Software Innovation

Agents are writing code, running workflows, and building other agents. ​ The challenge isn’t basic functionality. It’s getting these systems to operate predictably in production, and integrating them into how teams build and ship software. ​This session covers both. ​ From a production lens: how to build agentic systems using spec-driven development, structured context, and evaluation loops that hold up at scale. ​From a human lens: what breaks when agents become collaborators. Ownership, coordination, and how teams actually adapt. ​Speakers: ​**Clifton Cunningham** ​**Member of Technical Staff, [guidemode.dev](https://guidemode.dev/?utm_source=luma) \| Former CTO at DailyMail\, Infinitas Learning\, TES Global** ​Clifton will explore what happens when AI agents become part of your team. Drawing on experience leading large-scale engineering organisations, he’ll unpack the human, cultural, and operational challenges of working alongside AI colleagues. ​**Alfonso Graziano** ​**AI Tech Lead\, Nearform \| Author of *AI-Native Software Engineering*** ​Alfonso will walk through how to build agents that build and maintain other agents. A practical, production-focused session covering spec-driven development, context engineering, evaluation loops, and how to make agentic systems reliable at scale. ​ Join us for pizza, drinks, and practical AI insights.

Hi everyone, Looking forward to the Bank Holiday? So are we! What better way to return to the workweek than a cheeky after-work networking event! This event will be relaxed and informal, with the chance to meet and connect with other Women in Product London members. Please join us on **Wednesday 8th April** for a quick drink and a chat at [The Jack Horner Pub ](https://www.jackhornerpub.co.uk/)on Tottenham Court Road (nearest station) from 6:00pm until around 8:00pm. Spaces are limited so please make sure you book now. As this event is not sponsored, any food or drinks you order will need to be paid for at the bar. See you soon The WIP London team x

**Join us for a joint meetup with our friends from Qodo and Tessl** AI coding agents are increasingly embedded in production workflows, but their failure modes are often poorly understood, difficult to detect, and even harder to evaluate systematically. ​This session examines how agent-based systems degrade under real-world conditions, focusing on three critical dimensions: reliability, code quality, and security. We’ll look at where current evaluation approaches fall short, how non-determinism and context drift impact correctness, and why seemingly “successful” generations can still introduce latent defects or vulnerabilities. ​If you’re building, evaluating, or deploying AI agents in production systems, this session will provide a grounded view of where they fail and what it takes to make them robust **Agenda** * ​​​6:00pm Venue opens * ​Join us for Drinks and Pizza! * ​​​6:30pm **Hidden Failure Modes for AI Agents** by Nupur Sharma * ​6:50pm Panel Discussion * ​**Panelists** * ​**Simon Maple -** Developer Relations at Tessl * ​**Brian Vermeer** \- Staff Developer Advocate at Snyk * ​**Nupur Sharma -** Solutions Engineer at Qodo * ​**Kunal Kushwaha -** Senior Developer Advocate EMEA at Cast AI **SPEAKERS** **​** **Simon Maple - Developer Relations at Tessl** ​Simon Maple is the Head of Developer Relations at Tessl, and AI Native Dev co-host. Previously, Simon was the Field CTO, and VP Developer Relations at Snyk, ZeroTurnaround, and IBM. He became a Java Champion in 2014, JavaOne Rockstar speaker in 2014 and 2017, Duke’s Choice award winner, Virtual JUG founder and organiser, and London Java Community co-leader ​ ​**Brian Vermeer** \- Staff Developer Advocate at Snyk ​Staff Developer Advocate for Snyk, Java Champion, and Software Engineer with over a decade of hands-on experience in creating and maintaining software. He is passionate about Java, (Pure) Functional Programming and Cybersecurity. Brian is a JUG leader for the Virtual JUG and the NLJUG. He also co-leads the DevSecCon community and is a community manager for Foojay. He is a regular international speaker on mostly Java-related conferences like JavaOne, Devnexus, Devoxx, Jfokus, JavaZone and many more. Besides all that, Brian is a military reserve for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and a Taekwondo Master / Teacher. ​ ​**Nupur Sharma -** Solutions Engineer at Qodo ​ ​**Kunal Kushwaha -** Senior Developer Advocate EMEA at Cast AI ***

