QA Tools and Practices

At Toastmasters, we empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Our meetings provide a supportive and positive learning environment where members grow through prepared speeches, impromptu speaking (Table Topics), and constructive evaluations. Whether you're looking to overcome your fear of public speaking, enhance your work communication, or develop leadership skills, you're welcome here. Guests are always invited to observe first. If you'd like to speak, we’ll ask before inviting you to participate - no pressure at all. See how Toastmasters can help you build confidence, develop new skills, and connect with a community focused on growth.

### **What’s Unhappy Hour Breathwork, you ask? It’s our conscious breathing session to embrace our discomfort, sip some soothing tea, and dive deep into the beautiful chaos that is our childhood trauma, daddy issues, mommy issues, work stress, and those oh-so-fun failed relationships. Think of it as a cozy gathering where we can unpack our baggage together, all while sharing a laugh or two (or maybe a few tears).** Let’s be real life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and that’s perfectly okay.**We will give ourselves permission to be gloriously miserable for a full 90 minutes to** release the weight of our struggles. By using our own conscious breathing we’ll transform our experiences into something powerful and healing. Session will end with a soothing sound bath. Tea will be provided! Mark your calendars for this weekly dose of camaraderie and self-discovery. **What is Breathwork?** Breathwork falls under an umbrella term with many different marketing names and techniques. For this session we will be focusing in one technique while laying down on our back. This is NOT your typical relaxing breathing and it DOES NOT INVOLVE ANY YOGA movement. Breathwork takes us deep into the subconscious mind to make necessary changes and improve our lives by releasing emotional baggage and healing emotional wounds. When we tap into deep states of consciousness emotional release may take the shape of crying, laughing, even screaming. Many people like to call it years of therapy in one single session. It is very common to experience moments of clarity, bliss and many Aha moments during this session. Each person will experience something different with every session. All you need is an open mind and your own breathing to achieve results with no prior experience. Please note breathwork cautions before booking. **What you may experience during this session:** -Deep healing of emotional wounds, grief and traumas -Ability to connect to your higher self, Ancestors and the divine -Release anxiety -Improve emotional balance -Increased feelings of joy, happiness, and inner peace -Ability to create self-love and improve relationships **What to bring:** -Your own water bottle -A pen and notebook -A Yoga mat (or use one at the studio) -A blanket ( or use one at the studio) -Eye mask (if you have one) -Comfortable clothes to breathe and lay down **About Jenny Perez Curandera:** Jenny is a Curandera Shamanic Healer born into the Curanderismo Tradition. Her core values are to LIVE IN HARMONY with great spirit, the elements, nature, animals and people. DO NO HARM TO OTHER PEOPLE, PLANTS OR ANIMALS. In the traditional Curanderismo that Jenny practices the foundation is LOVE AND RESPECT to the spirit world, towards animals,plants, people,free will and the elders who guard the curanderismo tradition (Los Abulitos de la tradicion). Private bookings are available for ancestral healings,energy clearing , energy balancing and tarot readings. If you would like to book a private energy session or tarot reading before/after breathwork send an email to [healing@curanderasheart.com](mailto:healing@curanderasheart.com) or text (703)531-7046 ( Visit our site for more information on our upcoming ancestral healing ceremonies, trauma release ceremonies, cacao ceremonies, full moon ceremonies, women circles, breathwork sessions and energy clearing ceremonies to bring balance to mind, body and spirit) Stay connected via IG @curanderasheart **DATE: TUESDAY** **TIME: 6pm-7:30pm Doors will open 30 minutes early ARRIVE ON TIME TO SET UP YOUR SPOT. PLEASE DON'T KNOCK ON THE DOOR OR DISTURB THE SESSION. ONCE THE DOOR IS LOCK IT MEANS SESSION IS ALREADY IN PROCESS AND IT WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL THE SESSION IS OVER.** **Energy Exchange: $60** **Address: 5852 Washington Blvd unit5 Arlington VA 22205** **Info: WWW.CURANDERASHEART.COM** \*\*[healing@curanderasheart.com**](http://healing@curanderasheart.com**/ "http://healing@curanderasheart.com**/") **703\. 531\.7046 call or text** **\*\*\*\*Cancellation Policy: There are no refunds for missed, canceled reservations or if you arrive after session has already started\*\*\*\*** ### **CAUTION: BREATHWORK IS NOT ADVISED FOR persons with severe mental illness or seizure disorders or for persons using major medications. Pregnant women are advised against practicing Breathwork without first consulting and getting approval from their primary care physician. Breathwork can result in intense physical and emotional release. Therefore it is not advised for persons with a history of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, or significant recent physical injuries or surgery.** ###

