STEM Mentoring

Hi new friends and old! We're baaack! As a smaller group, we make meaningful connections with like-minded data professionals. Lifelong friendships are forged along the way! Whether you're new in town, want to expand your social circle, get into the data and AI space, or see a friend you know, this is the place to be! No guest speakers nor rigid agenda, just a casual meetup and lots of fun conversation! 🥳 See you soon! NOTE: Please remember to bring your ID with you, as all guests must be of legal age to enter the venue. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **💼 Looking for Work?** If you're a data professional looking for work, check out Datalytes. Building your profile there helps potential employers find you based on your skills. There's also a cash reward if you have a friend you could refer. Check out [https://datalytes.com](https://datalytes.com) **🤝 Code of Conduct:** The Friendly Data Meetup welcomes all genders, nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds, identities etc. There is a strict no discrimination policy in adherence to our code of conduct and our guiding principles. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for hateful or antisocial behaviour. In short, be kind to others. Do not insult or put down others. Behave professionally, don't make others feel uncomfortable. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for The Friendly Data Meetup. **🌱 Donations, Volunteers and Patrons Welcome:** The Friendly Data Meetup is completely volunteer run and not for profit. Donations and ideas are very welcome to fund some more exciting activities as summer is coming up! Buy us a coffee or come and chat with us. Support us: https://bit.ly/support-friendly-data-meetup \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **About Us** 🤗 Welcome data professionals and friends! Sometimes, it can be difficult to make friends within the field, and that's what we're all about! We're a group of like minded individuals who understand the highs and lows of working in data and tech. ✅ Our primary goal is to have **higher quality conversations** that are more meaningful, with smaller groups so that we get to spend more attention on each individual. 💯 If you're already reading this, you're definitely welcome! **We welcome everyone**, whether you're already in the data field, looking to get started or just curious! 🗨️ **Bring your friends**, bring your plus ones, we're all just here to have a good laugh and a good chat about the world, even if it isn't always about our work. **Our values:** 📖 **Openness** \- We welcome everyone 🤝 **Trust** \- Build long\-lasting friendships together 💝 **Care** \- Be kind to others and help each other out **Who it's for** \- Data Scientists \- Data Engineers \- Data Analysts \- AI Engineers \- ML Engineers \- Software Engineers \- Data Product Managers \- Financial and Quantitative Modellers \- Entrepreneurs\, Contractors \- Anyone who works with Data \- Anyone looking to get into the space \- Friends **How to Make the Most of the Meetup** The Friendly Data Meetup has one simple purpose - meaningful connections. We're not just a community of people, **we're friends** who get invested in each others lives. We check in on our friends regularly, and personally. So come and join us, **more than just once or twice!**

