Smalltalk Programming

We have three great talks lined up, plus time to chat and meet others in the community. We can’t wait to see you there! We want NSLondon to be welcoming to everyone and support a broad range of voices. To help address existing imbalances in attendance, we’re offering a limited number of **early-access spots to women, non-binary people, and others who are currently underrepresented** in the iOS developer community. You can request one of these spaces by filling in [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkWvVomYXUwESWHet2HDxTia4euvYcP2WKtkVQLXCzjmtbvA/viewform) before RSVPs open for general availability. (**Update:** This form is now closed.) **💬 Talks:** **Raphael Velasqua** — “Claude as Your iOS Pair Programmer” *What if your codebase could teach Claude how your team codes — not just generic Swift? A glimpse of scaffolding, writing reliable tests and more with Claude.* **Paul Shone** — “Turning Applications in to Apps: Tips on getting hired in a changing marketplace” *Join Paul Shone, Co-Founder of Pixelated People, a recruitment leader with over 15 years of experience in building world-class mobile engineering teams. Paul shares invaluable insights on how to standout and secure your dream job in this changing and competitive job market. If you are a job seeker aiming to land the perfect role this session is packed with actionable advice that will set you apart from the competition.* **Vadim Popov** — “From ARKit to Vision – How Far Can You Push the iOS Camera” *This talk explores how far you can push the iOS camera by rebuilding core camera features using AVCaptureSession, comparing real-time face and skeleton detection across ARKit, Vision, and MediaPipe, and diving into live image analysis like sharpness, brightness, and composition scoring with Vision and Accelerate. It also reflects on what users actually value in a camera app, sharing practical lessons and missteps from the journey.* **🕓 Schedule:** 6:30 PM Arrival and check-in at JustPark reception 7:00 PM Presentations start 9:00 PM Continue the conversation at the pub (TBA) * **Arrival Time:** Arrive at 6:30 PM to complete the check-in process. If you need mobility assistance, let us know at least one day in advance. * **Check-in Process:** Go to JustPark reception. Provide your full name and mention the NSLondon event to receive your badge. * **Full Names Required:** Ensure your Meetup profile has your full name or send it to us in a private message at least 48 hours before the event. * **Late Arrival:** A JustPark staff member will guide us to the event space. If you arrive late, you may need to wait. 💎 **Acknowledgments:** We'd like to thank JustPark for their generous support in hosting this event. NSLondon is a community-driven group and needs your support! Contact us for information about venues, speakers, or sponsorships. Feel free to reach out with any questions. See you there! Please read our [Code of Conduct](https://nslondon.com/coc). MC: Aled Samuel

Time to get back to fitness! Another opportunity to get the best benefits from the ballet workout! Barre workout, Pilates, Stretching & Body Conditioning - a perfect combination to create the best body, posture & confidence! A unique combination of ballet exercises, Pilates, stretching and motivational techniques. It’s a high energy class targeted at developing a great posture, sculpting a dancer like waistline, bottom and shaping slim legs. The exercise program is based on building deep, lean and flexible muscle strength, helping to overcome any joint pains, including knee, shoulder or back, as well as creating a great physique. For those that already have some knowledge of ballet, or dance and classes which require coordination. To teach at out event we are inviting a former international ballet pro to show the elements of Ballet, Pilates, Stretching, to develop a core strength, flexibility and a great posture, as well as mentally linking muscle memory, so the gains on posture are immediate and easily remembered. You will need to bring a smile, some water and wear comfortable exercise cloths. The class will be 60 minutes which should be more than enough to get those muscles worked & conditioned. The fee for the event : £28.- For more information about the training provider: http://www.balletbodysculpture.com http://www.balletbodysculpture.com/ballet-classes-london.html

