Organizing

🛸🛸 **The Hitchhiker's guide to redundancy: a 'mostly harmless' manual for surviving the professional void** 🛸🛸 What do you do when your career is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a corporate bypass? Too many professionals treat redundancy like the end of the universe, spiralling into the bureaucratic nebula of unemployment without a map. This session chronicles a six-month odyssey through the unknown, transforming a vulnerable period of professional upheaval into a practical, comedic survival guide. **What you’ll hear:** ✨ **How not to panic:** How to steady your ship when the corporate ground disappears beneath you ✨ **What to pack:** Cultivating the core resilience and mindsets needed to navigate sudden career transitions ✨ **Deploying your networking Babel Fish:** Translating your experience into a language the market actually understands ✨ **Navigating the bureaucratic nebula:** Managing the identity shift, the job search logistics, and the administrative void without losing your sanity ✨ **Embarking on your next chapter:** Turning an unexpected full stop into a launching pad for a career that actually fits your trajectory As long as you're packing resilience to brace the knocks (and your sense of humour), you’ll never truly be lost in space. A vulnerable, funny, and no-BS roadmap to surviving the void and finding your way back to solid ground. **👍🏼 The Speaker** ✨ **Alex Clarke** is a Product and UX designer with over 8 years of experience, who after spending years building a successful professional track record, found himself facing the ultimate corporate plot twist: sudden redundancy. Alex’s story is a highly common and relevant reality for many professionals today, as organisations face mounting economic pressures to cut costs and restructure. Alex speaks candidly, sharing raw, hilarious and deeply practical truths about what it takes to pivot after a setback. By turning his own unexpected transition into a survival guide for the current job market, Alex proves that losing a job doesn't mean losing your direction. Alex’s story has a happy ending too- as he’s happily found a new job as an Incubation Designer for Coles. Down, down, prices are down. Please. 🙏 📌 **The details:** * **Date:** 6 pm, 11 June * **Host:** Melbourne Design Thinking Meetup * **Special Guests:** Alex Clarke * **Refreshments included:** Pizza and fizz!

Join us at our monthly networking drinks in May at our new venue, **Village Belle, St Kilda.** *(Please note a ticket is now required to attend this event, these can be purchased via this link [here](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/social-drinks-for-creative-professionals-tickets-1989803804744?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true)). You can read more on this below.* Welcoming all professional visionaries, creators and artists in the Melbourne entrepreneur and creative scene. You may be a musician, writer, photographer, designer, model, dancer, comedian or perhaps you run a business in the creative field or anything in between. The Creative Hustle is a social events group aimed at providing a hub for the professional artists, creatives and entrepreneurs of the Melbourne creative and arts scenes! **(Please only attend if you fall in to these categories! There are plenty of other social meetups for people who do not have a creative hustle.)** You know those conversations that just light you up? Make you remember why you started this journey and inspire you? This is where you’ll find them. This group is more than just networking, it’s about meeting people who are on a similar journey to you where you can share your experiences to support each other, make genuine friends and perhaps find some people to collaborate with too! Creativity can be bombarded by digital interactions, and require us to spend hours alone to work on our craft, often leading many people to mental health issues and feelings of isolation and loneliness. The Creative Hustle believes in the power of genuine friendships and human connection. As creatives, we know that some of our greatest inspirations and collaborations stem from the bonds we form with one another. This group is equally about social networking as it is business. It’s time to stretch outside the comfort zone to forge new pathways in your profession all while building lasting friendships that enrich our lives in ways that only real connections can. **NOTE ON TICKETS:** I have always run Creative Hustle events for the last 3 years+ for free, and my mission has always been to keep them accessible for creatives. However I sacrifice time away from clients on Thursday nights, meaning that whilst keeping it accessible for others I haven't been able to keep it viable for myself. Moving forward, to keep it viable, cover costs of running the event, book better venues, help manage numbers and continue to attract people who are serious about what they do, I will be introducing a small fee. For this event your $20 ticket gets you a drink on entry (most house beer, wines and spirits are about $14-$15 at Village Belle) and the rest will be split across the above. Thank you for your understanding! This format is very loose! Sometimes we follow, sometimes we let the conversation flow - it largely depends on sound levels at the venue: 15 min - General networking & social chat 30 min - 45 min - Round table intros: space for each person to share their creative endeavour for 1 min 15 min - Conversation & discussion cues (let’s chat on some deep topics with a stranger ) 15 min - general networking & social chat I’m excited to meet you all! I know that coming to a meetup and meeting new people can feel scary for some people but we are a very welcoming and open group and can’t wait to meet new people. Most people that come to our events don’t know anyone! Life is better with great people in it! Shoot me a message if you have any questions or just want a point of contact before your first meetup **Definition of a Creative Hustle:** Something that you are pursuing either as a side business, full time business or professional/semi professional that involves you creating something from nothing. If you are a: Musician, Dancer, Fashion Designer, Photographer, Videographer, Graphic Designer, Actor, Interior Designer, freelancer, business owner, work for a company within the arts industry, or anything else I have missed that qualifies as creative, then this Meetup is for you. Please respect that this is a group for people who put their heart and souls in to their work, and not just a group anyone can come to for networking unless you fall into the above categories. Please message if unsure. Look forward to meeting you at our next event! \*\*\* **CODE OF CONDUCT:** 1. You have a creative hustle which means you are pursuing something which requires you to create, and you are pursuing this professionally as your full time business, side business, you work in a creative industry or because you love it. 2. All members will show respect to other members and patrons in the meetup/event/venue. Respect can be shown by not boxing people out of conversations, welcoming all new and old members, not continuously interrupting people, not continuously speaking over the top of others, respecting someone’s personal space and boundaries. 3. You must consider others in conversation and ensure it is two-sided, you may equally talk about your creative hustle as much as you are willing to ask somebody about theirs. 4. We encourage each other on our journeys and ask someone if they are open to advice before giving it. No one likes being told what they should do! 5. This is not a group or event to be used for dating. Contacts can be made on the basis of friendship or networking. 6. If anyone is made to feel uncomfortable for any of the above reasons, they should contact me directly. 7. People will not attend who are unwell, even if it is just a cold. People in this group rely on their health to show up to self-employed work, please do not put that at risk by showing up unwell. 8. Anyone who is understood to be breaching any of the above rules may be removed or banned from the group within reason. Some people may be given a warning, or if more serious, no warning will be given and people will be instantly removed. Thank you all for your understanding and I look forward to seeing you at the next event.

Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation which empowers its members to conquer their fear of public speaking and become better communicators. There is no need to formally register for the event, just RSVP to this meetup event if you can, then simply show up in person on the evening. If there is no one at the entrance, please message one of the organisers on this app For more information, check out the City Centre Toastmasters website [here](https://citycentretoastmastersmelbourne.toastmastersclubs.org/). What we'll do at the meeting: \- Impromptu speaking \(Table Topics\): Everyone can take part in this\! \- Prepared Speeches: Please note that only Toastmasters members can give prepared speeches\. \- Get friendly and constructive feedback on your speaking\. \- Get to know each other during the break\, before\, and after the meeting\. Important to know * Members of this Meetup are not automatically members of the club. Meetup refers to people who belong to the City Centre Toastmasters Meetup group as 'members,' but from a Toastmasters' point of view, people are only members if they've paid their club dues.

Too many kids as well as teenagers and adults have problems with study. Today's meetup will inform you about the basics in STUDY TECHNOLOGY that provides an understanding of the basics of learning and supplies exact ways to overcome all the pitfalls one can encounter during study. This is applicable to young children, teenagers (or their parents that are trying to help them) and adults alike. Study Technology shows how one studies in order to comprehend a subject so one can apply it. Laws on which learning is based and workable methods have also been discovered for anyone to apply for themselves or when teaching others. Too many students graduate from school and college unable to put to use what they’ve learned in school. It’s not that they’re stupid or that their teachers didn’t know how to teach. More than likely it traces back to the one thing missing from most educations—learning how to learn in the first place. We all went to school, yet isn’t it odd that no one taught us how to study? The information presented at this meetup can help anyone improve others or his own ability to learn. It is a practical tool that parents and teachers alike can use to enhance a child's study performance. You’ll learn the barriers that lie between your own or a child's education. And you will very quickly learn how to overcome them. This technology will enable you or a child to pursue any subject with skill and confidence. Teachers who have "hard to handle/distributive " or slow learners in class will absolutely love the amazing turn around most often seen in improved behaviour and student performance in class. If you or your child has difficulties at school (or learning new things at work or online) than this meetup is important to you. If you can not make it to our meetup than contact the organizer and arrange it to suit your time. This technology can if one was to live far away be taught online. (extension course) You may offcourse also opt to have this technology taught to your own child by experienced volunteeer staff or learn about this yourself and transfer this knowledge to those you want to have better grades. Yes it is possible to improve anyone's study performance. All it takes is just 5 steps. See you at this meetup. Pam

