Programming in R

The Data Science Speakers Club is a Toastmasters International club enabling the current and next generation of Data Scientists to improve their Public Speaking Skills. This is a HYBRID Meeting! So join us Online via ZOOM or In-Person. Joining the Data Science Speakers Club means joining a supportive environment to build your confidence in public speaking and to practice speaking in front of an audience. You will also gain the opportunity to receive feedback on your speeches in a friendly environment, including what you have done well and guidance on the areas you can improve upon. We also run a mentorship program where an experienced mentor supports you on your public speaking journey. Meeting Theme: **TBC** Tentative Schedule: 18:30 - President's welcome 18:40 - Prepared Speeches (3 prepared speeches with evaluation) 19:25 - Guest introduction 19:30 - Break 19:40 - Table Topic 20:30 - Wrap up, awards, announcements End of Meeting The theme is to do with exploring various aspects of power, including how it is distributed, challenged, and transformed in different contexts. In the first part, there will be speeches. In the second half, we will have impromptu speeches preparation in groups called Table topics where guests can participate. We meet on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Mondays of each month from 6:30 pm online. Each meeting is a mixture of prepared speeches by our members, speaking roles, and impromptu speaking challenges by members and guests. Our meetings are free to attend and you only have to speak if you want to. For in-person attendance, snacks will be provided. Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Mathematical and Logical Thinkers aiming to focus on their communication and leadership development are always welcome to attend our meetings, to increase their self-confidence, become better speakers, and become better leaders. ZOOM LINK: [http://tiny.cc/DSS-Toastmasters-Zoom](http://tiny.cc/DSS-Toastmasters-Zoom) FACEBOOK: [https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/) LINKEDIN: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club](https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club) TWITTER: [https://twitter.com/datasciencespk](https://twitter.com/datasciencespk) INSTAGRAM: [https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/)

## Ticketed Event - please register via Eventbrite! IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST EVER DROP IN WITH US, YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT! - Free class :) However, you will have to reserve a ticket via EVENTBRITE [Ticket link ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/improv-drop-ins-this-week-character-first-class-free-tickets-1988945037147?aff=oddtdtcreator) ## This week: CHARACTER ## In this session we explore **how to find a compelling character and make bold choices through simple exercises. It is easier than you think :)** ## Overview Improv drop-ins suitable for beginners. A fun and supportive space to help you boost your spontaneity, imagination, and collaboration. **New to improv or already tried some and want more?** Don’t worry — we have you covered. #### Our Drop-Ins Improv is the art of making things up on the spot and feel immensly proud of it as there is no judgement. Our workshops are designed to be gentle, fun and inclusive. Being on the spot can feel scary and overwhelming. We make sure that you feel supported and at ease at all times. Improv is an amazing tool to **boost your confidence and ability to connect to other humans**, it helps you be creative and let the inner judge go and sip a tea whilst you have fun discovering how freeing being sponteanous can be. Our weekly drop-in classes explore both general topics and specific areas of improv. Story-telling, emotional connection and creative collaboration are the key aspects we focus on, with exciting niche topics designed to stretch you in a safe and playful environment. **Stepping out of your comfort zone should feel fun and exciting** \- we make sure you feel supported and encouraged in the best way possible\, while connecting with others and creating a bit of magic together\. These classes are open to all, **our gentle approach specifically focuses on people who struggle feeling confident in social settings**, however, if you have done improv before, you will certainly find joy coming to our drop-ins. The first half of the lesson we will focus on group and exercises in pairs The second half will be more scene-based where you can showcase your unique self. No pressure to perform. You will be amazed how you will shine with little effort. The drop-ins run either Mondays or Tuesdays from **6:30pm–8:30pm** and are designed as stand-alone classes, so you don’t need to worry if you miss a week. #### What is improv, you ask? Improv is creating something in the moment — unplanned and unscripted. It’s about listening and building something together with others: the ultimate collaboration. Improv is also a great tool for enhancing creativity and for life in general. It encourages spontaneity and connection in a playful, non-judgemental way. #### Who We Are Karo and Avril have over **20 years of cumulative experience** within the improv community. They have performed together in a wide variety of shows and formats for many years, as well as teaching and facilitating workshops, classes, and training sessions. #### Avril Avril is an improviser and actress who has been performing improv for over 12 years. Her credits include *Upstairs Downton: The Improvised Period Drama*, *Carmen: The Improvised Film Noir*, *Moments In Time*, *Blend Off*, *ImprovShire*, and *The Improvised Play*. Avril is also a founder member of LadyProv, who run a regular night at Hoopla showcasing the talents of women and non-binary performers. She has led numerous improv workshops and loves teaching. Her interests include Stoppard, character work, the senses, disaster movies, and team building in the workplace, to name a few. She has a particular passion for narrative improv and enjoys exploring different theatre styles. Avril has also co-taught with Stephen Davidson at Impromiscuous. Outside of improv, Avril loves whisky and exploring how taste, environment, and food pairings influence creativity. She enjoys writing short stories and has written her own one-woman show combining stand-up, character, improv, and sketch. She can also be heard playing several characters in *Lusus*, a modern-day horror series on BBC Sounds. #### Karolina Karolina is an actor, improviser, and improv coach originally from Austria, who has been performing improv for over 12 years on stages across the UK and Europe. From short-form improv to fully improvised plays, she has explored a wide range of genres. She has performed with groups such as Scumbags (a Hoopla house team in the style of the Coen Brothers), *Carmen* (a gender-flipped Film Noir), *3 Worlds*, the short-form comedy group Improvable, and *Lost to Life*, where she improvises an entire play with Avril and the team in the style of different playwrights. Karolina has facilitated many classes over the years, including weekly drop-ins for people who feel shy, focused workshops for theatre companies, the Surrey Theatre Academy, corporate clients, and co-teaching with Impromiscuous. Human connection and empathy are central to her work. She enjoys exploring emotional authenticity, non-verbal communication, physicality, dramatic improv, and unusual characters.