MCP is changing how developers build with AI, but we're just scratching the surface. Join us for an evening of talks that go beyond retrieval to explore what's actually possible when you give agents real tools, real constraints and real APIs. **Agenda** ​6:00 PM - Doors open, registration and networking ​6:10 PM - Welcome (Upsun & Cloudflare) ​6:20 PM - MCP: Context is Everything! - Carly Richmond, Elastic ​6:45 PM - Sandboxes: how to limit agents so we can use them more - Patrick Dawkins, Upsun ​7:00 PM - Break (Food & Drinks) ​7:30 PM - Cooking with MCP in VS Code - Liam Hampton, Microsoft ​7:55 PM - Efficient tools with MCP code mode - Confidence Okoghenun, Cloudflare ​8:15 PM - Open networking and drinks ​9:00 PM - Close 🗣️ ​**Talks** ​**MCP: Context is Everything! - Carly Richmond (Developer Advocate Lead, Elastic)** ​MCP is a powerful tool for giving LLMs capabilities to not just retrieve information, but to automate key actions based on relevant data. Let’s see how it can be used for retrieving relevant context and other activities such as observability. ​**Efficient tools with MCP code mode - Confidence Okoghenun (Senior Developer Advocate, Cloudflare)** ​Traditional MCP approaches choke on context windows: Cloudflare's 2,500+ endpoint API would require 1.17 million tokens. Code Mode flips the script by having LLMs write code against typed APIs instead of making direct tool calls, achieving 99.9% token reduction. Come learn how code mode works and how to optimize your MCP tools with it. ​**Sandboxes: how to limit agents so we can use them more - Patrick Dawkins (Principal Engineer, Upsun)** ​We want our agents to run longer and use more tools, but we're hampered by constant prompts for approval. Sandboxes are the practical middle ground: isolate the agent so you can stop watching every command and let it work. This talk covers what "sandbox" means, who provides them today and the Linux primitives that let you build one yourself. ​**Cooking with MCP in VS Code - Liam Hampton (Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft)** ​In this session Liam will show you how VS Code is fully supporting the MCP spec, from MCP Apps to sandboxing and elicitations. 📅 **Date and Time:** Thursday, May 14, from 6:00-9:00 PM 📍 **Location:** Cloudflare Address: 6th Floor, County Hall/The, Riverside Building, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7PB, UK 👉 You can also register here: https://luma.com/eb8j6lhu ⚠️ Please make sure you provided your full name (no nicknames or abbreviations will be allowed) and to bring your ID card as it will be mandatory to show it upon check-in to security. Entry will be first come, first served. We recommend arriving early to make sure you get in. **⚡️ Interested in giving a talk? ⚡️** Have you ever considered presenting on your Elastic use case? We welcome 5-10 minute lightning talks, 45-minute deep dives, and everything in between. If you're interested, please submit via our [CFP](https://sessionize.com/elastic-meetups/) or send us an email at [meetups@elastic.co.](http://meetups@elastic.co./)

**Dead Product Society \| After Work Drinks** Come along, bring a friend/colleague or two and join us for a relaxed evening of informal product and tech chats over a few drinks and doughnuts. We aim to connect everyone without awkwardness or LinkedIn spiel, and value good conversation over boring presentations. **Who is welcome?** Product Managers, CEOs, UX/UI Designers, Developers, Scrum Masters etc. We welcome anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product. *Note: We intentionally keep our After Work Drinks on the smaller side to allow for more in-depth conversations.* **The Bike Shed** We'll be hanging out in the lounge area (behind the area with all the tables, next to the store). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Dead Product Society** Dead Product Society is a collective of like-minded professionals sharing real-talk and joining forces to navigate the twists and turns of the product world. Our down-to-earth community is for anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product teams regardless of their background or experience. **Our Sponsors** Shout out to our generous sponsors at Waggel Pet Insurance; Lifetime pet insurance, simplified. With their support we are able to host these events for you and create a space for those important, honest conversations.