**Experience a different kind of Toastmasters club.** *Port Melbourne Toastmasters is built around **SpeakLabs**—experimental, high-impact learning environments designed to accelerate speaking growth through deliberate practice, real-time feedback, and guided experimentation.* This is not a traditional meeting format. It is a **speaking laboratory**, where ideas are tested, skills are refined in the moment, and speakers are developed through action rather than theory. Our **SpeakLab: The Experiment sessions** give prospective members a chance to experience this unique culture firsthand. You’ll observe members in action, see how feedback is delivered in real time, and experience our distinctive approach to speaker development inside a fast-paced, supportive environment. Whether you're new to public speaking or looking to elevate your speaking... Join us tonight at Port Melbourne Toastmasters to experience an innovative approach to propelling your speaking forward. *Guests, Meetup Group members, and visiting Toastmasters attend for free.* 🌐 [www.portmelbournetoastmasters.org](http://www.portmelbournetoastmasters.org) 📍 Where: Find directions [here](https://www.portmelbournetoastmasters.org/directions.html) ***Port Melbourne Toastmasters is a club for people who are serious about developing their speaking, leadership, and personal presence.*** We offer limited, curated guest sessions throughout the year for prospective members. These sessions allow you to experience our high-engagement, growth-focused environment firsthand — without open access to every meeting.

Join us for an engaging evening at the next Melbourne Databricks User Group Meetup! We have a great line up of speakers for the night who will be sharing their learnings from implementing Lakebase on Databricks as well as a talk on Transforming Water Utility Operations with AI. **Speakers;** * **Shreya Sharma**, Solution Architect at Databricks: *A tour of Databricks' serverless Postgres for operational apps and AI agents and the headline features (branching, autoscaling, scale-to-zero, horizontal reads). Then a rundown of what's shipped in the last few months — Lakehouse Sync (Postgres → Delta CDC), scale-to-zero as the default, customer-managed encryption keys, and OTLP metrics/logs.* * **Derek Huang,** Solution Architect at Databricks: *Transforming Water Utility Operations with AI: from Reactive Monitoring to Real-Time Intelligence* Why Attend? The Databricks User Group is your chance to: * **Learn from experts**: Hear about the latest Databricks developments and best practices directly from industry leaders and experienced practitioners. * **Network with peers**: Connect with other data professionals in Melbourne who are passionate about data, AI, and analytics. * **Share knowledge**: Engage in discussions, ask questions, and exchange ideas with other members of the community. Event Details: * **Venue Host**: Vivanti Consulting, Level 20, Tower Five, 727 Collins Street, Docklands, VIC 3008 * **Date:** Thursday 11th June, 2026 * **Timing**: 5:30pm-8pm * **Catering and Drinks provided** RSVP today to secure your spot and feel free to invite colleagues or friends interested in Databricks and data-driven innovation. We look forward to seeing you there!

Ready to organise a meetup event? RSVP for this event. Let me know what it is you wish to do so that I can appoint you as Event Organizer soon thereafter.

Your ability to work and live with others is crucial to your survival. To survive well one needs ability. Today meetup topic: Creating and Improving Ability And if you think you already have all the ability one needs to survive well then it is important for you to learn how to KEEP IT FROM GOING AWAY. Attend our Free Meetup! Definition for Ability: One's power to observe, to make decisions and to act. A man is as free, as well-off, as he is able. A family is as happy as it has ability. A business is as well-off as it has able people in it. A country is as well-off as it has able workers, foremen and executives. At today's meetup learn what constitutes ability and more importantly how to develop and improve it so that it does not go away. Fact's are that one's ability is never the same. It either goes up or it will go down. Your natural as well as learned abilities are constantly subject to many of life's pressures. One can therefore simply not rest on one's laurels regarding your current abilities and simply assume they will always be available for use. The time to protect and enhance ability is when you are still able. Any loss of ability will result in less confidence followed by problems resulting in unhappiness. This is called the dwindling spiral. Not just for you, it will impact all others you associate with as well. Today's topic applies to all aspects of life but will focus on how your abilities or lack of abilities or a sudden or gradual lowering of ability relates to work and family life. On your arrival you will be asked to complete a Oxford Personality Test. From this you will learn what ability it is that needs attention and improving. Whilst at our meetup you will also learn about some of the different technologies are that you find here which actively create, protect or enhance ability in key areas of life. The world cries out for better people (More Able People) that will lead happier life's with better better jobs, stronger families as well as community and businesses groups. Get The Know-How for life, attend our meetup or ask me for a time that is better suited to your schedule.

From the highly-successful Smith & Daughters is this amazingly tasty spin-off lunch bar! More options than you can poke a stick at, and it's all very punny! :-) This meetup is a picnic! So we'll meet, grab food, and eat it in a park nearby.

