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"Atlassian’s recent global research, 96% of organisations reported no tangible benefit from their AI initiatives" https://www.forbes.com.au/news/innovation/why-perspective-not-perception-is-key-in-a-world-of-ai \-\-\-\- We've had SDLC, agile and now AI ... yet projects seem to take longer than ever to complete. What we do know is that the faster we complete project the greater the value we deliver. The real question we need to understand as project managers is 'how do we best leverage AI to accelerate delivery?'. Tonight - we will dive into that question. We will have a presenter sharing what one organisation has done to uplift AI skills across their workforce, implement AI Agents, and benefits that brings. We will then expand to a panel to have a much longer conversation about how we as project managers can use AI to accelerate our delivery across the delivery lifecycle. Our speakers for this evening: **Andrew Mair** Andrew will help us set the scene this evening. He will share insights from leading recent implementations of AI and AI Agents and reflect on their impact on the people, process and policy implications for the organisation. We'll then step into a broader panel conversation where we have a range of panelists tease apart key ideas. * Andrew Mair Andrew is a leader in the technology space and has been leading the creation and adotption of AI initiatives across several different clients. He brings exprerience across Government and commercial roles including expertise in digital strategy and delivery, and is expert at bridging the gaps between business, IT and customers. * Neha Rahaman Neha is a Partner and Head of Delivery at Fabric Group, where she leads large-scale digital transformation and delivery programs for enterprise clients. With extensive experience in building high-performing product teams and modern delivery practices, Neha focuses on helping organisations accelerate outcomes through better operating models, automation, and emerging technologies such as AI. In this panel, she will share practical insights on how AI can enhance delivery efficiency, improve quality, and enable teams to move from traditional project execution to faster, product-led value delivery. * Events like this cannot occur without the support of sponsors. Tonight, we are delighted to welcome a new sponsor to our group - Fabric Group. Fabric Group is a collective of passionate technology professionals focused on delivering bespoke software solutions for our clients. With deep expertise in strategy, design, and software engineering with a distinctive design-thinking approach, to solve complex business challenges and drive measurable outcomes.

**Event Confirmation Form!** ➡️ We kindly request you fill out this **event confirmation form** to confirm your attendance for the event and your dietary requirements - [https://forms.gle/c3M42MHZD8EvYoaf9](https://forms.gle/c3M42MHZD8EvYoaf9) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ## **What's On? 👀** **Panel:** AppSec in the age of AI **Speakers:** * Tim Thacker - Co-Founder & CTO @ Nullify * Paul Theriault - Senior Security Architect @ Atlassian * TBC **Abstract:** From automated security coding reviewers to promises of fully automated AppSec engineers, AppSec arguably is one of the happening spaces of cybersecurity when it comes to AI. But what's hype and what's the reality? In this panel we not only explore that question but we also share first hand experiences of organisations evolving their AppSec programs in the age of AI, from the wins and the failures, to the workflows that actually stuck. Our panelists bring perspectives from across the trenches: security engineers embedding AI into code review pipelines, product security teams rethinking what "shift left" means when developers have AI copilots, and leaders navigating the uncomfortable truth that AI can both accelerate your defences and your attackers. Whether you're just beginning to explore AI-powered security tooling or are already knee-deep in the implementation, this panel will cut through the noise and give you a grounded, practitioner-first view of where AI in AppSec stands today and where it's actually headed. ## **!!! New Location** 📍 EY Melbourne 8 Exhibition St Melbourne VIC 3000 ## **Agenda ⏰** * 5:30 - Food is served * 6:15 - Session start * 7:30 - Post-event networking \-\-\- Note: Please complete the event confirmation form: [https://forms.gle/c3M42MHZD8EvYoaf9](https://forms.gle/c3M42MHZD8EvYoaf9)

