Systems

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.

**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)

High tech discussions at the edge of Bitcoin innovation **[TICKETS HERE](https://btcpay.btc.aw/apps/rvvVwGSSSiJ7UgtzjmBdxy1Uq6a/pos "https://btcpay.btc.aw/apps/rvvVwGSSSiJ7UgtzjmBdxy1Uq6a/pos")** Antoine Riard discusses Ark. Technical knowledge advised, all levels welcome. Promotional activities related to shitcoins not permitted. No unsolicited photograhy. Peace and love.

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

On Wednesday 8th of April, public rallies and other events are taking place around the world in support of greater funding for research into longer healthy lifespans. [The Fund Longevity website](https://fundlongevity.org/en/why/) makes the case as follows: ***Aging Is a Problem***: Aging kills around 110,000 people every day. It is the primary risk factor behind nearly all major non-infectious diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Beyond statistics, aging causes decades of frailty, pain, and loss of independence. It is the greatest source of human suffering that is being accepted as "normal". ***This Is Personal***: Everyone you love will age, suffer, and die because of it. So will you. If we had the ability to prevent this, choosing not to would be deeply unethical. If we can stop aging, we should. ***Stopping Aging Is Possible***: Aging is not a mystery or a force of nature. It is a biological process — and biological processes can be studied, modified, and treated. Over the past decades, scientists have identified many of the core mechanisms that drive aging at the cellular and molecular level. While our understanding is incomplete, it is already sufficient to begin developing real therapies. ***What Do We Mean by "Stopping Aging"?*** We mean treating aging as a medical condition. The goal is to restore and maintain youthful biological function — roughly equivalent to being in your twenties — for as long as you choose. This would prevent or reverse age-related diseases instead of treating them one by one. ***Is This Really Realistic?*** Yes. Thousands of scientists have publicly stated that aging is a solvable problem in the [Dublin Longevity Declaration](https://dublinlongevitydeclaration.org/). Research already shows that aging can be slowed, paused, or reversed in laboratory organisms. Some animals exhibit negligible aging or extreme longevity. Nature has already demonstrated that aging is avoidable — humans simply haven't applied these solutions to ourselves yet. ***Is It Difficult?*** Extremely. Reversing aging in humans will likely be more difficult than landing on the Moon. It will require entirely new biotechnologies and breakthroughs that don't exist yet. We will need to remove senescent cells, repair or replace damaged tissues, and solve many other problems we don't fully understand. This is one of the most difficult challenges humanity has ever faced, but just because it is difficult does not mean it is impossible. Many scientists agree that there are no fundamental laws of physics that prohibits stopping aging. Nature has done it in several animals already, like the hydra. ***What's Missing?*** Scale. Today, fewer than a thousand people worldwide are seriously working on solving aging — researchers, biotech founders, and advocates combined. That number needs to grow by at least 1000×. There is no major government agency dedicated to ending aging. Funding is fragmented. Regulation is outdated. Public urgency is nearly nonexistent. This will not change on its own. ***Why We Act***: Aging is the largest cause of death and suffering on Earth. Solving it requires a society-wide effort — scientific, political, and cultural. That's why we organize. That's why we demonstrate. That's why we demand action. Join us — and help make aging optional for humans and animals.\* == London Futurists gathering on 8th April == The arguments for greater funding for longevity science are strong - but at least a dozen arguments are often raised in opposition to such funding. In our gathering in *Ye Olde Cock Tavern* in Fleet Street, we'll take the opportunity to review these arguments - debating their merits, taking them apart brick by brick, and exploring what really lies behind these arguments. *Anyone who wishes to make a short presentation on this topic during this gathering should contact the organisers in advance.* == Schedule == 5:30pm: The room is available, for early get-togethers 6pm-6:45pm: Food is served; informal conversations 6:45pm-8:30pm: A number of interactive conversations, interspersed with opportunities to visit the bar 8:30pm: Informal networking == RSVP please == Registrations are capped at 40 people. *First-time attendees are welcome.* There's no charge to register or attend, but the pub will expect everyone to order at least one drink, and a reasonable number of attendees to [order some food to eat](https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern/menu?type=main+menu). Please order your food on your arrival, so that all plates can be set aside by 6:45pm to allow everyone to concentrate on the main discussion! == More about the venue == Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, Holborn, London, EC4Y 1AA See [https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern](https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern) We'll be meeting in the room at the top of the stairs, though drinks should be ordered from the bar on the ground floor. \*\* Note that this is an in-person meeting, and there will be no remote access, sorry \*\*

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.