**[ProductTank London](https://www.meetup.com/producttank/) and [One Knight in Product](https://www.oneknightinproduct.com/) are excited to host [Nesrine Changuel](https://nesrine-changuel.com/) for the launch of her new book Product Delight!** **We'll meet IN-PERSON at The Stepstone Group’s [office](https://www.thestepstonegroup.com/english/careers/our-offices/london/) in Southwark, London. At our event, each in-person attendee will receive a free copy of Nesrine's new book [Product Delight](http://www.productdelightbook.com/). And Nesrine will sign your book for you!** **Too many products compete only on features and functionality. But customers don’t just buy and use products; they form emotional connections with them.** **In her talk, Nesrine will share advice from her book on:** **⭐ Why delight is the secret ingredient that separates good products from great ones** **🎯 How emotional connection drives customer loyalty and advocacy** **🛠️ Practical techniques to design experiences that delight** **📈 Real-world examples of companies that win by standing out emotionally** **💡 How to apply these lessons to your own product strategy and roadmap** **You can learn more about her book at [productdelightbook.com](https://productdelightbook.com/) .** **Join us for an informative and engaging session! There will be drinks, nibbles and networking after the talk.** **SCHEDULE** * **6:00 to 7:00 pm: Nesrine signs books, plus networking and drinks / nibbles** * **7:00 pm: to 8pm: Talk + Q&A** * **8:00 to 9:00 pm: Networking and drinks / nibbles** # ABOUT The SPONSORS Miro We are grateful to [Miro](https://miro.com/page/product-leaders/?utm_campaign=amer-26-us-se-hi-c3_dsp-lean_product_meetup&utm_source=eventexternal&utm_medium=event&src=-event_amer) for sponsoring books for in-person attendees! [Miro](https://miro.com/page/product-leaders/?utm_campaign=amer-26-us-se-hi-c3_dsp-lean_product_meetup&utm_source=eventexternal&utm_medium=event&src=-event_amer) helps your teams break free from work silos, repetitive meetings, endless feedback cycles, and missed launch deadlines. Streamline ways of working at every stage of product development, from strategy to outcome, with time-saving AI at every step. Miro's unified workspace helps you find alignment that sticks, build what customers really want, and ship it faster. [Learn more about Miro](https://miro.com/page/product-leaders/?utm_campaign=amer-26-us-se-hi-c3_dsp-lean_product_meetup&utm_source=eventexternal&utm_medium=event&src=-event_amer) Jira product discovery We are grateful to Atlassian's [Jira Product Discovery](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/product-discovery?utm_source=&utm_medium=comarketing&utm_campaign=P:atlassian%7CO:%7CI:lean-product%7C) for sponsoring books for in-person attendees! Product teams aren’t short on ideas—they’re missing a system. Ideas are everywhere—in spreadsheets, messages, and docs. Prioritization is inconsistent, and product managers lack confidence they’re building the right thing. [Jira Product Discovery](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/dan-olsen/delight) puts feedback, priori tization, and roadmapping into one place. Capture insights, prioritize with context, and build roadmaps connected to delivery in Jira. No scattered tools. No endless updates. The result: product managers prioritize based on outcomes, stakeholders see the why behind the roadmap, and teams get time back and the confidence to build the right thing. Learn more about [Jira Product Discovery](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/product-discovery?utm_source=&utm_medium=comarketing&utm_campaign=P:atlassian%7CO:%7CI:lean-product%7C) Alloy Prototype with your real product using [Alloy](https://alloy.app/). Just capture your product from the browser, make changes with AI chat, and see results that instantly match your design system. Say goodbye to App Builders, and try the first AI Prototyping tool purpose-built for Product Managers. The Stepstone Group We’re delighted to be hosted by The Stepstone Group’s Product team in their 9th-floor office at the Blue Fin Building, just steps from the Tate Modern and boasting panoramic views of the River Thames. The Stepstone Group is a leading global recruitment and job technology company, dedicated to connecting people with the right opportunities. With a presence in over 30 countries and a portfolio of 20+ brands, Stepstone leverages innovative technology and AI-driven solutions to help employers find top talent and job seekers discover the perfect role. Committed to making hiring more efficient, fair, and impactful, Stepstone is driven by the mission of “the right job for everyone” and a focus on innovation, integrity, and long-term success in the world of work.