**Important:** Register on the [event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026040809) is required for admission. **RSVP on meetup is turned off** Enjoy afterwork drinks and practical discussions on Apache Kafka, ClickHouse, PostgreSQL and much more. Enjoy a session designed for data engineers, architects and technical decisions-makers like you, who want to address the challenges they face in data-infrastructure. No high-level pitches but straight into practical discussions on how to build scalable, efficient open sourced-powered data platforms. **Why Attend?** * Connect with local data and tech professionals * Get practical insights into streaming, storage, and analytics with Kafka, Iceberg, PostgreSQL, and ClickHouse * Learn how to reduce operational overhead while scaling your data infrastructure performance * Bring your questions and challenges for direct discussions with Aiven experts **Agenda:** * 4:00pm\~4:30pm: Checkin, Food, Networking * 4:30pm\~6:00pm: Tech talks and Q&A * 6:00pm\~7:00pm: Happy hour, Open discussion, Networking * **Tech Talk: Context Is the New Infrastructure** **Speaker:** Stan Dmitriev (Aiven) **Tech Talk: Apache Kafka on Aiven** **Speaker:** Hugh Evans (Aiven)

Antoine Riard is, among other things, a contributor to both Bitcoin Core and the Lightning Network. In this event, he will share his expertise and knowledge about Ark: a technology that aims to help address some of Bitcoin's known limitations at scale. He will share its benefits, tradeoffs and his opinions. Don't miss this event, hosted at Cyphermunk House! Location: **9 John Street, Holborn, London, WC1N 2ES** Date: Wednesday 8th April 2026 Time: 18:30 Find more info and purchase a ticket (first timers are free) here: https://www.cyphermunkhouse.com/events

