SaaS (Software as a Service)

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Paris Baguette on Lane Avenue. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, we will meet at the Slingshot offices at 700 N Hurstbourne Pkwy. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the presentations will begin sharply at 6:30 p.m. Along with an excellent presentation, TEKsystems will provide food. Be sure to RSVP so we know how much food is needed. Afterward, we will go to Brick House Tavern for drinks and food to continue the conversation. The session will also be broadcast at https://twitch.tv/TaleLearnCode. ### Enhancing Cloud Network Security When setting up cloud network security, it is crucial to implement a multi-layered security approach to protect your infrastructure and data. This involves configuring network security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic, ensuring that only legitimate traffic is allowed. Utilizing a centralized firewall for network security policies and threat protection is also essential. Leveraging native security features for continuous monitoring, threat detection, and security analytics can significantly enhance your security posture. By adhering to best practices and regularly reviewing and updating security configurations, organizations can maintain a robust and resilient network security posture in any cloud environment. This talk will give you an in-depth insight into implementing Azure network solutions that significantly strengthen network security posture. Attendees will learn about the critical role of Network Security Groups (NSGs) in controlling traffic to and from Azure resources, ensuring only legitimate traffic is allowed. The utilization of Azure Firewall for centralized network security policies and comprehensive threat protection will also be covered. The session will place strong emphasis on advanced network architecture designs such as micro-segmentation, which creates isolated network segments, significantly reducing the attack surface and limiting lateral movement within the network. By incorporating these sophisticated architecture designs and adhering to best practices, participants will gain invaluable knowledge on how to robustly secure their Azure environments, ultimately enhancing the overall security framework and resilience of their infrastructure.

Interested? Contact Preston Moore k.preston.moore@gmail.com 614-300-5989 ———————————— Engaging in men’s work is the new way to forge friendships while being open-minded to personal growth. Many men experience healthier relationships, personally and professionally, by engaging in this work. Open Men’s Group is a container for men to share vulnerably without receiving judgment or feedback. We believe that emotionally mature, powerful, compassionate, and purpose-driven men will help heal some of society’s deepest wounds. We support the powerful brilliance of men and we are willing to look at, and take full responsibility for, the pain we are also capable of creating – and suffering. We care deeply about men, our families, communities, and the planet. Visit ManKind Project USA to discover more. https://mkpusa.org/

As we step into a new year, many of us are carrying lessons, practices, and questions shaped by the year behind us. The Next Chapter: Looking Back, Leaning Forward is a warm, facilitated vision circle designed to help us pause together, reflect on what truly worked, and imagine what we want to carry forward into what comes next. This is not a talk or presentation. It’s a small, participatory gathering focused on shared reflection, sense-making, and connection. **Together, we’ll explore:** * What supported you over the past year — in your work, leadership, or life * What you’re ready to leave behind * What you want next January’s version of yourself to be saying To support reflection in different ways, we’ll also have optional art materials available for anyone who would like to create a simple artifact for their year — a visual or tactile reminder of what they’re carrying forward. We’ll provide basic art supplies such as colored pencils, markers, paint pens, and small canvases. If you enjoy working with collage or other media, you’re warmly invited to bring magazines, stickers, or your favorite creative materials to use or share. Participation in the creative portion is completely optional. You don’t need a plan, goals, or polished answers. Curiosity, honesty, and listening are more than enough. The intention is for everyone to leave feeling grounded, refreshed, and inspired — with a clearer sense of what matters to them and how we can support one another as a community. Space is intentionally limited to keep the experience intimate. ⸻ **What to Expect** * A small, welcoming circle (not a large meetup) * Structured conversation so everyone has space to speak * Reflection, listening, and lived experience — not advice-giving * Optional creative reflection using simple art materials * A calm, supportive environment ⸻ **Who This Is For** Women and underrepresented folks working in or around agile, product, technology, leadership, or organizational change — especially those looking for thoughtful conversation and community beyond frameworks and buzzwords. ⸻ **Good to Know** * No preparation required * Participation is invitational; listening is always welcome * Creative activities are optional — you can simply listen and reflect * You’re welcome to bring your own collage or craft materials if you’d like * Location details will be shared with registered attendees

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!

