Research & Development Engineer

Welcome to the Toronto Young Professional & Startup Enthusiast Meetup Group! Navigating work/personal life in this mega city can be challenging ! We welcome all the Toronto young professionals & startup lovers to join this community that provides you an inclusive and casual platform to share, discuss, and grow! No matter what career stage you are at, what industry you work for, or what startup idea you are brainstorming, this inclusive & vibrant community aims to help you embark on your new personal/work journey! If work sounds annoying to you or you are new to the city, you can just come have a coffee and meet new people! Let's exchange ideas and create new memories together! We welcome you to join us at Sweetway Cafe. We plan to meet weekly or biweekly at various locations in Toronto. If you have any suggestions for meeting locations or activities, feel free to let me know!

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $18 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These English (For Spanish speakers or advanced learners only), French, and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in an English, French, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Is quantum computing a real threat to Bitcoin? Join us for a technical presentation that cuts through the hype. Learn the science, the timelines, and the solutions—straight from experts. Details: 🗓️ When: Monday\, May 11\, 2026 \| 6:00 PM‑8:00 PM ET 📍 Where: 600 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario (venue details sent upon RSVP) 🎟️ Cost: Free for Bitcoin Bay Community \| Guests welcome **🔍 What to Expect:** * **6:00‑6:25 PM:** Doors open + networking + light refreshments * **6:30‑7:15 PM:** Presentation with Nithin Raj: *Blockchain R&D Engineer @ SkryBit Inc.* * What is Quantum Computing? * Why Classical Encryption & Hashing Were So Secure * How Bitcoin Security Works * Bitcoin Wallet Types * The Quantum Threat to Bitcoin * Who's Most at Risk? * Quantum Computing Threats to the Real World * How Could Bitcoin & the World Respond? * Best Practices for Bitcoin Security (Today & Future‑Proofing) * Broader Implications & The Bigger Picture * **7:15‑8:00 PM:** Open Q&A + guided networking **✅ What to Bring:** * Your curiosity (and a notebook if you like) * A friend who's curious about crypto's future **🏢 Venue Notes:** * [Please RSVP so we can manage capacity](https://luma.com/g53ux3yo) * https://luma.com/g53ux3yo **About Bitcoin Bay:** Welcome to Canada's longest‑running Crypto Community. Our mission is to grow the Crypto Ecosystem globally – beginning from our home base in Canada. Bitcoin Bay is a starting point for your crypto journey. **👉 Ready to future‑proof your crypto knowledge?** **[RSVP now](https://luma.com/g53ux3yo)** to save your spot—and share this event with a dev, investor, or curious friend. See you on May 11!

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $18 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

**Set goals.** **Be accountable for them.** **Move your life forward with purpose.** Our goal is to cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and, as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers and communities. If you have the desire to work on being the man that your legacy demands that you be (which means being the best you can be, we can work on what your legacy demands with you later) and the man you always wanted to be then we look forward to you attending. Our group is part of Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI). This group meets Mondays, North of Finch Avenue, usually indoors, outdoors in the summer but occasionally on Zoom. To confirm this week's location, please rsvp to Ricardo, call/text (647) 880-1488, or email ricardophilip@hotmail.com From MDI website[: https://goo.gl/3DQ6](https://goo.gl/3DQ6aY)aY From Toronto Sta[r: https://goo.gl/oDH](https://goo.gl/oDH3uX)3uX Regular attendees do not always RSVP, expect 6-8 men to be present.

