Prototyping

We're delighted to announce an exciting LSCC event on Wednesday 13th May, in partnership with our friends at Zopa Bank! Join us at the Zopa Canary Wharf office in London for this session and get the chance to flex your architectural design muscles! "So how are we supposed to get great architects, if they only get the chance to architect fewer than a half-dozen times in their career?" — Ted Neward. This quote highlights the need for practice, which is what our LSCC architecture katas provide: a safe, repeatable way to hone your software architecture design skills by simulating architectural challenges. **What's the format?** You'll be split into groups and have a business problem to solve. You'll be tasked with designing a technical architecture to meet that problem context. As with real-life you'll have to manage various trade-offs in your design and interact with a Product Owner to clarify your questions. At the end of the task each team will showcase their architecture and technology choices back to the wider group as part of a group discussion. Whether you're a seasoned coder, software architect or new to the scene, you're invited to share insights, discuss best practices, and learn from fellow participants. No prior session attendance or architecture knowledge is required – just bring your enthusiasm. No laptop is required for this session, we'll provide each group with paper, pens and sticky notes to support the activity. Thank you to the Codurance team that will run the event at Zopa Bank's office. Find out more at https://www.codurance.com/ Food and drinks will be provided with vegetarian, vegan and non-alcoholic options available - thanks to Zopa Bank for sponsoring refreshments and hosting in their great office. **About Zopa** Founded in 2020 with a full banking licence and backed by some of Silicon Valley’s most iconic investors, digital bank Zopa is building the Home of Money. This is a place where financial products deliver good value and managing money is made effortless; deep and long-lasting relationships mean customers are left confident about their choices. One of the UK’s highest rated and most celebrated financial brands, Zopa has been recognised with over 10 British Bank Awards, holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.6/5, and has one of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry. Zopa Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. https://www.zopa.com/ We look forward to seeing you soon!

Join us at SalsaTrain for a fun-filled evening of dancing and learning the art of salsa, suitable for all levels! SalsaTrain is in its 5th year now. All aboard! The SalsaTrain every Weds @ the Selhurst Railway Club in South London right by Selhurst Train station. Salsa classes every Weds night from 6.30-11pm. The classes are fun & interactive with Dominic Insta(Salsa_Legend) with over 20 years salsa experience, and Trish with 10 years teaching experience. Dominic's style is Predominately L.A. on 1/ cuban fusion. He was placed 1st in the Tropicana Tropics World Open Salsa Championship (Ama Division) 2003, has performed with a team of dancers at the 2005 UK salsa congress and placed as runner up in the European Open Salsa Championships (Cab 2007). He has also performed at the Scandinavian Salsa Congress 2009 in Sweden; as part of a team at one of the New York Salsa Congresses and instructed for many salsa promoters within the UK and Internationally. During lockdown, Dom launched his weekly music show "Sundown Salsa Live" on Mixcloud and has played regularly on OSSR radio every Friday 10am-12pm. Trish teaches the beginner class and has had experience teaching with another Salsa Group. All lessons (45 mins long) include party. No partner necessary. Free stop - 6.30-7pm Bachata Time (Music and Dance for 30 mins). There will be Bachata Tasters - (Beginners steps - 30 mins - Subject to change). 