We are recruiting new group leaders for virtual men's groups! Our primary groups are outdoor movement groups, but we are launching virtual groups for the state of Ohio and beyond and the groups will move outside in the spring, creating room for men's groups, women's groups and coed groups all over the country. Read below to learn about our groups and click the links at the bottom to apply. ### **What is an Outdoor Empowerment Group?** Our Outdoor Movement & Community Empowerment Groups are simple, guided experiences designed to help people reconnect with nature, themselves, and others. We combine some form of movement (hike, walk, run, bike, yoga, workout) and meaningful conversation within a simple community circle to create a space where individuals can support each other while prioritizing mental and physical well-being. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, personal growth, or community, our groups offer everyone a unique and welcoming environment. ## **Why Join?** * **Improve Mental & Physical Well-Being** – Movement, nature, and supportive conversations reduce stress and promote balance. * **Feel Less Alone** – Build genuine connections with like-minded people in a safe, welcoming space. * **Gain Clarity & Perspective** – Step outside daily routines and into a space designed for personal growth and reflection. ## **The Ideal Group Leader** The ideal group leader * Has a born-in passion for mental health, movement, connecting with nature and building community. * Has 5 extra hours per week to dedicate to a meaningful cause for at least one year. Yes, you can leave any organization at any time and we can also ask you to leave, but we are building with legacy in mind and we need people who can commit and be ALL IN on this mission to build with us. * Is independently financially stable with the ability to volunteer with no expectation of pay. This is a deeply beautiful journey of service that all participants commit to at Speak Your Mind. * An ability to manage groups with high emotional intelligence and desire for human connection. * An ability to self-motivate and market/promote their group on Facebook and other social platforms. * Nature informed therapy or clinical therapists/psychologists a plus. ## **Our Impact**  Since launching, we have helped thousands find support, connection, and healing through our Outdoor Movement Groups. 100% of participants surveyed have reported: * A noticeable improvement in mental clarity and emotional well-being. * An increase in social connection and a sense of belonging. * Said they would return again. We believe mental health should be accessible, community-driven, and rooted in nature. Join us and take the first step toward a more connected, grounded, and supported version of yourself. ### **Why Our Groups are Donation-Based** Our Outdoor Movement Groups are made possible through a donation-based model. This approach allows us to keep our events accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances, while also ensuring that we can continue expanding our reach. It’s a great way to pay it forward and support the growth of this beautiful mission! Every contribution helps us: * **Cover Essential Costs** – Donations allow us to pay essential legal, marketing, insurance, and admin costs as well as nourish the important people who run the organization. * **Grow Our Mission** – With your support, we can bring these healing experiences to thousands more people in the future and execute our long term plan to expand across the USA, affecting up to 500,000 people per year. By choosing to contribute, you’re not just leading an event—you’re helping build a mental health movement that supports long-term well-being and connection for all during a severe mental health epidemic. ## **Come Join Us!** We’d love to have you be part of this growing community of people prioritizing their mental health, movement, and connection. 🔹 **Visit Our Website to Learn More:** https://speakyourmind.men/joinusoutside 🔹 **Apply Here to Lead Your Own Group!** – https://form.jotform.com/taketimespeakyourmind/sym-group-leader-application 🔹 **Support the mission**: If you resonate with the mission and want to support, feel free to join a group before applying or donate to help us reach our goals to help more people! You can donate here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/angels-for-angels/speak-your-mind Please text Mario with any questions: (808) 855-8831

Are you passionate about supporting other men on their mental health journey? We’re building a movement of virtual and in-person men’s groups across Ohio — and we’re looking for group leaders who want to make a real difference with us. As a group leader, you’ll create a safe space where men can connect, reflect, and grow together. Training and support are provided — you just need heart, presence, and a willingness to lead. **Apply now to lead a group in your area:** 👉 https://form.jotform.com/taketimespeakyourmind/sym-group-leader-application Speak Your Mind is a mental health non profit dedicated to bringing our community together to end the isolation that leads to mental struggle and suicide. Learn more about them here: https://linktr.ee/taketimespeakyourmind

