Technology Startups

Are you ready to enjoy warmer spring evenings together again? We are, and that’s why we’re inviting you to our next Data & AI Engineering [applydata](https://applydata.io) Meetup, taking place at our Bucharest office on the 14th May. **Bogdan Beda:** ***"Beyond Syntax: The Evolving Role of the Software Engineer in the AI Era"*** [Bogdan Beda](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bogdan-beda/) is a Principal Software Engineer at [Microsoft](https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/), working on \*Copilot for Work\* backend, on a non-deterministic product using a codebase that is increasingly being generated by AI. In his presentation, Bogdan will explore the new essential toolkit for the AI era – moving beyond basic prompt engineering to mastering product development, from system design decisions to validating outputs. **Costin Vilcu: *"SOC Transformation in the AI Era"*** [Costin Vilcu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/costin-vilcu-oscp-pentester/) is an Information and Network Security Professional with 20+ years of experience, passionate about Penetration Testing, Security Consulting, Teaching and Social Communication. Costin's presentation explores how Security Operations Centers (SOCs) must evolve in the age of AI, from reactive monitoring to intelligent, autonomous threat detection and response. **Dana Juncu: *"The Invisible Threat: How a Sticker on a Traffic Sign Could Compromise Autonomous Vehicles"*** [Dana Juncu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danajuncu/) is a Senior Product Manager at [Diconium](https://www.linkedin.com/company/diconium/posts/?feedView=all), working at the intersection of data, engineering, and product, owning end-to-end delivery of labeled datasets for ADAS & autonomous driving systems. In her presentation, Dana will cover why AI security is fundamentally different from traditional software security and what it actually takes to build robust, trustworthy AI in safety-critical domains. If you're curious, you can read more about the importance of Data Labeling in her previous blog articles: [Data Labeling as Continuous Service](https://applydata.io/data-labeling-as-a-continuous-service/) & [Traffic Sign Recognition at Scale](https://applydata.io/traffic-sign-recognition-at-scale-why-the-dataset-is-the-hard-part/) **What to expect:** * Three expert talks * Networking opportunities in our historical villa office * Some snacks & drinks **Timetable:** * 18:30 - Event admission * 19:00 - Welcome & introduction * 19:05 - First speaker * 19:30 - Second speaker * 20:00 - Third speaker * 20:30 - Connect & chat ✧ ✧ ✧ **Our goal is to form a local data-loving community, so join us and let's talk data together!** ✧ ✧ ✧ *At the event, sound, image and video recordings are created and published for documentation purposes as well as for the presentation of the event in publicly accessible media, on websites and blogs and for presentation on social media. By participating the event, the participant implicitly consents to the aforementioned photo and/or video recordings. Find [more information on data protection here](https://applydata.io/events/information-on-data-protection/).*

[ENGLISH BELOW ] 16\. maja '26 v Ljubljani 👉 prvi WordCamp Slovenia ♥️ En dan, v celoti posvečen WordPressu, en dan različnih talkov in delavnic, en dan druženja s somišljeniki, poslovnimi partnerji, potencialnimi delodajalci, en da spoznavanja ljudi, ki počnejo iste stvari kot ti! In še kaj se bo našlo za ta en dan. Kako se to sliši? 🤩 Dogodek bo potekal na čudovitem gradu Fužine, kjer bo poskrbljeno za vse: od prve jutranje kavice, kosila in seveda after-partya 🙌 **VABLJENI!** Kot obiskovalci, kot prostovoljci, sponzorji, govorci. 🫶 Več info o dogodku&vstopnice: https://slovenia.wordcamp.org/2026/ 📆16. maj 2026, ob 10. uri 📍Grad Fužine, Ljubljana Program je objavljen spodaj. ENGLISH: 16 May 2026 in Ljubljana 👉 the very first WordCamp Slovenia ♥️ One day entirely dedicated to WordPress, one day filled with talks and workshops, one day of connecting with like-minded people, business partners, and potential employers, one day of meeting people who do the same kind of work you do! And there’ll be plenty more packed into that one day. How does that sound? 🤩 The event will take place at the beautiful Fužine Castle, where everything will be taken care of: from your first morning coffee and lunch to, of course, the after-party 🙌 YOU’RE INVITED! As attendees, volunteers, sponsors, or speakers. 🫶 More info about the event & tickets: [https://slovenia.wordcamp.org/2026/](https://slovenia.wordcamp.org/2026/) 📆 16 May 2026 at 10:00 AM 📍 Fužine Castle, Ljubljana 10:00 – 10:10 Main hall Opening remarks **10:10 – 11:00** Main hall **Davor Jovanović:** *From Constraints to Potential: Engineering Creative Freedom in WordPress* Workshop (Tower) **Dario Jazbec Hrvatin:** *Stop Pasting Translations from ChatGPT* **11:00 – 11:50** Main hall **Bor Jemec:** *WordPress in Slovenia: Current state and security from a hosting provider’s perspective* **11:00 - 11:50** Tower **Haim Michael:** S*oftware Developers’ Evolution in the Era of Artificial Intelligence* **11:50 – 12:40** Main hall **Aleksandar Pasku:** *Storytelling: From Blah-Blah to A-ha!* Workshop (Tower) **Berislav Grgičak:** *Discover How WordPress Playground is Transforming the WordPress Ecosystem* 12:40 – 13:30 Main hall **Bruno Zagorščak:** *Podcast to hire: Turn your show into talent magnet* Workshop (Tower) **Isotta Peira:** *From Classroom to Core: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Open Source* 13:30 – 14:25 Lunch 14:25 – 15:20 Main hal **Remkus de Vries:** *WordPress Performance: What You’re Still Getting Wrong* 15:20 – 16:10 Main hall **Ivana Čirkovič:** *Human first: Content in the age of AI* Workshop (Tower) **Gregor Grešak:** *Fixing Accessibility: From Broken UI to WCAG compliant* 16:10 – 17:00 Main hall **Rade Jekić:** *Scaling Intelligence: Applying AI in WordPress Multisite Environments* Workshop (Tower) **Neven Jevtić:** *How to optimize WordPress: tips and tricks from practice* 17:00 – 17:50 Main hall TBA **Tomaž Zaman** 17:50 – 18:40 Main hall Round table 18:40 – 19:00 Main hall Closing remarks **19:00 – 00:00** After party **SPONSORS** **Global sponsors** [WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/) **Golden sponsors** [Bunny.net](https://slovenia.wordcamp.org/2026/sponsor/bunny-net/) **Bronze sponsor** [Domenca](https://www.domenca.com/) **Bronze sponsor** [Metakocka](https://metakocka.si/)

