Technology

We start 2026 with an evening that covers a range of topics at the frontier of AI - and please note that the topics below are "subject to change" depending on new model releases, etc... Talks: **"Nested Learning; mHC/Engram and Sub-1bit Compression" - Martin Andrews** In his talk, Martin will outline several interesting recent works: (a) Nested Learning from Google (which follows on from their TITANS paper at NeurIPS); (b) mHC and Engram from DeepSeek, which may be foreshadowing an upcoming release; and (c) "LittleBit: Ultra Low-Bit Quantization" which had flown under the radar until NeurIPS itself... The goal is to explain a little of both the "why" and the "what" behind this research. **"The Big Shift: From "Bigger Models" to "Smarter Systems"" - Sam Witteveen** In this talk, Sam will go through some of the papers and topics covered at NeurIPS and in general research over the past few months that cover how in the race for AGI, research is moving to Agentic Systems rather than just Big Models **"EmergentDB: What if Your Database Learned Like an LLM?" - Rach Pradhan** In his lightning talk, Rach will describe his highly-rated entry into the recent DeepMind Gemini Hackathon held in Singapore. His "EmergentDB" is a proof-of-concept vector database that uses MAP-Elites (Quality Diversity) to automatically discover optimal index configurations. Instead of hand-tuning HNSW parameters or guessing at partition counts, the idea is that the database evolves configurations specific to your data with impressive speedups over alternatives. **FOOD UPDATE :** Google has told us that **there WILL BE** pizza at the event **ALSO:** Sign-ups are on **MeetUp** this time! Registration here should be FREE - if MeetUp requires you to sign up for a subscription somehow, let us know! (We haven't heard of this happening for registrations via their mobile app, FWIW). \-\-\- Talks will start at 7:10pm (entry at 6:45pm) and end at around 9:00pm, at which point attendees can come up to the front for a bit of a chat with each other, and the speakers. As always, we're actively looking for more speakers - both '30 minutes long-form', and lightning talks. For the lightning talks, we welcome folks to come and talk about something cool they've done with keras, PyTorch, JAX and/or Deep Learning for 5-10mins (so, if you have slides, then #max=10). We believe that the key ingredient for the success of a Lightning Talk is simply the cool/interesting factor. It doesn't matter whether you're an expert or an enthusiastic beginner: Given the responses we have had to previous talks, we're sure there are lots of people who would love to hear what you've been playing with. If you're interested in talking, please just introduce yourself to Martin at one of the events.