Join us for an informal evening of experimenting, building, and sharing ideas around Umbraco and AI. Whether you're curious about AI-powered content generation, the Umbraco MCP Server, AI-assisted development workflows, or other AI innovations in Umbraco - this is your chance to experiment, learn, and build alongside fellow community members in a relaxed, supportive environment. Bring your laptop, your curiosity, and anything you’ve been meaning to try. You can come with a specific idea, jump into something with others, or just tinker and learn as you go. There’s no strict agenda, just a relaxed space to collaborate, swap ideas, and make progress together. We’ll kick things off with a quick intro, then open the floor for hacking, discussion, and demos. If you end up building something cool (or even just interesting), you’ll have the chance to share it with the group at the end. **EVENT HOSTS** [Novicell](https://www.novicell.com/uk/services/software-development/umbraco/) (Umbraco Gold Partner) have kindly agreed to provide refreshments and host us for the evening in their offices in Shoreditch. If you think you will be making it, please sign up ASAP. Novicell's offices are 21-33 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3EJ in a building called Fora, approximately an 8 min walk from Liverpool St and Old St stations. If you arrive between 6:00 and 6:15pm there will be someone to meet you in reception with instructions. If you arrive later you might need to phone us to be let in: we shall email all attendees with the contact numbers on the day. **CODE OF CONDUCT** Please read the [Code of Conduct](https://bit.ly/UmbLondonCodeOfConduct) for all our events.

Script Reading, Improvisation, Voice Projection, Games, Public Speaking and audition techniques will be some of the points covered over the coming terms. Drama is ideal for building confidence, helping with articulation and developing presentation skills. It is also a lot of fun! The classes have built up over the last five years and are run by Mario Renzullo, who was an original member of the famed Anna Scher Theatre and made his professional debut in 1970, and went on to have many lead TV, film and theatre roles. Mario founded the theatrical agency Smart Management, which has been running for over twenty years. The classes are open to a wide age range and welcome those new to acting as well as those with professional acting experience. Typically, between 12 and 20 people join us each week, creating a lively and engaging group dynamic. Venue: The Angel Church, Chadwell Street EC1R 1XA Five minutes’ walk from the Angel tube station. Thursday evenings at 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm. Fee: £10.00 cash per session. For more information, please email your contact details to: [smartmanagement@btconnect.com](mailto:smartmanagement@btconnect.com)