🌌Ever look up and marvel with insatiable curiosity at both the beauty and wonder of the **universe?** That wild sobering thought that somewhere in the chaos of creation - the emergence of life - the universe became **conscious** enough to look back and ask the fundamental questions; How it all started, our evolution and place in it, and where else in the cosmos other complex life might exist (we know almost every star you see has planets orbiting with up to **20 billion habitable exoplanets** easily in our galaxy alone!)? 🪐🌟🌟🌟 🌍Then RSVP to view the potential life harbouring moons of **Jupiter**, comets, the famous **Orion Nebula** where stars like our sun were born, the majestic rings of **Saturn**, the international space station, well known star fields, remnants of **supernova** witnessed by our early ancestors, multi-star solar systems (think the double sun in Starwars), the Tau Ceti star with **2 Earth like planets** orbiting in the habitable zone, plus a range of other fascinating celestial wonderments (comets, galaxies) over drinks and engaging chats and banter this Jan fully hosted by a passionate amateur astronomer and former global Journalist covering big picture stories including cutting edge science related ones. 🚀In between observing - we'll have **drinks and engaging chats** on all astronomy related topics for those inclined - space exploration, Fermi Paradox, Astrobiology, Cosmology, paleontology, SETI/Drake Equation (I have my own augmented version giving more realistic estimates of likely alien civilisations!), exoplanetology etc as well as non space chatter and banter too. No doubt we'll hear the usual jokes we've all heard before! If those don't make you laugh, my impersonation of Los Angeles ET will! 👽 And to help set the mood and make the night feel even extra galactic, I’ll put my DJ hat to play some space‑themed tunes and songs about the stars! **======= Joining Astronomers Group & Telescopes =======** I'm able to take a limited number of people (please only RSVP if you can make it) to join my friendly informal relaxed London amateur astronomers' club that have been for over a decade with their regulars made up of up to about 150 people. As there will be people attending from this private Astronomers group as well as others from one of my other groups - the total attendees will be far higher than rsvps here and the public liability insurance only covers a max number of people - hence I need to impose strict limits on attendance. Over the years we have enjoyed numerous social evenings of stargazing and thought provoking chatter with people of all ages and varying levels of astronomy knowledge - so complete beginners that are genuinely curious about the universe are very welcome. If you are just looking to meet generic randoms then there are others groups that will better cater for that. The world renowed **BBC Television Sky at Night** also attended our events pre covid and interviewed some of us for it's show that aired on BBC1 in Feb 2019. BBC **Radio London** (94.9 FM / digital) were there Aug 2023 to cover our meteor shower event broadcasting live to millions of Londoners for 3 hours You don't need a telescope as you will be able to view through scopes belonging to me and other club members (as long as you behave responsibly and don't temper with expensive equipment). If you have your own telescope/binoculars feel free to bring along and I can help you setting it up if you're a newbie **==== Food & Drinks With Seating From Warm Indoor Cafe ====** Alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, cider only), hot drinks and food/snacks will be available to purchase from an indoor cafe at the observation point which Regent's park keep open exclusively for the astronomers group so please don't bring your own drinks **==== ITINERARY =====** We will meet outside Camden Station. After a short wait for anyone delayed, I will escort everyone to our observation point in the local park 15 minutes walk away and brief you in terms of what to expect, observing etiquette, tips, equipment handling and take any questions you have - weather general or astronomy/cosmology related. **After Drinks:** Unless I have a very important 9AM Thursday deadline for a client presentation or something that I'm still gonna be writing 2 mins before start - most of us usually head our way back to Camden for another drink. If so - I will annouce the pub when we leave the park **==== What Can You Expect To See (this time of year)? ====** * Orion Nebula * Jupiter and 4 moons * Meteors * Andromedia Galaxy * Saturn, rings & moon * Star clusters such as the Pleiades & Owl Cluster etc * International Space station fly by * Venus & Mercury * Binary & tripple star systems (think planet *Tatooine in* Starwars!), * Neptune * Uranuus * Mars * Our moon * A look towards the galactic centre where that supermassive £22b Labour black hole sits (Sagittarius A) More here from Jodrell Bank Observatory/Astrophysics Centre: [http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/](http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/) Guide to viewing the cosmos for beginners: [https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp](https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp) **===Weather Dependent=====** The event is subject to clear skies forecasts on the night so if on the actual afternoon of the event the weather forecasts looks unsuitable beyond doubt then I will postpone so please check the event status on the day of the event . If this event is still listed here at 5PM on the day, it will be going ahead at the designated day and time! Happy Stargazing Lucas Skywalker - The Singin, Dancin, DJ-in Astronomer