Hey AWS Security fam 👋 A new year, a new meetup, and plenty to look forward to. January is here — and we are kicking off 2026 with fresh stories, new faces, and another night of security and cloud in action at the AWS Singapore office. **Our goal remains the same: bring security and cloud practitioners together.** Security is wide; cloud teams move fast. Let us meet in the middle — share what is working, what is painful, and how we can ship safer, faster. Want to speak next time? We are lining up lightning talks and deep dives for upcoming meetups — 30-minute sessions, interactive by design. New voices welcome: operators, builders, blue/red/purple teamers, platform folks. If you have shipped it, broken it, or fixed it, we want to hear it. (Ping the organizers / DM us after you RSVP.) 🎤 **Speakers** ✅ **Building and Securing Systems at Scale - Lessons from Cybersecurity Practice** 📌 *Gaurav Keerthi – CEO, StrongKeep* Gaurav will share lessons from building and securing systems at scale, drawing from his experience across national digital infrastructure and his current work in cybersecurity. He will reflect on real world security challenges, how cloud has shaped security decisions, and what practitioners should focus on as systems grow in complexity. ✅ **AI Security Operations: AWS Frontier Agents + Custom Agent Development with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro** 📌 *Loi Liang Yang – Principal Security Specialist Technical Account Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)* Loi explores how teams can deploy enterprise AI security using two complementary approaches on AWS. He will show how ready to use AWS AI Investigative, DevOps, and Security Agents can be enabled quickly for autonomous threat detection, while custom agents built with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro handle unique security needs. You will see how combining managed and custom agents enables scalable, practical AI powered security operations that actually work in real environments. ✅ **Accidentally Exposed MCP Servers: Lessons From a Real Incident** 📌 *Mayank Nauni – Cybersecurity Researcher* Mayank shares findings from a real investigation into Model Context Protocol servers unintentionally exposed to the public internet. He will explain how these exposures happen, what internal context can leak, and why this matters even outside traditional OT environments. The session concludes with practical steps to secure MCP on AWS, including private VPC deployments, identity controls, and continuous posture checks. 🧭 **Event Details** 📅 Date: Thursday, 15th January 2026 🕡 Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM 📍 Venue: AWS Singapore, 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🛂 **Registration & Check-in (Important)** Watch for an email titled: AWS Security User Group Singapore: Registration Confirmed for AWS Security Meetup – January 2026 Show this email at Level 1 Concierge to access Level 5 for verification. Walk-ins: Only if capacity allows. Confirmed registrations get priority. No confirmation email = walk-in; entry not guaranteed. 🙌 **What to Expect (and why it’s worth your evening)** * 30-minute interactive sessions — no death-by-slides * Live Q&A & show-and-tell — bring questions, tooling, and war stories * Security × Cloud crossover — incident learnings, IaC guardrails, identity, data protection, cost/risk trade-offs 🍕 **Agenda & Housekeeping** 6:30 PM — Pizza & drinks (vegetarian + halal options) Talks — Start right after dinner Networking — Meet builders, defenders, and platform folks 📸 Photos/recordings may be used for future promo Pro tip: Arrive early to skip queues and snag a good seat 🎁 Swag & promo codes — stay till the end for giveaways

**Hosted by AWS User Group Singapore x AWS Security Users Group Singapore** Hey AWS Community, A new year is here, and so is our first meetup of 2026. Expect new speakers, practical security insights, and plenty of energy at the AWS Singapore office. This meetup brings together both security and cloud practitioners. Security is broad. Cloud moves fast. Let us meet in the middle, share what works, what breaks, and how we can build safer and faster on AWS. Whether you work in development, operations, architecture, or security, you will walk away with ideas you can apply the next day. 📅 **Date:** Thursday, 15th January 2026 🕡 **Time:** 6.30pm – 9.00pm 📍 **Location:** AWS Singapore; 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🎤 **Speakers** ✅ **Building and Securing Systems at Scale - Lessons from Cybersecurity Practice** 📌 *Gaurav Keerthi – CEO, StrongKeep* Gaurav will share lessons from building and securing systems at scale, drawing from his experience across national digital infrastructure and his current work in cybersecurity. He will reflect on real world security challenges, how cloud has shaped security decisions, and what practitioners should focus on as systems grow in complexity. ✅ **AI Security Operations: AWS Frontier Agents + Custom Agent Development with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro** 📌 *Loi Liang Yang – Principal Security Specialist Technical Account Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)* Loi explores how teams can deploy enterprise AI security using two complementary approaches on AWS. He will show how ready to use AWS AI Investigative, DevOps, and Security Agents can be enabled quickly for autonomous threat detection, while custom agents built with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro handle unique security needs. You will see how combining managed and custom agents enables scalable, practical AI powered security operations that actually work in real environments. ✅ **Accidentally Exposed MCP Servers: Lessons From a Real Incident** 📌 *Mayank Nauni – Cybersecurity Researcher* Mayank shares findings from a real investigation into Model Context Protocol servers unintentionally exposed to the public internet. He will explain how these exposures happen, what internal context can leak, and why this matters even outside traditional OT environments. The session concludes with practical steps to secure MCP on AWS, including private VPC deployments, identity controls, and continuous posture checks. 🚨 **IMPORTANT – REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED VIA THE AWS SECURITY MEETUP PAGE** 👉 **Please RSVP here:** 🔗 [https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/events/312353393/](https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/events/312353393/) 📌 This event is hosted under the **AWS Security Users Group Singapore**. 📩 All attendees **must register** via the link above to receive a confirmation email and secure access to the venue. ❗ Registrations on other meetup pages will **not** be considered valid. 📸 Kindly note that photographs and recordings captured during the event will be used for future promotional purposes. 🍕 **Agenda & Housekeeping** 💡 Pro Tip: Arrive early to avoid queues and secure your seat for the sharing sessions! 🍕 Pizza Time: Dinner starts at 6.30pm, enjoy pizza and drinks before the talks begin. 🎤 Talks start around 7.00pm 🍻 Post-Event Networking: Stick around to meet fellow builders, practitioners, and experts. 🎁 Swag & Promo Codes: AWS swag and giveaways await those who stay till the end! 🔗 Connect with us: Meetup: [AWS Security Users Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/) Meetup: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-sg/) LinkedIn: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aws-user-group-singapore/) Discord: [https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG](https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG) 📬 Enquiries: [aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com](mailto:aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com)