Looking for quality **business networking in London**? Join an exclusive evening at **Tide HQ**, organised by **GMax Card**, **Getshop Today,** and **Tide** \- three products built by founders\, for founders\. **WHY ATTEND:** * Free premium digital business card (£65 value) - claim it on the night * Real connections - co-founders, customers, partners & more * 50% off premium GMax Card upgrades for your team * Practical tools & insights to run your startup smarter Connect with **tech founders, startup teams, business owners, and professionals** **across fintech, finance, banking, business and technology.** **Testimonials:** Check out [video testimonials from founders who've attended previous events.](https://vimeo.com/1162995661) **Please note:** Free ticket includes event access only. To receive a physical contactless GMax Card, please purchase a paid ticket when available. **DRESS CODE** Business or smart. Dress as you would for an investor meeting - polished and professional. **VENUE** **[Tide](https://www.tide.co/partners-business-account/?ref=GMAXF2F) HQ - Featherstone Building, Silicon Roundabout, London** Right at the heart of UK's tech and startup hub, Tide's modern headquarters provides an open, professional environment designed for founders and operators and built for collaboration. **ABOUT THIS STARTUP AND BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT** In the **startup and business world**, success rarely happens in isolation. The right connections unlock **co-founders, early customers,** and relationships that accelerate **growth**. But most networking events don't deliver that. After hundreds of iterations, we've built a **format that actually works:** * Well-tested icebreakers (optional, but they work) to break the initial awkwardness * "Quick intros" round - 30-60 seconds each so everyone knows who's who in the room * Short talks from [GMax Card](http://www.gmaxcard.com/) on strategic networking and Tide on founder-friendly business tools * On-the-spot [Tide](https://www.tide.co/partners-business-account/?ref=GMAXF2F) consultations - bring your banking and ops questions, get real answers * Drinks and refreshments for real conversations to develop naturally Co-organised by **[GMax Card](http://www.gmaxcard.com/)** and **[Getshop Today](http://www.getshop.today/)**, hosted at **[Tide](https://www.tide.co/partners-business-account/?ref=GMAXF2F) HQ** \- the digital bank built for entrepreneurs\. Created by founders who've done it themselves. Whether you're pre-seed or scaling, solo or building a team, this is where you meet the people who get it and can help you move faster. **WHO'S IN THE ROOM** Expect a mix of: * **Early-stage to growth-stage startup founders** * **Tech entrepreneurs** and product builders * **Fintech innovators** and operators * **Indie founders, solopreneurs** and **bootstrapped business owners** * **Finance professionals** and **startup advisors** * People working across **business and technology** Limited to 40 attendees to keep conversations meaningful. **WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH** * Free [premium business card (£65 value) ](https://www.gmaxcard.com/shop)\- ask the host to claim yours on the night * Real connections - potential co-founders, early customers, advisors, hires, or partners * 50% off [premium digital cards from GMax Card](https://www.gmaxcard.com/shop) for your whole team * Actionable insights on tools that actually make running a startup or business easier Part of our bi-weekly series. Check out [video testimonials](https://vimeo.com/1162995661) from founders and business professionals who've attended previous events. **ORGANISERS** **[GMax Card](http://www.gmaxcard.com/)**[ - Free digital business cards](http://www.gmaxcard.com/), with Premium NFC smart cards and team networking tools. **[Getshop Today](http://www.getshop.today/)**[ - UK based eCommerce platform ](http://www.getshop.today/)to build your own independent online store in minutes instead of relying solely on global marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. **Hosted at [Tide](https://www.tide.co/partners-business-account/?ref=GMAXF2F)**[ - The digital-first business bank ](https://www.tide.co/partners-business-account/?ref=GMAXF2F)built to support entrepreneurs and SMEs. **IMPORTANT DETAILS** Dress code: business / smart Capacity: 40 people Photography & Video: Content may be captured by [CineEye Audiovisual Production Studio in London](http://www.cineeye.co.uk/) for promotional use. If you do not wish to be captured, please refrain from attending. ID Requirements: Attendance for 18+ only. Proof of ID may be requested at reception. Refund Policy: Refunds available up to 1 day before the event if any. Meetup fees are non-refundable (if any). **RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW** **Only 40 places available - secure your ticket today!**

***Enter the live meeting room here: [https://discord.gg/5wgxtr4c2u](https://discord.gg/5wgxtr4c2u)*** ***Download the engine here: [https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download)*** Welcome to the **Unreal Engine Workshop!** In each session we'll tackle essential game design discussions, then transition into hands-on project creation. Participants will build and expand their skills continuously as we explore every aspect of game development. From basic blueprints and interactive mechanics, to advanced rigging, animation, environment design, and lighting, we'll work our way up to creating small complete games. We encourage experimentation and peer teaching, so whether you're a beginner or experienced developer looking to deepen your expertise, our sessions provide a supportive environment to learn, create, and innovate together in Unreal Engine 5.

We are back! This is going to be a monthly IN PERSON meet up in London. A very big thank you goes to Accurx who is hosting us in their amazing Shoreditch offices. This will include access to facilities including coffee! 😻☕️ **Want to know more? 👇** As with all CoffeeOps, this is an interactive, chatty, build your own adventure type of meet-up. Instead of booking in experts to *learn* *from*, we gather a group of practitioners to ***learn*** ***with***. We have been running for over 4 years now and often get feedback that this is the most useful meetup people join! The event is approximately 90 minutes and always starts by brainstorming topics to discuss. The group then votes on the most relevant/interesting to them and we then cycle through the topics trying to discuss each deeply, but in a time bound slot. To get an idea of topics, you can check out our remote board [here](https://easyretro.io/publicboard/h404NF84Uje4tCcxpJdHr4Ycs9B3/a4a35d2b-181b-409b-832e-a729be1af79c). The general gist is anything is fair game, though we tend to revolve around software delivery and definitely lean towards the more Ops-y or DevOps-y side of things.

