Test Automation

## Wo & Wann? **JEDEN MONTAG** findet die offene Lesebühne des Autorenforums Berlin statt (außer an Feiertagen) **BEGINN**: 20:00 Uhr **ANMELDUNG zum Lesen: ab 19:30 Uhr** beim Moderator des Abends – siehe [Termine](http://autorenforum-berlin.de/wordpress/termine/); Die Teilnahme an der Veranstaltung ist kostenlos. **SCHWARTZSCHE VILLA** **Großer Salon** Direkt am S/U Rathaus Steglitz Grunewaldstr. 55 Der offene Leseabend stellt das Herzstück des Autorenforums e.V. dar. Er steht nicht nur Mitgliedern, sondern grundsätzlich jedem Autor und jeder Autorin offen, der gerne einen unveröffentlichten Text vor Publikum präsentieren möchte. Auch Kritik kann jedermann üben. Wer lieber zuhören möchte, kann einfach am Montagabend um 20.00 in der Schwartzschen Villa erscheinen. Für Lesewillige gilt die unten stehende ausführliche Information (mündliche Anmeldung ab 19:30 Uhr). *Unfortunately at the moment, it's only possible to present German texts. Unpublished texts that are already translated into German are highly welcome!* ## Was erwartet Sie? Im Großen Salon der Schwartzsche Villa treffen Sie auf einen Kreis von Literaturbegeisterten, die Ihrem Text eine ernsthafte und fundierte Kritik spenden. Das Publikum wechselt. Es ist gemischt, geeint durch das Interesse an Texten. Die Autorinnen und Autoren des Abends lesen aus ihren bislang unveröffentlichten Kurzgeschichten, lyrischen Texten, Erzählungen, Romanen, manchmal auch aus Theaterstücken. Die Autoren stellen nicht sich selbst, sondern ihre Texte der Kritik. Wir verstehen uns als Arbeitsbühne. Deshalb wird bei uns nach den Lesungen nicht geklatscht. Die Texte werden nach der Lesung des Autors auf handwerkliche Stärken und Schwächen „abgeklopft“. Es geht im Forum daher nicht um weltanschauliche Debatten. Im Idealfall hat der Autor/die Autorin nach einer Lesung und der Kritik verstanden, wo die Stärken und Schwächen seines Textes liegen, woran es seinem Text noch fehlt, was er ändern sollte und wo er bei seiner Überarbeitung ansetzen kann. Der Abend endet gegen 22.00. Im Anschluss können Sie mit den Autoren im Café der Schwartzschen Villa noch ins Gespräch kommen und manches aus dem Literaturbetrieb erfahren. Wir sind im Kontakt auch mit namhaften Vertretern desselben. Also – nicht gleich verschwinden! Dranbleiben. Reden Sie mit den Forumianern! ## Sie möchten selbst lesen? Wenn Sie selbst im Autorenforum lesen wollen, gibt es einige Dinge zu beachten. Wir bitten Sie sehr herzlich, sich mindestens einmal vor Ihrer ersten Lesung bei uns mit unseren Gegebenheiten vertraut zu machen. Ihren Lesewunsch können Sie dann ab 19.30 Uhr (Einlass) bei der Moderatorin oder dem Moderator eines Leseabends anmelden. **Wir weisen ausdrücklich daraufhin, dass über die Annahme und Reihenfolge der Lesungen die jeweiligen Moderatoren entscheiden und es NICHT zwingend nach der Reihenfolge der Anmeldungen geht!** In der Regel reicht die Zeit nur für drei Autoren je Abend und die Nachfrage ist oft recht hoch. Falls Sie einen lyrischen Text vortragen möchten, bringen Sie bitte mindestens 10 (zehn) Kopien mit, damit Ihr Publikum mitlesen kann. Die Kopien erhalten Sie selbstverständlich zurück. # Wie üben wir Textkritik? Nach der Idee von Maik Turni ## **Anschleichen** **Wie wirkt der Text auf mich?** (Keine Angst vor Adjektiven! ) **Was habe ich gehört?** (Zusammenfassung (Nacherzählung)) **Was blieb unverstanden** (akustisch oder logisch) ## **Unter der Lupe** **Was ist das für ein Text?** (Prosa: Genre? Lyrik: Welche Art lyrischer Text?) **Thema** (Welches Thema berührt der Text? Hat der Autor sein Thema im Griff? Ist es überzeugend/plausibel/gut recherchiert, vielleicht sogar zu faktenreich?) **Figuren** (Wie wirken die Figuren? Wer ist die Hauptfigur? Welches Problem hat die Hauptfigur?) **Perspektive** (Wie verhält sich die Erzählperspektive zum Thema / zu den Figuren?) **Sprache** (Welche Bilder sind stimmig / welche nicht? Was lässt sich zum Rhythmus sagen? Sind die Sätze syntaktisch und grammatikalisch korrekt?) **Dramaturgie** (Schafft der Text es, Spannung zu erzeugen? In welcher Reihenfolge werden die Dinge erzählt?) **Bedeutung** (Gelingt es dem Autor, die Bedeutung, die er seinem Text geben will, auch im Leser entstehen zu lassen?) ## **Klarspüler** Fragen werden an den Text gestellt, nicht an den Autor! Daher sollte der Text antworten. ## **Weichspüler** Wird bei uns nicht verwendet. Aber es gilt: Nicht der Autor wird kritisiert, sondern der Text! Hart zum Text, sanft zum Autor!