**Community Tuesdays at Refraction** are a free weekly program designed for job seekers, professionals in transition, and aspiring founders to access resources, connections, and coworking space in the heart of Northern Virginia’s tech corridor. Each Tuesday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, participants gain complimentary access to Refraction’s collaborative workspace, career mentoring, resume and job-search support (including proven AI prompts to navigate applicant tracking systems), and a welcoming community of innovators and peers. Whether you are refining your next career move or exploring entrepreneurship, Community Tuesdays offer the space, guidance, and tools you need to move forward with confidence. For complete details and easy (non-Meetup) registration, please visit: [https://www.refraction.one/ctues](https://www.refraction.one/ctues).

Come learn how money really works. We’ll cover how to grow it, protect it, get out of debt, and use smart retirement and infinite banking strategies to build long-term security.

Pitch your idea, get feedback, give feedback, meet with a mentor and most importantly, take action. Come to the meetup with a specific issue you are stuck with. **10:30 am Introductions:** 2-minute pitches tell us who you are? What you're working on? and what you need help with? **11:00 am Problem Solving:** Let's figure out how we can help, and what action you can take today to move forward. **12:00 pm** Open Networking: Keep the discussion going and connect with other attendees. Bring yourself, notebooks, laptops and anything else you need to pitch your idea and get work done. Interested in joining the Studio? [APPLY NOW](https://unstucklabs.com)

Alexandria Pints & Pawns is now part of the Chess on Tap community! If you have a travel chess set and/or clock, please bring them so we can be sure to accommodate everyone. If not, feel free to come anyway!

Date: June 7 2026 Sunday 10:00 am - Noon EDT Full title: Machine Learning for Reliable Quantum Computing: An Algorithm–Hardware Co-Design Perspective Summary: Reliable quantum computing requires co-design across the full stack, including algorithm structure, compilation, and execution, rather than isolated optimization of any single layer. This talk presents a unified framework in which these layers are jointly optimized under realistic hardware constraints. Structure-aware compilation exploits algorithmic interaction graphs to reduce circuit depth; joint optimization across mapping, term ordering, and algorithm parameters yields significantly improved success probability; and execution-layer analysis reveals that error mitigation effectiveness depends critically on circuit symmetry and native gate choice. While demonstrated on superconducting quantum processors, the underlying co-design principles are potentially transferable across architectures. Building on this foundation, the talk highlights machine learning as the key enabler for closing the feedback loop: data-efficient, parameterized noise models learned directly from workload execution data achieve substantially improved predictive fidelity over vendor models without the overhead of dedicated characterization. These insights situate the co-design perspective within the emerging framework of quantum deep learning. In this broader setting, the talk also presents an operational definition, a unifying taxonomy, and a benchmarking protocol grounded in explicit resource contracts. Speaker: Dr. Yanjun Ji has an interdisciplinary research background in Physics and Computer Science. In 2020, she completed my Master's degree in Theoretical Physics at Saarland University. In 2024, she earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Stuttgart. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Forschungszentrum Jülich. She is committed to interdisciplinary research at the cutting-edge convergence of quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Her research encompasses both foundational theoretical investigations and the development of practical applications, aiming to serve society and benefit humanity. Moderators: Dr. Pawel Gora, CEO of Quantum AI Foundation [Quantum AI Foundation](https://www.qaif.org/ "https://www.qaif.org/") Dr. Sebastian Zajac, member of QPoland [QPoland - QWorld](https://qworld.net/qpoland/ "https://qworld.net/qpoland/")

Nervous about reading for others? Or just want to learn how? Do you want an opportunity to practice in a supportive environment? Join Gypsy Dervish as he leads us through the basic practice of reading the Tarot. Ask questions , participate in group readings, and read for other participants. For those of you taking the Tarot 101 classes, this will also be a chance to put into practice what you learned there. ($5 discount on this class, if you take both, making a $10 total discount. Remember to register for both classes individually. You do not need to take Tarot 101 to participate in the practicum.)