Register: https://luma.com/aiengineerlondon9 Join London’s coolest AI crowd for an evening of demos, drinks, and great conversations. ​Speakers ​​Vasilije Markovic - Founder @ Cognee ​"Implementing shareable, domain-specific Agentic memory" ​Matt Boyle - Head of Product & Engineering @ Ona ​"Automating the boring (but necessary) parts of software engineering with Ona" ​Alex Booker - Head of Developer Education @ Mastra ​"Real-world, multi-agent systems with Mastra"

**5 Elements Constellation workshop - London** Saturday 24 January 2026 10 to 17:30h 5 Issue holders: £140 Representatives: £70 Join us for this in person confidential and supportive constellation group experience. Constellation work allows us to work with the resonance field revealing hidden dynamics, entanglements and burdens that we unconsciously got involved in and make our journey forward in life less than it could be. The focus of the work is “Health” in the broadest sense of the word. I define this as a movement towards the true authentic self in a clear and objective way. For additional information and registration please send a message to: info@emersonbastos.co.uk **Future workshop dates:** Hastings 31 January 2026 5 Elements Constellation Workshop 10 to 530pm Bucharest - Romania 5 Elements Constellation Workshop 7 & 8 March 2026 Athens - Greece Giving the Here-and-Now a Chance Constellation Workshop Saturday 14 March 2026 5 Elements Constellation Workshop Sunday 15 March 2026 Agios Nikolaos - Crete - Greece Giving the Here-and-Now a Chance Constellation Workshop Saturday 21 March 2026 5 Elements Constellation Workshop Sunday 22 March 2026 London Giving the Here-and-Now a Chance Constellation Workshop Saturday 18 April 2026 10 to 5.30pm Sao Paulo (SP) Brazil Casa Ubuntu - Brooklin 5 Elements Constellation Workshop 2 & 3 May 2026 Sao Paulo (SP) Brazil Bairro Santana 5 Elements Constellation Workshop 16 & 17 May 2026 London 5 Elements Constellation Workshop Saturday 6 June 2026 Saturday 18 July 2026 For additional information and registration please send an email to: info@emersonbastos.co.uk You will find more information about the 5 elements constellation by scrolling down on the webpage below: www.emersonbastos.co.uk/workshops/ Emerson Bastos PGDip. Gestalt Psychotherapy MBACP Constellation Facilitator ISCA REgistered Shiatsu Practitioner/Teacher FwSS T

We’re excited to launch Amplify Her Monthly Co\-Working Sessions in collaboration with The Ministry \| Workspace & Members’ Club\. After high demand, we’re so excited to announce the launch of our **Amplify Her Monthly Co-Working Sessions**, in collaboration with **The Ministry\, Borough \| Workspace & Members’ Club**. These monthly co-working days are designed to give our community a dedicated space to **connect, create, and get things done**. Each session brings Amplify Her members together in an inspiring environment to co-work side by side, share ideas, collaborate on projects, and support one another’s growth within the music industry. Whether you’re writing, planning, producing, marketing, or simply need focused time around like-minded creatives, these sessions offer the perfect balance of **productivity, accountability, and community**. **[Make sure to grab your ticket on our website, so that you receive a QR code to use upon arrival.](https://www.amplifyher.co.uk/event-details/amplify-her-presents-monthly-co-working-sessions-2026-01-21-10-00)** **Want to join?** **All In Pass** The **All-In Pass** offers full access to everything Amplify Her provides, plus personalised mentorship support. This is our most comprehensive membership option and is designed for artists and music professionals ready to fully invest in their growth. All-In Pass includes: * Access to industry events * Entry to workshops * Attendance at live music events * Full access to music industry courses * Monthly co-working sessions in collaboration with The Ministry, Borough * Access to industry opportunities, including: * Sync placement opportunities * Gig opportunities * Songwriting camps * Other professional development opportunities * 3 hours of one-to-one mentorship, offering personalised guidance, strategy, and industry insight * Access to the Amplify Her community network for collaboration and support **Amplify Her Pass** The Amplify Her Pass is perfect for those looking to stay connected, informed, and actively involved in the music industry while being part of a supportive community. Amplify Her Pass includes: * Access to industry events * Entry to workshops * Attendance at live music events * Full access to music industry courses * Monthly co-working sessions in collaboration with The Ministry, Borough * Access to industry opportunities, including: * Sync placement opportunities * Gig opportunities * Songwriting camps * Other professional development opportunities * 3 hours of one-to-one mentorship, offering personalised guidance, strategy, and industry insight * Access to the Amplify Her community network for collaboration and support At Amplify Her, we welcome everyone at every stage of their journey — whether you’re just starting out, finding your voice, or building a sustainable career in the music industry. Our mission is to create inclusive, supportive spaces where women and gender-marginalised creatives feel empowered, connected, and equipped with real opportunities to grow. Through community, education, collaboration, and access to industry pathways, Amplify Her exists to ensure no one has to navigate the music industry alone. Wherever you are on your journey, there is space for you here. **Follow us here:** [https://www.instagram.com/amplify_herLive/](https://www.instagram.com/amplify_herLive/ "https://www.instagram.com/amplify_herLive/") [https://www.amplifyher.co.uk/](https://www.amplifyher.co.uk/ "https://www.amplifyher.co.uk/") [https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplifyher/](https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplifyher/ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplifyher/")