1st stop - 7-7.45pm Beginners & Improvers 2nd stop - 8-8.45pm Improvers plus level 3rd stop - 9-11pm - PartyTrain Social dancing Homeward Bound 11pm £10 for 1 class, £12.50 for 2 classes, £5 for party only. Early bird tickets for beginners Salsa class only for £8.50 & for 2 classes including party train for £10.00 inc Eventbrite fee available until 6.30pm each Tuesday - 24 hours before SalsaTrain. Boarding from 6.30pm. Get your tickets via [www.latindianevents.com](http://%5Bhttp://www.latindianevents.com%5D(http://www.latindianevents.com) "\[http://www.latindianevents.com\](http://www.latindianevents.com)") which leads to the following eventbrite link - [[https://salsa-train-selhurst.eventbrite.co.uk/](https://salsa-train-selhurst.eventbrite.co.uk/)]([https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsalsa-train-selhurst.eventbrite.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CA.Kapadia%40mdx.ac.uk%7Cfdc1b99d8569432c544008de4ebfb677%7C38e37b88a3a148cf9f056537427fed24%7C0%7C0%7C639034782480290305%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bK7omfXlIt1Thr9F%2BZ4ZzCfdEWF9B27DChx7%2FsEcOIU%3D&reserved=0](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsalsa-train-selhurst.eventbrite.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CA.Kapadia%40mdx.ac.uk%7Cfdc1b99d8569432c544008de4ebfb677%7C38e37b88a3a148cf9f056537427fed24%7C0%7C0%7C639034782480290305%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bK7omfXlIt1Thr9F%2BZ4ZzCfdEWF9B27DChx7%2FsEcOIU%3D&reserved=0) "[https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsalsa-train-selhurst.eventbrite.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CA.Kapadia%40mdx.ac.uk%7Cfdc1b99d8569432c544008de4ebfb677%7C38e37b88a3a148cf9f056537427fed24%7C0%7C0%7C639034782480290305%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bK7omfXlIt1Thr9F%2BZ4ZzCfdEWF9B27DChx7%2FsEcOIU%3D&reserved=0](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsalsa-train-selhurst.eventbrite.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CA.Kapadia%40mdx.ac.uk%7Cfdc1b99d8569432c544008de4ebfb677%7C38e37b88a3a148cf9f056537427fed24%7C0%7C0%7C639034782480290305%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bK7omfXlIt1Thr9F%2BZ4ZzCfdEWF9B27DChx7%2FsEcOIU%3D&reserved=0)") (WE ALSO ACCEPT PAYMENT BY CARD ON THE NIGHT) You will be refunded or have your ticket transferred to another night providing you inform either of the contacts below by 7pm on the day you are coming. More info please contact Abs 07507634241 or Dom 07939587944 Venue details and information. Selhurst Railway Club is a stones throw from Selhurst train station - well connected by London Victoria, Clapham Junction and East Croydon. Upon arrival please press the buzzer and wait to be let in. You will need to show your pre paid ticket on your phone & asked to give your details to the club management. You will then be escorted into the room to board the SalsaTrain. The venue has a fully stocked bar at extremely reasonable prices & crisps, nuts. It is a very spacious venue and has a very comfortable feel with great wooden floor for dancing. All aboard!!!!