Andere drücken die Schulbank, wir aber wollen in gemütlicher (und realer) Atmosphäre wieder aufeinandertreffen und einen Deutsch-Spanisch-Tandemkurs aufleben lassen. Beim einfachen Zusammenkommen und kennenlernen lässt es sich schließlich viel effektiver lernen. und Spaß haben. ...

Please join us on the 2nd Monday of every month for this event, built for all of your “in between works“ by the [Read Wedding](https://www.instagram.com/readwedding/) collective. Most events for writers are focused around ***creation or performance***. Much comes between this, yet we do not always hold each other through that phase. It is perhaps expected that all of those self-questioning, unsure, multi-path moments between lightbulb idea and snap-inducing performances are to be personal and private -- but they do not always have to be. We therefore offer you a space for everything unfinished. Needing bouncing around. Ready for a test run. We will meet in a more traditional meetup format than our open mic -- without any set format of facilitation. We will determine the approach to each session based on who's arrived and what their goals are. You may expect some combination of solitary writing time, sharing and feedback, and guided exercises. We'd love for you to show up however you are, and with some writing materials (including your phone, if you prefer). However you arrive, so long as you are feeling curious and open, we will have something for you and your work. See you there! Brooks, Bubamarrë & Johanna Re(a)d VVedding Kollektiv \-\-\- **NOTE: Excluding select, small workshops, Read Wedding has hosted entirely free events since we started. If you have the means and would like to support us, it goes a long way. Please consider [donating through Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.de/e/read-editing-monthly-writers-meetup-tickets-1297749546829?aff=oddtdtcreator).**

Join and let's have an unique swing experience! **Discover fresh arrangements specially created for dancers, performed LIVE in the stunning Ballhaus Berlin!** It's a unique chance to dance to the sounds the leading Big Band in Berlin and have an unforgettable time. Mark the dates: **📅 5. Januar 📅 12. Januar 📅 2. Februar 📅 2. März 📅 16. März 📅 20. April 📅 4. Mai 📅 18. Mai 📅 1. Juni 📅 15. Juni 📅 6. Juli 📅 20. Juli** Location remains king: 📍 Ballhaus Berlin Ballroom, Chausseestraße 102 Program: 🎓 19:00: Swing dance introduction with Swing Base (No partner and no prior knowledge necessary!) 🎺 20:00: Big Band concert (2 Sets) + DJ 🎫 Ticket prices for dancers €20 (instead of €25!) only with prior reservation! Reservation here: [https://swingbase.de/mondayswing](https://swingbase.de/mondayswing) "Swing Is On Parade" is more than just music – it's an invitation to swing through the night with us.