A Rabble session is 1 hour of fun and social team games. Each game disguises high-intensity intervals within the rules, giving you an effective, all-body workout without even realising it. We play a bunch of different games at each session (like British Bulldog, Capture the Flag, Dodgeball, Frisbee and many more), and every class is different. Sessions are open to all, no matter your sporting ability. Each game is explained before we start, so there's no need to have played any of the games before. Come solo or bring friends! And stay at the end for the social part! Who knew getting fit could be this fun? **HOW TO BOOK**: **It's essential that you book onto sessions via our website, using the link below**; due to restrictions on games and preparation times we cannot accept walk-ins, or late arrivals. [https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/](https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/) Use the code **FREEPLAY** to get your first game free! *** We play every: * Monday in Finsbury Park (19:00 - 20:00) * Tuesday in Shoreditch Park (19:00 - 20:00) * Wednesdays in Elephant & Castle (19:00-20:00) * Saturday in Southwark Park (10:30 - 11:30) * Saturday in Finsbury Park (11:00 - 12:00) * Sunday in Clapham Common (12:00 - 13:00) We hope to see you playing soon! PS. We have a group of dedicated regulars, so numbers are usually much higher than meetup might suggest. Sign up at: [https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/](https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/) **Love Rabble**

Join me for a fun Drama class every Monday evening from 6:30 pm- 8:30pm at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham Common. The class helps with confidence, developing awareness of yourself and others, connecting and to simply having fun. No experience is needed. We'll do relaxation exercises, games, improvisations, storytelling, and a bit later on we'll start working on character and text. There will be a little showcase at the end of the year. £10 pounds for the trial class to be paid before or after class. Different payment options if you decide to join. In order to reserve a place, please contact me at catherine@thebrightdaycompany.net. For more info: https://www.thebrightdaycompany.net/about I look forward to seeing you!

Welcome to SQUAD Advanced Volleyball sessions. PLEASE READ: Level: Advanced/Upper Intermediate only. (Players MUST know the 5-1 rotation system and positions and have strong all-round skills) We meet at Bacon's College Sports Centre in Canada Water for fun but competitive volleyball! Cost: £ 12 per session Maximum Capacity: 14 players. Attitude: Positive and friendly atmosphere Please NOTE: you might be asked to leave the session if your level isn't up to the standard of ADVANCED Book your place ASAP and any question please contact us here or via our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/S.Q.U.A.D.VC/

This seminar is for improving your communication skills, so you can achieve greater success in life. We will especially focus on a life tool that you can easily learn and use to improve your: - \- Interviews \- Public speaking \- Communication with strangers \- Connection with co\-workers \- Comfort with various social situations\. \- Handling upsets \- Getting along with others better\. \- Meeting new people\. This seminar invites your feedback and input. You could learn some new skills and we would love for you to be able to practice this also. You will learn an amazing life tool that you can put into practice right away! We also offer free one-to-one appointments to be made after the seminar if you require a bit of extra coaching or tips. From the Scientology Life Improvement Centre

​Current London kicks off Tuesday. Come have a drink with us Monday night at Bokan 39 in Canary Wharf. ​Factor House, NetApp Instaclustr, and StreamNative are hosting a rooftop happy hour in Canary Wharf the evening before the conference. No talks, no agenda, just drinks, food, and good conversation with people from across the Kafka and Flink ecosystem. ​It's a good way to put faces to names before the conference week gets busy. Food and drinks are on us. Space is limited so grab a spot early. [Register](https://luma.com/48be5cgu) to join us!