**Join us for this special opening night of Monty Art Gang's fabulous sculptural works exhibition at Wellington St Neighbourhood House.** **RSVP here:** [https://events.humanitix.com/opening-night-monty-art-gang-exhibition ](https://events.humanitix.com/opening-night-monty-art-gang-exhibition) Enjoy drinks, nibbles and good company while you view the artworks created by local creatives in the heart of Montmorency. This opening night will be an opportunity to appreciate and support local creatives, meet the artists, meet the groups facilitator and learn more about Monty Art Gang. All are welcome to come along, support and enjoy. This exhibition will run 12 June - 18 June 2026 and is available to view 10am-2pm during the week. **Access information:** * This events exhibition and event space is wheelchair accessible. * There are two disability car parks onsite out the front of the building. * There are 20 or so general parking spots available next door to our venue which offer three hour parking and additional street parking is available on Binns St. * This venue has two gender neutral, unisex toilets and there is a vending machine with free pads and tampons available. * There is one wheelchair accessible and baby change toilet. * This venue has hardwood floors with rugs in the main spaces. * There is tea and coffee in the community kitchen free to use. * This venue can get loud with overlapping noise during events and lighting at night is warm white overheads and lamps. * There is a small sensory-minded room with a beanbag, memory foam rug, fidget and sensory items available to use as needed. Please get in touch you have any questions or access requirements by emailing Janelle at [coordinator@ghnh.org.au](mailto:coordinator@ghnh.org.au) or texting 0423 452 922. *Wellington St Neighbourhood House proudly acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin nation as the traditional custodians of the lands that our Houses and programs take place.* *We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty has never beed ceded.*

Are you craving some conversations with other big thinkers? The Movers & Shakers monthly coffee is for the creative's who are driven, are hustlers, are actively seeking to grow and look for new opportunities and are wanting to be around other dreamers and action takers. If you're seeking out those conversations that inspire you, that leave you feeling motivated, then this event is for you. The Creative Hustle is a social events community for professional creatives in Melbourne's arts industry. STRUCTURE: 15 min - casual networking/order your coffee 40 min - round table intros and questions 30 min - guided conversations topics in small groups Finish with casual networking MINIMUM SPEND: Everyone who attends this event is required to purchase something from the cafe, minimum of 1 drink.

Join us for a relaxed morning of community connection, light activity, and caring for the Maribyrnong River. **What to Expect:** We will walk along the riverbank and surrounds collecting litter, enjoying fresh air, gentle exercise, and friendly conversation. After the clean-up, we will head to Myrtle Café together for a coffee and chat. This is an optional part of the event, and all are welcome to join. **What to Bring:** * Drinking water * Sunscreen * Closed shoes * Gloves (optional – we also provide gloves if needed) We will supply rubbish bags, and have gloves, extra sunscreen, and hand sanitiser available. **Meeting Point:** We meet at Footscray Wharf, near Waterside Metal Art in Footscray. This location offers shelter and free parking on nearby streets. **Important Information:** Please check the exact meeting point before attending. If you need help finding us on the day, call 0418 184 457 or 0415 635 063. Our clean-ups take place once a month and continue in all weather, unless conditions are extreme. Please check the event page on the morning of the clean-up for any last-minute updates.

Grab a drink or some food and get to know each other. This is our first event and we can take it slow. I’d love to meet everyone and hear if there’s anything you like to get out of the group. Looking forward to meeting you all!

The Forge does have a full bar and kitchen. There is no cover charge but they do request all attendees to purchase a minimum of ~20 per person. Soft drink refills are 1 each. Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area. Parking can sometimes fill esrly. There is additional parking lot behind the neighboring Mexican restaurant that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

At Evolve Synergy Sessions, you'll be part of a supportive mastermind where we share challenges, brainstorm solutions, and inspire one another to take bold steps in our businesses. Grow your network, gain fresh perspectives, and build meaningful relationships with like-minded women who are committed to success. Whether you’re looking to move the needle in your business or simply need a space to connect and recharge, this is the perfect place to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. [Add Event to Calendar](https://evolvecolumbus.eventcalendarapp.com/) \*\* Please note, we will be arriving around 8:15a for open networking! Get there early and get connected! Contact Alexis Morley at [alexis.morley@edwardjones.com](mailto:alexis.morley@edwardjones.com) or Terri Lawson at [terri.lawson@e-merge.com](mailto:terri.lawson@e-merge.com) for more information.

## 🤝 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. ###

Over a billion documents processed. Millions of Veterans impacted. Hundreds of thousands of employee hours saved. Faster decisions. Greater accuracy. More benefits in the hands of our disabled Veterans. We created Smart Search, the world’s largest consumer of Amazon Textract, right when GenAI began reshaping what’s possible. Since then, we’ve built a suite of AI‑driven solutions that transform this data into real, measurable outcomes—accelerating benefits decisions for our Nation’s Veterans. Join us for a focused conversation on how an outcome‑driven approach to AI is helping us boost accuracy, streamline workflows, and deliver faster results for those who have served. This is a follow up to the AWS re:Invent 2023 "Intelligent Document Processing with Gen AI for Public Sector" presentation. About Speaker: Cameron Williams is a Senior Technical Project Manager and cross-functional technical leader at Booz Allen Hamilton with 15+ years of experience architecting and evolving scalable, cloud-native systems, from greenfield development to complex enterprise modernization. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronw711/ **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