Berlin’s favorite folk metal festival is back with a scintillating Scandinavian lineup singing about slinging spirits and getting soused in the serenity of the shivering north! And some songs that aren’t about booze too On January 12th, come see Heidevolk, Korpilkaani, Finntroll, Trollfest, and the Dread Crew of Oddwood compel us to Valhalla with epic melodies, classic folk instrumentation, and forceful rhythms. Tickets here: https://www.eventim.de/en/eventseries/3987271 And join our telegram group for better event updates/to get to know us more: https://t.me/+VcOWy9Elw9I4MjIy https://t.me/+NZ9FSjMqwl43NTY6

We'll meet at 10 am at "Nah am Wasser" around the biggest table in the corner – pass by the bar and turn left. We will do two sessions of 45 minutes of writing and two breaks. We will start the first writing session at 10:15am. Please don't forget to **order drinks to support the place.** Looking forward to seeing you at the meetup! In between sessions, we have a Telegram chat: https://t.me/joinchat/ERW3pxD5kfELGeWs9SUhjw https://shutupwrite.com.

**Cacao Ceremony** with ***Roby Two Spirit*** **for LGBTQIA+ people with experiences of migration and/or displacement** free event with **[registration](https://wearevillage.org/en/shop/queer-bridges-monday/w03-2026)** Let us gather with Cacao under the last quarter moon, a time to release, restore, and prepare for the new cycle ahead. Rooted in traditions carried by Indigenous and mixed-heritage communities of South America, this ceremony creates a grounded space for our inner child, our ancestors, and our LGBTQ+ community. We open the ceremonial space with intention, share warm cacao, and join in a medicine-song circle that helps us settle into the present moment. A guided meditation supports our inward journey and deepens our connection with the cacao. Cacao is a gentle but steady medicine, known for opening the heart and clearing the mind. Whether you seek clarity, emotional release, or simply a moment of stillness, this ceremony offers a sacred space to reconnect. **General Information** **Queer Bridges: Forging connections and providing resources for LGBTQIA+ people with migration experiences.** **Participants**: This workshop is for all who identify as LGBTQ+ and have **experienced migration and/or displacement**. If you don’t share these experiences but are interested in joining please reach out to us first to see if space is available. We ask that all participants respect the program’s core focus and contribute to fostering an open respectful space. **Registration**: This event has limited spots available. **Language**: English **Cost**: free event with registration 🔵 **Kakaozeremonie** für LGBTQIA+ Menschen mit Migrationserfahrung **[Kostenlos mit Anmeldung](https://wearevillage.org/shop/queer-bridges-monday/w03-2026)** Lasst uns mit Kakao unter dem abnehmenden Mond zusammenkommen, einer Zeit des Loslassens, der Erneuerung und der Vorbereitung auf den kommenden Zyklus. Verwurzelt in den Traditionen indigener und gemischter Gemeinschaften Südamerikas schafft diese Zeremonie einen geerdeten Raum für unser inneres Kind, unsere Vorfahren und unsere LGBTQ+-Gemeinschaft. Wir eröffnen den zeremoniellen Raum mit klarer Absicht, teilen warmen Kakao und kommen in einem Kreis von Medizinliedern zusammen, die uns im gegenwärtigen Moment verankern. Eine geführte Meditation unterstützt unsere innere Reise und vertieft die Verbindung zum Kakao. Kakao ist eine sanfte, aber kraftvolle Medizin, bekannt dafür, das Herz zu öffnen und den Geist zu klären. Ob du nach Klarheit, emotionaler Entlastung oder einem Moment der Ruhe suchst – diese Zeremonie bietet einen Raum, um dich zu verbinden. **Hinweise** **Queer Bridges: Verbindungen schaffen und Ressourcen für LGBTQIA+ Menschen mit Migrationserfahrung bereitstellen.** **Teilnehmende**: Dieser Workshop richtet sich an alle, die sich als LGBTQIA+ identifizieren und Migrations- und/oder Fluchterfahrung erlebt haben. Wenn ihr diese Erfahrungen nicht teilt, aber dennoch an einer Teilnahme interessiert seid, meldet euch bitte zuerst bei uns, um zu klären, ob ein Platz frei ist. Wir bitten alle Teilnehmenden, den Schwerpunkt des Programms zu respektieren und dazu beizutragen, einen offenen, respektvollen Raum zu schaffen. **Anmeldung**: Für dieses Event stehen begrenzte Plätze zur Verfügung. Eine Registrierung über unsere Website ist daher erforderlich. **Sprache**: Englisch **Kosten**: kostenlos mit Anmeldung

