Knowledge Sharing

The tour will be conducted in both English and Dutch! On the afternoon of March 31st, the Journal of Trial and Error, in collaboration with Utrecht Time Machine, organizes the Trial and Error City Tour. During this guided walk through the city centre of Utrecht, you will hear stories about what went wrong in the city’s past. The tour covers both historical episodes and more recent events, offering a different way to get to know Utrecht. The tour is led by guides with extensive knowledge of Utrecht’s history lasting from 16:00 to 18:30 including drinks. It is a one-time event with limited availability (only 25 spots). Are you curious about how Utrecht became the city it is today through trial and error, and would you enjoy sharing your own experiences along the way? Sign up via this link: https://trialanderror.org/lustrum-trialanderror-city-tour-2026-en.

We are excited to announce our next Utrecht JUG meetup on **March 31, 2026**. And this one is extra special as we celebrate the **10-year anniversary of the Utrecht Java User Group!** For a decade, the Utrecht JUG has been bringing together Java developers to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and build a strong local community. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and we’re celebrating in style with two world-class speakers: **Holly Cummins and Dr. Venkat Subramaniam.** In the first session, Holly Cummins will challenge us to rethink what really impacts our daily work as developers. From physics and the speed of light to statistics, economics, and the end of Moore’s Law, this wide-ranging and thought-provoking talk explores why topics we once ignored may now be critical to our success. We’ll dive into concurrency, Project Loom, AOT, and why certain ideas that were “bad” before might suddenly be the right choice today. After the break, Dr. Venkat Subramaniam will explore the power and perils of AI-assisted development. Tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can dramatically improve productivity, but only when used wisely. In this practical and insightful session, Venkat will demonstrate how to leverage AI effectively, understand its limitations, and make better engineering decisions when building applications. Join us for an evening full of big ideas, practical insights, great conversations and a celebration of 10 years of Utrecht JUG! Please join us and RSVP! Because of the limited number of seats, please keep your RSVP up-to-date, so we can welcome someone else if you can't make it. *** ## Timeschedule 17:00 Doors open 17:30 Food & Drinks 18:15 Things You Thought You Didn’t Need To Care About That Have a Big Impact On Your Job by Holly Cummins 19:15 Break 19:30 The Power and Perils of Using Copilot and ChatGPT for Application Development by Venkat Subramaniam 20:30 Drinks *** # Talks ## Things You Thought You Didn’t Need To Care About That Have a Big Impact On Your Job Development is about working with computers, right? Well, not quite. Development is about working with computers (easy), and working with people (hard). And it’s also about physics. Things like the speed of light and thermodynamics influence APIs because they influence hardware and networking. Statistics, whether we liked it at university or not, is shaping modern development workflows. Economics — including the end of zero-interest rates — is influencing hiring and the broader tech landscape. In this wide-ranging talk, Holly will explore why the end of Moore’s Law means we may finally need to embrace concurrent programming properly, why Loom is a good idea now when green threads once weren’t, why AOT has become attractive again, and how much business, finance, and statistics should matter to us as developers. *** ## The Power and Perils of Using Copilot and ChatGPT for Application Development Tools serve us well when we understand their power, know when to use them, and use them wisely. AI tools are no different. In this presentation, we’ll look at practical ways to use AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT in application development. We’ll explore how they can improve productivity and creativity — and where caution is needed. You’ll learn how to benefit from AI while staying effective, responsible, and in control as a developer. *** # Speakers ## Holly Cummins Holly Cummins is a Senior Principal Software Engineer on the IBM Quarkus team and a Java Champion. Over her career, Holly has been a full-stack JavaScript developer, a build architect, a client-facing consultant, a JVM performance engineer, and an innovation leader. She has led projects to understand climate risks, count fish, help a blind athlete run ultra-marathons in the desert solo, and invent stories (although not at the same time). Holly is passionate about sustainability, technical empathy, extreme programming, proper testing, and automating all the things. You can find her at [http://hollycummins.com](http://hollycummins.com) or follow her on socials at @holly_cummins. *** ## Venkat Subramaniam Dr. Venkat Subramaniam is an award-winning author, founder of Agile Developer, Inc., an instructional professor at the University of Houston, and creator of dev2next conference. He has trained and mentored thousands of software developers in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, and is a regularly-invited speaker at several international conferences. Venkat helps his clients effectively apply and succeed with sustainable agile practices on their software projects. Venkat is a (co)author of multiple technical books, including the 2007 Jolt Productivity award winning book Practices of an Agile Developer. You can find a list of his books at <[https://www.agiledeveloper.com](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.agiledeveloper.com__;!!NPQZPu0!6In-vnyqHXhLaTSZn6gv8YVA2sxYky7o1G1UEZYElYKblqYqQd5W2U_IBbqYemHNKhTykLpl1M2yXAkqNXsjatur5wrlog$ "https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.agiledeveloper.com__;!!NPQZPu0!6In-vnyqHXhLaTSZn6gv8YVA2sxYky7o1G1UEZYElYKblqYqQd5W2U_IBbqYemHNKhTykLpl1M2yXAkqNXsjatur5wrlog$")\>\.