🎉 Come along to the London Scala Talks! 🎉 In this event you'll hear from Caroline Morton and Katrina Petrevice. **Agenda** 6:00pm - 🥤 Doors open. Come along and grab a drink! 6:35pm - 🗣️ Introduction 6:40pm - 🗣️ Katrina Petrevice: Caching in Scala using Ref 7:20pm - 🍕 Intermission: Join us for some free food and drinks! Vegan and vegetarian options are provided. Let us know if you'd like something special - we'd be happy to accommodate. 7:50pm - 🗣️ Caroline Morton: Accidental Functional Programming in Rust (From an Epidemiologist's Perspective) 8:30pm - 🥤 Socialising: Grab a drink and let's discuss the talks. 9:00pm - 🍻 Join us in a pub to discuss the talks! 🌐 **This event may have a live stream** Watch this space for more details. **🗣️ Katrina Petrevice: Caching in Scala using Ref** Caching in memory is often one of the first strategies used to improve system performances. However, implementing caching in a purely functional way introduces unique challenges, specifically around state management and testability. In this talk, we will look at how to utilise functional programming principles with [Ref](https://typelevel.org/cats-effect/docs/std/ref), while maintaining clarity and composability. We will also deep dive into some common pitfalls and look into practical ways to test Ref effectively. ⭐ Katrina Petrevice ⭐ Katrina comes from a non–computer science background and was first introduced to Scala while working at JPMorgan. She credits much of her Scala knowledge to hands-on experience within her team, where she works on building and maintaining data pipelines and managing data systems. Since then, she has developed a strong interest in functional programming and now co-leads the Functional Programming Group at JPMorgan, where she helps share knowledge and foster a community around these ideas. **🗣️ Caroline Morton: Accidental Functional Programming in Rust (From an Epidemiologist's Perspective)** I don't have a background in functional programming - and I never set out to write it. But somewhere between writing trait-based epidemiological pipelines, composing data transformations, and leaning hard on Result, enums, and pattern matching, I started hearing from others: “That's pretty functional.” In this talk, I'll explore what it means to write “functional-ish” Rust as someone solving real-world scientific problems. I'll walk through the patterns I reach for - like chaining iterators, avoiding shared state, and embracing expressive types - and reflect on which functional programming ideas emerge naturally in Rust, even if you're not trying. I'll also share how designing for epidemiologists - most of whom are used to chaining functions in Python (like Pandas) or R - has pushed me toward creating ergonomic Rust APIs with Python and R bindings. These tools aim to feel familiar to scientists while leveraging Rust's power and safety under the hood. This is a talk for functional programmers curious about Rust, and for Rustaceans wondering if they've been functional all along. No formal theory required - just real code, real use cases, and a pragmatic perspective from someone building public health tools in Rust. ⭐ Caroline Morton ⭐ Dr. Caroline Morton is a medical doctor, epidemiologist, software engineer, and PhD candidate specialising in synthetic data, epidemiology, and Rust. With 60 peer-reviewed papers and two books on software, she combines deep technical expertise with a commitment to improving scientific workflows. Caroline co-founded the first [Women in Rust](https://www.meetup.com/women-in-rust/) group, fostering diversity and encouraging more women to explore opportunities in systems programming. She leads an open-source project improving codelist management in epidemiology using Rust, creating efficient, reliable tools for health data research. Her PhD focuses on synthetic data methods for epidemiology, particularly using Rust to generate large, realistic datasets. A strong advocate for open science and reproducibility, she contributes extensively to improving software practices through publications, workshops, and open-source projects. ———————————————————— 🗣️ Would you like to present, but are not sure how to start? Give a talk with us and you'll receive mentorship from a trained toastmaster! Get in touch through [this form](https://forms.gle/zv5i9eeto1BsnSwe8) and we'll get you started 🏡 Interested in hosting or supporting us? Please get in touch through [this form](https://forms.gle/3SX3Bm6zHqVodBaMA) and we can discuss how you can get involved. 📜 All London Scala User Group events operate under the [Scala Community Code of Conduct](https://www.scala-lang.org/conduct/). We encourage each of you to report the breach of the conduct, either anonymously through [this form](https://forms.gle/9PMMorUWgBnbk1mm6) or by contacting one of our team members. We guarantee privacy and confidentiality, as well as that we will take your report seriously and react quickly.