DC Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. It's community-led and community-run by devs, for devs. People of all skill levels attend. Whether you’re dev-curious, aspiring, or a professional developer, we’d love to have you! Come chat or learn to code on a Sunday afternoon with coffee and cool-inclusive people. Bring your laptop! We typically meet every month on the weekend. **Join our online community!** For all things Tech in DC and to get latest updates and tech events from the DMV area, join the [DCTech Slack](https://dctech.chat/). All DC Code & Coffee announcements are in the #dccodecoffee channel **How it works** Near the beginning of the event, we do an introduction circle. You say your name, what you can help others with, and what you would like help with. You can also share job opportunities. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized.

Want to connect with your neighbors and practice your Spanish? Come out to the Mount Pleasant Join Fair this Saturday! Visit the Spanish with Ariel table to: * Make new friends and practice your Spanish! We will have several conversation-focused games at our table for you to play. * Learn more about our [Spanish classes](https://www.spanishwithariel.com/spanish-classes) starting June 25! * Join our email list for a chance to win one FREE private Spanish lesson! Got questions? Email is the best way to contact me! Ping me here: [ariel@spanishwithariel.com](ariel@spanishwithariel.com)

**Location**: Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (Virginia) Conference Room A game development **Working Session** involves 3 key parts: 1. Tell people what you're going to do 2. Actually do stuff 3. Show people what you did That's what we'll be doing for this meeting. We'll briefly tell each other what we're going to do, then work on our projects, then at around 5:30 wrap up to show each other what we did and chat for a bit. You don't have to stay the whole time, so feel free to drop in and out as you have time. All game development skill levels welcome. Whether you're bringing a game you're trying to ship in a month, or you're just planning on following some tutorials or trying out a new tool to improve your skills, use this time to make progress. Working sessions also train you to think about the scope of your work: pick a chunk of work that you can complete in the time that we have. That way you can end the working session with a feeling of accomplishment! **What to bring**: Laptop, Charger, maybe a power strip if you have one handy, any other game development tools you need. Try to download any software you need before the working session. There is Wifi at this location, but it may be slow if you have to download any large files.