**Welcome to our March UX Beers in Antwerp!** This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 31st of March with [Dashdot](https://dashdot.be) at Plein Magazijn in Antwerp. [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events. Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# UX TALKS **Talk 1:** #BYOA — Bring Your Own Application [Erik Willemse](https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikwillemse/), Senior Digital Service & AI Design Engineer We’re entering a phase where, if a tool doesn’t exist, or if the existing ones are simply too complicated, you just build the exact thing you need yourself. No roadmap. No procurement cycle. No feature request backlog. Just solve the problem. Thanks to vibe-coding, building software is becoming accessible to the people who actually experience the friction. Instead of waiting months for a feature or adapting your workflow to a generic tool, you create something that fits your problem, your process, and your team. Tools like Lovable make that possible. And this shift is bigger than it may seem. This isn’t really about a waffle charts generator or poster tiling tools. It’s about what happens when building software on demand becomes normal. When the people closest to the problem can create the solution, exactly when they need it. **Talk 2:** Digital inclusion in public transport Sjoera Roggeman Public transport is a fundamental service that should be available to everyone. But as services become increasingly digital, there is a real risk of excluding people who are less digitally confident, or have specific needs for using digital products. That’s why De Lijn implemented an “easy mode” within the existing app, a simplified interface that reduces complexity and makes key tasks more straightforward and intuitive. In this talk, Sjoera will walk you through the design process from start to end, and share her learnings and challenges as a UX designer on this project. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SCHEDULE 18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks 19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements 19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1 19:45 -20:15 - BREAK 20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2 20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL We have our own UX Belgium slack channel. [Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA) \*\*\* \#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium. Look for these types of events: UX Beers Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design. UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year UX Workshops Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox. \*\*\* The UX Belgium Meetup Team

**3D Workshop** * **Ontwerpen met Fusion360** * **Scannen in 3D** * **Het gebruik van 3D printers** **Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark** Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen. Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D. Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D) [(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)

We delen onze doelen en maken plannen voor de komende week. Iedereen is welkom. We kijken er naar uit om jouw verhaal te horen.

Is public speaking something you’ve always wanted to learn? Then you’ve come to the right place! Experience a safe and playful environment at U-Speak Toastmasters where you can develop your public speaking, communication, and leadership skills! ## **Welcome to U-Speak! Toastmasters** Join our vibrant community at U-Speak!, where internationals and Dutch locals from Utrecht and its surroundings come together. U-speak! Toastmasters is a welcoming, safe, supportive and playful environment where you can work on your public speaking, communication and leadership skills! ## **Discover our meeting experience** Curious about what happens during our meetings? Here’s a glimpse into a typical evening at U-Speak! Our gatherings feature a lineup of three prepared speeches, engaging evaluations and impromptu speaking sessions. At U-Speak!, every member gets their chance to shine. Whether you’re delivering a speech, providing feedback, or stepping up for impromptu speaking, our supportive environment ensures that everyone’s voice is heard and valued. * ⏰ Time: 19:15 - 21:30 (7.15pm to 9.30pm) Walkin at 19:15; Start of the meeting at 19:30 * 🌐 Venue: Room 8, Top Floor, Pub Florin, Utrecht * 🙋🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️Attendance: Typically, 15-20 people attend each meeting Many of our club members are not on Meetup, so the number of people attending as indicated here is not reflective of the actual number of people attending on a night. * 🙋🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ Guests are welcome; rsvp is encouraged *To maintain the high quality of our meetings and ensure all members have sufficient speaking opportunities, we've established a waitlist for new members. This allows us to provide the best possible learning experience for everyone. We're happy to add your name to our list, and we encourage you to join us as a guest in the meantime.*

