Systems Thinking

Thierry Berger is bringing an exclusive Rustlang themed [Techy Cards](https://github.com/ThierryBerger/techycards) edition, come to play and go home with your playable booster! Date: Tuesday May 19th 19H30–21H30 Location: Bunk Hotel Utrecht Catharijnekade 9, Utrecht, NL

Are you a (Rust) meetup organizer or dreaming of becoming one? Join this session and get to know other meetup organizers! The meetup is on the first day of the conference at Kinepolis, during the first break, in the Reception room. The room is located across the entrance of the main stage on the 2nd floor. **Please note that you need a conference ticket to access the venue.** **What to expect / possible goals:** * Get advice on how to start your local Rust Meetup * Meet and network with other Rust meetup organizers from different cities and countries * Share experiences, successes, and challenges in running local Rust communities * Get insights on promoting diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in your meetup * Discover tools, resources, and collaboration possibilities between meetups

**Please note:** registration for this event is **not** via meetup.com; this is an announcement only! See below on how to buy tickets for the event. **RustWeek 2026!** RustNL is incredibly excited to announce the 4th edition of our conference. The world's biggest Rust conference includes one day of workshops, two days of talks (in 3 parallel tracks), a hackathon, social activities, and more! The conference, on Tue & Wed May 19-20, is the main event. **Conference tickets for individual developers** The regular price for conference tickets for individuals are priced at €237.50. With this link, you can get a 10% discount on individual tickets: [https://event.onliveevent.nl/rustweek-2026/register?code=RUSTNL-MEETUP](https://event.onliveevent.nl/rustweek-2026/register?code=RUSTNL-MEETUP). More info: [https://2026.rustweek.org/](https://2026.rustweek.org/) If your employer pays your ticket, we ask you to buy an "Employer-paid" ticket (€413 ex VAT), to help cover the cost of the conference. **Come meet the Rust Project team members** We are proud to host the Rust All Hands for the 2nd time, which takes place later in the week. Folks from the Rust project teams will be at the conference, so it will be a great opportunity to meet them and attend talks in the "Project track", with each project team (language, compiler, library etc) presenting on a current topic. **Location** The conference is held at Kinepolis Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, right next to the central train station.

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

**Let op: RSVP via Meetup is géén directe aanmelding. De startdatum op meetup is niet de daadwerkelijke startdatum van de mannengroep; lees verder voor meer informatie** **Voor deelname plannen we eerst een korte intakecall. Na die call bevestigen we of deelname past.** **Stuur dus altijd eerst een mail naar: Info@modernmanhood.nl voor een kennismaking!** **www.Modernmanhood.nl** In een tijd waarin veel mannen in hun eentje worstelen, willen wij iets anders aanbieden: een plek waar je niet hoeft te presteren. Waar je mag vertragen, voelen en delen. De grote aanvraag bevestigt voor ons: de behoefte aan échte verbinding en verdieping onder mannen is groot. In deze mannengroep komen we om de drie weken samen met een vaste groep van maximaal 10 mannen. We creëren een warme, veilige setting waarin we onderzoeken wat het betekent om man te zijn, in relaties, in werk, in vriendschap en in het dagelijks leven. Je hoeft niets te fixen of op te lossen. Je hoeft alleen te verschijnen zoals je bent. Elke avond werken we met een thema zoals woede, kwetsbaarheid, angst, kracht of verbinding. We combineren rituelen, lichaamswerk, deelrondes en oefeningen uit o.a. mindfulness, ademwerk en systemisch werk. Alles in een sfeer van openheid, zachtheid en respect. Je doet een commitment per 4 sessies. Je betaalt vooraf voor elke reeks van 4 bijeenkomsten. De groep loopt door; na elke reeks kun je je opnieuw verbinden en blijft je plek behouden. Zo ontstaat er vertrouwen, diepgang en continuïteit in de groep. De eerste stap is een korte, vrijblijvende kennismakingscall, om elkaar even te spreken en te voelen of het past. Daarna krijg je praktische info via WhatsApp en kun je instappen zodra de nieuwe groep start. De definitieve datum wordt afgestemd op de groepsgrootte en beschikbaarheid van de deelnemers. Meld je gerust aan om op de hoogte te blijven! Aanmelden kan via: info@modernmanhood.nl of kijk op de website. Locatie: Nijmegen Investering in jezelf: €200 voor 4 sessies van 2,5 uur per sessie. Over de facilitators Deze mannengroep wordt begeleid door David Gelsing en Steyn Maréchal. Twee mannen met een open hart en een gedeelde missie: ruimte creëren waar mannen écht kunnen landen in zichzelf en in verbinding met elkaar. David Gelsing Is Toegepast Psycholoog en lichaamsgericht therapeut, gespecialiseerd in het begeleiden van innerlijke processen via het lichaam. Zijn kracht ligt in het verbinden van hoofd en hart, ratio en gevoel. Iets wat hij diepgaand leerde via zijn eigen persoonlijke transformatie. Mensen ervaren David als kalm, zacht en geduldig, maar ook als levendig, direct en met een groot gevoel voor humor wanneer dat past. Hij begeleidt met scherpte, veiligheid en een warm hart. 🌐 www.davidgelsing.nl 🔗https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgelsing/ Steyn Maréchal Is facilitator en communitybouwer met ervaring in het begeleiden van groepen, mannencirkels en processen rond persoonlijke ontwikkeling. Hij heeft een scherp gevoel voor groepsdynamiek, brengt rust, structuur en uitnodiging in het moment. Steyn is altijd op zoek naar wat er écht speelt onder de oppervlakte en helpt anderen daarin tevoorschijn te komen. 🔗https://www.linkedin.com/in/steyn-mar%C3%A9chal/ Samen creëren ze een bedding van vertrouwen waarin kracht en kwetsbaarheid naast elkaar mogen bestaan.