👋 Hallo und 💜-lich Willkommen to the Elixir Berlin Meetup. Let's get 2026 started with some Elixir. If you're new to the community the best way to introduce yourself is [to submit a talk](https://github.com/elixir-berlin/planning/issues/new?template=talk.yml) ⏰ Schedule 18:45: Doors open 19:05: Welcome & Announcements 19:15: 🗣 AI without Neural Nets? An ongoing research project [Leo](https://github.com/Leo-Nogismus) 19:45: 🍺 break 🍵🧃 20:15: 🗣 Privacy by design [Luka](https://github.com/Overbryd) 20:45: ⚡️ Lightning talks and Socializing 🪩 We want to encourage members of the Elixir community to share what they're working on. If you want to give a lightning talk at this Meetup, contact one of the organizers with a short description of your talk - or [submit a talk](https://github.com/elixir-berlin/planning/issues/new?template=talk.yml) See you all there 💜💜💜

Für Mitglieder von Text Collective Berlin mit der Option "Autobiografisches Schreiben" ist die Teilnahme an dieser Veranstaltung kostenlos. Andere werden um eine Spende von zehn Euro gebeten. Welche Geschichten tragen wir in uns? Welche Erinnerungen wollen erzählt, verstanden oder neu betrachtet werden? Dieser moderierte Workshop versteht sich als sicherer Raum, in dem es ermöglicht werden soll, Erlebnisse und Gefühle zu teilen. Das autobiografische Schreiben dient als Werkzeug der Selbstreflexion und inneren Klärung. Moderation: Joana

**PyBerlin: January's event** **Location: JetBrains office -** Schlesische Str. 34, 10997 Berlin, enter via Lieferando entrance. **Agenda:** 6:15 pm – Doors open: snacks, drinks, networking 6:45 pm - Welcome from PyBerlin 6:55 pm - Welcome from the sponsor - JetBrains 7:05 pm – Code review agents battle // Shahriyar Rzayev In this live-coded demo, I'll build a multi-agent code review system where three agent instances work simultaneously as specialized reviewers: * **The Architect** evaluates design patterns and system structure * **The Security Expert** hunts for vulnerabilities and data risks * **The Performance Analyst** identifies bottlenecks and complexity issues We'll watch them analyze real Python code, generate independent reviews, and even disagree with each other on trade-offs—all orchestrated with \~50 lines of async Python code. Speaker's bio: Software Engineer and Builder. Previous accomplishments include contributing to open source, providing technical direction, and sharing knowledge about Code and Architecture. An empathetic team player and mentor. Azerbaijan Python User Group Leader. Former QA Engineer and Bug Hunter. 7:35 pm - break 8:05 pm – Can you trust your (large language) model? // Jodie Burchell Machine learning algorithms are marvellous things: models that can do a bunch of tedious and complex tasks for us, all with a high degree of accuracy. But how do we really know whether the outputs of machine learning models are correct? This question is not as simple to answer as we might think. As we move into an age where “black box” models, particularly LLMs, are becoming more and more commonly used, it becomes even more essential, and at the same time, difficult and complicated, to be able to assess model performance accurately. In this talk, we’ll explore ways in which our models can lie to us, and how we might be able to peer through this confusion to get at the truth. Speaker's bio: Dr. Jodie Burchell is the Developer Advocate in Data Science at JetBrains, and was previously a Lead Data Scientist at Verve Group Europe. She completed a PhD in clinical psychology and a postdoc in biostatistics, before leaving academia for a data science career. She has worked for 9 years as a data scientist in both Australia and Germany, developing a range of products including recommendation systems, analysis platforms, search engine improvements and audience profiling. She has held a broad range of responsibilities in her career, doing everything from data analytics to maintaining machine learning solutions in production. She is a long time content creator in data science, across conference and user group presentations, books, webinars, and posts on both her own and JetBrain's blogs. 9:30 - closing This event will be only in-person. Please check our Code of Conduct and official health regulation in Berlin before coming. If you feel some signs of sickness, please consider skipping this event and attending another time. We will have plenty of events in different formats in the future. Looking forward seeing you all!