De 37ᵉ monthly meetup van [Nimma.codes](https://www.nimma.codes/). Elke laatste dinsdag van de maand. Een cross-language user group voor software developers in de regio Arnhem-Nijmegen. **Locatie** 10KB. De Kolk 7, 6541 AV · Nijmegen Bekijk de routebeschrijving op: [https://share.cleanshot.com/FtP0Dkxw](https://share.cleanshot.com/FtP0Dkxw) Let op: het eten is er om 17:30. We starten om 18:00 met de opening. *We houden er niet van om eten te verspillen. Ben je verhinderd? Geen probleem, maar meld je uiterlijk een dag voor de meetup af.* **Programma** * 17:30 - 18:00 Inloop + food/drinks * 18:00 - 18:45 **Versleuteld data pseudonimiseren? - Job Doesburg** * 18:45 - 19:00 Pauze * 19:00 - 19:45 **Je AI-agent heeft root, en nu? - Roland Boon** * 20:00 - 21:00 Netwerken en gezelligheid **Versleuteld data pseudonimiseren? - Job Doesburg** Om privacy-vriendelijk gegevens uit te wisselen tussen systemen of organisaties, kan het waardevol of zelfs noodzakelijk zijn om te pseudonimiseren. PEP (polymorfe encryptie en pseudonimisatie) is een cryptografische methode om dit te doen, waarbij geen enkele partij in staat is om gegevens terug te linken. Hiermee kunnen verrassend sterke privacyeigenschappen worden bereikt en data zelfs effectief anoniem worden gemaakt. Naast de fundamentele technologie, laten we ook zien hoe dit toegankelijk is geïmplementeerd in de open-source libpep library (Rust, met bindings voor WASM/TS/JS en Python). Fun fact: deze technologie zit stiekem al ingebouwd in je rijbewijs. **Over Job Doesburg** Job Doesburg is promovendus aan de Radboud Universiteit. Hij doet onderzoek naar privacy en security en is werkzaam voor de afdeling software science en het Nationaal Onderwijslab AI, waar hij zich bezig houdt met “Duurzame Data”. Naast onderzoeker ziet Job zichzelf ook als software developer, zowel professioneel als hobbymatig. Hij vindt het belangrijk dat de inzichten uit de wetenschap ook écht in de praktijk gebruikt kunnen worden. **Je AI-agent heeft root, en nu? - Roland Boon** AI-coding-assistants zoals Cursor en Claude draaien met jouw rechten. Ze lezen en schrijven bestanden, voeren terminal commando's uit en doen netwerkverzoeken. Dat terwijl ze input verwerken waar jij geen controle over hebt: documentatie, tickets, dependencies, websites. Prompt injection is het SQL injection van het AI-tijdperk, alleen breder en subtieler. In deze talk gaan we (proberen) met live demo's te laten zien hoe onzichtbare instructies in ogenschijnlijk veilige tekst je AI-agent kunnen overnemen, en wat die agent vervolgens kan doen. Daarna bespreken we praktische defensiestrategieen en hebben we het graag over attack vectors en maatregelen die wij nog niet hebben bedacht. **Over** **Roland Boon** Roland Boon is eigenaar en software engineer bij 10KB. Met 20+ jaar ervaring in web development bouwt hij mission-critical bedrijfssoftware met een focus op security en privacy by design. Bij 10KB wordt intensief met AI-assisted development gewerkt, en met Manjikaze ([https://github.com/10KB/manjikaze](https://github.com/10KB/manjikaze "https://github.com/10KB/manjikaze")) werken ze aan het hardenen van hun eigen ontwikkelomgeving. Deze talk is ontstaan uit interne discussies binnen het team over hoe ver je een AI-agent kunt en mag vertrouwen.