\*\*New Cuban Courses will commence Tuesday 20th January\*\* Rueda de Casino – is a progressive Cuban-style salsa class and a fun way to learn salsa. Its fast paced, danced in a circle and changing partners flowing from one partner to the next Cuban Salsa (Rueda) BEGINNER LEVEL 7.00pm - 8.00pm This course is for absolute beginner to beginner plus students. The first 4 weeks we will cover Cuban Salsa fundamentals, Cuban Flow body movement and basic Cuban steps. The last 2 weeks we will use moves and steps learnt in a progressive wheel (Rueda) pattern. This class can only be purchased as a 6 week course. Course cost $120 For course bookings email gabby@melbournesalsa.com.au *** Cuban Salsa (Rueda) INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 8.00pm - 9.00pm During this 6 week course, you will learn complicated Cuban turns, Rueda dynamics, team patterns and different formations, executing the moves by the caller and dancing in sync at a faster pace. Must have completed 2 x Beg Level Rueda courses before entering Intermedaite level. This class can be purchased as a 6 week course or can be attended casually. Casual $25 (cash or eft pos) Course cost $120 For course bookings email gabby@melbournesalsa.com.au *** These Courses will be held at the Melbourne Salsa studio 1/326 Smith Street Collingwood (Rear entrance via laneway off Bedford street) FREE Parking is available above Woolworths - 2 min walk to our studio. For more details call Melbourne Salsa on 95312023 or email info@melbournesalsa.com.au

**[Are you ready for the AI Era?](https://jiangren.com.au/events/69a92a568c89114b4ddc39bc?source=Angela)** Join us at the **Bupa Global Headquarters** in Melbourne for an exclusive, free career meetup designed specifically for international students and early-career professionals. As AI reshapes industries, technical skills alone are no longer enough. What are top-tier companies like **Qantas, Canva, ANZ, and Bupa** actually looking for? How do you build long-term competitiveness before you even graduate? We will dive deep into **AI Trends, Career Development, and Holistic Wellness** to help you map out a future that is both successful and sustainable. ### **🚀 Why Attend?** * **Direct Access to Industry Insiders:** Hear from experts at **Qantas, 7-Eleven, ANZ, and Bupa** about how AI is changing their internal workflows and hiring criteria. * **Authentic Career Advice:** Move beyond the classroom. Learn about the real-world demand for skills in the Australian job market. * **Exclusive Referral Network:** Gain access to our private recruitment groups for job alerts and internal referral opportunities. * **Networking & Refreshments:** Connect with speakers and like-minded peers. **Free Bubble Tea and gifts** provided by **Fantuan Delivery** (Limited supply!). ### **🎤 Featured Speakers** * **Long Zhao:** Full-stack Lead with 10+ years of experience (React, Node.js, Python). Veteran of multiple tech giants and expert in team leadership. * **Patrick:** Solutions Architect with 12+ years in the AU IT industry. Expert in Azure, DevOps, and end-to-end enterprise solutions for Finance and Insurance. * **Vesna Kovacevic:** Senior Manager at **ANZ** (Home & Investment Lending). Over a decade of leadership experience in financial services and business growth. * **Surprise Guest:** A mystery leader from **Bupa** will be revealed live at the event! ### **📍 Event Details** * **Date:** Tuesday, 17 March 2026 * **Time:** 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM AEDT * **Location:** Ground Floor, 33 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000 (Bupa Office) ### **📝 IMPORTANT: How to Register** **Tickets on Eventbrite are for expression of interest only.** To secure your spot and receive the entry QR code, you **MUST** complete your registration on our official portal. **[👉 Click Here to Complete Official Registration](https://jiangren.com.au/events/69a92a568c89114b4ddc39bc "https://www.google.com/search?q=https://your-official-website-link.com")** *Please ensure you provide your **Full Name, Phone Number, and Email Address** during registration to comply with building security requirements.* ### **👥 Who Should Join?