We're back with our third event of the year and we couldn't be more excited. We'll stick to our usual format of 2 speakers and a fireside chat (with a twist this time). If you've not been to one of our events before then here is what you can expect. CRAP (Conversion Rate Optimisation, Analytics, Product) Talks is a cross-discipline event. We don't work in silos so why network and learn in silos. In the past we've had speakers from Data, Analytics, CRO, Product, Marketing, Data Science, Design and Research and so many more. If you work in tech, chances are you work cross-functionally, so come along and meet people doing amazing things in tech. **Hosts:** RVU - https://www.rvu.co.uk/ **Venue:** RVU The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London SE1 2LH **Date:** 19/05/2026 6pm doors open Talks kick off at 630 Wrap up approximately 9:00pm. **Speakers:** * **[Aya Gaballa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aya-gab/)** \- "Building Products for Different Cultures" * Co-Founder & Product Lead, Kham Lab * **[Mark Palfreeman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-palfreeman-662044160/)** \- "Gambling with Success: The Complexities Around Measurement in an Industry with Stellar Growth"\. * Senior Business Intelligence Manager, Flutter UKI **Fireside Chat:** * **[Alex Homan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-homan-3aab2a141/)** \- "Analytics in the age of AI" * Lead Data Analyst, Huel

Join fellow Indian pros in London for a day of fun, hands-on AI bootcamp where you’ll level up your skills and network for all levels! **AI Bootcamp: Practical AI for Everyday Work** Hands-on session where participants discover how AI can save time and improve daily work through real examples, simple prompts, and immediate takeaways. **Key Topics Covered** **AI Fundamentals & Ethics:** Understanding AI capabilities, limitations, and responsible use. **Prompt Engineering:** Techniques for using tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E. **No-Code/Low-Code Tools:** Utilizing platforms like Zapier, Canva AI, and Notion for workflow automation. **My Job, My AI Use Case" Activity** Worksheet exercise: identify one repetitive task from your job, turn it into an AI use case, build simple prompts. **Industry-Specific Use Cases:** Real examples from operations, HR, finance, retail, marketing, healthcare admin. Shows specific problems AI solves faster.

**YOU'RE INVITED! INDIAN PROFESSIONALS IN LONDON MEETUP 🇮🇳🕊** Are you ready to connect with property professionals, developers, and investors in London Whether you’re a seasoned real estate expert or just starting out, this is your chance to expand your network and discover new opportunities in the UK property market **What to expect:** • Insights into the latest trends in property investment • Opportunities to build connections with industry leaders 📅 **Date**: Thursday, 21st May 2026 🕕 **Time**: 7PM - 10PM 📍 **Venue**: Vijay's Virasat, 2 Horns Rd, Newbury Park, London IG2 6BE **Nearest Public Transport:** Newbury Park (Central Line) **Who Should Attend?** **Members are invited to come and join from all areas of the industry including:** First Time Buyers BTL Investors Developers Surveyors Architects Commercial and Residential Agents Planners Lawyers Mortgage, Insurance & Property Finance Professionals Whether you’re looking to close deals, finance projects, share opportunities, discuss your latest transactions, or find partners for your next joint venture, this is THE event for you! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand your network and grow your property interest!

This month we're celebrating the TENTH anniversary of the London Fabric User Group - having started life as the London Power BI User Group TEN years ago. We'd love you to join us at the offices of the aptly named Tenth Revolution to help us celebrate. # TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH CHRIS WEBB Chris has presented at the user group every year in May to celebrate our anniversary, and we didn't want this year to be any different. **Power BI under the bonnet**: monitoring queries and refreshes using Workspace Monitoring, Log Analytics, Profiler and DAX Studio When you're performance tuning a slow Power BI report or refresh you need to know what happens inside the engine, and the good news is that the Power BI engine can give you all kinds of detailed information on its internals. But how do you get access to this? How can you understand it? In this session you'll find out: how you can get (almost) the same information on internals from Workspace Monitoring, Log Analytics, SQL Server Profiler and DAX Studio and when to use which; which engine events are relevant to queries and which ones are relevant to refreshes; and how you can interpret this information for tuning. **Agenda** 18:30 - Welcome, drinks, pizza & networking 19:00 - Main Session 20:00 - Help us celebrate at a local pub (details to be confirmed on the night) **Venue** Tenth Revolution offices in London. Aldgate House, 33 Aldgate High St, London EC3N 1DL Please provide your first and last name when registering for the event, as this is provided to building security to allow you entrance into the venue.