Shaping our future with AI. Creating opportunity through AI fluency, connection and community. No jargon. No hype. No confusing terminology. NOTE: This event will be focussed on the changing shape of software development. Everyone is welcome to attend but the content will be somewhat technical. **Join us for our next in-person meetup in London on Thursday May 14th.** Our theme for this meetup is **Reimagining Software Development with AI.** We're going to take a step back and think about the role we, the humans, play in the software development process now that coding agents have arrived. This event provides a small glimpse of the future, from the innovators who are challenging everything and rebuilding the process of software development from the ground up, with humans at the centre! **Where and When?** * Thursday, May 14th * Doors open at 18:00 * Talks start at 19:00 * AutogenAI, 123 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9LG **Talk 1: The Validation Gap: We Need A Better Way To Review AI Generated Code** (Robert Werner, Co-Founder & CTO Leapter) AI coding is fast. We're generating more code than ever. But more code means more code to verify, and agentic workflows are scaling that gap faster than review processes can keep up. The bottleneck didn't disappear. It moved from writing code to verifying logic. For most generated code, you can ship, test, and iterate. But what if we need to be sure? What about the code that runs our financial systems or decides if you qualify for a loan? It has to be right. Hope is not a strategy, we need to better ways to review code. In this talk Robert will share his recent innovations, experiments and insights with you. **About Robert:** Robert Werner is the CTO of an AI startup dedicated to shaping the future of AI-native software development. He has over 20 years experience focussed on Software Engineering, Developer Experience and Transformational Platform Engineering, across Fortune 500 companies and FinTechs. **Talk 2: Narrative Engineering: What Cognitive Science Actually Tells Us About Building with LLMs** (Sal Kimmich, Security Architect at Gadfly AI) We keep treating LLMs like search engines that hallucinate. That is the wrong category, and it produces the wrong engineering. LLMs are narrative generators. They do not retrieve facts or execute logic. They complete stories. That distinction is not philosophical. It determines what kind of system you can build with them and what kind you cannot. Neuroscience has been studying probabilistic, distributed, narrative-generating systems for decades. Most of the LLM engineering field is ignoring that work. This talk walks through cyberneutics, an open source methodology and repository built on the premise that we need a new engineering discipline for narrative computing the way software engineering emerged from symbolic computing. The theoretical foundations come from second-order cybernetics, distributed cognition, and Minsky's Society of Mind. The empirical validation comes from 2025 mechanistic interpretability research showing that reasoning models internally simulate multi-agent dialogue to reason better. The practical techniques come from iterative practice: adversarial committees, pipeline algebra with formal quality propagation, observer-aware interaction design. Three real lessons for practitioners building agentic systems: reliability is a property of the pipeline, not the prompt; repetition is latent space exploration, not failure; and if you want auditable AI reasoning, you need to externalise the dialogue structure, because the transcript is the explainability artifact. The discipline does not exist yet. This is what building it looks like. **About Sal:** Sal is a developer advocate for open source and passionate about helping engineers, ethical hackers and digital enthusiasts understand the complexity of modern software development. With over a decade of experience as building cloud-native machine learning pipelines in the healthcare and tech for good sectors, their work is now focused on filling the cracks in the open source software supply chain to build a better digital future for all of us. **Thanks!** We'd like to thank our sponsors [Leapter ](http://leapter.com/)and AutogenAI for making this event possible. **Code of Conduct** This event has a code of conduct that you can [review here.](https://aifortherestofus.live/code-of-conduct) By joining the community and registering for this event you agree to abide by our code of conduct. **Providing Your Name and Email** To register for this event you'll be asked to provide your email address. After the event you will be automatically subscribed to the newsletters from *AI for the rest of us* and Leapter GmbH. You can unsubscribe at any time (But why would you? They are really very good!)

*If that sounds like a bit of you, then get **Sunday 17 May 2026** in your diary. It sees the return of the Grand Flaneur Walk, in which the dapperest chaps and chapesses of London Town dress up to the nines in their finest seersucker, blazers, boaters and playsuits, before embarking on the dandiest — and let's be honest, showiest — stroll around central London you're likely to witness.* *The rendezvous, for anyone who wishes to watch or take part (it's open to all), is 12pm at [Courtyard Wine Cellars](https://www.coventgarden.london/brand-directory/courtyard-wine-cellars) in Covent Garden, where a complimentary dram is promised for participants, before a few stirring words on the subject of flanerie shared by Chap editor Gustav Temple. After this, the budding boulevardiers set on their 'merry way towards Baudelaire only knows where'.* Further info at: https://londonist.com/london/things-to-do/grand-flaneur-walk Join us for our next meetup at Richmond Park, where we’ll focus on outdoor and nature photography. This is a prime time to capture the park’s transition into late spring, focusing on the deep textures of the ancient oaks and the dynamic movement of the deer herds. 📍 Meeting point: [Courtyard Wine Cellar](https://www.coventgarden.london/brand-directory/courtyard-wine-cellars) 🧭 Address: 17B and 18B The Market Building, London, WC2E 8RB Bring your any camera (digital, analog, phone or video), and let’s see what we can capture! **What to expect** A friendly environment where all cameras and skill levels are welcome. This is not a workshop; if you’d like to grow your photography skills, check out our other events and workshops designed for those who want to learn more about photography techniques. **Stay connected** The day of the event, Live location will be shared on our WhatsApp group ([https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ek2mMMZioqu19CJJPoQal4](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ek2mMMZioqu19CJJPoQal4)) **Want help with your camera?** We welcome all kind of photo and video cameras! You’re welcome to ask for tips: we’re a supportive community. However, for a proper learning experience, we recommend asking the host about 1:1 coaching sessions or checking our Meetp page for upcoming workshops. **Join our online communities** * Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/friendsbyframe](https://www.instagram.com/friendsbyframe) * WhatsApp: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ek2mMMZioqu19CJJPoQal4](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ek2mMMZioqu19CJJPoQal4)