** * **University Students:** Especially those in CS, Data, Engineering, or Business. * **Aspiring Tech Professionals:** Anyone looking to enter Fintech, HealthTech, or general Tech sectors. * **Future Leaders:** Those who want to understand high-level industry shifts beyond just coding. #### 🎁 Event Speakers \*\*[Vesna Kovacevic](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vesna-kovacevic-39299213b/)\*\*​ – Senior Manager, Home and Investment Lending at ANZ With over a decade of front-line management and lending advisory experience in Australia’s financial services sector, she has long focused on providing clients with professional mortgage and investment financing solutions. Vesna has served multiple times as an ANZ branch manager and previously managed sales and team operations at Telstra, bringing deep expertise in client service and business gro \*\*[Patrick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickzhaomel/)\*\*​ holds a Master's degree from the University of Melbourne and brings twelve years of IT experience in Australia. Currently serving as a Solutions Architect at MMS, he specializes in end-to-end enterprise solutions, leveraging Azure and DevOps to empower industries such as finance and insurance. He is also a regular speaker and active contributor in the technology community. \*\*[Long Zhao](https://www.linkedin.com/in/long-zhao-32a96916a/)\*\*​ excels at translating client needs and user expectations into interactive web applications. As an Engineering Lead and full-stack JavaScript specialist, he is the founder of Melfish and brings over 9 years of experience. He is committed to delivering scalable digital platforms spanning travel, e‑commerce, and AI‑driven products. **📝 Admission is free, but registration is required!** ### **📅 Who Should Attend?** This focused meetup is especially ideal for current students who fit the following descriptions: * Students majoring in **Computer Science, Data, Engineering, Business, or related fields**—excited about the future but also feeling unsure. * Those who **aspire to enter cutting-edge fields like technology, FinTech, or HealthTech**, but are unclear on how to prepare. * Proactive learners eager to **move beyond textbooks**​ and understand the real-world challenges and opportunities within industries. ### **🌟 Key Advantages** * **First-hand Industry Insights**: Hear directly from **internal experts at Bupa, ANZ, 7-Eleven, and Qantas**​ about real business needs and hiring perspectives. * **Clear Actionable Guide**: Focused on \*\*"How students can plan ahead,"\*\*​ providing a practical, step-by-step path to build your competitiveness. * **Cross-Sector Intel**: Gain insights into trends across **technology, finance, and healthcare**​ in one session, broadening your career horizons. **Sign up now and join us! Connect face-to-face with industry leaders and get a head start on your career journey.** ## **Join our event group for real-time updates!** ### **👥 Organizer Introduction** #### ★ **JR Academy** Founded in August 2017 and headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, JR Academy is an internet technology education company. Through its media matrix, online training platforms, and career service platforms, it provides a one-stop solution for Chinese international students—offering lifestyle guidance, IT training, and career information services. Starting with IT and business courses, JR Academy has expanded its influence among the student community and established an Australian job platform, successfully helping over 6,000 students secure job offers. Empowering education with technology, JR Academy is committed to helping international students navigate overseas life efficiently and with clarity. #### ★Bupa We are a health and care company dedicated to helping our customers live longer, healthier, and happier lives, and to creating a better world. We offer a wide range of services, including aged and retirement care, dental, optical, health insurance, and community health initiatives, aimed at enhancing the overall health and well-being of Australians. #### ★ANZ ANZ is one of the leading banking and financial services groups in Australia and New Zealand, providing comprehensive banking and financial solutions to over 8.5 million retail and commercial customers across nearly 30 markets. As one of the oldest banking groups in Australia, ANZ is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of individuals, businesses, and communities through sound governance, professional financial services, and people‑centric values, driving long‑term prosperity in the region. #### ★FANTUAN DELIVERY Fantuan Delivery is an overseas food delivery platform dedicated to Asian cuisine and lifestyle services. Founded in 2014, it currently operates in Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other regions, offering food delivery, pickup, errand services, grocery and fresh produce delivery, and more. With a Chinese-language interface and support for multiple payment methods, Fantuan is well-regarded among Chinese communities for its fast delivery, attractive promotions, and localized taste offerings