**Please register on [Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ljc-meet-up-at-tessl-java-and-gen-ai-jvm-agents-with-embabel-tickets-1985712292922) to join in-person.** **About this event** vJUG Connect is teaming up with the London Java Community for a special evening exploring the future of Java in the age of Generative AI. Join us both online and in London for a deep dive into how JVM developers can lead the next wave of innovation with agent-based systems. We’re excited to host Rod Johnson, creator of Spring, as he introduces Embabel, a new framework designed to push Java and Kotlin to the forefront of agentic AI. From building safe, testable, and enterprise-ready AI agents to rethinking how Java fits into the Gen AI ecosystem, this session will give you a front-row seat to what’s next. Whether you join us virtually or in person at Tessl HQ, expect an evening of cutting-edge ideas, practical insights, and great conversations with the Java community. Can’t make it in person? Join us virtually, register here: [https://luma.com/s9rp5nem](https://luma.com/s9rp5nem) **Agenda:** ​6:00pm – Doors open (live stream begins on YouTube with vJUG) ​6:45pm - Kick off and message from our partners ​7:00pm – Session kicks off Java and Gen AI: JVM Agents With Embabel by Rod Johnson (Spring Creator) (live stream ends) ​8pm – Networking 9pm – Wrap-up **​Java and Gen AI: JVM Agents With Embabel by Rod Johnson (Spring Creator)** Since the emergence of Gen AI, it's become obvious that agents will be a big part of our future as both technologists and citizens. Building predictable, safe, manageable, testable agents that integrate with existing enterprise systems is critically important to us all. ​In this session, Rod Johnson will show how JVM developers can be central to unlocking the business value of agentic AI, using the Embabel agent framework: [https://github.com/embabel/embabel-agent](https://github.com/embabel/embabel-agent) Embabel is an innovative framework for Java and Kotlin developers, seamlessly integrated with Spring. Built in Kotlin, it aims not to play catchup with Python frameworks like Crew AI, but to leapfrog them to be the best agent framework, period. ​Embabel innovates in several ways. It introduces a planning step that maximizes autonomy while maintaining determinism and safety. It is type safe, ensuring excellent toolability and avoiding errors in prompts. It enables developers to use a rich domain model, defining not just types but behavior exposed to user code and to LLMs as tools. ​ Read more about the [vision](https://medium.com/@springrod/the-embabel-vision-967654f13793?utm_source=luma); and also the call to action for Java developers in recent Devoxx keynote: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbx1_P7W1DM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbx1_P7W1DM&utm_source=luma) **​Rod Johnson, Creator of the Spring Framework and Embabel Agent Framework** ​ Rod Johnson is a developer, author, entrepreneur and advisor. He is the creator of the Spring Framework and Embabel agent framework. ​Twitter: [https://x.com/springrod](https://x.com/springrod) ​LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsonroda/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsonroda/) Huge thanks to our friends at Tessl for sponsoring this event and supporting our community. This event is organised by [RecWorks](https://recworks.co.uk/) on behalf of the London Java Community. The London Java Community is sponsored by Hazelcast, Neo4j, Redis, and Discover You can see our latest jobs [here](https://recworks.co.uk/java-developer-jobs-london/) You can see our privacy policy [here](https://recworks.co.uk/privacy-policy/) Continue the conversation at our Slack Group: [https://londonjavacommunity.slack.com](https://londonjavacommunity.slack.com/) Sign up here if you're not a member: [https://bcrw.typeform.com/to/IIyQxd](https://bcrw.typeform.com/to/IIyQxd)