## Details **♟️ Geek Out, Stress Out 🎯** Ready to flex that board game brain? This night is for the seasoned gamers, the engine-builders, the tableau tacticians, and the worker placement pros. We're diving into the deeper end of the tabletop pool—**strategy games that challenge, engage, and maybe even melt your brain (in a good way).** Whether you're plotting your next move in a Euro classic or trying out a hot new release, this is your space to **go big on games** and connect with fellow strategy lovers. Bring your A-game, bring your favorite titles to share, and let’s get into the good stuff. **Venue:** Geekster **Time:** 7pm to 11pm (Every Thu) **Address:** 100 Lorong 23 Geylang #03-02 S388398 (Near to Aljunied MRT, take the shorter path at Atrix Bulding) **Fee:** Option A: Roll 2 dice and the sum will be the entry fee Option B: S$8 per entry Both options come with ONE complimentary drink **🎲 Play Arena Rules 🎲** 1️⃣ Max capacity: 30 people (excluding Geekster). RSVP is first come, first served. If you can’t make it, please de-RSVP so others on the waitlist can join. ✅🔄 2️⃣ Be respectful—no excessive noise or aggressive behavior. 🚫🎭 3️⃣ You’re welcome to bring your own games! Just make sure they’re ***clean*** and ***mold-free***. Comment below with what you're bringing. 😊🎲 4️⃣ Handle all games with care. Damage to Geekster’s games may incur a replacement fee. 💸⚠️ 5️⃣ No outside food or drinks (except plain water). Keep food and drinks away from games. 🚱🍔 6️⃣ Feeling unwell? Please stay home. Hosts may deny entry if needed. 🤒❌ 7️⃣ Keep an eye on your belongings; management isn’t responsible for lost items. 🎒👀 8️⃣ Theft = police report + permanent ban. 🚔🚨 Please join our **Telegram** group here for more details/updates: [https://t.me/+6r-3vSQcxwNjZjM1](https://t.me/+6r-3vSQcxwNjZjM1) **CONNECT WITH US!** 📌 Follow us on [IG](https://www.instagram.com/geekster.sg/) 📌 Join our newsletter on our [website](https://www.geekster.sg/)

Originating from Brazil, Samba was introduced to the US in the late 1920s through Broadway plays. American-styled Samba differs from Brazilian-styled Samba, where Samba is danced solo and during parades and carnivals. Today, Latin American Samba is characterized by its syncopated timing, rolling hip action, pelvic tilt and a slight bounce, while its rhythm is also expressed throughout the torso. Samba is a fun and lively dance that can be performed as an upbeat and sultry dance during a show or a competition, and as the joy of a party. ### **Address** 795, North Bridge Rd, #02-01 797, 198763 ### **Schedule** Sundays 330PM - 430PM ### **Booking Information** * Please contact **98225900** to find out how to book this class. * The instructor will reach out to you once you've booked the class.