#### Level: Advanced or almost advanced *Longform Toolbox 1* Longform improv is where everything you’ve learned starts to breathe. Instead of short scenes or structured games, we begin to explore what happens when scenes are allowed to grow, connect, and evolve. One idea can spark a whole world. A single moment can ripple through multiple scenes. And suddenly, you’re not just improvising—you’re building something together. In **Longform Toolbox 1**, we take the tools you may already know and start applying them with more intention, clarity, and awareness. Instead of focusing on isolated scenes, we explore how scenes can breathe, connect, and evolve over time. You will work with tools like editing techniques, story in 3 acts, the role of the narrator or director, strong starts, characters with aspirations, finding the game, themes and callbacks, and exploring characters and their relationships. But more than just learning the tools, this course is about understanding *when* and *why* to use them. \- How do you make a strong start that gives direction without locking anything in? \- When is the right moment to edit—and when is it better to stay? \- How do you recognize the game of a scene and build on it together? \- And how can themes and callbacks emerge naturally\, instead of being forced? We’ll explore these questions through play, repetition, and reflection. You’ll learn to trust your instincts while also developing a sharper eye for structure, pacing, and group dynamics. Longform asks for a different kind of awareness. Not just of your own character, but of the whole piece that is unfolding. What is the story that wants to be told? What patterns are appearing? And how can you support them—on stage or from the sidelines? #### Who this course is for This course is intended for almost advanced improvisers who want to see if longform is something for them, or who want to gain more insights in narrative choices. You should have done at least four improv courses or similar. #### **Course details** Course start: Tue 19 May New location: Buurtcentrum Rosa, Actviteitenzaal 1, [Malakkastraat 6 Utrecht](https://share.google/ixy1GPi4lHSiMr9Ct) Schedule: Tueasdays 19:30-21:30 Nine sessions in total, consisting of eight lessons and a show. ##### **Dates** 19, 26 May 2026, 2, 9 , 16, 23, 30 June,7 July. Show date t.b.d. Price: €248 including 21 percent VAT Tickets : improv-utrecht.weticket.io #### **About the teacher** Rutger Pull specialises in short-form improv and Dutch Theatresports. He has a sharp eye for what a scene needs in order to work and excels at teaching players how to recognise and support that. His feedback style is positive, clear, and precise, helping players grow while staying playful and confident. Rutger began improvising during his university years in Enschede and has been performing for many years with Iets Anders in Utrecht. His classes combine structure, insight, and enjoyment, creating a focused yet relaxed learning environment.

Do you want to meet fellow Women in Rust at RustWeek 2026? Join our friendly and vibrant community for lunch on Tuesday 19 May at 12.45pm CEST. Find us at a dedicated table in the lunch area! This will be an opportunity to share experiences, expand your network, and simply enjoy a chat with like-minded individuals. Please note that a RustWeek 2026 ticket is required to enter the venue. More info at https://2026.rustweek.org.