Reportage photography or visual narrative photography is the art of telling the story of an event or location through photographs. It is based on photojournalism and when carried out properly, reportage photography will provide a comprehensive collection of photographs that will form a story of the subject. In this edition of this storytelling workshop we will choose from a selection of topics occurring around Chinatown in order to create a collection of photo stories. It is going to be challenging but also full of discovery. You will learn how to report and tell your story from beginning to end and then given a brief and a series of exercises to help you tell your story. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN * How to create a visual narrative * What makes a good story and how to show it visually * How to tell a story with a series of photographic images * Improve your composition skills to create impactful images EXPERIENCE LEVEL * Beginner/Refresher EQUIPMENT * Any camera including mobile phone * Any lens CONTACT * Alex 07956 264049 VENICE PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND - Oct 2026 [https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographic/events/313109100/](https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographic/events/313109100/) UPCOMING EVENTS [www.meetup.com/londonphotographic/events](http://www.meetup.com/londonphotographic/events)

Orpington BSL conversation group. Open to anyone wishing to brush up or practice their British Sign Language skills in a relaxed, unstructured setting with like minded people. We meet on the third Saturday of the month at The Second Home café, in Orpington High Street (BR6 0NB), from 11am to 1pm. Come join us for a cuppa and brunch whilst practicing your BSL. This is an unstructured group, so anyone is welcome. We only ask that you are respectful of each other, regardless of gender, religion, sexuality and beliefs. During our conversation meetings, we appreciate if we all adhere to a 'voice off' policy, to maximise our BSL use. If you don't know a particular sign, don't just say the word... Fingerspell it; gesture it; paraphrase what you mean with the signs that you know, write it down in paper... Anything is good, as long as you give it your best!