These lessons are meant for adults of all experiences and backgrounds. For new riders, our instructors will focus on coaching students on the basics of riding for polo, as well as safe handling of the horse. These polo lessons comprise two main sections training: 1) riding for polo instruction, (1/2 of the lesson), and 2) training for polo (1/2 of the lesson). Our training programs follow the AAP guidelines and principles for (a) riding for polo technique, (b) polo swing techniques and (c) polo tactics. ### **Address** 1 Equestrian Walk, Singapore 737863 ### **Schedule** Wednesdays 715AM - 755AM ### **Booking Information** * Please contact **98225900** to find out how to book this class. * The instructor will reach out to you once you've booked the class.

Register at [bit.ly/gdgsg-jan26](https://bit.ly/gdgsg-jan26) \-\-\- Join us for an exclusive session with Thorsten Schaeff, Developer Relations Engineer at Google DeepMind. This isn't just another overview; it’s your first look at the next generation of multimodal models and the tools that will redefine your development workflow. What to expect: * Meet Gemini 3: Be among the first to explore the capabilities of the latest Gemini 3 family, including the highly anticipated Nano Banana Pro model. * Defy Gravity: Discover Google Antigravity, the new tool designed to remove friction from your build process. * Master the Studio: A guided walkthrough of Google AI Studio to help you prototype faster and smarter. Whether you are an AI researcher or a mobile developer looking to integrate on-device smarts, this session will equip you with the knowledge to accelerate your work. #GoogleDeepMind #GoogleForDevelopers #GDGSingapore

**We’re opening access to [AiSee](aisee.ai) Headset, the next-generation Android-based wearable prototype before anyone else in the world sees it.** You’ll be among the first to test the hardware, push the SDK, and create high-impact applications and use cases for real-world deployment. The AiSee Headset has a camera, speakers, and microphones. It can stream videos anywhere, including to your own app. The battery lasts 4-6 hours. What would you build with it? This is a **one-day, high-intensity build sprint** designed for Android developers. Expect hands-on engineering, deep technical collaboration, and a room full of devs who think at your level. **Why join?** \- Exclusive early access to AiSee’s wearable prototype \- Build advanced Android wearable applications \- Connect with top Android platform engineers \- Guidance from mentors across [AiSee](https://aisee.ai/), [AHLab](https://ahlab.org/), and NUS \- Cash Prizes \(in the form of gift vouchers\) for standout builds and use cases\. **Who we’re looking for:** Prior experience in Android development is recommended. **General Enquiries** hello@aisee.ai

// **Johor Bahru WordPress Meetup #27** // 🗓️ Date: 17 Jan 2026 (Sat) ⏰ Time: 7.30pm 📍 Venue: **42 Iskandar Puteri** Unit 01-12, Level 1, Sunway GRID, Persiaran Medini 3, Sunway City, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor Darul Ta'zim. (view map: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/X1fyNzQJhnUgRW739](https://maps.app.goo.gl/X1fyNzQJhnUgRW739) or [Waze](https://www.waze.com/en/live-map/directions/my/johor-darul-tazim/iskandar-puteri/42-iskandar-puteri?place=ChIJX5bxS2zmjIgReoatlN1b3Iw)) 🎟️ Admission: Free // Movie // **The Thinking Game** by Google Deepmind Have you watched "The Thinking Game" yet? Released by Google DeepMind just one month ago, this documentary has already exploded with over 239 million views! 🤯 It takes you inside the high-stakes race to solve the "Holy Grail" of computing: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Watch the trailer here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5XFYMsczy8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5XFYMsczy8) For our first WordPress Meetup of 2026, we are skipping the coding tutorials to watch this masterpiece together on the big screen! Come for the movie, stay for the discussion on how AI is reshaping our world. // Agenda // 7:30pm \| Arrival and Networking 7:50pm \| Opening Note: Welcome & Introduction to the Documentary 8:00pm \| Screening 9:30pm \| Post\-Movie Discussion & Group Photo 10:00pm \| Event Ends & Disperse // Help Out // Want to be part of our meetups? We're seeking enthusiastic speakers and volunteers. Interested in sponsoring? Reach out! // Contact // 📞 Yves Tan +60 16 - 708 3808 📞 [YL +60 14 - 619 3328](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=60146193328&text=Hi%20YL%2C%20I%20like%20to%20learn%20about%20WordPress%20Meetup%20JB%20%F0%9F%98%8A) Join JB Meetup WhatsApp group: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/CAQuELUZleWAmXawddSJ6u](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CAQuELUZleWAmXawddSJ6u)