**RSVP here via EventBrite [here](https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/you-and-your-brand-a-casual-networking-hour-tickets-1984283125243).** Expand your visibility. Join a casual online time to share about you, your brand and business, and learn more about other business owners, locally and globally. Share upcoming events and workshops, too. After each business owner gets the spotlight to share, we then move into a topic-oriented discussion. This month, the topic is begin chosen by [Isabella Maria Noguera, MSc](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellamarianoguera/) over of Be Your Brand Consulting. Every session closes with gratitude and a creative activity, so have a pen and paper, tablet, or something available in case we write/create/draw. **RSVP here via EventBrite [here](https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/you-and-your-brand-a-casual-networking-hour-tickets-1984283125243).** *-* *\*\*\*The only requirements are a minimum age of 18 years old, be a business owner or preparing to launch,* *and **at least three attendees** register to make it a worthwhile hour for everyone.\*\*\**

Donderdag 21 mei 2026 is het weer tijd voor onze Techday: hét vaste moment waarop we kennis delen, elkaar inspireren en nieuwe ideeën direct in de praktijk brengen. Deze editie pakken we het aan als een conferentie in het klein. Drie sprekers, drie verhalen, één middag – drie verhalen voor de prijs van één. Wat kun je verwachten? **Dirk neemt een kijkje onder de motorkap van AI** AI voelt voor veel mensen als magie. In deze talk probeer ik de magie weg te nemen door een kijkje te nemen onder de motorkap. Een essentieel bouwblok van moderne AI is een neuraal netwerk. Als je begrijpt hoe een neuraal netwerk werkt, is het een stuk makkelijker om te begrijpen hoe en waarom een LLM werkt. De beste manier om iets te begrijpen is door het te bouwen, vanaf scratch. Dus dat gaan we in deze talk doen. Door dat te doen leren we over artificial neurons, activation functions, backpropagation en meer. **George vertelt hoe AI Cyberaanvallen verandert** George Schizas (extern), voormalig IT Manager, nu werkzaam als CISO, vertelt over zijn ervaringen in de Cloud Cyber Security en hoe hackers met behulp van AI nieuwe aanvalsmethoden kunnen gebruiken om kwetsbaarheden op te sporen en te exploiteren. Hij geeft voorbeelden van manieren om in Kubernetes omgevingen in te breken en noemt manieren om dit tegen te gaan. **Roland duikt in de wereld van de fraude fabriek** Als ontwikkelaar kom je dagelijks in contact met technologie en de laatste jaren natuurlijk ook vaak met AI. JIJ snapt heel goed wat de voordelen en de gevaren zijn, maar hoe leg je complexe onderwerpen als AI gegenereerde afbeeldingen, Voice Phishing en Hallucinaties uit aan je ouders, de buurvrouw, of je kinderen? Ik neem jullie mee in een realistische situatie waarin Anna en haar familie opgelicht wordt met behulp van verschillende technieken en hoe dit oplichters-landschap met behulp van AI verandert. **Wanneer:** Donderdag 21 mei 2026 **Wat:** Techday – conferentie-editie “AI kansen en valkuilen” **Voor wie:** Iedereen (!) die nieuwsgierig is en wil leren **Agenda** 14:45 - 15:00 - Inloop 15:00 - 16:00 - Neurale netwerken 16:15 - 17:15 - AI risico’s en kansen 17:15 - 18:00 - Eten 18:00 - 18:45 - Fraude fabriek We zien je graag op de Techday!

We'll start into the weekend with some Sport and what is better than having a bike tour on Friday 22nd May? If you'd like to bike along, sign up here! We expect this to take about 4 to 5 hours. On the route, we will see at least two beautiful castles, and we’ll have a pause in Breukelen where we will get a snack! **This tour is for everyone. You don't have to prepare anything, it's enough to be at the bike rental at the time.** The following information is for the curious: You can see the [tour](https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/2884792439?share_token=aCVbZHeYrkmmS52GP5uwrR7Q3EweCrOv65hA2MpYgtf4nSaL8V&ref=wtd) on the app [Komoot](https://www.komoot.com/). It's approx. 46km, **we may adapt it as a group on the day. As last year we’re very flexible and adaptive!** The bike rental is payed by Stichting Rust Nederland. Many thanks to Erik Jonkers for the sponsoring and to Jana Dönszelman for helping with the meetup page and organization. **Agenda** 1. We'll meet at the bike [rental place](https://willemstraatbike.nl/contact/) it is near to the conference venue. (5 Minutes by bike) 2. Everyone receives their bike. 3. We’ll go over “Hogeweidebrücke” 4. We’ll see Kasteel Nijenrode and get a snack at the marketplace of Breukelen 5. We’ll see Schloss Zuylen 6. We ride back to Utrecht and return the bikes! Looking for more fun things to do during RustWeek? Take a look at our activities page: [https://2026.rustweek.org/events/social-activities/](https://2026.rustweek.org/events/social-activities/)

