and-bright/) Series, brought to you by JulieWellness!** ❄️ Mindful Walking. What a great way to hone your Mindfulness Practice. Walking meditation can help with stress, depression, and anxiety. Believe it or not, the buzz and energy of a bustling place can enhance our focus and ability to get into that special state of mind important to wellbeing. Multi-sensory objects of attention guide us through the meditation journey. Whether you're still learning or wanting to create a stronger habit, we will focus on our breath, the movement of our body, the sights, the sounds, the beautiful scents in our environment. * Taking advantage of the secret to surviving Canadian winters - mall walking! 🚶🏽‍♀️‍➡️🚶🏽‍➡️ * Let's build the capacity to find our bliss everywhere we go 🧘🏼 Let's break up the cabin fever and beat the winter blues. Nurturing this other state of mind brings peace and joy to our soul and resets our nervous system. Combined with exercise and great conversation it doesn't get better than this ☕☺️ **What else will be provided?** * Meeting location for mindful walk * Meeting location for coffee * Light instructional tips will be shared * Discussion prompts * Please note: this does not include coffee * Participants will be asked to complete a brief participation agreement prior to attending. **Tickets are limited and will go quickly.** This is a small-group event allowing for high quality engagement and connection. Hope you will be there! ***-Julie***

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/Da9fZFxPfs **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.

[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/

Don't be disappointed if you don't see a bunch of people attending. I advertise this on multiple platforms and the class usually sells out. Improv comedy uses several techniques to create laughter. These include, creating an atmosphere free of judgement, saying 'yes', active listening, being positive, putting your focus on others, and the importance of play and laughter. Not coincidentally, these are the same things that happen to us naturally when we are bonding with another person. In this class, we'll explore these techniques not with the goal of being funny, but with the goal of being people that other people want to be around. The organizer, Ralph MacLeod, is a co-founder of two independent improv clubs in Toronto - Bad Dog Theatre and Social Capital Theatre. He's been teaching improv for over 30 years. He also teaches these same techniques to several organizations including UofT, Google, Kraft, Shopify and many, many more. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have! FAQs and Good To Know.... After every event, a group from this class sit down and have a drink together so be prepared to stay if you want! Of course, you don't HAVE to. You also don't have to be single or bring a friend. The vibe of this class is much more 'making new friends' than a 'singles' mixer'. We usually run to 8:15 so pay for extra parking!

Our coffee shop meetup now takes place every other Saturday at Tim Hortons at Bay and Wellesley. Come out to meet and chat with your fellow members of the Toronto Social Anxiety Support group in a supportive environment. **IMPORTANT: This group is intended to provide a safe space for people with social anxiety who may feel inhibited in louder, more extroverted environments. Please respect the nature of this group and do not attend if you are not in this category. There are many other groups available on Meetup.** **When**: 5pm - 630pm **Where to meet**: Tim Horton's at 56 Wellesley St West (northwest corner of Bay and Wellesley). **Reminder**: Like all our events, the group's code of conduct applies. Pls make this a successful outing by being courteous and respectful in language and behaviour, and supportive towards other members, especially those with higher anxiety. **Covid/flu safety**: If you are sick or have recently been exposed to someone who is sick, pls use your judgement about attending this event. You can always come to the next event when you feel better.

## **🔥 LeaderSHIFT: New Year, New Opportunities** ### **Private Group Visit to The National Franchise Show (FREE Admission)** The new year is the perfect time to **reset, explore options, and think bigger** — without pressure, sales pitches, or noise. LeaderSHIFT is organizing a **group visit** to **The National Franchise Show in Toronto**, where attendees can explore **business ownership, franchising, and alternative paths to entrepreneurship** — all under one roof. This is **not** about selling franchises. It’s about **exposure, learning, and better questions**. *** ### **📍 Event Details** **Event:** The National Franchise Show – Toronto **Dates:** January 17 & 18 **Time:** • Saturday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM • Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM **Location:** Metro Toronto Convention Centre 🎟 **FREE Admission** (regularly $15) Promo Code: **OWNABIZ26** *** ### **💡 Why Attend with LeaderSHIFT?** * Explore **dozens of business and franchise opportunities** * Learn about **ownership, systems, and scalability** * Attend **free educational seminars** * Ask real questions — no pressure * Connect with others who are **thinking seriously about their next chapter** This is ideal if you are: * Considering entrepreneurship but unsure where to start * Exploring alternatives to traditional employment * Curious about franchises, systems, or structured businesses * Looking to make **smarter decisions in 2026** *** ### **👥 How This Works** This is a **self-guided visit** with optional group coordination: * Come for as little or as long as you like * Explore at your own pace * Optional meet-up time for LeaderSHIFT members on-site No obligation. No expectations. *** ### **⚠️ Important Notes** * This event is **informational**, not a sales event * LeaderSHIFT is not affiliated with any specific franchise * Come curious, not committed *** ### **✅ RSVP to Save Your Spot** RSVP here so we know who’s attending and can coordinate group timing. Let’s start the year with **clarity, options, and better conversations**.