**Details** The Workplace Ninja User Group Netherlands is proud to announce that on Wednesday the 1st of April 2026 we will organize our 2nd in-person event in the year 2026. **Program:** **15:30 - 16:00: Welcome at location** **16:00 - 17:00: Session 1: Jorik Polhuis “Copilot als reality check: wanneer AI je project niet spaart”** **17:05 - 18:05: Session 2: Arno van Dijk, "How to Protect Your Tokens with Intune & Conditional Access"** **18:05 - 19:00: Food, drinks and networking, sponsored by location host** **19:00 - 20:00: Session 3:** **20:00 - 21:00: Drinks and networking** Location: \ **Session 1: Jorik Polhuis “Copilot als reality check: wanneer AI je project niet spaart”** Wat gebeurt er als je Copilot vraagt om eerlijk te zijn over je project? In deze sessie bouwen we samen een agent die niet samenvat, maar **kritisch meedenkt**: wat klopt hier niet, wat missen we, en waar lopen we risico zonder het te benoemen? Aan de hand van een herkenbare projectcase laten we zien: * hoe je van een idee naar een agent komt * waarom agent‑denken iets anders is dan prompten * en waar het misgaat zonder goede afspraken en data **Session 2:** How to Protect Your Tokens with Intune & Conditional Access - Arno van Dijk When accessing resources with Single Sign On, the Microsoft Services makes use of a Primary Refresh Token (PRT). This token is created when a device is registered so it can make use of Single Sign On. Now a days token theft is becoming a huge problem. Luckily Microsoft has released several features to reduces the possibility for Token theft. Read on to learn more about the profile possibilities in Intune and how to enforce your token protection with Conditional Access **Session 3:** How Not to Manage Your Microsoft 365 Tenant: And What to Do Instead - Dave Stork Managing a Microsoft 365 tenant can be deceptively simple (it is a commodity, right! Right?), but small misconfigurations can lead to security gaps and vulnerabilities. In this session, Microsoft MVP Dave Stork highlights common mistakes he encounters in real-world M365 environments and explains why they introduce unnecessary risk. More importantly, he demonstrates practical, secure alternatives based on Microsoft's latest guidance, CIS benchmarks, and field experience. Attendees will learn how to strengthen administrative identity, access, and posture with approaches such as least‑privilege administration, secure account design, Conditional Access, privileged access management, and automation-first operations. Expect pragmatic insights, recognizable examples, and actionable recommendations to immediately improve your tenant’s management.

Join us for a fun session of improv theatre in English! A great opportunity to meet new people in Utrecht and learn something new with [Improv Utrecht](https://improvutrecht.nl). Everyone can partcipate, you don't need any experience in theatre nor fluency in English. In this session you will: * Meet fellow international and local players. * Learn the basics of improvisation, a 21st-century skill that is useful in many aspects of life. * Get out of your head. * Enjoy failing. * Play funny and moving theatre games. * Laugh a lot, while surprising yourself and others. Doors open: 19:50-20:00, come in with the others ([SIDE entrance, at the Troelstralaan](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ntLDUqbkDxMHjp7B7)). After 20:01 the door may be closed, but you may find a participant who knows the door code. Workshop: 20:00-22:00 Every Friday except in school holidays Afterwards we have drinks at [O'Leary's](https://maps.app.goo.gl/gL878K1MZf8v5fpm7) pub together ### How to sign up Full details about how to sign up and any other questions you may have can be [found on our website](https://www.improvutrecht.nl/drop-in-workshops/). An RSVP in this Meetup event is not enough! We track attendance by counting the attendants in GrasshopperSignup. If you flag yourself as attending and can no longer make it, please delete your x in the sheet so that someone else can take your spot. If you leave your contact details at the Signup form we will contact you if there is a problem with a drop-in you are scheduled to attend. We also have a WhatsApp group with a variety of members from across Utrecht where we share events and updates. You can find our courses and shows on [our website](https://www.improvutrecht.nl). Participation is pay-what-you-can, but we suggest a donation of €10-20 by cash or Tikkie to help cover costs (location, travel) and show your appreciation for our professional trainers who dedicate their Friday to promoting improv.