Join us on May 21st to learn, share, and network with some of the most experienced professionals who are passionate about AI/ML. This time, we’re excited to have **Revolut** as a special partner. Topics: \- Anton Repushko\, Lead Researcher\, Revolut: "Build Next-Generation Foundation Models in Finance" \- Nicolas Atienza\, Researcher\, Neuralk AI: "Gradient Boosting to Tabular Foundation Models: What Changed, What Didn't" \- Ivan Dolgov\, JetBrains: "Pre\-training at JetBrains: fast MoE perfectly fit for H100/200 GPUs" \- Kir Zharov\, Spinner AI: "Building the unified knowledge layer for self\-improving agents" More talks will be added soon You can submit your talk here: [https://forms.gle/wiWyD5sBqzZtCfpMA](https://forms.gle/wiWyD5sBqzZtCfpMA) If you’d like to become a partner for this or one of the upcoming meetups, message [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fedorshabashev/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fedorshabashev/) or [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirzharov/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirzharov/) In the meantime, you can watch the previously recorded talks: [https://youtube.com/@londonpytorchmeetup](https://youtube.com/@londonpytorchmeetup) Please subscribe to our channel! ❤️

The [Global Excel Summit](https://globalexcelsummit.com/?via=lem) returns on the **19-20 May 2026** and it will be Hybrid - so a mix of in-person in London (venue is Soho Place Theatre) and online. This is a paid event and as a London Excel Meetup group member, you get a special 15% discounted price by applying code **LEM15** at checkout. This is the ultimate Excel event with ✅ 2 days in-person learning (19 & 20 May) ✅ 30+ Main Stage presentations covering the MS Power Stack (Power BI, Power Automate, etc), AI, Data Viz, Analytics, Finance and Accounting, Python, Formulas, and more. ✅ Full access to the virtual platform ✅ Awesome chance to network with other Excel & Power BI professionals and companies ✅ All event recordings ✅ 30+ CPD hours and CPD certificate of attendance ✅ Optional Masterclass sessions to sign up to on 18, 21, and 22 May 2026 **Early Bird Tickets** Only 43 early bird tickets remain, so best **move fast** to secure yours before they run out. What is an early bird ticket? Well it is 30% off, so your £545 in-person ticket becomes £382 (for 2 days Excel learning). Use code **LEM15** for an additional 15% off this price. Crazy good value! Get your [Global Excel Summit 2026](https://globalexcelsummit.com/?via=lem) ticket today. Be sure to RSVP on this event page so other members know that you're going, but RSVP does not confirm attendance. It is a paid event and requires a ticket. I hope to see you there.

There are many resources available for guidance on how to write code that is efficient and results in more sustainable software applications, but applying these at scale can be challenging, and often isn’t a priority for busy teams. GitHub have recently released Agentic Workflows, a way of specifying automation tasks in human-readable format to be performed by an AI agent as part of a GitHub Actions workflow. In this talk, Max Mizzi from GitHub's Sustainability team gives an overview of Agentic Workflows, and will demonstrate how they can be used to improve software efficiency through both structured green software rules and autonomous performance engineering. He'll finish by walking through a real-world use-case showing how the technology helped to dramatically reduce the energy consumption - and carbon footprint - of a major website. Come along if you want to learn more about using AI to improve the energy efficiency of your software. Check out the Green Software Brighton [website](https://greensoftwarebrighton.co.uk/) for links to previous talks. Arrive from 18:00 for pizza and drinks. Event will start at 18:30. We always head for a drink and a chat locally afterwards too. --- ***Thank you to Runway East for use of their space to host our events and to Silicon Brighton and the Green Software Foundation for supporting us.***

Bring your work or your hobby, hang out, and code with us. Follow @buckeyecocoa for more information.

**Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). Topic: This month John Lairson will share a notebook describing the Alpaca (Paper) Trading API and discuss different algorithms for evaluating stock trades. We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com

**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

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

We connect you with up to 30 Men or Women tennis partners close to your PLAYING REGION and skill level. This program is less competitive, no champions crowned, no league standings just dedicated tennis partners who want to meet up with you on the courts. Players will meet up to play a tennis match or just to hit around. Just go through the [Join Page](https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program) to enter this program. [https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program](https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program)

**Latest Dojo Location!** **Knotty Pine Brewing** 1765 W 3rd Ave, Columbus, OH 43212 We're going to try a new dojo location for a few weeks and see how it works Dojos are informal Python group study sessions where everyone interested in Python gathers to learn about Python, help others with Python, or just hang out. Everyone is welcome from Python beginners to experts. Bringing a laptop is encouraged (we'll have extension cords and power strips). If there's something you want to learn leave a comment on this invite so we can plan ahead. We're looking for speakers for our Monthly Meetups! Fill out the form if you are interested in presenting to the Python Community. https://forms.gle/ehSfUAC2WgR34Crq9

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)