***TRIVIA NIGHT AT AXIS CAFE - MONDAY, MAY 11TH 2026*** ***$5 event fee + $5 minimum purchase (hopefully more) from the Axis Cafe.*** ***$3 from everyone's $5 event fee will go to the 1st place team.*** ***For instance, if 25 play, the 1st place team gets to split $75 between them.*** 3 ***other food voucher prizes from the Axis Cafe will be in play as well.*** ***TRIVIA QUESTIONS BEGIN AT APPROX 7:15 PM.*** ***The Axis Cafe, located minutes N of High Park, on Dundas St. West. There's lots of room and we will have most of the restaurant to ourselves.*** ***As always, we'll be able to set up multiple teams of 4-5 max per table. If possible, try to sit with other group members you've never met before. This way you'll be able to "meetup" with some possible new friends!! That's what it's all about!!*** ***Look for us near the front stage. This is where our emcee, Tony Krolo will be doing his thing.*** ***Please bring exactly $5 cash. Thanks.*** ***After our own grand prize The Axis Cafe's normal prize structure is $20 $15 and $10.*** ***Just see me (Alex) when you arrive and I'll get you set up!!*** ***IMPORTANT NOTE*** ***Outside food or drink is an absolute NO-NO!!*** ***The (no pressure) Trivia consists of 3 parts, music, visual and general knowledge. Playing on a team is a great way to break the ice with other members of our group. It's all for fun and we always have a lot of laughs at our Trivia events.*** ***IMPORTANT NOTE*** ***The Axis Cafe is mainly made up of low tables, unlike what we had at Kramer's.*** ***The Axis Cafe is accessible. Use the side entrance ramp.*** ***There is one washroom located at the back and 2 more downstairs.*** ***Our Quiz Master Host, Tony Krolo is also a stand-up comic with Yuk Yuk's, so this makes it even more fun!!*** ***TRIVIA START TIME is approx 7:15pm, so do your best to get there early!!*** ***Trivia ends at around 9:15PM and after that we'll all have a chance to hang out together and socialize a bit more if you wish.*** ***TRANSIT*** ***From Line 2 take the #40A or 40B Dundas W bus to Pacific Ave. The Axis Cafe is located about 2 minutes west of there.*** ***PARKING*** ***There is street parking on McMurray Ave. right by Axis. There is a Green P Lot on Pacific Ave. S of Dundas St. W., a short walk east of Axis.*** ***As always, let's come with a positive attitude and a great big smile. I'm sure that we'll have a lot of laughs!! We always do!!*** ***WE WILL HAVE SEPARATE CHEQUES*** ***LET'S ALL HAVE A BLAST TOGETHER!!*** ***WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU @ THE AXIS CAFE!!***

Navigating work/personal life in this mega city can be challenging ! We welcome all the Toronto young professionals & startup lovers to join this community that provides you an inclusive and casual platform to share, discuss, and grow! No matter what career stage you are at, what industry you work for, or what startup idea you are brainstorming, this inclusive & vibrant community aims to help you embark on your new personal/work journey! If work sounds annoying to you or you are new to the city, you can just come have a coffee and meet new people! No WFG members, Let's exchange ideas and create new memories together! We welcome you to join us at a new location; Sweetway Cafe **THE COFFEE SHOP IS EXCLUSIVLY OPEN FOR THIS EVENT AT THAT TIME, AND MAY NOT SERVE FOOD OR DRINKS** We plan to meet weekly or biweekly at various locations in Toronto.