Behind every put-together facade we know there’s a weirdo waiting to go unfiltered. Join our sessions, step out of your comfort zone just a little and have lots of fun. We will always start with warm up games and fun ice-breakers, making sure everyone feels welcomed and relaxed. During this section we do a short 5-rhythms movement meditation practice to release tension in the body. Our next section is the drama games and improv. We ease into this section starting from shorter, straightforward improv games and activities to slightly longer and more dynamic once. Who attends our sessions? The simple answer: everyone (above 18+) :D We’ve welcomed people from every walk of life — from actors and artists to consultants, tech innovators, IT specialists, designers, entrepreneurs, students, job-seekers, and retirees. No matter your background or experience, come try the class and see if it’s a good fit for you! Ready to join the fun and unleash your creative side?

For our May meetup, we're delighted to be back at the fabulous Accurx offices. We have two amazing talks lined up and the agenda will be: * 6:30pm - arrive, drinks, networking * 7:00pm - Welcome & Housekeeping * 7:15pm - **Talk** **1: "A practical guide to inner sourcing your IDP"** Bridging the gap between developers and platform teams is hard. Scattered documentation, fragmented language and hidden knowledge leave developers frustrated, while platform teams struggle to understand what devs really need. Treating platforms as products is a start, but treating them like open source projects unlocks real collaboration, allowing developers to contribute and maintain features. In her roles as Developer Advocate and platform engineer, Lian has years of experience working with highly bureaucratic organisations helping to improve developer experience and adoption. In this talk, she’ll share concrete steps to identify contribution opportunities, set up maintainable processes, and measure engagement. You’ll leave inspired with ideas to boost adoption, reduce friction, and turn your platform into a collaborative, thriving ecosystem. **Speaker:** Lian Li, Cloud Native Human *Lian always wanted to save the world. After leaving law school, she decided to work with computers instead. While in Web Dev, she started attending tech events, and soon fell in love with the community. In her roles as Consultant and DevRel, Lian combined technical knowledge with a focus on the human side.* *Currently, Lian works as freelance Platform Engineer in Amsterdam and is the Chief Karaoke Officer for Kuberoke, the first and only Kubernetes Karaoke Community. She also enjoys performing in musical improvisation theatre and standup comedy shows.* * 7.45pm - food, more drinks & networking * 8.00pm - **Talk** **2: "The Humans Behind the Platform: Structuring Teams for Culture and Capability**" It’s easy to focus on the tech when building a Platform team, and that’s tremendously important, but it’s often the people and how they work together that determine success. Over the past couple of years, Claire has led a Platform Engineering Team through different formations, migrations, and tooling adoptions. Whatever shape the team has taken, whatever they're working on, the constants have been a need for clear purpose and a culture where people can thrive, this takes work, and has sometimes been tricky to get right. In this talk, she’ll share what she's learned from shaping and supporting platform teams: what’s worked (and what hasn’t) when it comes to team composition, balancing seniority, and supporting career growth. Collaboration is central to how to operate, so she’ll talk about how her team works with and supports internal customers, and what’s helped to navigate complex, knotty migration projects. She’ll also cover how they built a culture that gives engineers space to lead. We want engineers at every level to feel confident taking ownership, and that takes deliberate effort. If you’re figuring out how to shape your platform teams to enable others as well as deliver, this talk will offer practical ideas, and maybe a few things to rethink. **Speaker:** Claire Reckless, Engineering Manager *Claire is an Engineering Manager and leads a Platform Engineering Team. With a background spanning Tech Support, Testing, and QA across sectors like Finance and Security, she brings a deep appreciation for resilient systems and collaborative teams. Claire is passionate about learning and development, and she’s especially proud of her past work coordinating an apprentice programme, an initiative that’s helped build a more diverse and sustainable pipeline of engineering talent. She’s energised by helping engineers at all levels grow their confidence, take ownership, and shape the future of their teams.* * 8.30pm onwards - drinks and networking. So, please come and join us, we look forward to seeing you there. The LOPUG team. * Food and drinks provided * Good time will be had by all

Behind every put-together facade we know there’s a weirdo waiting to go unfiltered. Join our sessions, step out of your comfort zone just a little and have lots of fun. We will always start with warm up games and fun ice-breakers, making sure everyone feels welcomed and relaxed. During this section we do a short 5-rhythms movement meditation practice to release tension in the body. Our next section is the drama games and improv. We ease into this section starting from shorter, straightforward improv games and activities to slightly longer and more dynamic once. Who attends our sessions? The simple answer: everyone (above 18+) :D We’ve welcomed people from every walk of life — from actors and artists to consultants, tech innovators, IT specialists, designers, entrepreneurs, students, job-seekers, and retirees. No matter your background or experience, come try the class and see if it’s a good fit for you! Ready to join the fun and unleash your creative side?