Cacao comes from a tree that has been used by Mexican, Central and South American indigenous cultures for spirituality and healing purposes. The main characteristic of this sacred medicine is opening the heart. During this ceremony we will practice the sacred ritual of drinking ceremonial grade cacao in its purest form to open our hearts to invite ancestral healing. Ceremony will be followed by a soothing and relaxing sound healing for you to bathe in the sounds of vibrational instruments. Everyone is welcome to join this ceremony. In this Curanderismo Cacao Ceremony with Sacred Cacao we will respectfully honor the spirit of Cacao in the traditional ways from the Yucatan Peninsula. Ceremony will be lead by Jenny Perez a Curandera and Shamanic Healer who has worked together with her teacher and elders to facilitate Cacao Ceremonies in the most respectful way , honoring the spirit of Cacao and Los Abuelos de la tradicion (The Elders of the curanderismo tradition and guardians of the sacred cacao).\*\*\*No photography, video recording, or recording of any kind is permited during the ceremony without prior written and aproved authorization. No part of this ceremony or its entirety may be replicated or claimed as your own without legal writen concent from Jenny, Curanderas Heart, and her legal team. Failure to comply will result in legal action by Curanderas Heart legal team. Be respecful of this tradition and all the elders involved in making it possible to preserve this tradition and its sacred ways\*\*\*. Start hydrating yourself a day before the Ceremony \*\*IMPORTANT NOTE:\*\* It is possible to experience some side effects such as nausea, sweating, headache, and nervousness with overconsumption of cacao. Please consult with your doctor before consuming ceremonial Cacao. This ceremony is not for people who are pregnant and/or have a heart condition or if taking SSRIs medications. What you may experience during this ceremony: Heart Opening and Heart Expansion Connection with your heart and emotions Transformation Chakra Balancing Deep healing of emotional wounds, grief, and traumas Ability to connect to your higher self, and ancestors. Improve emotional balance. Increased feelings of joy, happiness, and inner peace Ability to create self-love and improve relationships. What to bring: Your own water bottle Comfortable clothes to lay down An Eye Mask or bandanda if you have one Your own yoga mat or use one at the studio Your own blanket or use one at the studio Optional:A small offering for the altar such as a piece of fruit or flower About Jenny Perez Curandera: Jenny is a full time Curandera and Shamanic Healer. Her core values are to LIVE IN HARMONY with great spirit, the elements, nature, animals and people. DO NO HARM TO OTHER PEOPLE, PLANTS OR ANIMALS. In the traditional Curanderismo that Jenny practices the foundation is LOVE AND RESPECT to the spirit world, towards animals,plants, people,free will and the elders who guard the curanderismo tradition (Los Abulitos de la tradicion). Private bookings are available for ancestral healings,energy clearing , energy balancing and tarot readings. If you would like to book a private energy session or tarot reading before/after ceremony send an email to [healing@curanderasheart.com](mailto:healing@curanderasheart.com) or text (703)531-7046 ( Visit our site for more information on our upcoming ancestral healing ceremonies, trauma release ceremonies, cacao ceremonies, full moon ceremonies, women circles, breathwork sessions and energy clearing ceremonies to bring balance to mind, body and spirit) Stay connected via IG @curanderasheart Curanderas Heart is located in the Westover Village in Arlington VA . 5852 Washington Blvd unit 5 Arlington VA at a walkable neighborhood with food options and street parking. Space is limited allowing all of our events to have an intimate vibe. Due to limited space pre registration and arriving on time is very important. DATE: SUNDAY TIME: 1pm-3pm Doors will open 30 minutes early ARRIVE ON TIME TO SET UP YOUR SPOT. DON'T KNOCK ON THE DOOR OR DISTURB THE SESSION. ONCE THE DOOR IS CLOSED IT MEANS SESSION IS ALREADY IN PROCESS AND IT WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL THE SESSION IS OVER. Energy Exchange: $88 Address: 5852 Washington Blvd unit5 Arlington VA 22205 Info: WWW.CURANDERASHEART.COM [healing@curanderasheart.com](mailto:healing@curanderasheart.com) 703\. 531\.7046 call or text What you may experience during this session: Improve emotional balance, Increased feelings of joy, happiness, and inner peace. Ability to create self-love and improve relationships \*\*\*\*Cancellation Policy: Due to the extensive time and effort that it takes to prepare the sacred Cacao there are no refunds for missed or cancelled reservations.\*\*\*\*

collaborative community for ServiceNow specialists and IT professionals to connect, share knowledge, and grow together. This group focuses on real-world use cases, best practices in ITSM, emerging technologies, and career development. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced professional, join us to exchange ideas, improve communication skills, and build meaningful industry relationships.

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

## 🤝 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. ###

Topic to be announced. **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

**TBA**

**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose** Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap. Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn: * Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge * How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change * Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction * How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work. **About Our Speaker** [Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

**Hello Columbus!** **The community is buzzing and growing well. We are thrilled to bring our fourth BrowserStack QA Meetup on Thursday, July 9th!** We are creating a space for deeper insights, meaningful connections, and a vibe you won't want to miss. **What to expect:** * **Connect:** Network with Columbus' top engineering and QA minds. * **Learn:** Real-world tactics and trends you can use immediately. * **Enjoy:** Food, drinks, and great community spirit. **Agenda** * **Two Roads Diverged in a Wood: Docker Compose vs. Kubernetes** by **[Doug Reeder](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pdouglasreeder/)** **RSVP Essential:** Space is limited, and we want to ensure a great experience for everyone. **RSVP now to secure your spot!** 📍 **Venue:** Leading EDJE, 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 📍 **Free Parking:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017 📅 **Date & Time:** July 9, 6:00 PM **Stay Connected!** Want to continue the conversation beyond the meetup? Join our **BrowserStack Discord Server** to get updates, connect with fellow QA professionals, and be part of an ongoing discussion. **Don’t miss out—click below to join!** 🔗 [\[](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[Join the BrowserStack Discord Server](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[\]](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW) **A Few Notes:** ✅ This is an **in-person event** ✅ **RSVP does not guarantee a seat** – A confirmation email will be sent one day before the event. **TALK ABSTRACT:** Docker Compose and Kubernetes are two of the most popular tools for running containerized applications. Their feature lists are similar. Architects and senior developers need to know how their different paradigms lead to unexpectedly different experiences in production.