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

**Total Eclipse of the Chart: School Redistricting Dashboards** In this presentation, we will explore the utilization of maps, sets, and SQL within a Tableau dashboard to help provide “what-if” analyses generated through the use of a mapped dashboard, providing different scenarios and the potential implications of these. While in this use case we are focused on a large school district, the concepts of utilizing existing data to explore the future impacts of modifying different geographic boundaries can be useful to many industries, balancing the mix of maps with visual analytics. **About Our Speaker** Robert Kramer is the Data Systems and State Reporting Coordinator at South Western City Schools in Grove City. He has worked there for 17 years, serving previously in the roles of Data Analyst, Programmer, and Operations Coordinator. Prior to working at South Western, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Pinnacle Data Systems in Groveport. He graduated in 2005 from The University of Toledo with his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics. Robert resides in Obetz with his wife, and their 15 and 12 year-old daughters. He was also just elected to his 3rd four-year term on the Obetz City Council. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

**Building a great product is one thing—building momentum behind it is another.** Join **Senior Product Manager Adam Solaiman** and **User Experience Manager Tyson Smith** for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into scalable products inside large organizations. In this session, they’ll share how teams move from ambiguity to execution—navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and continuously evolving products after launch. You’ll walk away with insights on how to: * Build and sustain momentum across teams * Adapt to changing priorities without losing direction * Scale products thoughtfully in complex environments Whether you're driving a new initiative or growing an existing product, this conversation will give you practical strategies to keep things moving forward. Come connect, learn, and swap stories with fellow product professionals. \-\-\- Food and drinks will be provided by Switchbox, our generous host. Free parking will be available at the front and back sides of the Switchbox Office.

Join DotBitz for an interactive course preview and introduction session designed for students, parents, and aspiring learners interested in Web development, programming and future AI technology careers. During this session, you will learn about: * DotBitz learning programs and course pathways * How students can start learning programming from an early age * Career-focused learning and mentorship opportunities * Real-world skills students can develop through technology education * Future opportunities in software development and technology careers * How AI will be impact in our future career. This event is a great opportunity to explore how DotBitz supports students from beginner learning to career readiness in a structured and supportive environment. ### Event Details 📍 Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library 4500 Hickory Chase Way, Hilliard, OH — Meeting Room 2A 📅 Date: May 18, 2026 🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM We welcome students aged 9+, parents, beginners, and anyone interested in learning more about programming education and technology career pathways.

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. 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.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)

**PLEASE BUY TICKETS THROUGH EVENTBRITE. RSVP THROUGH MEETUP IS NOT A TICKET PURCHASE CONFIRMATION.** Strive welcomes you to 'General Business Networking', Columbus' hottest networking event! We are set in the perfect central location in Downtown for all to join. Are you interested in business? Want to elevate your career? Meet Consultants, Analysts of all types, Bankers, Software Engineers, Entrepreneurs, and more who are active in the space or are eager to get started. **\*\*This will be a multi-vertical event\*\*** **There will be professionals with backgrounds in the arts, finance, tech, real estate, healthcare, and more. Come with an open mind, and leave with connections that wouldn't be possible otherwise!** Pack some business cards and come with an open mind! Meet your future business partners, employers, coworkers, investors, and friends. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your network and create a brighter future. We will have a space for our event to check-in. The event will go from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (feel free to come at any point in this timeframe). Name tags will be provided. Business casual dress code. Job fair attire. **Remember, it's not who you know, it's who you meet tomorrow!** We look forward to meeting you at the event! Sincerely, Strive Networking Team *Refund requests are permitted up to 24 hours after purchase, so long as we are not within 48 hours before the event start time. Refunds will be made in full and repaid to your method of payment. Note that we are unable to reimburse PayPal fees.* *Disclaimer: By attending Strive Networking events you agree to photos/videos taken during the event being used to promote future events.*