All levels welcomed! Come and use Agentic A.I Skills to build an agent! Drinks / Food provided, and we're heading to the pub after the Hackathon. You MUST apply on Luma here: https://luma.com/hack-night-tessl-may13-2026?utm_source=meetup ## DO NOT RSVP here, you MUST RSVP on Luma, ## What's Hack Night? ​Five hours. One room full of builders. Zero fluff. As many demos as we can. ​Hack Night at Tessl is a London evening for people who would rather build than posture. You show up with an idea, find a team if you want one, spend a few focused hours shipping with a DJ in the background, and demo what you made before the night ends. Then we head to the pub. ​**When**: May 13\, 2026 \| 4:00 PM \- 8:45 PM BST **Where**: Tessl office, London ​**Who**: Hosted by : Adam Chan ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsajchan/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsajchan/?utm_source=luma)), Sam Hooti ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-h-b79850387](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-h-b79850387?utm_source=luma)) and HackerSquad with Tessl ​The Judges: Four people who've actually built things worth shipping. They'll see your demo and give you real feedback. ​**James Pimentel-Pinto** — First European iPhone developer and inventor of the hybrid app model. Built the first mobile banking, eCommerce, and sports apps in the world, with over 27 App Store #1s. Expect feedback on craft, originality, and whether what you shipped could actually live in users' hands. ​[https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespp/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespp/?utm_source=luma) ​**Vy Alechnavicius** — Design and product leader, startup advisor. Has worked in human-centric AI, product craft, and developer experience. Expect feedback on product sense and whether what you built actually respects the person using it. ​[https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaexperience/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaexperience/?utm_source=luma) ​**Lachlan Chavasse** — Former founder of useDaily (personal AI), now launching Frontier Tower in London. Expect feedback on what's actually novel, where the real leverage is, and whether your idea holds up outside the demo. ​[https://www.linkedin.com/in/lchavasse/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lchavasse/?utm_source=luma) ​**Pedro Proença** —Engineering leader who scaled a marketplace startup from 50 to 5,000 people, building the search and personalization that connected buyers and sellers across 40 countries. Then at big tech, helping tens of thousands of engineers ship safely to billions of users. Now at a scale-up working on AI adoption. Expect feedback on what pain you're actually solving, and whether people would keep using what you built. ​[https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-proenca](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-proenca?utm_source=luma) ## ​Here's How It Works ​**4:00 PM - Doors Open**Check in, grab food, meet other builders, form groups, (or solo hack if you want) and decide what you're making. ​**4:30 PM - Opening Context**Quick welcome from the host and venue partner so everyone knows the flow for the night. ​**5:00 PM - Short Technical Remarks**If there are host or sponsor remarks, they stay short. The point is to get useful context, then get people building. ​**5:30 PM - Build Time**Heads down. Music on. Ship something. Use the time to test an idea, explore a tool, or finally build the thing you've been sitting on. ​**7:30 PM - Demo Time**Show what you made. Get feedback. See what everyone else shipped. ​**8:45 PM - Wrap Up**Final demos, shout-outs, and a clean finish to the night. And of course, Pub! We're heading to a pub nearby for a pint and a proper debrief. Come if you want to keep the conversation going. ## ​What You Need to Bring * ​Your laptop * ​An idea, or the willingness to find one there * ​A bias toward shipping ​Food will be handled. The space is handled. You just need to show up ready to build. ## ​Who Should Come? ​This is for developers, founders, technical operators, and AI-native product people who like building in the same room as other ambitious people. All skill levels are welcome as long as you're ready to participate. ## ​Why It's Worth It ​Hack Nights create the kind of pressure that helps you actually finish something. You leave with a working prototype, a new collaborator, or at minimum a stronger idea than the one you arrived with. ## ​Ready to Build? ​Register below once the page goes live. Space will be limited to the room capacity at Tessl. ## ​A big thanks to our sponsors for making this happen: ## ​Tessl ​Tessl helps you find, install, version, and evaluate the skills and context your coding agents rely on, so they behave consistently across tools and projects. ​[https://tessl.io/](https://tessl.io/?utm_source=luma) ## ​Neo4j ​Transform Your Data Into Knowledge for Deep, Contextual Understanding ​Connect and organize your data with a knowledge graph to see the bigger picture. Capture all the relationships with their context for deeper understanding. Unify silos to improve model accuracy and make better predictions ​[https://neo4j.com/](https://neo4j.com/?utm_source=luma) ## ​Hubble ​At Hubble, you can book 1:1 calls with experienced founders, operators, and investors who’ve actually done the thing. So you can learn faster, make better decisions, and keep moving forward. ​Real help from people who’ve been there. ​[https://www.hubble.social/](https://www.hubble.social/?utm_source=luma) ## ​Codex (OpenAI) ​Built to drive real engineering work ​From routine pull requests to your hardest problems, Codex reliably completes tasks end to end, like building features, complex refactors, migrations, and more, powered by OpenAI’s frontier coding models. ​[https://openai.com/codex/](https://openai.com/codex/?utm_source=luma) ​See you soon! ​Builders Collective ​[https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebuilderscollective/](https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebuilderscollective/?utm_source=luma) Location 210 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9JY, United Kingdom

If you've designed a game, bring it along and give it a play or just enjoy playing other people's prototypes in a friendly and constructive atmosphere. If you would like to bring along a new design, contact Rob Harris (Organiser) and we will add your game to the list. Deadline for pre-registering games is 11:59pm on the Friday before. Be sure to include the name of the game, a brief description of the gameplay, the expected duration and the amount of players. [name] [description] [duration] [amount of players] If you bring more than one design, add a preference for which one you would like to show first. Please feel free to still bring extra prototypes on the day. They will be added to later playtesting rounds. (Please note that as a condition of our use of the Jugged Hare, only food and drink bought at the pub can be consumed on the premises.) Here is the list of prototypes to be playtested: tbc You can follow the group's blog at http://www.playtest.co.uk We also have a guild page on BGG: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/guild/1398