Event Organizers Wanted for this group. Let us know what it is you wish to Organize from time to time. RSVP yes for this meetup or contact the groups Organizer.

Why do we find it hard to make money, while others are flourishing and prospering? Is it just that some were born lucky? No. Do some people just have a natural talent? No. It comes down to the art of communication. One's ability to communicate will determine how successful one will be, not only in business, but life as a whole. We will be covering different avenues of communication, and what you can do to bring change to your life. ------- The talk will go for roughly 45 mins, give or take. We will then proceed to do a Personality Test which will really break down what areas in your life you are lacking in, and can then get the appropriate tools to assist you.

What the #%\*@ is impact? In a world where corporations are judged on their social impact nations unite over goals for environmental sustainability and happiness is considered as a rival metric for a country’s GDP– organisations need to measure the impact their organisation has on the real-world, not just their own bottom line. But what even IS impact? Is it important for companies that don’t have social or environmental goals? How do you measure it? This workshop will first introduce the concept of Impact, followed by a dive into how it’s defined and measured around the world in a dozen different domains and ultimately how we might apply it to produce products that pack a punch. **Our facilitator** [JJ Monester](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjmonester/) works as an Associate Product Manager for the non-profit news media company, The Conversation International, a company which democratises knowledge by bridging the gap between academic research and the general public. Having worked on products where providing evidence of Impact to customers is fundamental, he has gone deep into the complex and nuanced world of understanding what frameworks attempt to achieve. Grokking organisational impact is an area of learning JJ could get lost in, and possibly already has :-). As an area that he is spending time on in his day to day, yet still feeling like he’s a beginner, he’s very much looking forward to sharing what’s he learning and getting deeper into the concepts alongside you all. Let’s have fun together. Our wonderful sponsors; [Revity](https://www.linkedin.com/company/revity-group/): Revity helps startups, scaleups and established organisations deliver product-led quality software outcomes. We partner with businesses to build high-performing teams, uplift engineering capability, and deliver product outcomes that last beyond the project.From applied AI and mobile apps to global expansion and customer lifecycle platforms, we focus on practical, scalable solutions that drive business value.At Revity, we don’t just deliver projects, we empower teams to learn by doing, so organisations grow stronger with every engagement. [Amplitude](https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplitude-analytics/): We help companies build better products\. \| We help companies unlock the power of their products\. • Join the team: [http://amplitude.com/careers](http://amplitude.com/careers) • Join the community: [http://community.amplitude.com](http://community.amplitude.com/) • Join our user groups: [https://community.amplitude.com/p/groups](https://community.amplitude.com/p/groups)

**2026 BRUNSWICK FREE SALSA CLASS,** **CUBAN SALSA & RUEDA DE CASINO CLASSES** **\- NOW OPEN \-** with **BACHATA** included in a **shared MONTHLY program** **EVERY WEDNESDAY** at: **BRUNSWICK UNITING CHURCH HALL** 214 Sydney Rd, Brunswick **\* Church Hall entrance is on Merri Street,** Walk up the car driveway on the left side of the church, Enter through the metal fence gate The Hall is directly ahead **EVERY WEDNESDAY** **6.30PM - LEARN SALSA for FREE!** **INTRODUCTION TO SALSA CLASS** \- This session is a full class & have been opened to the community\, to give anyone interested in learning Salsa to come try for **FREE**! \* This is a complete class. \- Learn the Salsa basics for free with no pressure to stay on to do the pay lesson\. \- Once you have learnt the main basics\, we partner you up and show both ladies and men how to dance their steps together\, with the men how to lead and the ladies how to follow\. \- By the end of the 6\.30PM Free Salsa Session\, you will already be able to Salsa! **This Free Salsa class is open to anyone wishing to give Salsa a try!** ***with:*** \* Easy to follow, step by step breakdown of the main basics \* Learn at your own pace \* Come as often as you like to make your Salsa basics strong \* No pressure to stay on to do any of the pay lessons \* No partner or dance experience required! \* All welcome - bring your friends & enjoy a fun night of learning to Salsa! **AFTER THE FREE CLASS?** If you enjoyed the Free class & wish to take your dancing to the next level, the free class is followed by the main Cuban Salsa Beginner class (Beginner to improver level). **2026 BRUNSWICK** **WEDNESDAY PROGRAM:** **\* 6.30PM - INTRODUCTION TO SALSA BASICS (Free Session)** \- GET STARTED WITH LEARNING THE SALSA BASICS\! \* This is a complete class \* Easy to follow, step by step breakdown of the main basics \- This session prepares you for the main Cuban Salsa Beginner lesson that follows after. **\- INTERVAL** - **REGISTRATION** with **Dance Practice** **\*\* 7.30PM - 8.30PM** **BEGINNER CUBAN SALSA (Main Class)** *Cuban Salsa (Beginner to Improver Level)* \- ALL students joining this part of the Beginner class are expected to know their Salsa basic steps **Total Beginner Class with free class: 1 hour & 30 Minutes)** followed by the **NEW SHARED MONTHLY PROGRAM:** =============================== **\*\* CUBAN SALSA NIGHTS ONLY \*\*** **HELD every 1ST & 3RD WEEK of every MONTH** **\- ON 5 WEEK MONTHS – this is on the 1ST\, 3RD & 4TH weeks** (\* No Bachata on these days) **8.30PM - 10.00PM** **CUBAN SALSA INTERMEDIATE** (Cuban Salsa & Rueda De Casino) \- Ideal for students who are confident with their Beginner steps and turns. This level will extend your Salsa dancing to the next level. =============================== **\*\*\* BACHATA & CUBAN SALSA NIGHTS \*\*\*** **\- Held** on the **2ND** & **LAST WEEK** of every **MONTH** **8.30PM – 9.30PM** **BACHATA** *(Beginner to Improver)* followed by **9.30PM – 10.30PM** **INTERMEDIATE** **CUBAN SALSA & RUEDA DE CASINO** (\* Normal 1 HOUR CLASS) \- Ideal for students who are confident with their Beginner steps and turns. This level will extend your dancing to the next level. **CLASS COST:** **CASUAL/DROP-IN ATTENDANCE:** **\*\* CUBAN SALSA ONLY NIGHTS\*\*** – Intermediate Salsa (1.5hrs) - $25/class \* Beginner Salsa Class – $20 **\* DO BOTH** Beginner Salsa Class & Intermediate Cuban Salsa (1.5hr) Class – Only $35 **\*\* BACHATA & CUBAN SALSA NIGHTS\*\*** \- On 2nd & last Week of every month ANY MAIN 1 HR CLASS – $20 **\* DO ANY 2 MAIN CLASSES** – Only $30 **\* DO ALL 3 MAIN CLASSES** on the night – $35 (Beginner Salsa, Bachata & Intermediate Salsa) **PAYMENT OPTIONS:** \* **CASH** recommended to avoid Eftpos sees \* **EFTPOS** \- Visa or Mastercard accepted – Please note – there is a 1.9% surcharge when using Visa or MC credit cards \* Please note: We do not accept Diners & American Express cards **CLOTHING & SHOES:** Comfortable casual clothing. Best shoes are low or flat smooth sole shoes when starting, like leather sole shoes. Avoid sandals, open toe shoes. Avoid high heels when starting to avoid injury Avoid track shoes or runners as these grip the floor and can interfere with your stepping and turns **MEDICAL:** Anyone with breathing problems, heart conditions, knee, back or shoulder injuries and who are taking prescribed medication, please consult with your doctor first before joining any classes. **COVID PROTOCOLS:** \* If you have flu like symptoms or feeling unwell, please do not any attend any classes \* If you are a first contact, as a precaution, pls do not attend any classes until after 7 days of negative tests \* Sanitise hands frequently *We look forward to having you join us!*