Whether you're a seasoned tech veteran or just starting out, let's create the ideal afterwork place to meet and chill with other workers in tech - find that new job, expand your network, share ideas, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry. Let's inspire, innovate, and shape the future of technology in Toronto! Tech, AI, Data, IT, and more \~ ​ \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### Event Details 💰 Cost: Free 🍺🥃 Afterwork drinks and social 📍 The Goodman Pub and Kitchen (Inside, or ask for Tech Social) - 207 Queens Quay W 🕕 6:00pm onwards every Friday ​ **Or RSVP on the website for our Discord / WhatsApp communities, and to see who else is going and what their backgrounds/seniority/interests are:** 🔗 [Link to Website](https://techsocialtoronto.com/event/meetup) ​ If you cannot find us, ask staff about Tech Social, or ask in the WhatsApp community above. ​ \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### Who Should Attend? Perfect for **Toronto tech professionals** including: * **Software Developers & Engineers** (Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, React, Node.js) * **Data Scientists & Analysts** (Machine Learning, AI, Data Visualization, SQL) * **Cybersecurity Professionals** (InfoSec, Ethical Hacking, Cloud Security) * **Product Managers & Tech Entrepreneurs** * **Students & Tech Graduates** looking to break into tech * **Career Changers** entering tech industry * **Remote Workers & Digital Nomads** in Toronto * **Startup Employees & Entrepreneurs** * **Digital Marketing & Product Professionals** * **Senior Engineers** looking to mentor and network \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### What You'll Experience * 🤝 **Network with Toronto tech community** * 💼 **Job opportunities** and referrals from peers * 🚀 **Career acceleration** through peer networking * 🎯 **Skill sharing** and tech discussions * 🧠 **Knowledge sharing** on latest tech trends * 🎉 **Social activities** and games * 🧠 **Learn from peers** about real-world challenges * 🚀 **Collaborate** on projects and ideas * 🎯 **Mentorship connections** (both ways!) * 🍻 **Fun, casual atmosphere** \- no matter your seniority level \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ### Event Guidelines * Support the venue by purchasing drinks/food (no outside items allowed) * Maintain appropriate behavior and respect for all attendees * Bring physical ID if required by venue (call ahead to confirm) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ​ ​ *Toronto Canada tech social mixer afterwork drinks AI connect network data IT programming cybersecurity digital nomad blockchain crypto big data science computer networking community jobs entrepreneur industry product design startup software development machine learning python javascript professional networking career development it professionals developers mentorship ai sql analytics data engineering business intelligence deep learning tensorflow pytorch data visualization data analysts ml engineers Toronto Canada tech social mixer afterwork drinks AI connect network data IT programming cybersecurity digital nomad blockchain crypto big data science computer networking community jobs entrepreneur industry product design startup software development machine learning python javascript professional networking career development it professionals developers mentorship ai sql analytics data engineering business intelligence deep learning tensorflow pytorch data visualization data analysts ml engineers*

We’re thrilled to invite you to an exciting meetup! We'll have one talk presented by an Elastic employee and one presented by a community member. Bring your questions and come support the community! **Agenda** **5:00 PM** – Doors Open Come in, say hello, grab some food, and settle in for an engaging evening. **5:45 PM** – **"Lessons from evaluating production AI Agents for over a year", presented by** Susan Chang, Principal Data Scientist at Elastic **6:15 PM** – Q&A **6:30 PM** – "**Elasticsearch Journey – Working in Different Industries", presented by** Yasir Zaid, Elastic Certified Engineer **7:00 PM** – Q&A **7:15 PM** – Networking & Event Wrap-Up Stick around to chat, connect, and share insights with fellow attendees. **When:** Thursday, May 14th 5:00 - 7:00 pm **Where:** [Centre for Social Innovation - Spadina](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=43.650017%2C%20-79.397156) 192 Spadina Ave. · Toronto, ON 3rd floor, The Viola Desmond Room **Abstracts** **"Lessons from evaluating production AI Agents for over a year"** This talk covers methods of evaluating AI Agents, with an example of how the speakers built evaluation frameworks for a user-facing AI Agent system which has been in production for over a year. We share tools and frameworks used (as well as tradeoffs and alternatives), and discuss methods such as LLM-as-Judge, rules-based evaluations, ML metrics used, as well as selection tradeoffs. **Bio:** Susan Shu Chang is a Principal Data Scientist at Elastic, where she leads work on production-grade machine learning, including generative AI and agentic workflows. She is also an internationally recognized speaker, O’Reilly author, and keynote presenter at major global technical conferences. **My Elasticsearch Journey – Working in Different Industries** This talk explores Yasir Zaidi’s hands-on experience using Elastic products to deliver strategic solutions across banking, insurance, and telecommunications. Through real-world examples, the session will cover how Elasticsearch and the broader Elastic Stack have been used for search architecture, security, SIEM, and observability, along with some of the newer and more exciting projects now being built with Elastic. The talk will also highlight recent Elasticsearch features and innovations, and how they are opening up new possibilities for modern enterprise use cases. **Bio:** Yasir Zaidi is the Owner of ZD Inc. ([https://zd-inc.net/](https://zd-inc.net/)) and Elasticsearch Experts ([https://elasticsearch.expert/](https://elasticsearch.expert/)), and Co-Founder of 360metrics ([https://www.360metrics.io/](https://www.360metrics.io/)) and Certified Elasticsearch Partner Solution Architect. He has delivered hundreds of Elasticsearch projects for organizations around the world, with experience spanning Observability, SIEM, Enterprise search, Cloud deployments, and AI-powered search solutions, Serverless and much more. His work includes engagements with Ericsson, SAP, Intact Insurance, Videotron, RONA, Geotab and Desjardins Bank, just to name a few. Backed by three master’s degrees and Elastic certifications, Yasir brings deep technical expertise and proven global delivery experience. Linkedin: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasirzaidi/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasirzaidi/) Spots are limited, so don't miss out!