3rd Sunday of every month, unleash your inner language ninja with our fun Mandarin learning games! Get ready to ditch stale textbooks and rote memorisation, and watch your language skills truly skyrocket! These monthly gatherings are designed for you to: * **Boost Conversational Confidence:** Engage in lively, real-time communication that feels like play, not practice. * **Sharpen Your Listening Skills** as you navigate thoughtfully designed game scenarios and interact with fellow learners. * **Expand Your Vocabulary:** Effortlessly pick up new words and phrases, enabling you to express yourself with precision and richness. * **Retain More, Stress Less:** Experience the power of learning through fun, making new vocabulary and grammar stick with less effort! **What Makes Our Language Games Special:** Unlike traditional lessons, our sessions are a unique blend of structured fun and effective learning: * **Immersive & Interactive:** We transform language concepts into engaging, team-based games that facilitate natural conversation and active participation. * **Relaxed & Supportive Environment:** Forget competition! Our classroom setting is designed to be comfortable and non-intimidating, encouraging everyone to experiment and learn at their own pace. * **All Levels Learn Together:** You'll consolidate what you already know while effortlessly picking up new vocabulary from our well-facilitated activities. * **Expert Guidance:** Our experienced tutor provides active language support, ensuring every activity is both enjoyable and highly effective for language improvement. * **Suitable for All Levels!** (For beginners: if you have more than 20 hours of Mandarin learning, you're good to join us!) **Session Details:** 🗓️ **When:** 3rd Sunday of every month ⏰ **Time:** 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM **💰 Price:** £10 - [Tap for Easy Payment](https://monzo.com/pay/r/china-unbound_eTW5aAZoqiDQ3p) (To secure your spot, please complete payment when you RSVP) Join us, and accelerate your road to fluency today! We can't wait to welcome you. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Take your Mandarin beyond the event.** 🤝 If you’re looking for a bit more structure to go along with your conversation practice, let’s chat! We're offering **FREE 1-on-1 advice sessions** to help you find the perfect learning path. Get a professional assessment of your level so you can study with confidence. **No commitment** required. [Book your Free Session](https://eu.bigin.online/org20070515371/bookings/course-advice) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **China Unbound** is the best place to learn practical Chinese for adults. While most schools prioritise grammar and writing, China Unbound empowers you to confidently converse, understand, and actively apply Chinese in real-world situations. Join us and discover a fun, fast, and personalised way to master Chinese! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Hear From Our Learners:** "The Language games session provides a well-structured and immersive way of learning. Even as a beginner I am able to practice all aspects of the language and have learnt a lot whilst having fun!" - Jeremy Smithers "The Sunday games session is in a classroom environment but relaxed with organized team-based games designed to facilitate conversation. It’s a good way to consolidate what you know and pick up some new vocab. The folks who attend vary massively in ability so it’s not competitive, but more a chance to learn from people who are more advanced and help along newbies. I recommend it!" - Mark Mansell **FAQ 常见问题::** **What if I don’t feel my Chinese is good enough to join?** Don’t worry, our hosts will be on hand to offer support and help you participate. Many are also group exercises, so you can lean on stronger members too. **What games will I be playing?** You'll be diving into a variety of engaging and interactive language activities specifically designed to match your proficiency level! Think fun, familiar formats like Articulate, and creative role-play scenarios. Our games are carefully designed (by us!) to intensively develop your speaking and listening abilities, providing you with comprehensive language input. In addition, every game is expertly facilitated by our experienced tutors. They provide real-time support and guidance, ensure activities are well-structured for optimal learning, and offer clear explanations and consolidation of any new vocabulary or concepts that emerge. It's learning through play, with expert support! **I’m not into games, is it still for me?** Yes!! Think of it as immersive practice, not gaming. Even if you’re not a gamer, you will enjoy learning Mandarin this way! Our activities are designed to boost your vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency in a natural and engaging way. **Are there any discounts for Chinese lessons for members?** Yes, you can use code MEETUP10 for your exclusive £10 discount on our [Chinese courses](https://china-unbound.co.uk/personal/) site-wide!

The session is Every Thursday 7PM till 10PM. This is for all levels, so after the training you will be able to play games and use what you have learnt. Just like the saying practice makes perfect. Any queries on what levels you may be or just any questions please don't hesitate to contact us. PARKING: Parking is available and Free onsite. (The postcode is E15 3PA) This at the previous address on New mount Street. Press the buzzer and they will let you in. PAYMENT: We are accepting bank transfer rather than cash payments. In 2 days in advance to confirm your attendance. Bank Details: Name: The Badminton Collective Ltd Sort Code: 60-83-71 Account Number:69874292 Reference your name and date of the session. £13 Games IMPORTANT NOTES: We shall be starting at 7PM sharp so if you miss the start you'll have to just catch up I'm afraid. How to get there. If you use the provided postcode it will take you to the front of the school. By all means message me if you are having troubles. There is now a water fountain so please bring a bottle to fill up, this is in the main building while they fix the one near the sports Hall. The Badminton Collective and School 21 are not responsible for any injuries or loss of items.