Hi Architects, Welcome to our next AWS Melbourne Well-Architected User Group Meetup for 2026, including more exceptional speakers and topics! :-D At each meetup we covered off various pillars in detail, best-practices and insights from industry leaders that specialise in the Well-Architected Framework. And giving away drones, of course. Lots of drones. We’ll be updating throughout the month with more speakers and our speakers so far this month include: * **Andrew Goifeld, Co-founder, Resilera** **“Truly Well-Architected Reliability, the agentic way”** What is the boundary between effort and cost of reliability? Andrew will discuss how in the future, using chatbot with LLM inference will be too expensive. We will demonstrate current and future approaches to reliability on AWS. * **Mystery Speaker** **From hype to disappointment to light at the end of the tunnel; An Agentic AI Journey** In this case study talk, we'll go through all the highs and lows of architecting and building AI Agents using all your favourite tools and what we discovered along the way. This month's menu will include: * Pizzas * Beer: Nastro Azzurro * Wine: Big and red 🤤 NB: Please check in up the stairs from the ground floor to the Mezzanine Level. So come join us at 5:30 for a 6pm **SHARP** start, followed by beer, wine, pizza and friendly networking after our talks :-)

Never been to one of our meet-ups before? Been a member for a while or just joined? Either way this is the social for you! Once a month we hold a special meet-up to welcome in new members. Regulars are encouraged to attend and help new members have a fun night out! Our monthly “newbie” social is an opportunity to learn about our groups, events held and resources to help members. More importantly it is an opportunity to meet others going through separation & divorce in a safe and friendly environment. We can all learn from each other, but the primary aim of the socials is to enjoy ourselves! Our socials are hosted by members of the Divorce Support & Social Group and the Melbourne Divorce Support Group. We pay for own food and drinks individually. On Wednesday nights the Royal Melbourne has $20 pizza and pasta specials. Great food and great company. We hope to see you!