**Tim Ruffles presents:** *Efficient Reconciliation and Flow Control for Anti-Entropy Protocols* [https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/rvr/papers/flowgossip.pdf](https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/rvr/papers/flowgossip.pdf) The ideas in this paper influenced [systems at Amazon](https://www.cs.cornell.edu/projects/ladis2008/materials/rvr.pdf?), and beyond, e.g. Cassandra, Ringpop from Uber (used in Temporal). **Abstract** The paper shows that anti-entropy protocols can process only a limited rate of updates, and proposes and evaluates a new state reconciliation mechanism as well as a flow control scheme for anti-entropy protocols. **The Speaker** Tim is an engineer at [poolside.ai](http://poolside.ai/), previously at Plaid & GitHub **Location**: Appold St and Worship St corner London EC2A 2AG https://maps.app.goo.gl/GmCdcBLBCLR2ifou7 The nearest tube/train station is Liverpool St The entrance is located at the street level. This is not the main entrance of the building. **Checkin instructions:** \- Please proceed to the registration desk\. \- Have ready your Meetup handle for registration\, you need to be on the list to enter \- A small wristband will be handled to you \- There are drinks available for the night\, but no food\. **The schedule:** • 6.15pm: welcome and chitchat • 6:30pm: presentation starts • 8:00pm: presentation end Meetup are captured on video and uploaded on the PWL London Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEYe-1uDIkjPtuH_qhoybnA