**🎭 Friendly Group Improv in Clerkenwell, London 🎭** Come and join a relaxed, playful **group improvisation session** in the heart of London! We’ll dive into **theatre games**, **acting warm-ups**, and **icebreakers**, followed by short, light-hearted scenes — spontaneous fun! 💥 🎯 **Our aims**: * Build **self-confidence** in social settings * Make **new connections** 👋 * Push your **comfort zone** 💪 * Explore **self-expression** 🎨 * Release **social inhibitions** * Sharpen **communication skills** 🗣️ All through **fun, interactive, and communal play!** 🧩 Whether you're looking to **laugh**, **connect**, or **unleash your creativity & inner child**, you’re welcome here! 😄✨ **Pay on Eventbrite here:** [Improv-eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/improv-for-well-being-confidence-and-fun-tickets-1982624895433?aff=oddtdtcreator) \*with discount code JU6F for the amount of £12.65 **or in-person when you arrive.** 🍽️ **Stick around after?** Feel free to join us for a **drink or dinner** afterwards — we do this occasionally depending on end time and interest 🥂🍕 *** 📍 **Location:** Peel Institute Three Corners Centre, Northampton Rd EC1R www.thepeel.org \* This venue is wheelchair accessible 🚪 **Finding the Peel:** The Peel is situated on the corner of Northampton Road and Corporation Row. Please note; Northampton Road is a sort of U shape so if you find yourself at the other end of the U, and are confused you probably need to walk to the other end - just a few mins. 🚇 **Tube:** Farringdon or Angel *** 💷 **Payment:** **£12.65 pay when you arrive and RSVP now.** Pay by **Card**, **Cash**, or **Contactless** on arrival. Or via eventbrite [here](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/improv-for-well-being-confidence-and-fun-tickets-1982624895433?aff=oddtdtcreator) 📞 If you get lost, call **07841 456974** – but note: my phone will be **off once the session starts**, so try to arrive **on time or a little early!** ✅ **Please RSVP** — or you may be refused entry, thanks! 👕 **What to wear:** Anything you like! There’ll be some movement, so **looser/comfy clothing** is ideal — but there’s **no dress code**. *** 🕗 **Schedule (approx.):** 🕣 19:00 – 19:15 \| Arrivals & Payments 🔥 19:15 – 20:00 \| Warm\-ups & Games 🧘 20:00 – 20:05 \| Short Comfort Break \(if needed\) 🎬 20:05 – 21:00 \| Scene Games\! I’ll arrive after **18:40** – please aim to be on time for **19:00**, thank you! *** 📢 This group is also listed on **Eventbrite** – so we’ll have friendly faces from there too! 😊

We playtest all sorts of games - strategic, silly, creative, or whatever. Some games are almost done. Some are very early ideas. We test anything that will fit into 90 minutes. You don't need to bring a game - we always love to have new playtesters! Please let us know in the comments when you plan to arrive/leave and whether you are bringing a game or not. This helps us to plan the day better. The schedule is: 10am onwards - gathering, chatting 11am sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 1') 12:30ish - break for food/chat 1pm sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 2') 2:30ish - break for food/chat 3pm sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 3') 4:30ish - finish up Often, we might hang around afterwards, to play some already-published games. We are strict on timings, so please try to arrive a few minutes before the session to limit disruption. You can just come for part of the day if you wish. The reason we have fixed timings for the 3 'slots' is to make it easier for folk to do so. Designers of all levels of experience are welcome! But if it's your first time, we ask that you don't bring a game and just spend some time learning how the group works. The group works based on reciprocation. If you expect to test your own game, make sure stay for long enough to play other games. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to play one of your own games every third 90-minute session. So if you stay a whole day (3 sessions), you can expect to have one session to play your game(s). A good rule of thumb is that if you come all day, you will have one 90 minute session with two other playtesters in which to test your own games. It is sometimes possible to test games with more players. If your game requires 4 or more, please note that as standard you will be allocated half of a session (45 minutes). Pre-covid, we were getting unmanageable. As a result, we may have to limit attendees. This is a free-to-use venue, and we have to be mindful that other folk want to use the same space. Please note: This is an adults only event. We look forward to seeing you!