## 🎨**Activity for EXPATS & English Speakers** ☕ Are you an art enthusiast living in or around **Amersfoort, Hilversum, Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsseltein, De Bilt and the rest of cities of the Utrecht's province** who love painting or drawing? Maybe you've felt the joy of creating but struggled to find others who share your passion and speak **ENGLISH**? **You're not alone! 😉** ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## 🖌️**About this event** You will meet other Art Lovers like you to Draw, Paint and have some drinks Together ! Our events are not just about sketching or creating art—they’re about building connections. Every two weeks, we meet at a café to have a relaxing time drawing a painting. Please keep on mind that **ENGLISH i**s the official language we will use to integrate everyone in our conversations. ⭕⭕⭕➡️ **IMPORTANT ⬅️** ⭕⭕⭕⭕ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**Book formally your Seat 🪑via [WHATSAPP](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** **If you want to confirm officially your attendance and separate your seat🪑. Book your seat in meet-up, and contact us via [WHATSAPP HERE](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f) to receive more information on the address of our activities.** **Thanks a lot for your understanding!** 💐🥰 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**How Does It Work?** This event is simple, this initiative takes 2 Hours. Most of the participants use pencils, water pencils or watercolours. Main aim is to socialize while we draw. There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. We have to mention that this event is suitable for all levels. Many have started to draw in our event actually. Also it is very important that you **[JOIN US AT OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f),** to stay up to date on our upcoming events and participate in our Drawing and Painting Contests! **👉: [https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** 🍀 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### ☕**Where?** We will meet in different cafes mainly in the *center of Amersfoort ( and some occasions in other cities around)*. I will inform you of the exact place some days in advance this event. The place will depend on the number of attendees. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### **🎟️ What is included?** 🟢 **2 HOURS TO HAVE FUN!** 🟢 **15 mins warming-up creative activity and paper material**🖌️🎨 🟢 New friendships and **conversations in ENGLISH** in a relaxed atmosphere 🟢 **Souvenir picture** with you and the rest of Art Lovers 📷 🟢 Exclusive **access to our Art Lovers Community** on which you will receive: ***\~\~\~ Drawing challenges,*** ***\~\~\~ Training content,*** ***\~\~\~ FREE Entries only to members*** ***\~\~\~ Drawing Competitions*** 🟢 Time to **create alongside fellow artists and amateurs** 🟢 The freedom to **work at your own pace** 💃🕺🎈 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 🖼️**Art Materials?** Bring your own practical art materials to be adaptable to sketch on a coffee table. Like your sketchbook, pencils, watercolor, markets, pencils, your Tablet..etc ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## **See you to Paint, Draw, and drink together!🌟☕🍷🍪🍰**

🌸 **Free online gathering** **Next circle: April 5** After this, we will continue meeting on the **first Sunday of each month**. A space to begin the month by returning to yourself. This women’s circle is an invitation to give yourself one hour to pause, slow down, and reconnect with your body, your inner voice, and other women. A simple and caring commitment: beginning the month with meditation and journaling in community. You can think of it as a small personal ritual, creating the habit of listening to yourself, writing, and setting intentions for the month ahead. We meet online on Sunday afternoons to gently transition into a new week and a new month, creating a moment of presence, reflection, and intention. During this 1-hour session we will explore: ✨ a guided meditation to arrive in the body ✨ a journaling practice to connect with what is alive in you ✨ a space for sharing, where you are welcome to speak or simply listen No previous experience is needed. You are welcome just as you are. Please have a notebook and a pen nearby, and join from a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted during the session. You are welcome to join once, or come back each month. The choice is yours. The first circles are offered for free in order to create community and open this space to more women. Participants who register for the event will receive the **Google Meet link** before the circle begins. It will be lovely to welcome you into this space 🌿