Hello and welcome to our next **Data & AI Leaders** event. This session brings together Heads of Data, AI, and Analytics; senior technology and engineering leaders; Principal and Staff Data/ML Engineers; Platform and Capability Leads; and strategic decision-makers responsible for shaping data and AI strategy, governance, and value delivery within their organisations. Our meetups are friendly, thoughtful, and discussion-driven, designed to create a space where leaders can share real-world experience, reflect on complex challenges, and learn from peers who are building and scaling Data and AI capabilities in the real world. This session will include leadership talks, guided discussion, Q&A, and time for networking with fellow data and AI leaders. **We run:** • Bi-monthly in-person leadership meetups and roundtables in London • Bi-monthly online sessions for our wider leadership community Please keep an eye on our Meetup page for future events. Food and refreshments will be provided for in-person events where a host venue is supporting. We are delighted to host this security-focused meetup in London on the **22nd of January,** in partnership with [Incident.io](https://incident.io/). **Speakers and Sessions:** Speaker: [Dylan Ratcliffe,](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanratcliffe/) Founder at Overmind Session Title: How We Detected Toil among 36,000 Changes Description: How much precious engineering time are you spending on changes that don’t really need it? In this talk, we’ll reveal how we analysed nearly 37,000 infrastructure modifications to rigorously quantify "toil"; the work that slows teams down without adding real value. We’ll share the statistical techniques and practical models we developed to find the best opportunities for safe auto-approval, and show how you can use similar methods to identify (and eliminate) wasted effort in your own workflows. We’ll also discuss pitfalls, trade-offs, and how AI can take your approval process even further. Whether you’re a platform engineer or an SRE, you’ll learn how to free up your team to focus on what really matters while keeping your systems safe and reliable. Speaker: **[Rory Malcolm](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-m-m/)**, Product Engineer at Incident.io Session Title: My first year as an AI engineer Description: Join Rory, Product Engineer at Incident.io, as he walks through everything the team learned in their first year building an AI capability. This session focuses on how they scaled both technically and socially, growing from early work into an engineering team able to make meaningful progress against real AI goals. Expect practical insight into team growth, collaboration, and what actually enabled progress. **Agenda (GMT / UK):** 18:00 — Welcome and refreshments 18:30 — Introduction — Ethan Sumner 18:35 — Speaker 1 19:10 — Break 19:20 — Speaker 2 19:55 — Close and networking **We are always keen to hear from:** • Speakers — leadership case studies, transformation journeys and strategic insights • Hosts — organisations able to support executive-style roundtables and meetups • Sponsors — support with venue access, refreshments, recording or accessibility If you would like to speak, sponsor, or host a future session, please get in touch with **[Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/)** via LinkedIn. You can find our **[YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityStackHQ)**[ ](https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityStackHQ)via our community pages, where we publish selected talks and highlights. This community forms part of the[ ](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)**[Community Stack ecosystem](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)** and follows the **Community Stack Code of Conduct**, ensuring a respectful, inclusive and welcoming environment where leaders can share openly and learn from one another.

This livestream is available online from Gresham College to Basingstoke Science subscribers. **ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.** **More details and booking instructions on the Gresham web site:** **[https://www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/ocean-air](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/ocean-air)** **SUMMARY** #### Part of: [Notes from a Large Planet: a citizen’s guide to the Earth](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/large-planet) The major environmental challenge of our time is framed in terms of what happens in our atmosphere, and specifically what are called “greenhouse gases”. But what is an atmosphere, and how does it behave? Does the atmosphere vary across the world, and what enters and leaves it normally? This lecture will explore how humanity has taken some things from the air and put other things into it, what the effects have been, and what this means for our future. **The livestream will go live at 5.55pm, and the introduction will begin at 6.00pm. If you register but miss the livestream, the video will be available to you via the same link for two weeks after the event date.** For more information on livestreams, see the information below, or [visit our FAQs page](https://www.rigb.org/whats/faqs-ri-livestreams). Please use the event link you have been provided with. By booking to attend events at the Royal Institution, you confirm that you have read and accept the Ri's [event terms and conditions](https://www.rigb.org/terms-and-conditions). You also agree to abide by [our code of conduct](https://www.rigb.org/about-us/how-were-run/our-code-conduct-ri-visitors), and help to create a great experience for yourself and your fellow participants.

PyTorch isn't just another framework; it's the de-facto standard for Deep Learning. Our community is dedicated to bringing together PyTorch users in London and those with a profound interest in ML and AI. This is your platform to share experiences, network, seek advice, and initiate collaborations. This event is packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and exchange ideas and knowledge with experts from both Revolut and the data industry. Join us for exclusive talks from Revolut speakers and our partner, PyTorch, and dive into the world of Data Science—with a special focus on conversational AI. Here's what you can look forward to at the meet-up. **Speakers** 1\. Stas Bichenko\, CEO at Recombine: "Solving Interruptions in Voice AI" 2\. Anna Baidina \(Revolut\) 3\. Angelo Giacco \(ElevenLabs\) **Event Details:** **Date:** 22th January 2026 **Time:** 18:30 (GMT+4) **Where:** Revolut HQ Office

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

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

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

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!