Meet up fee £7 to be paid at the beginning of the meet up. Card or cash payments. Meeting at Mikis Paradise Cafe. Please bring your favourite Tarot deck.

Shaping our future with AI. Creating opportunity through AI fluency, connection and community. No jargon. No hype. No confusing terminology. NOTE: This event will be focussed on the changing shape of software development. Everyone is welcome to attend but the content will be somewhat technical. **Join us for our next in-person meetup in London on Thursday May 14th.** Our theme for this meetup is **Reimagining Software Development with AI.** We're going to take a step back and think about the role we, the humans, play in the software development process now that coding agents have arrived. This event provides a small glimpse of the future, from the innovators who are challenging everything and rebuilding the process of software development from the ground up, with humans at the centre! **Where and When?** * Thursday, May 14th * Doors open at 18:00 * Talks start at 19:00 * AutogenAI, 123 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9LG **Talk 1: The Validation Gap: We Need A Better Way To Review AI Generated Code** (Robert Werner, Co-Founder & CTO Leapter) AI coding is fast. We're generating more code than ever. But more code means more code to verify, and agentic workflows are scaling that gap faster than review processes can keep up. The bottleneck didn't disappear. It moved from writing code to verifying logic. For most generated code, you can ship, test, and iterate. But what if we need to be sure? What about the code that runs our financial systems or decides if you qualify for a loan? It has to be right. Hope is not a strategy, we need to better ways to review code. In this talk Robert will share his recent innovations, experiments and insights with you. **About Robert:** Robert Werner is the CTO of an AI startup dedicated to shaping the future of AI-native software development. He has over 20 years experience focussed on Software Engineering, Developer Experience and Transformational Platform Engineering, across Fortune 500 companies and FinTechs. **Talk 2: Narrative Engineering: What Cognitive Science Actually Tells Us About Building with LLMs** (Sal Kimmich, Security Architect at Gadfly AI) We keep treating LLMs like search engines that hallucinate. That is the wrong category, and it produces the wrong engineering. LLMs are narrative generators. They do not retrieve facts or execute logic. They complete stories. That distinction is not philosophical. It determines what kind of system you can build with them and what kind you cannot. Neuroscience has been studying probabilistic, distributed, narrative-generating systems for decades. Most of the LLM engineering field is ignoring that work. This talk walks through cyberneutics, an open source methodology and repository built on the premise that we need a new engineering discipline for narrative computing the way software engineering emerged from symbolic computing. The theoretical foundations come from second-order cybernetics, distributed cognition, and Minsky's Society of Mind. The empirical validation comes from 2025 mechanistic interpretability research showing that reasoning models internally simulate multi-agent dialogue to reason better. The practical techniques come from iterative practice: adversarial committees, pipeline algebra with formal quality propagation, observer-aware interaction design. Three real lessons for practitioners building agentic systems: reliability is a property of the pipeline, not the prompt; repetition is latent space exploration, not failure; and if you want auditable AI reasoning, you need to externalise the dialogue structure, because the transcript is the explainability artifact. The discipline does not exist yet. This is what building it looks like. **About Sal:** Sal is a developer advocate for open source and passionate about helping engineers, ethical hackers and digital enthusiasts understand the complexity of modern software development. With over a decade of experience as building cloud-native machine learning pipelines in the healthcare and tech for good sectors, their work is now focused on filling the cracks in the open source software supply chain to build a better digital future for all of us. **Thanks!** We'd like to thank our sponsors [Leapter ](http://leapter.com/)and AutogenAI for making this event possible. **Code of Conduct** This event has a code of conduct that you can [review here.](https://aifortherestofus.live/code-of-conduct) By joining the community and registering for this event you agree to abide by our code of conduct. **Providing Your Name and Email** To register for this event you'll be asked to provide your email address. After the event you will be automatically subscribed to the newsletters from *AI for the rest of us* and Leapter GmbH. You can unsubscribe at any time (But why would you? They are really very good!)