Hack night is now known as Coding Night!! Let's get together and share what we are working on! This is a combined GDG Melbourne/Flutter Melbourne/CocoaHeads coding night. Members of all three groups will be attending. So only select to ATTEND on one of these groups event pages (not all of them) ! Coding Night is all about everyone learning, collaborating, sharing tips, tricks and very few (if any) presentations. Bring your laptop and a project you are working on or need help with, you can even bring your resume to get advice! Everyone is welcome to our all-ages alcohol-free event. Hosted in a professional environment to allow you to work on your project. Get help from industry experts who are on hand to help you out. Make sure you have your IDE (e.g. Android Studio) of choice already downloaded and installed and something you want to learn or work on. Doors open at 5:45 PM at our host the Mantel Group, Level 2/452 Flinders St Melbourne. Message via Meetup or Slack if you are arriving after 6:00 as the lifts won't let you up. The event will wrap up at 8:30. This is an in-person only event. If you have any accessibility requirements please reach out via the Meetup or Slack to the organiser group to discuss and we will do our best to help you out. Agenda --- Hosted By Katie Barnett, GDE Android / GDG Organiser Katie is passionate about all things Android. She has taken on a wide variety of challenging projects including in the live event, media and travel space. Her favourite thing is to see someone having a delightful experience using something she has worked on. Katie is very active in the development community, she is a Google Developer Expert for Android, one of the organisers of GDG Melbourne and is a Women Techmakers Ambassador. She frequently runs events, speaks on technical and non-technical topics and enjoys writing blog posts to share her experience with others. Katie is based in Melbourne, Australia but loves to travel the world and outside of tech she enjoys boardgaming and attempting to finish many craft projects. Suesi Tran, Senior Flutter Developer Google Developer Expert in Dart, Flutter & Firebase, Women Techmaker Melbourne ambassador, GDG Melbourne & Flutter Melbourne co-organiser. In short: Flutter is love, and mobile is life. Poornima Sivakumar, GDG Organiser Lovee Jain, GDG Organiser Lovee is a Software Engineer at Prezzee, a GDG Melbourne Organiser and also a Women Techmakers Ambassador. A tech inquisitive philomath, she loves problem solving and solution design. She has worked at a city council where she developed a lot of useful system integrations and while at Prezzee she develops and works on multiple gift card solutions to cater the B2B2C market. Zach Jensz, GDG Organiser Passionate about the web, seamless UX and accessibility. I love attending meetups, find me and come say hi! Ujjawal Raj, GDG Organiser Bramley Turner-Jones, GDG Organiser Yuba Raj (UV) Panta, GDG Cloud Organiser Kartik Arora, Android Engineer Google Developer Expert in Android Android Engineer @ Bilue Carolyn Ai Chi Wong, Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-melbourne-presents-gdg-melbourne-march-coding-night-1/.

Thursday Futsal in Footscray! ⚽⚽⚽ 5-a-side Futsal (indoor soccer), played on an indoor pitch. Cost: $10 (pre-pay) 10 players min/max. Court booked for 1 hour. RSVPs only please. Normal Runners/Sneakers or Futsal shoes are fine (no studs). Location: Victoria University Footscray Park Campus - 3rd Floor (court 3), Corner of Ballarat rd and Geelong rd, Footscray (near the Flemington Racecourse). Located in Footscray, which is just 5km from the CBD. Plenty of Parking available. Also serviced by public transport. It is a 15 min walk from Footscray train station. https://www.vu.edu.au/campuses/footscray-park Refund Policy: Please be aware that if for some reason you cannot attend, that you provide at least 24 hours notice to allow a sufficient replacement. Failure to not attend or withdraw in a timely manner will lead to removal from the group. https://youtu.be/iF65zrwsIaY