I'm excited to host the 19th edition of *Strangers to Friends*! Every event so far has been warm, fun and full of great connections. So we’re doing it again! Curious about our previous events? Check out our photo albums (only visible on the laptop version of Meetup). **What to expect** * A safe, relaxed environment to meet both locals and expats, whether you want to meet new people, experience an international atmosphere or talk about business, it’s all possible. * Start the evening with a few rounds of conversation cards: pair up with someone you don’t know, answer meaningful questions and rotate every 10 minutes. Within just one hour, you’ll get to know several people really well and enjoy meaningful conversations. * Everyone comes on their own, so it’s easy to connect. **Practical details** * Doors open at 20:00, after 30 minutes we start with conversation cards * Venue: Boekencafé Libertas, Klarendalseweg 477-1, Arnhem * 20 min walk from Arnhem Central * 7 min walk from Arnhem Velperpoort * You’ll receive 1 drink token for (beer/wine/soft drinks) and snacks all night! * Find us on the right side of the café at the bar, by the window and garden Bring a smile and join us for an evening where friendships grow, business ideas spark and real-life connections happen. Back to basics, away from screens, meeting face-to-face. Warm regards, Julia

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

Welcome to the Art School - 20's & 30's artists Meetup group! This is a community for young artists who are passionate about exploring different mediums and techniques in the world of art. Whether you're a painter, sculptor, photographer, or mixed media artist, this group is the perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals, have a space to work on your craft, and showcase your work. Let's inspire and support each other on our artistic journeys! Whether you're a novice or a seasoned artist, all skill levels are welcome. Join us and unleash your creativity! This month we will be discussing **Frank Santoro**, an American cartoonist, painter, and comics critic known for his expressive lines, experimental page layouts, and vibrant use of color. His graphic novels—including *Storeyville*, *Pompeii*, and *Pittsburgh*—blend personal storytelling with innovative visual structure, often exploring memory, place, and relationships. In addition to his comics, Santoro has been an influential voice in comics education and criticism, co-founding the magazine *ComicsComics* and creating the **Santoro Correspondence Course for Comic Book Makers**, which has helped train and inspire a new generation of cartoonists. Afterwards, we will have time to work on our individual art projects, hang out, and if anyone is interested in feedback on their work, there will be time for that as well.

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!

☀️ **Shake Off the Winter Chill** **\- Bowl With Us\! 20% off for NEW bowlers\!** Our 6-week spring social bowling league starts in **April** \- trade social hibernation for strikes\, beers\, and new friends\! 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 \| 💵 $79 *(while Early Bird is active)*** **🚨NEW to the league??** Use discount code (**MU2P26**) for 20% off - $63.20 *during Early Bird* **💻 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 Gutter Dusters 👉 **Click here to join** https://tinyurl.com/23auxkaq Or start a team of your own with a few friends - we’ll all be hanging out either way! 📅 League Dates (Thursday evenings): April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7, May 14, May 21 ***(The MeetUp event date is deadline to register for the league.)*** **Cost & What’s Included:** ✔ $79 Early Bird registration - **NEW bowler?? Get 20% off with code: MU2P26** ✔ 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 MU2P26 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!

The Fellowship of the Star Schema: Transforming OLTP Data for Power BI One does not simply build reports on OLTP data. Join us on an epic journey from the depths of raw, normalized tables to the shining halls of a well-modeled star schema fit for Power BI greatness. We will demystify the differences between OLTP and OLAP, walk through star schema vs snowflake (and why Power BI has a clear favorite), and show you the compression differences between normalized and columnar storage that will make you never look at an OLTP model the same way again. We will cover the different types of dimensions, when to use them, and how to handle Slowly Changing Dimensions without losing your mind. You will leave knowing exactly how to identify a bad model, how to convert OLTP data into a clean star schema, and how to forge relationships that rule them all. Whether you are a data wizard, a curious hobbit, or somewhere in between, your models will never be the same.

**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.

**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception** Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory. For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy. She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps). Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way. **About Our Speaker** Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. 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)