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.**

**PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE CLOSING OUR MEETUP GROUP IN JUNE 2025 due to spiralling costs of membership.** **YOU CAN FIND US HERE INSTEAD:** \* FACEBOOK: [www.facebook.com/groups/crystalpalaceboardgamesbeyond/](www.facebook.com/groups/crystalpalaceboardgamesbeyond/) \* WEBSITE: [https://sites.google.com/view/boardgamesandbeyond/home](https://sites.google.com/view/boardgamesandbeyond/home) Join us for an epic game night filled with social fun and exciting tabletop games at Crystal Palace Board Gamers meet-up! Whether you're a fan of strategy, dice, card, or board games, there will be plenty of options for everyone to enjoy. This is a fantastic opportunity to make new friends, connect with fellow gamers, and immerse yourself in a night full of fun times and laughter. So grab your favorite game and come join us for an unforgettable gaming experience. Let the games begin! Feel free to join us by hitting that attend button below. **What to expect:** * We meet at the Anerley Arms (next to Anerley train station) from 7pm (there is food available at the bar) * If you do not have a game setup, you can arrive at any time. If you do have a game to set up we recommend getting there earlier. * It is a relaxed atmosphere, where we generally prioritize company over fierce competition. * Please bring along any games you think we might enjoy, or you can play from the games that others bring. * We split into a few groups based on people's game preferences and numbers, and usually have plenty of time to try a few games over the course of the evening. * The event hosts are regular attendees but might not make it to every event - if you can't spot us, then just approach the folks sitting at tables surrounded by board games (usually on left as you come in the door). We're a friendly bunch and will be more than happy to welcome you. (Please update your RSVP if it turns out you'll be unable to attend, to free up your space for others who may otherwise miss out!)

**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)

**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.

PHP London Pub Social – April 9th, Jack Horner, Tottenham Court Road Join us for an informal PHP London pub social at the Jack Horner on Tottenham Court Road! We've got a reserved space from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on Thursday 9th April - a mix of seating and standing with a few tables. This is a relaxed, no-agenda evening — just good conversation with fellow PHP developers over a drink. Whether you're a long-time community regular or coming along for the first time, all are welcome. Places are limited.

Join the CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group for a dynamic afternoon of B2B networking! This event is perfect for professionals looking to expand their business connections, share insights, and foster collaboration within the community. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and grow your network in a supportive environment. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore potential partnerships, and discover new opportunities for professional growth. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your business network and take your career to the next level with CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group! We meet the 4th Monday of every month from 11am-1pm. Welcome and general networking from 11am - 11:30am with core meeting 11;30 - 12:30 and a final round of networking from 12:30 - 1pm.

**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

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!

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.

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

**Connected Westerville Night of Networking** *April Edition: The Introduction Economy* You've been to the networking events. You've done the small talk. Collected the cards. Forgotten the names. And walked out feeling like you just wasted two hours of your life. The problem isn't you. It's the format. Most networking events put you in a room and tell you to figure it out. So everyone defaults to elevator pitches and business talk, and nothing real gets built. Here's the truth about networking that most people miss: Your network isn't just who you know. It's who thinks of you when they're talking to someone else. *That's* The Introduction Economy. And it only works when relationships are real. There's a reason people who come once keep coming back. It starts with seven minutes that feel nothing like networking. Then we open it up. Free networking. More conversations. More momentum. This is a room full of corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, creatives, and career builders in the Westerville and Columbus area. The mix is the magic. You might never do business with everyone you meet tonight. But someone in this room will think of *you.* **By name**. So, the next time someone needs exactly what you do, you get the recommendation. **April 14th. RSVP now.** **When:** Tuesday\, April 14th \| 6:15 PM \-\- 8:00 PM **Where:** Vineyard Community Center \| 6000 Cooper Rd\, Westerville\, OH 43081

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)