Discover Utrecht on foot with our friendly tour guides! This tour will take place at 10:00 AM on Friday, the 22nd of May, and will take one and a half hours (until 11:30 AM). There are 35 spots available. The tour is free of charge for RustWeek attendees. The tour starts at Kinepolis (the conference venue). Feel free to join our Discord at https://discord.gg/FSwaWZdk6k if you have questions! Our Discord and the RustWeek website, https://2026.rustweek.org/events/social-activities/, offer more activities.

(english/german below) **Bitcoin Pizza Dag!** Op 22 mei 2010 betaalde programmeur Laszlo Hanyecz 10.000 BTC voor twee pizza's — de eerste gedocumenteerde aankoop met bitcoin. Hij plaatste een bericht op een forum waarin hij BTC aanbood voor pizza; een andere gebruiker ging akkoord, bestelde de pizza's en leverde ze af. Die transactie werd later bekend als "Bitcoin Pizza Day". Laszlo bewees dat Bitcoin als ruilmiddel gebruikt kan worden. **Sluit je bij ons aan voor pizza-avond bij De Pizzabakkers! (vanaf 18:00)** RSVP zo snel mogelijk; we moeten reserveren bij De Pizzabakkers en er is beperkte plek. Zorg dat je je geladen Lightning-wallet meeneemt! *** **English: Bitcoin Pizza Day!** On May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas — the first documented purchase using bitcoin. He posted on a forum offering BTC for pizza; another user accepted, ordering pizzas and delivering them. That trade later became famous as "Bitcoin Pizza Day," Laszlo proved that Bitcoin can be used as a medium of exchange. **Join us for pizza diner at De Pizzabakkers! (from 18:00)** Please RSVP as quick as possible as we need to make a reservation at De Pizzabakkers and there is only limited space. Be sure to bring your loaded lighting wallet along with you! *** **Deutsch: Bitcoin Pizza Tag!** Am 22. Mai 2010 zahlte Programmierer Laszlo Hanyecz 10.000 BTC für zwei Pizzen — der erste dokumentierte Kauf mit Bitcoin. Er postete in einem Forum und bot BTC für Pizza an; ein anderer Nutzer akzeptierte, bestellte die Pizzen und lieferte sie aus. Dieser Tausch wurde später als "Bitcoin Pizza Day" bekannt. Laszlo bewies, dass Bitcoin als Tauschmittel verwendet werden kann. **Begleite uns zum Pizza-Abend bei De Pizzabakkers! (ab 18:00)** Bitte antworte so schnell wie möglich; wir müssen bei De Pizzabakkers reservieren und es gibt nur begrenzten Platz. Nimm unbedingt deine geladene Lightning-Wallet mit!