#### **Attention:** Ready to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and discover how AI can revolutionize your wellness business—live and in person? #### **Interest:** Join us for this exclusive live meetup where we bring together forward-thinking business owners, wellness advocates, and digital entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how to use AI tools to simplify your marketing, boost your online presence, and grow your income—all while promoting better health and balance in your life and business. #### **Desire:** Picture a vibrant room filled with positive energy, powerful insights, and real collaboration opportunities. You’ll walk away with practical AI strategies, valuable connections and an inspired vision for building a wellness brand that truly works for *you*. #### **Action:** Don’t miss this in-person opportunity to learn, network and elevate your wellness business. RSVP now to secure your seat—spaces are limited for this live meetup!

⚽⚽⚽ Join my wife and I for a fun and interactive Soccer Technical Skills Workshop where I'll hone your ball control, passing, dribbling, shooting, crossing and defending techniques. Generally hoping to meet recreational players who want to refine your basic skills. Lemme know if you'd be interested! Open to all! Just bring along your own water and boots! We typically train somewhere in the North East, depending on availability of the field. 😊 Hit me up if you'd be interested to join us!

​\*\*[Moment of Now] Workshop by Thribe x Cloop\*\* ​ ​Step into the **[Moment of Now]**, a transformative workshop led by **Gerra and Lin from Thribe** that invites you to slow down and rediscover the beauty in the discarded. In this hands-on session, we move beyond traditional crafting to explore the intersection of circularity and self-expression. You will be guided through the process of turning textile waste into a unique Cloop Identity Tag. ​[By](https://tag.by/) assembling fragments of fabric, you'll learn to see identity as a beautiful patchwork of experiences. Join us for a session of mindful creation, where every weave is an act of presence. Location: 22 New Industrial Rd #06-22- Direction here: [bit.ly/CloopPrimax](https://bit.ly/CloopPrimax)

Hi Everyone, With Covid19 happening, there is still a limited participants for group events of up to 8 pax happening, so this just to keep the virtual skating together going. The Challenge is to skate as much as you can during this pandemic each week. And see how we rank on leaderboard of Strava. The ranking is arranged by most distances skated each week. Do join us through on Strava App below: Leaderboard updates on a weekly basis and resets every week (Mon to Sun) Join us at https://www.strava.com/clubs/freewheelers_sg (Kindly note that with specifically the Strava app, it is unable to cater for Inline skating option, so you will have list your tracking via run or ride for your ranking to show up in leaderboard. And this is the main challenge majority of skaters will be using.) Feel feel to contact Janice on Meetup if you need help with the apps to join us on these virtual skating challenges. You can also ask Janice for link to join a telegram group where impromptu small group skating events are frequently organized if you are looking for skating buddies. Special Note: Heard feedback from some Iphone users that trouble getting apps FOC. All these apps should be free. Please make sure you download the FREE VERSION. And please download the app, before you join via Challenge Links as the Challenge Links lead Iphone users to paid versions I think. Android Phones should be automatic directed to free version. IPHONE DOWNLOAD LINKS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/strava-run-ride-swim/id426826309

**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

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - Azure CBUS - Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint DevOps Columbus, Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. \#\#\# What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time \#\#\# Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐

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)

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

**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** TBD **YouTube Link** TBA