Elixir London Meetup; February 2026 edition. All are welcome. **Session 1: Anton Borisov - Distilling Kafka's Binary Protocol into Elixir** We'll trace a produce request to show what any Kafka client has to get right. In the BEAM ecosystem, erlkaf wraps librdkafka, brod implements the protocol in Erlang, and [kafka_ex](https://hex.pm/packages/kafka_ex) goes pure Elixir. Kafka_ex's approach is to generate serializers at compile time from Kafka's own schema definitions: plain structs, pattern matching, structural boilerplate isolated from the logic you actually think about. That design is what let us jump two major versions ahead and adapt to significant protocol changes. Let's dig into the idea, the code, and the tradeoffs. **Session 2: Evadne Wu** **\- JavaScript Execution Strategies in Elixir\-based Agent Frameworks** We'll look at integration points between elixir agents (in the AI fashion) and JavaScript execution, and all the foot guns involved. *The event is kindly sponsored by* [Fresha](https://www.fresha.com). **Time** Doors open at 18, start at 18.30. **Venue** Fresha The Bower, 207-211, Old St, Tower, London EC1V 9NR **Refreshments** Food and drinks will be provisioned on the day. **IMPORTANT**: **If you wish to take photos and post online during the event, please notify organisers first, so that attendees can opt-out from being in photos.**

The Databricks London Meetup is back after a short break, and we’re looking forward to bringing the community together again for another friendly, in-person evening of data, AI, and good conversation. Join us for a relaxed meetup where data and AI professionals can swap ideas, hear a couple of practical talks, and meet others working with Databricks in the real world. Whether you’re deep into the platform already or just keen to learn from the community, this is a great chance to pick up something useful and meet some excellent people along the way. This session will include the latest Databricks updates, a practical talk from the Advancing Analytics team on how they used Lakebase to power AI projects, and time for questions with the Databricks team before we round things off with pizza and networking. **17:30 - 18:00:** Arrival & Networking **18:00 - 18:10:** Opening Remarks & Introductions **18:10 - 18:30** What’s New in Databricks - Simon Whiteley **18:30 - 19:00** Building Better AI Projects with *Lakebase* \- Toyosi Babayeju from Advancing Analytics **19:00 - 19:15** Q&A with the Databricks team **19:15 onwards:** Pizza, Drinks & Networking *Join us for a fantastic evening of learning and networking at the London Databricks meetup!*

**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 engaging panel discussion on **AI Agentic Coding** and how autonomous AI systems are transforming the way software is built. Experts in AI, software engineering, and developer tools will share insights on how agentic AI—systems that can plan, reason, and execute coding tasks—is reshaping modern development workflows. The discussion will cover topics such as AI-assisted development, productivity gains, challenges around reliability and governance, and what the future of software engineering may look like with AI agents as collaborators. Whether you’re a developer, tech leader, or AI enthusiast, this session is a great opportunity to learn, ask questions, and explore how agentic AI is redefining coding

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

Topic to be announced! **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/ **THANK YOU** *Leading EDJE* for hosting our meetup! Leading EDJE specializes in helping organizations innovate and solve complex problems. EDJE does this with their "A" player team of professionals using agile methodologies and SCRUM management techniques to give organizations a competitive advantage that sets them apart. Learn more at https://www.leadingedje.com/ **THANK YOU** *Amazon Web Services* for sponsoring pizza! Learn more at https://aws.amazon.com/. **DIRECTIONS** 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300 Dublin, OH 43017 (3rd floor) **FREE PARKING** at the Endres Garage across the street, 6540 Riverside Dr, Dublin, OH **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab for a future meetup?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)

2026 CSC SOFTBALL TEAM ANNOUNCEMENTS CSC Softball league is 16 teams - over 200 people. The countdown is over—the 2026 CSC Softball season kicks off with team announcements FRIDAY APRIL 10! Come find out who you’re playing with, who’s coaching, and start the season with great people and great energy. All Columbus Ski Club members & non members welcome! Meet your coach Meet your teammates Get pumped for the season ahead Whether you’re playing this season or just want to be part of the fun, join us to celebrate the start of another amazing CSC Softball year. Let’s play ball!

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!

Make sure to RSVP on the Cental Ohio Azure event! The global Azure community is coming together again, and Columbus is officially on the map. View the session lineup and speakers at [Global Azure Columbus 2026](https://coazure.github.io/cbus-global-azure-2026/) On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup, DevOps Meetup, and Code and Coffee Meetup are hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!