We’re back! On **May 21st**, PuXu returns to Acato in Utrecht for a meetup dedicated entirely to **Research**. **Speaker 1: Emmanuelle Savarit** Emmanuelle is a UX researcher with 20+ years of experience. She's built and led research teams at Facebook, Just Eat Takeaway, LSEG (Refinitiv), and Thomson Reuters. She ran her own UX research agency for 10 years. She's written two books, hosts the UX Research Club podcast, and now focuses on helping researchers increase their strategic impact, including navigating AI. In short: she knows what it takes to move research from tactical to strategic, and she's coming to Utrecht to talk about it. **Special Offer:** Emmanuelle is the author of *The UX Research Powerhouse*. As a PuXu attendee, you can [pre-order your copy](http://clicks.meetup.com/ls/click?upn=u001.NY3oBFzZ5LJDG7YcnfSAKt-2FPbu0mdbClRwu8GKKRoO80nKlP-2FLm90aUF5CQqytHZ3qPz_74u5-2F-2BkTZmgMdnIu03cC4mmjtImPovdZ1zhiEax5tCGl-2BX4fyxb41gNAMGCWV5p-2F3ZXnrHzXrYb-2FEX1gm6iU0hCqBeZf0X8TDiJ-2FF2Pb5b0AYKY0z73yUDJwsJeyVUq2KtnZTX6IPrsDNa2UkzczY3hKG3S2HRTZ-2F-2F-2B5qIwx3CPXatPQFxQ52SkLNZ5jtWr2BsPEXqg9XUqI4UVveDZFOzr6Jpxsj6HpP5WPTNn9JfRQGsEK6lvy8Funa0EQyQ5-2Fcs-2B47BimpzF-2BEXne3mS-2BZNzrupqrFFi2fX4yIrWqpynPk6sL8GL1wQYphmXVe60iss42yhd4nNcrL3QnxXpmXREmBBaQDTLdBvlEgh-2BlmcKlZdw6YOLqURK9zvY-2FZT5KaZSep0LjLq0ckOBsBXggyUAiy01ioYfPSic9ypG0U9487DG53iY3jWQMuNSrHZokvJpDhdJ90J3JwMV8sFus1jAghL1xl0LlFTEJpqn6t0IDZ1Yply0uZ5X2veN2tA6ExM9KeLmTIDEk7ps7HLzVl7BhlE3HPR0nzpsaeXQjsAOoU-2BnH0eHPtBMoFi4jTJ-2BzcDaUWHmnZT1Xq5B2aktBwrvpQR2rC-2B2F3HcHTn3UrTwP8UrRAlyo7TVk8S34miQEhNN6-2BmmpLC1LwWfU-2FC5CHRq0sQuuBynnS2qztg0oS1no5qCyhZ0QvtvBawQvEzT9) at a **15% discount** and get it signed during the event! **Speaker 2: Sabine Bakker** Sabine is an inclusive user research consultant at the Accessibility Foundation, supporting organizations with making their products and services accessible for users of all (dis)abilities. She knows the challenges that UX teams face in demonstrating their added value from her 10+ years of experience at the tech start-up Blendle, cybersecurity scale-up Zivver, and low-code SaaS Mendix. She now helps teams with gaining a competitive edge through inclusive research and co-creation “from a to y”. Her talk will point you to the importance of user experiences that are not reflected in the training data of LLMs and the “curb cut”-effects to be gained which no synthetic persona will provide. **Speaker 3: Bo Kusters** Service Designer at the Dutch Tax Administration. With millions of users, the team often sees the same generic functional and emotional needs recurring in their user research. To avoid reinventing the wheel every time, they developed an interactive, tarot-style card game. With this clever deck, they make complex user insights tangible, allowing internal teams to apply this data directly in their daily work. Learn during this session how to successfully translate abstract research data into a practical design tool that actually works for your team. **Event details** **When:** May 21 \| 18:30 – 22:00 **Where:** Acato, Oudegracht 231, Utrecht **Cost:** Free \(Includes snacks & drinks sponsored by Visma \| ProActive\) **Capacity:** 50 spots Stay tuned for more updates! Later this week, we’ll also share our *Utrecht Visitor Guide* for those traveling in to make a day of it. See you there!

Have you been thinking about trying self-defense training, but do not want a loud, aggressive, or overly competitive environment? This free intro class is a simple way to get started. Maryland Systema offers practical self-defense training for adults in Rockville with a focus on movement, awareness, breathing, posture, and calm under pressure. This class is designed for beginners and first-timers who want real-world self-defense training in a welcoming setting. You do not need experience. You do not need to be in top shape. You do not need a martial arts background. You just need to show up ready to learn. This is not a sport-based class built around winning points, memorizing routines, or trying to look impressive. It is a more practical approach to adult self-defense training that helps you stay balanced, aware, and functional when things feel uncertain. If you have been searching for self-defense classes in Rockville, beginner self-defense near you, or practical self-defense training for adults, this class is a good place to start. **What you will work on** * Breathing and staying calm under pressure * Movement that improves balance and mobility * Awareness and posture * Simple partner drills * Practical self-defense training for beginners **Who this class is for** * Adults new to self-defense training * Beginners looking for a low-pressure class * People who want practical self-defense instead of sport martial arts * Adults in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Rockville, and nearby areas looking for realistic self-defense classes **What to wear** Please wear comfortable workout clothes. No uniform is required. **Why start with this class** This free intro class gives you a chance to experience the training, meet the group, and see whether Maryland Systema is the right fit for you before joining regular weekly classes. **RSVP** Reserve your spot and come try a beginner-friendly self-defense class in Rockville.