Every week is a badminton academy for improver/intermediate/advanced standard. I also run thirteen teams that play in leagues out of the academy. Unfortunately this class does not cater for beginners! Wanting people who wish to enjoy and improve with games and advice with a coach who has played county and national level badminton, and has also played for England. Just come along, bring a racket, very friendly atmosphere! Class from 7.30 - 9.30pm weekly, £14.00 per session or £35.00 for three sessions t be paid up front and must be used within six months, payable by cash only. I have coached players from beginner to international standard. Please message me with any questions. Thanks

**ProductTank NoVA is back!** After a brief hiatus, we are relaunching the chapter with a format that cuts out the fluff and gets straight to the reality of building. Every product feed is flooded with AI hype right now, but what does it actually look like on the ground? Instead of a polished keynote, we are hosting **0 to 1 with AI: Real Product Talks**—a "Show & Tell" featuring 3–4 lightning talks focused on the intersection of AI and product. The framing for the talks is simple: *"Here is what I'm building, and here is what I'm stuck on."* We want to look at the messy, 0-to-1 reality of integrating AI into your workflows and products. *(Want to share what you are working on? Reach out! The bar is low-pressure, just 10–12 minutes to talk about a real AI problem you are trying to solve.)* **Agenda:** * **5:30 PM - 6:00 PM:** Doors open, networking, & name tags * **6:00 PM - 6:10 PM:** Welcome + Chapter Relaunch Intro * **6:10 PM - 7:30 PM:** Lightning Talks (Three 12-min talks + 5 mins Q&A each, with a 5-min stretch break) * **7:30 PM - 8:00 PM:** Open networking * **8:00 PM:** Soft close **Location & Logistics:** Herndon Fortnightly Library (Extended Hours Meeting Room) 768 Center St, Herndon, VA 20170 * **Parking:** We'll meet at the library, located just behind the Herndon Municipal Center. There is plenty of free public parking available around the municipal center. * **Metro & Bus:** Take the Silver Line to Herndon Metro Station, then connect via Fairfax Connector Route 921 or 950 to Historic Downtown Herndon. * **Driving (via VA-267/Dulles Toll Rd):** Take Exit 10 North (Centreville Rd, which becomes Elden St). Turn left onto Station St or Lynn St. * **Driving (via VA-286/Fairfax Co Pkwy):** Take the Elden St West exit. Turn right onto Lynn St. Looking forward to seeing everyone again and getting back to building!

Join our new group’s third meeting. Meet fellow tech enthusiasts west of the beltway. ​Because our group is new, we have a poll for the direction we want to take this new group. ​[https://submatrix.net/article/Meetups/e9ym4fr8Ca](https://submatrix.net/article/Meetups/e9ym4fr8Ca) ​For this event, we will be running a working meetup. ​Our meetings are a great place to work on and show off what you do. We are always welcoming. ​Our format is great for people who have started on but not finished one or several side projects. ​We will start off with basic introductions and what we are working on and what our goals are. We’ll break the rest of the meeting into two working sessions. In between, we’ll do a quick check-in to see how folks are going.

Join us at 11:30 a.m. for a meditation class led by Khenpo Karze, followed by a public talk and Q&A. The meditation focus varies from class to class. We are currently learning how to meditate on the Four Immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The class begins with 30 minutes of meditation instruction, followed by 5-10 minutes of meditation practice, and then continues with discussion and Q&A. Each session concludes with a brief Chenrezig practice in which we recite Om Mani Padme Hung (a prayer of compassion), and a dedication prayer that our efforts benefit all beings. This class offers a strong foundation in meditation, helping cultivate inner peace and compassion amidst busy lives. All are welcome! This program is open to anyone with an interest in Buddhism and you can come to all or any part of the program. Families are welcome. There is no fee, but donations are encouraged. Join us! Class is offered IN-PERSON in our Prayer Room and ONLINE on [Facebook Live](https://www.facebook.com/KPCBuddhistTemple/) and [YouTube Live](https://www.youtube.com/@KunzangPalyulCholing/streams). You can also watch online here: https://www.tara.org/kpc-maryland-events-calendar/ About the teacher: Khenpo Tenzin Karze graduated from Ngagyur Nyingma Institute’s intensive Buddhist graduate course in 2006, and was awarded the degree of Khenpo, equivalent to a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy, in 2011. He has received teachings and empowerments from many great Nyingma masters, and taught extensively in various Palyul temples in Nepal, India, Europe and Taiwan. This is his first time in the USA. We are delighted that Khenpo is now in residence at KPC and will be providing traditional Dharma instruction to help us deepen our practice of wisdom and compassion.