Hello everyone! Join us for an Apache Kafka® x Apache Flink® x Apache Iceberg® meetup on **Mar 18th from 5:30PM**, hosted by intelia in Melbourne! The address, agenda, and speaker information can be found below. See you there! **Venue**: intelia L3, 31 Queen St, Melbourne 3000 IMPORTANT: Please note that for security purposes, all attendees are required to sign in at the lobby to get into the building. \*\*\* **Agenda:** * 5:30pm: Doors open * 5:30pm - 6:00pm: Pizza, Drinks, and Networking * 6:00pm - 6:30pm: Olena Kutsenko, Staff Developer Advocate, Confluent * 6:30pm - 7:00pm: Paras Sitoula, Technical Lead, Tabcorp * 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Additional Networking \*\*\* **Speaker:** Olena Kutsenko, Staff Developer Advocate, Confluent **Talk:** Keeping data private in real-time pipelines **Abstract:** We all love real-time data — clicks, payments, rides, messages — but most of it comes with a catch: it contains personal information we're not supposed to leak, such as names, emails, locations, or even small clues that can identify someone. The challenge: how do we keep streaming data useful and safe at the same time? In this talk, we'll explore practical ways to protect privacy in streaming systems using Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, and Apache Iceberg. We'll cover: - simple tricks like masking and tokenizing PII; - why "anonymous" data often isn't anonymous (the re-identification problem); - techniques like bucketing, k-anonymity, and adding noise; - how to balance privacy with data utility (too much hiding makes data useless). Along the way, we'll look at real-world stories: from public data leaks to surprising deanonymization attacks, and show live demos of pipelines that anonymize data before it's written to storage. If you've ever wondered how to build privacy-aware pipelines, this talk will give you practical patterns you can use right away. **Bio:** Olena is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven. A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers. As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community. \-\-\-\-\- **Speaker:** Paras Sitoula, Technical Lead, Tabcorp **Talk:** Building an AI Agent on Kafka — Architectural Realities Beyond the Demo **Abstract:** Large Language Models make it deceptively easy to build an “AI agent”: consume an event, call a model, produce a decision. But when this pattern is introduced into a high-throughput streaming system built on Apache Kafka, the architectural assumptions begin to shift. Kafka is optimized for predictable scaling, low latency, and deterministic event processing. LLM-based agents, by contrast, introduce seconds-level latency, per-call cost, rate limits, and non-deterministic outputs. What appears straightforward in a demo can quickly create consumer lag, cost escalation, replay inconsistencies, and new operational failure modes in production. In this session, we will: * Build a simple event-driven AI agent on Kafka * Examine the architectural tension between streaming systems and LLM workloads * Explore the impact of latency, cost-per-event, backpressure, and rate limiting * Discuss how non-determinism affects replay and auditability * Present practical design patterns to isolate and control AI workloads in streaming environments Rather than focusing on prompt engineering, this talk takes a systems-design perspective. It is aimed at engineers and architects who are experimenting with AI in real-time platforms and want to understand the production trade-offs before deploying at scale. **Bio** Paras is a seasoned software/date engineer with significant experience in developing and optimizing realtime scalable systems. At Tabcorp, Paras leads a high-performing team, developing and optimizing real-time transaction monitoring systems utilizing technologies like Apache Kafka and Neo4j. With a robust background in both real-time and batch data processing, Paras has extensive experience across various platforms and tools, including AWS, Databricks, and Spark, which he leverages to deliver high-performance data solutions. \*\*\* If you would like to speak or host our next event please let us know! community@[confluent.io](http://confluent.io/)

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **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

**💥 Join us THIS Saturday and EVERY Saturday!** **💥 At Columbus’ Hottest New Salsa Venue!** **.** Lincoln Street Salsa THIS Saturday and EVERY Saturday! 8 pm – 1 am **.** **💥 Gorgeously Renovated Studio!** **💥 Free Parking!** **💥 BYOB!** **💥 Easy Access from Highway!** **.** Lincoln Street Salsa 1717 Brice Rd Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43215 **.** **ENTRANCE IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING** **Behind Anthony’s Pharmacy!** **.** **PLEASE SHARE and help get the word out!** **.** **🟣 Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue Dancing!** **.** **🟣** 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm **𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻** **.** **🟣** 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm **𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Class!** **.** **🟣** 9:30 pm – 1 am **𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆!** **.** **✅ Questions?** **Visit [LincolnStreetSalsa.com](https://columbussalsadancing.com/)** Or Text Todd: 614-774-8146 **.** **✅ No Experience Necessary!** **✅ No Partner Required!** **✅ Plenty of People to Dance With!** **.** **✅ $15 Cash / $16 Card** **✅ College Students $5 Off with Valid ID!** **✅ BYOB** **✅ Age 18+** **.** **✅ Lincoln Street Salsa is the perfect place for…** **.** **👉 Learning to Dance** **👉** Social Dancing **👉 Birthday Celebration** **👉** Bachelorette Parties **👉 Girl’s Night Out** **👉 Date Night** **👉** Getting Fit / Burning Calories **👉 Meeting New People** **👉** Having Fun, Fun, Fun! **.** ✅ **Questions?** Visit [LincolnStreetSalsa.com](https://columbussalsadancing.com/) Or Text Todd: 614-774-8146