**SPDY MEETUP 005** Welcome back! Following up on last week’s announcement, we are thrilled to schedule **SPDY MEETUP 005**. As always, we’ll be joined by incredible engineers who are ready to share their latest research and insights. Here's an updated list of presenters and topics: **🔸 Annie Sullivan**, Senior Staff Software Engineer at **Google** *"The latest data on soft navigations in Core Web Vitals"* 🔸 **Michal Mocny**, Sr Software Developer, **Google Chrome**, Speed Metrics *"InteractionContentfulPaint: a new Performance API for measuring UX."* 🔸 **Bas Schouten**, Performance Tech Lead at **Mozilla** *TBA* We have an incredible evening lined up featuring expert-led sessions sharing the latest in web performance research. As always, there will be dedicated time for Q&A following the sessions. **Interested in speaking?** Slots are available for lightning talks. If you’d like to share your work, please reach out via DM or email at **henrihelvetica@gmail.com**. Beyond the presentations, come enjoy some great networking with our vibrant community. We recommend **RSVPing as soon as possible** to secure your spot, as we are expecting international teams from both Google and Mozilla to also attend. With that, we look fwd to seeing everyone May 13th. -Henri

This **SR&ED general information webinar** will provide an overview of the program. We will guide you through the eligibility criteria, qualifying expenditures, and the free tools and services offered by the CRA. * May 14th, 2026, 1 pm to 3 pm ET – English session I would suggest if you own a business and want to receive government funding for your project, thinking of starting a business to learn how you can form your business for maximum benefit, or wish to provide grant writing services to your clients. There is no charge to attend. Registration is required, as space is limited. To register: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-support-services/sred-webinars.html If you are a member of LeaderSHIFT, you will receive a detailed package with samples and a detailed guide at no cost. Click on attend. Some tools to help members: * [Pre-claim consultations](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-support-services/pre-claim-consultation.html?utm_content=2025-05-13_0193&utm_term=SSV) that allow eligible claimants to work with an SR&ED specialist to determine if their project contains SR&ED work before they submit a claim; * The [SR&ED outreach program](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-support-services/sred-outreach.html?utm_content=2025-05-13_0195&utm_term=SSV), which offers targeted sector-specific presentations and one-on-one presentations to businesses, in addition to hosting general information webinars. We also provide accessible digital resources to help businesses determine their eligibility, calculate expenditures and prepare their claim. These tools include: * The [Self-Assessment and Learning Tool](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/self-assessment-learning-tool.html?utm_content=2025-05-13_0197&utm_term=SSV), which helps claimants find out if their work is likely to qualify for SR&ED tax incentives and estimate their potential claim amount in about 30 minutes or less; * The SR&ED Client Portal, available within [My Business Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-businesses/business-account.html?utm_content=2025-05-13_0199&utm_term=SSV), which is a secure, one-stop workspace designed to support claimants throughout the claim process. ## Learn about the program * Register for an upcoming [SR&ED webinar](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-support-services/sred-webinars.html?utm_source=Mailbox&utm_medium=External_Email&utm_campaign=No_Signature_Corporate_item+CPB+SRED&utm_content=2024-10-22_0248) on Sept 16, 2025 (English session) * [Contact us](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/contact-sred.html?utm_source=Mailbox&utm_medium=External_Email&utm_campaign=No_Signature_Corporate_item+CPB+SRED&utm_content=2024-10-22_0258) to book a tailored one-on-one outreach session * Refer to our [annual program statistics](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/annual-program-statistics.html) web page for updated 2024 to 2025 program information * Visit our [multimedia gallery](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/multimedia-gallery.html) for infographics, videos, and a podcast feature ## Find out if your work may be eligible * Refer to our eligibility of work [guidelines](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-policies-guidelines/guidelines-eligibility-work-sred-tax-incentives.html) * Use our quick and easy [Self-Assessment and Learning Tool](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/self-assessment-learning-tool.html?utm_source=Mailbox&utm_medium=External_Email&utm_campaign=No_Signature_Corporate_item+CPB+SRED&utm_content=2024-10-22_0254) * Request a [pre-claim consultation](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-support-services/pre-claim-consultation.html?utm_source=Mailbox&utm_medium=External_Email&utm_campaign=No_Signature_Corporate_item+CPB+SRED&utm_content=2024-10-22_0256) for a project that is either in-progress or completed ## Prepare your claim * Follow our [step-by-step guide](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/sred-claim.html?utm_source=Mailbox&utm_medium=External_Email&utm_campaign=No_Signature_Corporate_item+CPB+SRED&utm_content=2024-10-22_0260): how to prepare your claim * Use the [SR&ED Client Portal](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/cra-login-services.html) within My Business Account to start building your claim * [Contact us](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/scientific-research-experimental-development-tax-incentive-program/contact-sred.html?utm_source=Mailbox&utm_medium=External_Email&utm_campaign=No_Signature_Corporate_item+CPB+SRED&utm_content=2024-10-22_0258) to speak to an SR&ED specialist