**Important:** **RSVP’ing on Meetup does not reserve your spot.** **To join this experience, you must sign up at [app.cinders.dating](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=OqwX7dAyaax2yqiHzwwN&utmSource=meetup) and complete your profile. Only confirmed guests will receive the exact location and details.** If you want to meet people without standing around awkwardly holding a drink, this is the night. This is a **curated social experience for singles in their 20s and 30s**. Meet your closest matches over a playful night of ping pong, cocktails, and easy conversation in a modern, neon-lit ping pong bar. **How it works** [Cinders](https://cinders.dating/?utmSource=meetup) is a social dating app that brings singles together through curated IRL social experiences. Our app learns your preferences and who and what you're into, then matches you into IRL experiences with people you might typically swipe right on, except there is no swiping or texting required -- you simply show up. **How to sign up** This is an invite-only social where the guest list is curated based on shared interests and compatibility to ensure great chemistry across the group. To join, you must [sign up at cinders.dating](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=OqwX7dAyaax2yqiHzwwN&utmSource=meetup) and complete your profile. Only confirmed guests will receive the location and details. **Don't want to attend alone but don't have single friends?** We got you! Right before the ping pong social, we're having a [girls only friendship dinner](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=0oHdIe0WlnSd4EVZ9acw&utmSource=meetup) at a nearby restaurant for any single girlies that want to make some new friends before heading to the social together. This dinner is exclusively for girls and spots are limited. You can [register here](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=0oHdIe0WlnSd4EVZ9acw&utmSource=meetup) (the registration fee includes the ping pong social and curated matches). **Experience Details** 📍 Wellington Place (exact location will be revealed to confirmed guest before the experience date) 📅 Jan 16 at 8:00pm 🎟️ $15 (early bird) [Sign up here](https://app.cinders.dating/eventDetails?eventRef=OqwX7dAyaax2yqiHzwwN&utmSource=meetup)

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - Azure CBUS - Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint DevOps Columbus, Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. \#\#\# What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time \#\#\# Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐

2026 may be the last year many developers write code by hand. We need coding agents to solve complex problems in production codebases, but vibe coding alone won’t get us there. Vibe coding is all gas, no brakes. It burns up the context window until the agent slips on its own slop. You can go fast at first, but the more you stuff into the context window, the more tangled its outputs get. While the industry is rapidly increasing code generation speed, we still have to understand, review, merge, and maintain what gets shipped. This talk featuring Michael Geiger will outline how coding agents (Claude Code + Gas Town) work and a framework for orchestrating them to solve complicated problems in complex codebases. It’s about steering the model: doing the research to align intent, planning the approach up front, implementing in parallel steps, and breaking early. Human judgment still matters, but it should be spent on high-leverage decisions: what to build, what to forbid, and “what is quality?”, not cleaning up slop. Attendees will leave with a checklist to identify workflow and environment gaps that hold agents back, so you and your team can ship higher-quality software starting tomorrow.

**Web Design Decoded: Tools, Practices, and Proven Processes:** **Semantic HTML** At WebDev Columbus, we are exploring some of the most important topics of professional high-end web design and page building. Primarily focused on site building in the WordPress environment, our group explores tools, tips, and techniques for building the best WordPress sites possible. Additionally, we focus on disciplines and technologies that take website design from visually appealing to optimized spaces for delivering you and/or your client's message effectively and with a nod towards extended reach. Each session combines practical demonstrations with real-world insights, giving you actionable knowledge you can apply immediately. Whether you're a seasoned developer looking to enhance your design skills or a newcomer wanting to understand design best practices, this series offers valuable insights for every skill level. **What to expect:** * Hands-on demonstrations of popular design tools * Best practices for design-to-development workflows * Tips for creating responsive, accessible designs * Real-world problem-solving scenarios * Interactive Q&A sessions * Networking opportunities with fellow developers **Each meetup features:** 60 minutes of focused presentation 30 minutes of live demonstrations 30 minutes for questions and discussion **See you there!** Our casual, collaborative environment encourages learning from both presenters and fellow attendees. Bring your questions, share your experiences, and connect with Central Ohio's web development community! **Stay tuned for specific session topics and dates.**

* Who Can Attend * The Central Ohio .Net Developers Group meetings are free and open to the public! All developers; professional, student, and hobbiest are welcome and encouraged to attend. * When we meet * The Central Ohio .Net Developers Group meets on the 4th Thursday of every month. * Where we meet * Please check our Meetup group link below for location details! * Join our Meetup Group * https://www.meetup.com/Central-Ohio-NET-Developers-Group-CONDG/

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!

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. Topic TBD! While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Columbus Library - Northern Lights Branch in the Meeting Room 1C.