Are you interested in **GenAI assisted software development**? Are you using **Cursor** & Co already? Do you want to learn how to solve problems by creating digital tools yourself? Then this is for you. **Afterwork meetup** at the Byron Bar, Bayer Pharma Headquarters in Berlin, dedicated to exchanging experiences using AI as assistant to develop software. You will meet here software developers, GenAI enthusiasts, solo programmers, and, since many of us work in the healthcare industry, expect to meet people in diverse roles there: doctors, biologists, chemists, pharmacists, physicists, mathematicians, biochemists. Date & Time: January 15, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Location: Byron Bar, Bayer Pharma Headquarters, Berlin What to Expect: * **Speakers: Ryan Sudhakaran, Marisa Breall / Cursor (Anysphere)** * **Tool Sharing**: **Share in 5 minutes** your hands-on experiences with tools like Cursor, Windsurf, Amazon Q, Lovable, Cline. **Contact us upfront**; jesus delvalle at bayer.com. * * **Networking**: **Connect** with fellow developers and healthcare professionals. * **Community Building**: **Join us** to foster a supportive network that helps each other navigate GenAI in healthcare. What to Bring: **YOU!** And desire to share and learn the enormous possibilities of Gen AI assisted coding.

Curious about starting life drawing? Or want to deepen your practice? Join us at Kunstraum Heartspace, where we enjoy a wonderful life drawing session every Wednesday evening! Our teacher Thorsten has many years of experience and will gently guide you to your next level. This course is designed for beginners as well as experienced life drawing artists. Our models change weekly. They allow us to practice short and long poses. This allows your eye to train in recognising movement and form, while also giving you enough time to study the model more closely. In addition, every week, we include a short excursion into different aspects of figurative drawing – be it anatomical issues, lighting, or the structure of the human figure. You can join and pause at any time, as you will receive individual guidance. **Materials:** * Please bring pencils, sharpeners, and erasers! * We provide paper, but of course, you can bring your own sketch book or preferred paper types. **Tickets:** * Please book your ticket on Ticket Tailor. [Here is the link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kunstraumheartspace/1891935 ](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kunstraumheartspace/1891935)

We are excited to feature **Jonas Hübotter**, who is currently a PhD student at **ETH Zürich** and will discuss "**Test-Time Training Agents for Deep Exploration**", lasting approximately 45 minutes. After the talk, seize the opportunity to connect with fellow AI enthusiasts to share ideas and questions while enjoying free drinks and pizza. **Door close by 7.15pm, so please come early! Also, "attend"ing (RSVP) here on Meetup is strictly necessary to be guaranteed entry.** Please note that Meetup has recently been quite keen on promoting its Plus program. However, you are not obligated to purchase it, as both our events and the platform remain free. **Who is this event for?** This event is open to everyone interested in state-of-the-art AI research. We especially design it for students, PhD candidates, academic researchers, and industry professionals with a research focus in machine learning. **Abstract**: The standard paradigm of machine learning separates training and testing. Training aims to learn a model by extracting general rules from data, and testing applies this model to new, unseen data. We study an alternative paradigm where the model is trained at test-time specifically for the given task. We investigate why such test-time training can effectively specialize a model to individual tasks. Further, we demonstrate that such test-time training enables models to continually improve and eventually solve challenging tasks, which are out of reach for the initial model. **Bio**: [Jonas](https://jonhue.github.io/) is a PhD student in the Learning and Adaptive Systems Group at ETH Zurich, advised by Andreas Krause. His research focuses on test-time training and reinforcement learning, with broader interests in probabilistic inference, optimization, and online learning. He received an MSc in Theoretical Computer Science and Machine Learning from ETH Zurich, where he was awarded the ETH Medal, and a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics from the Technical University of Munich. His work has been published at NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, and COLM. We are [BLISS](https://bliss.berlin/) e.V., the **AI** **organization** in Berlin that **connects like-minded individuals** who share great interest and passion for the field of machine learning. This winter 2025/26, we will, again, host an exciting speaker series on site in Berlin, featuring excellent researchers from Tübingen AI Center, DeepMind, Microsoft, King's College London, cohere, and ETH Zürich. Website: [https://bliss.berlin](https://bliss.berlin/) Youtube: [https://www.youtube.com/@bliss.ev.berlin](https://www.youtube.com/@bliss.ev.berlin) Disclaimer: By attending this event you agree to be photographed.