**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!

This is our weekly training session. NOVA Jujutsu is a self-defense focused system incorporating Geri (Kicking), Atemi (Striking), Uke (Blocking), Tai Sabakai (Body Movement), Tai Hodoki (Escapes), Kansetsu Waza (Joint Locks), Nage Waza (Throwing), Shime Waza (Choking), Katame Waza (Grappling), Tantojutsu (Knife), Bojutsu (Bo), Kenjutsu (Sword), and Kata (Forms). Come on down to a class and see for yourself what this group has to offer. You will get a great workout! You will have an awesome learning experience! You will meet some good people! We look forward to meeting you. See you there. TAGS: japanese, martial arts, self-defense, jujutsu, jujitsu, juijitsu, bujutsu, defense, karate, koppo, kenjutsu, bojutsu, tantojutsu

If you’re trying to grow in marketing right now, guessing isn’t a great strategy. This event gives you direct access to how marketing leaders actually think. Join DC Marketing Tech Talks on May 19th in Tysons for a live **CMO Ask Me Anything** — a candid, open conversation with experienced marketing leaders who have built teams, driven revenue, and led at the highest levels. This is your chance to ask: * What skills actually matter right now? * What gets someone promoted vs. passed over? * What does it take to become a CMO today? * How are marketing teams and roles changing? * How do you connect brand to real business growth? Just real answers from people who have done the work. Whether you’re looking to move up, switch roles, or sharpen your edge, you’ll leave with a clearer sense of what to focus on next. As always, this event is free and open to the public thanks to our sponsors, SalesIntel. Food, drinks, networking, and a room full of marketers who care about getting better at what they do. Come with questions. Leave with direction.

**Welcome to Team Network Tysons (“TNT”)—where serious professionals come to build real momentum, not just swap business cards. Hosted at the Tysons Double Tree Hotel in the Overlook Room located at 1960 Chain Bridge, Road, McLean, Virginia 22102. TNT is a high-energy, morning networking experience designed for entrepreneurs, executives, and Main Street business owners who believe relationships—when built with intention—change everything.** **This isn’t casual mingling. TNT is process-driven, purposeful, and powerful. Our meetings are engineered to help you identify and connect with your Power Play Partners—the professionals in complementary industries who can accelerate your growth through trust-based introductions. Using Team Network’s proprietary Wolf Pack Connect speed-networking system, you’ll move fast, meet smart, and make meaningful connections in a structured, efficient format that respects your time and multiplies your impact.** **Expect a room full of driven leaders who show up prepared, curious, and ready to give as much as they get. Expect clarity around who you help best—and who helps you win. And expect to leave energized, aligned, and already thinking about your next collaboration.** **As we charge into 2026, we invite you to make it the year you Join the Team and Run with a Pack. Because at Team Network, we live by a simple truth: we are all always one introduction away—from the right client, the right partner, a breakthrough idea, or an amazing collaboration that can change your life, your business, or even the world.** **If you’re ready to network harder, smarter, and stronger—TNT is your room. 🐺🤝🇺🇸💪🙏**

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun – Resource Presentation** **What You Really Need to Know from an HR Professional** **Presented by Donna Giarratana** **Wednesday\, May 27 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun** Join us for a practical and insightful resource presentation designed to help small business owners navigate one of the most critical — and often overlooked — areas of growth: **Human Resources**. *** ## **About the Session** As your business grows, so do the complexities of managing people, processes, and compliance. Many entrepreneurs wait too long to think about HR — and by the time they do, they’re already reacting instead of planning. In this session, **Donna Giarratana** will break down what small business owners *really* need to know about HR — in a way that is clear, actionable, and relevant to your stage of growth. This conversation is designed to help you move from uncertainty to confidence when it comes to building and managing your team. *** ## **What You’ll Learn** * When it’s the right time to hire * How to set your business up for success before bringing on employees * Why HR matters — even for small businesses * Common pitfalls and how to avoid them * The foundational HR knowledge every business owner should have *** ## **Who Should Attend** * Entrepreneurs preparing to hire their first employee * Small business owners currently managing a team * Founders looking to strengthen operations and compliance * Anyone who wants to build a business with a strong, scalable foundation *** ## **Why Attend?** * Gain clarity on one of the most important aspects of business growth * Learn how to avoid costly mistakes before they happen * Ask questions and get real-world insight from an HR professional * Walk away with practical knowledge you can apply immediately *** ## **About 1 Million Cups** 1 Million Cups is a national program that brings entrepreneurs and communities together to learn, connect, and grow through presentations and discussion. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month. Join us on **May 27** for coffee, connection, and a conversation that will help you build your business the right way from the inside out. We look forward to seeing you there.