**Dead Product Society \| After Work Drinks** Come along, bring a friend/colleague or two and join us for a relaxed evening of informal product and tech chats over a few drinks and doughnuts. We aim to connect everyone without awkwardness or LinkedIn spiel, and value good conversation over boring presentations. **Who is welcome?** Product Managers, CEOs, UX/UI Designers, Developers, Scrum Masters etc. We welcome anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product. *Note: We intentionally keep our After Work Drinks on the smaller side to allow for more in-depth conversations.* **The Bike Shed** We'll be hanging out in the lounge area (behind the area with all the tables, next to the store). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Dead Product Society** Dead Product Society is a collective of like-minded professionals sharing real-talk and joining forces to navigate the twists and turns of the product world. Our down-to-earth community is for anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product teams regardless of their background or experience. **Our Sponsors** Shout out to our generous sponsors at Waggel Pet Insurance; Lifetime pet insurance, simplified. With their support we are able to host these events for you and create a space for those important, honest conversations.

AI has changed how we write code. Now the bigger question is: how does it change engineering itself? At [Sahaj Software](https://www.linkedin.com/company/sahajsoftware/)'s upcoming Devday in London, [Jyoti Singh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyotisingh7/) and [Ash Shakrani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-shakrani/) will explore how AI assistants are being used across the software delivery lifecycle, from story refinement and solution design to implementation and code reviews. The session will also unpack: 🎯 Where should engineers rely on AI? 🎯 Where should they slow down? 🎯 And how do teams avoid handing over too much? 🗓️ **Save the Date:** 14th May, 2026 📍 **Location:** Sahaj Software, 1 Quality Court, London, WC2A 1HR 🕕 **Time:** 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (BST) 🔗 [https://lnkd.in/ggWCTuKn](https://lnkd.in/ggWCTuKn) Curious about Intelligent Engineering? The 5 iE principles explained in under 3 minutes: Watch here- [https://lnkd.in/gPfyagri](https://lnkd.in/gPfyagri)) DevDay is a tech community event hosted to foster tech conversations, idea exchanges, and deep-dives in cutting-edge tech. The evening will feature: 🎤 **One engaging talk** with Q&A 🤝 **Plenty of time for networking** over free pizza and non-alcoholic drinks Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and share with fellow tech enthusiasts. 👉 Please click the link below to register. https://sahaj.ai/events/ai-coding-agents-more-than-a-code-generator/

**Building a great product is one thing—building momentum behind it is another.** Join **Senior Product Manager Adam Solaiman** and **User Experience Manager Tyson Smith** for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into scalable products inside large organizations. In this session, they’ll share how teams move from ambiguity to execution—navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and continuously evolving products after launch. You’ll walk away with insights on how to: * Build and sustain momentum across teams * Adapt to changing priorities without losing direction * Scale products thoughtfully in complex environments Whether you're driving a new initiative or growing an existing product, this conversation will give you practical strategies to keep things moving forward. Come connect, learn, and swap stories with fellow product professionals. \-\-\- Food and drinks will be provided by Switchbox, our generous host. Free parking will be available at the front and back sides of the Switchbox Office.

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

**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 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** TBD **YouTube Link** TBD

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! **AND TODAY IS OUR THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY!!!** So be ready for a celebration of everything that's made Improv Meetup wonderful: you, the amazing performers! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

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!

Come attend a free in-person seminar where you will find out why you: -Feel isolated -Can't express yourself openly -Get nervous or anxious in front of people -Run out of things to say or feel tongue-tied -Feel introverted -Don't feel comfortable in any social setting -Can't make more friends -Are shy and miss opportunities to connect in a meaningful way And we cover what you can do about any one, some or all of the above. This seminar is the weapon against loneliness, isolation and boredom, come join us! COME TO THIS SEMINAR AND LEARN THE SECRETS TODAY This seminar is brought to you by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center. 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215

FREE event [https://www.ccad.edu/chroma](https://www.ccad.edu/chroma) Friday, May 15, 3–7 p.m. CCAD campus, 60 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH Join Columbus College of Art & Design for *2025* *Chroma: Best of CCAD*, our annual campuswide exhibition showcasing outstanding student work from across the college’s academic programs. This faculty-juried show features select work from CCAD students of all class years, and is a can’t-miss end-of-year campus celebration recognizing their tremendous achievements. It’ll be a night of fun and entertainment, with interactive games, animation and film screenings, art symposiums, poetry and prose readings, and more (along with some of the best local food trucks). *Chroma* is free and open to all. Many exhibitions including... **Game Art & Design:** **DSB, first floor, Welcome Center lobby and Room 115**