Join us for another session of our study group as we continue our coverage of the book Domain-Specific Small Language Models. In this session, we will attempt to cover Chapters 13 on "Creating end-to-end applications", which explores RAG and Agents and Chapter 14, on "Advanced Components for LLM Applications", which explores GraphRAG. This isn't just a lecture! Come ready to ask questions, share insights, and code along. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this is the perfect opportunity to continue to learn together. If you plan to work with the code on your own laptop during the session, try and download the code from here https://github.com/virtualramblas/Domain-Specific-Small-Language-Models ahead of time.

Improve your speaking skills in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where speakers of all languages are welcome. This program is supported by library volunteers and requires a basic working knowledge of English. Registration required. Registration is required. RSVPing on Meetup does not register you for the program. [To register and see more details, visit our events calendar. ](https://pwcgov.libnet.info/events?start=today&end=2023-2-28&term=english)

NOVA Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal, co-working session. People of all skill levels are invited. The concept is simple, bring a laptop and ideas, we'll provide the coffee and donuts! Here's how it works: 1. At 10:15 everyone introduces themselves and briefly describes what brought them to Code & Coffee today (project, homework, networking, etc) 2. For the rest of the day, folks work in the communal space on their projects providing one another help and conversation as needed. Oh and they usually drink coffee and tea too! That's it! Hope to see you there! **Location** Our hosts are the Fairfax City Economic Development Building: [10300 Eaton Pl, Fairfax, VA 22030](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=d7298231ca2df594df822003f9a93517c788fceefe1fcbb79c8976696e341bc6JmltdHM9MTc1MzIyODgwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=180d0745-3b7f-69a1-23a2-11433a7868e5&u=a1L21hcHM_Jm1lcGk9MTA5fn5Ub3BPZlBhZ2V-QWRkcmVzc19MaW5rJnR5PTE4JnE9RmFpcmZheCUyMENpdHklMjBFY29ub21pYyUyMERldmVsb3BtZW50JnNzPXlwaWQuWU44NzN4ODI4MTk2Mjg0NTk5MDM4MTU0MiZwcG9pcz0zOC44NjE0NDYzODA2MTUyMzRfLTc3LjMwMjE3NzQyOTE5OTIyX0ZhaXJmYXglMjBDaXR5JTIwRWNvbm9taWMlMjBEZXZlbG9wbWVudF9ZTjg3M3g4MjgxOTYyODQ1OTkwMzgxNTQyfiZjcD0zOC44NjE0NDZ-LTc3LjMwMjE3NyZ2PTImc1Y9MSZGT1JNPU1QU1JQTA&ntb=1) Conference Room A- Large, Floor 1 This is a new venue for us, so give us some time to get more details about it. Driving is the best option. There is plenty of free on-site parking. Otherwise, we are a 22 minute bus from the Vienna Metro Station. Bicycling from Vienna is possible but difficult, though once you are here, there's a bike rack in the garage behind the building, and there's also a Capital Bikeshare dock 15 min walk away. **Sponsored by:** Thank you [Fairfax City Economic Development](https://gofairfaxcity.com/) and [Mason Enterprise Center](https://enterprise.gmu.edu/) for making this event possible! **Thank you so much to our wonderful sponsors!** Organized by [DMV Petri Dish](https://www.dmvpetridish.com/) **[Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NoVACodeCoffee/admin/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md):** We value the participation of each member of the community and want all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. To make clear what is expected, all delegates/attendees, organizers, and volunteers at any Nova Code & Coffee events are required to conform to our [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NoVACodeCoffee/admin/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md).