Come chat about Atlassian tools and best practices at the Nationwide Sunny Street Cafe and Breakfast is on Atlassian! Let's get the day started off with breakfast with your ACE Leaders! We're always excited to talk about Atlassian Products, share our knowledge and hand out swag! Come chat with us about new product news and anything you are working on within the Atlassian product stack. This is a great opportunity to come see what we are all about, hear new business news and share with other Atlassian users your questions and experiences. We'd love to see new and old friends come out to chat and learn about Atlassian! Agenda --- Moderators Kimberly Deal - Columbus Atlassian User Group Leader Kevin Stanley - Columbus Atlassian User Group Leader Hosted By Kimberly Deal, Atlassian User Group Leader Kevin Stanley, Chief Everything Greg Sprowls, Agility Lead --- Global Partner Atlassian (http://atlassian.com) Millions of users globally rely on Atlassian products every day for improving software development, project management, collaboration, and code quality. Partner Atlassian --- For over a decade, Atlassian customers have come together to network, share ideas, solve problems, and find new ways to use Atlassian products. Today, more than 15,000 people take part in Atlassian community events in more than 30 countries. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://ace.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-columbus-presents-rise-and-shine-with-atlassian-downtownnationwide-22/.

**Complex Trauma Support Group** Our group is intended for survivors of complex trauma. If you are here, it’s likely that so much of who you are and what you have experienced in this life is actually invisible to most people––to family, society, coworkers, and the people who are around you. We are a peer-led group of survivors creating opportunities for ourselves and others to share our experiences, share support, and build relationships in kind community together. Survivor experiences might include: child sexual abuse, incest, child trafficking, and other experiences of people living with traumatic dissociation and complex PTSD. **What to expect at your first meeting:** Currently, we are offering a bi-monthly in person group at 2:00pm on the first and third Sunday of the month. The only criterion for joining the group is that you are a survivor of trauma wishing to have more kindness in your own life and share kindness with others, and that you agree to practice to group’s relational agreements available for view here: https://www.kindgroups.com/agreements. Joining the group is free of charge. We ask that new people connect with us for 30 minutes on the phone or on zoom before coming to their first group, so that we can determine together that we are a good fit. Our meetings last approximately 90 minutes. Participants are never required to share. You’re also welcome to choose a pseudonym and you will never be asked for private information. You are welcome to leave at any time. The kindness that survivors can share when among others who have survived similar childhood experiences is something we rarely get to experience. Time spent with others who understand even a little bit more about us is a relief. Our hope is to help ourselves and others experience that we are not alone. We wish for our efforts to be a cause of kindness in our own lives and the lives of each other. You can read more about the groups at www.kindgroups.com.

Builders, creators, architects, admins, consultants - come one, come all. This one's for you. We're bringing a little friendly competition to the Columbus ServiceNow community while highlighting the cool things people have built on the platform. Five presenters will take the stage to showcase something they've built, solved, designed, or imagined on the ServiceNow platform - and a panel of judges (plus YOU, our amazing audience) will score them live. So basically, America's Got Talent but make it ServiceNow's Got Talent. Bring a notepad if you'd like 'cause you'll definitely be learning something new. Each presenter gets 10 minutes max to wow the crowd with: • A demo • A real-world business solution • A bold idea • A UX transformation • Or a creative use of the platform Judging Criteria: 🏆 Business Value 🚀 Innovation ✨ User Experience This event is about celebrating ideas, sharing knowledge, and showing how ServiceNow can drive both business impact and meaningful user value. Come learn. Come support. Come get inspired. Refreshments and bites will be provided. And maybe next time… you’ll be on stage.

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)

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/