Join us on Wednesday, May 13th, 2026, at 6:30 PM for a session presented by **Aidan Foster** on using Claude Design, Anthropic's new AI-assisted design tool, to vibe design web user interfaces. **Event Details:** * **Location:** CSI Spadina - 192 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2C2. Viola Desmond room on the 3rd floor * **Date and Time:** May 13, 2026, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM * **Topic:** Experimenting with Claude Design. **Location Note:** This meeting will be held in the **Viola Desmond room on the 3rd floor**. Access will be via the door to the stairs, not the usual main entrance to the basement area. We will send the building access code on the morning of the meetup, via email and chat. **Session Topic:** Claude Design starts as code and grows into design software, the opposite direction of Figma. We'll look at: * Generating a design system from a Figma file * Iterating with the tweaks panel and edit mode * Prototyping UI from existing code and screenshots * Where Claude Design fits alongside Figma and Claude Code **Your Voice Matters:** Got ideas for future presentations or want to be a speaker? Reach out to Pierre or Aidan – we're always looking for speakers and new insights! **Drinks & Discussion:** Stay after the presentation for drinks and more Drupal talk at [Hotel Ocho](https://maps.app.goo.gl/4HF9ooz2Ki9B8o577) **Special Thanks to our Sponsor:** A big shoutout to[ Kalamuna](https://www.kalamuna.com) for providing the CSI space for our meetup. Looking forward to seeing old friends and new faces alike. Let's make this a great meetup for Toronto's Drupal community, going strong since 2006!

Join us this week as a guest to overcome your fear of public speaking and speak with confidence! We hold weekly meetings on Thursday nights to facilitate impromptu speaking, debates, discussions, and prepared speeches to practice our skills and give each other constructive feedback. We are a friendly group of all ages and backgrounds in the GTA, where we help our members and guests in their personal and professional development. We typically meet at the Etobicoke Civic Centre with lots of free visitor parking. You can join us as a guest anytime you want, for as long as you would like, to see what Toastmasters is all about! Come and join us this Thursday to become the best version of you. The theme for this week's meeting is TBD! Join us to practice your improv. speaking skills, debating skills, and to improve your public speaking abilities. If you're interested in attending this meeting, please contact us through our "Contact Us" form on http://goodyeartoastmasters.com/ See you there! ABOUT GOODYEAR TOASTMASTERS \*NOTE\* We are now back in-person at the Etobicoke Civic Centre! Visitor Parking is free. Simply let the Security Person know you're here for a Toastmasters meeting. • Our meetings start at 6:45 PM and lasts for about 2-hours. We suggest you arrive earlier to settle in and network before we begin. • It's free to attend as a guest and you can join us as many times as you would like. For the full access to the Toastmasters Pathways Programme, however, you will need to join as a member and pay a membership fee. • Don't worry about the low attendance numbers on Meetup. Members do not RSVP here. We use the club website instead. Meetup is primarily a place for us to reach out to newcomers such as yourself!