❄️ **Spare Yourself a Boring Winter - Bowl With Us!** Avoid social hibernation this winter, join our **6-week social bowling league** starting in January! Whether you're looking to unwind after work, meet new people, or just have a fun night out with pals, this league is perfect for everyone! Chill times, cold drinks, and plenty of chances to connect with others. No matter your skill level, this league is all about having fun and meeting new friends. **;)** **🗓 Thursday evenings \|📍 AMF Sawmill Lanes \| 💵 $74 w/ code MUCOW26** **💻 League Info & Registration**: https://bit.ly/ColumbusBowling **Why Join?** 🎉 It’s only 6 weeks - perfect for a low-commitment social plan 🍻 Great mix of people in their 20s-40s, plus post-game hangs at the bar 🎳 Zero pressure - gutter balls totally welcome! 👕 Free league shirt if you sign up early 🧠 Weekly trivia w/ prizes 💬 Super social - join solo or w/ friends! **Want in?** Join our Meetup team Spare Me 👉 **Click here to join** https://tinyurl.com/249zqb6d Or start a team of your own with a few friends - we’ll all be hanging out either way! 📅 League Dates (Thursday evenings): Jan 22, Jan 29, Feb 5, Feb 12, Feb 19, Feb 26 ***(The MeetUp event date is deadline to register for the league.)*** **Cost & What’s Included:** ✔ $74 with discount code MUCOW26 ✔ 6 weeks of bowling (1–3 games/week) ✔ Shoe rentals & full league setup ✔ Trivia, prizes, and great people 👉 **SIGN UP NOW** 💻League Info & Registration: https://bit.ly/ColumbusBowling 🤑Use promo code MUCOW26 to save $20 📸 Follow the fun on Instagram: https://bit.ly/BowlingLeague-IG 📩 Questions? Contact the league: http://bit.ly/2nKHno7 Spots are filling fast – don’t miss out on the fun times!

**Click <<[here](https://online.innerengineering.com/en/program-details/yogasanas-cityprogram-staybridge-suites-columbus-university-area-ohio-us-jan-17-2026)\>\> to register\.** **[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZdcGKUQufU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZdcGKUQufU)** **Yogasanas** **Yogasanas are offered as a set of powerful postures to transform the body and the mind into a possibility for ultimate well-being. They are not taught merely for physical fitness and strength, but are a way of aligning the inner system to the celestial geometry, becoming in sync with the existence, thereby naturally achieving a state of health, joy and bliss.** **"Your physical health, your psychological wellbeing, and your spiritual possibility depend on how well aligned you are with existence. Essentially, hatha yoga is towards establishing this alignment." - Sadhguru** **Benefits of practicing Yogasanas regularly:** * **Stabilization of the body, mind, and energy system** * **Slows down the aging process** * **Relief of chronic health conditions** **Agility Level: Intermediate** **For ages 14+** **Open to everyone, no previous experience of yoga required**

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

2026 may be the last year many developers write code by hand. We need coding agents to solve complex problems in production codebases, but vibe coding alone won’t get us there. Vibe coding is all gas, no brakes. It burns up the context window until the agent slips on its own slop. You can go fast at first, but the more you stuff into the context window, the more tangled its outputs get. While the industry is rapidly increasing code generation speed, we still have to understand, review, merge, and maintain what gets shipped. This talk featuring Michael Geiger will outline how coding agents (Claude Code + Gas Town) work and a framework for orchestrating them to solve complicated problems in complex codebases. It’s about steering the model: doing the research to align intent, planning the approach up front, implementing in parallel steps, and breaking early. Human judgment still matters, but it should be spent on high-leverage decisions: what to build, what to forbid, and “what is quality?”, not cleaning up slop. Attendees will leave with a checklist to identify workflow and environment gaps that hold agents back, so you and your team can ship higher-quality software starting tomorrow.

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - Azure CBUS - Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint DevOps Columbus, Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. \#\#\# What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time \#\#\# Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐

**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 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

* Who Can Attend * The Central Ohio .Net Developers Group meetings are free and open to the public! All developers; professional, student, and hobbiest are welcome and encouraged to attend. * When we meet * The Central Ohio .Net Developers Group meets on the 4th Thursday of every month. * Where we meet * Please check our Meetup group link below for location details! * Join our Meetup Group * https://www.meetup.com/Central-Ohio-NET-Developers-Group-CONDG/

**NEW LOCATION: 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). For this first meeting of the year, we will be reviewing submissions for the Your Program is Hideous and Obfuscated Challenge (YPHOC). Submissions for this challenge are due by January 12th, 2026. The details can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13zbxwElpJqPMuAN4Ele2hUgsqtFKzH3OCTL5NEeiLKQ or on our website http://www.cohpy.org 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 centralohpython@gmail.com