Come join us for a Women in Tech celebration! Beyond Networking is a facilitated experience designed to create exactly that. Women and gender-diverse people in tech (students, early-career professionals, mid-career leaders, founders, recruiters) seated together, working through real stories, sharing real experiences. ​Through a guided case study and intentionally curated tables, you'll hear perspectives from every career stage. The lessons learned the hard way. The advice someone wished they'd had. The moments that actually changed things. ​Two or three rounds. New tables each time. Conversations that go somewhere. ​This is a space to connect, to learn from each other, and to leave feeling a little less alone in your journey and a lot more supported. Spots are limited! Buy your ticket here: https://luma.com/hcub806p Agenda --- Hosted By Ash Srivastava, Organizer Rucha Acharya, Co-Organizer Vikas Poojari, Co-Organizer --- Partners BrainStation Toronto (https://brainstation.io/toronto) Women Techmakers (https://www.technovation.org/women-techmakers/) --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-mississauga-presents-gdg-mississauga-x-women-techmakers-beyond-networking-women-in-tech/.

**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

Join us for a practical, beginner-friendly guide to choosing the right large language model. We’ll compare major models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, talk about when to use hosted APIs versus local models, and break down the tradeoffs around cost, speed, quality, privacy, context windows, coding ability, and reliability. You’ll leave with a clearer mental model for picking an LLM based on your actual use case instead of hype, benchmarks, or brand names. No deep AI background required. LOGISTICS AND PARKING: The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks! The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.

**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.

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

PLEASE NOTE!!! This event will be In-Person for our very 1st Improving collab! If you know the [Columbus Unity group](https://www.meetup.com/columbus-unity-user-group/) location, we'll be at the same place. This is our 1st event and are doing a soft launch with limited attendance. 1st come 1st serve. If you want to be there and we fill up, please email me at [info@thecogg.com](mailto:info@thecogg.com) and I'll be in touch. All street parking is free on Sundays but you can also pay to park in any of the local garages. See image of [parking map here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mr9_LFIggbs-0_Zd3AJTGNqEhgMf2TzQ/view?usp=sharing). \-\-\- On the last Sunday of the month, we're having our usual end-of-the-month social gathering with our GameDev Meetup meeting. There will be announcements and presentations followed by some social networking Let's continue the conversations with good vibes and friends. All are welcomed from all ages and backgrounds to this public event. If we can, we'll be streaming or uploading the video later via our COGG YouTube channel here: [https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams](https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams) (Also please do subscribe if you have not done so!) No game development experience required! If you are interested in doing a 20 minute game development related presentation, please fill out our form online here: [https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1](https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1) Or e-mail us at info@thecogg.com with the following: Your Name, Company/Affiliation, Name of Your Game/Topic, Description, Tech Needs, and Your Contact. Be sure to check out our Discord for real time news updates: [https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ](https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ)

**Total Eclipse of the Chart: School Redistricting Dashboards** In this presentation, we will explore the utilization of maps, sets, and SQL within a Tableau dashboard to help provide “what-if” analyses generated through the use of a mapped dashboard, providing different scenarios and the potential implications of these. While in this use case we are focused on a large school district, the concepts of utilizing existing data to explore the future impacts of modifying different geographic boundaries can be useful to many industries, balancing the mix of maps with visual analytics. **About Our Speaker** Robert Kramer is the Data Systems and State Reporting Coordinator at South Western City Schools in Grove City. He has worked there for 17 years, serving previously in the roles of Data Analyst, Programmer, and Operations Coordinator. Prior to working at South Western, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Pinnacle Data Systems in Groveport. He graduated in 2005 from The University of Toledo with his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics. Robert resides in Obetz with his wife, and their 15 and 12 year-old daughters. He was also just elected to his 3rd four-year term on the Obetz City Council. 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)

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)