We are back in the c-base! Do you already run NixOS and want to talk to other people or want an introductory session with some NixOS users. Just bring your machine! Usually there are no topics, we just sit in front of our computers, talk about stuff, debug some problems or review some PRs on nixpkgs. There are drinks usually available from the c-base bar. If you can't find us. just ask around or ask in irc (#krebs on hackint)

NOVA Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal, co-working session. People of all skill levels are invited. The concept is simple, bring a laptop and ideas, we'll provide the coffee and donuts! Here's how it works: 1. At 10:15 everyone introduces themselves and briefly describes what brought them to Code & Coffee today (project, homework, networking, etc) 2. For the rest of the day, folks work in the communal space on their projects providing one another help and conversation as needed. Oh and they usually drink coffee and tea too! That's it! Hope to see you there! **Location** Our hosts are the Fairfax City Economic Development Building: [10300 Eaton Pl, Fairfax, VA 22030](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=d7298231ca2df594df822003f9a93517c788fceefe1fcbb79c8976696e341bc6JmltdHM9MTc1MzIyODgwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=180d0745-3b7f-69a1-23a2-11433a7868e5&u=a1L21hcHM_Jm1lcGk9MTA5fn5Ub3BPZlBhZ2V-QWRkcmVzc19MaW5rJnR5PTE4JnE9RmFpcmZheCUyMENpdHklMjBFY29ub21pYyUyMERldmVsb3BtZW50JnNzPXlwaWQuWU44NzN4ODI4MTk2Mjg0NTk5MDM4MTU0MiZwcG9pcz0zOC44NjE0NDYzODA2MTUyMzRfLTc3LjMwMjE3NzQyOTE5OTIyX0ZhaXJmYXglMjBDaXR5JTIwRWNvbm9taWMlMjBEZXZlbG9wbWVudF9ZTjg3M3g4MjgxOTYyODQ1OTkwMzgxNTQyfiZjcD0zOC44NjE0NDZ-LTc3LjMwMjE3NyZ2PTImc1Y9MSZGT1JNPU1QU1JQTA&ntb=1) Conference Room A- Large, Floor 1 This is a new venue for us, so give us some time to get more details about it. Driving is the best option. There is plenty of free on-site parking. Otherwise, we are a 22 minute bus from the Vienna Metro Station. **Sponsored by:** Thank you [Fairfax City Economic Development](https://gofairfaxcity.com/) and [Mason Enterprise Center](https://enterprise.gmu.edu/) for making this event possible! **Thank you so much to our wonderful sponsors!** Organized by [DMV Petri Dish](https://www.dmvpetridish.com/) **[Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NoVACodeCoffee/admin/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md):** We value the participation of each member of the community and want all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. To make clear what is expected, all delegates/attendees, organizers, and volunteers at any Nova Code & Coffee events are required to conform to our [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NoVACodeCoffee/admin/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md).

**The Test Tribe 2nd Washington Meetup – Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership** AI is accelerating software delivery at an unprecedented pace-but speed without structure introduces serious risk. In today’s landscape, the traditional “testing bottleneck” isn’t just a delay-it’s a business liability. This session explores how Quality Engineering must evolve from a siloed function into a strategic, distributed capability-one that balances rapid AI adoption with strong human oversight. Moving beyond basic automation, this talk introduces the concept of Distributed Quality Governance, where quality becomes a shared responsibility across engineering, product, and leadership. Expect a practical, leadership-focused discussion that cuts through AI hype and addresses the real challenges of testing complex, AI-assisted systems-while ensuring accountability, trust, and long-term resilience. **Event Details** * **Date: 21st January 2026 (Wednesday)** * **Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT** * **Location: 1501 Langston Blvd. Arlington, Virginia** **Session: Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership** **Speaker: Alekhya Guduri** **About the Session** In an era where AI-generated code is accelerating delivery, quality can no longer be treated as a final checkpoint. Instead, it must be embedded, intentional, and governed. In this session, Alekhya Guduri presents a blueprint for building a modern QA organization that operates as a strategic business function. You’ll learn how to shift from centralized testing teams to shared ownership models, while introducing guardrails that ensure responsible AI use across the delivery pipeline. From defining a Materiality Matrix to identify where AI risks are too high to ignore, to implementing Human-in-the-Loop frameworks, this talk provides actionable guidance for leaders navigating AI-driven engineering environments. **Key Takeaways** * The Materiality Matrix: How to objectively prioritize AI risks based on business impact and technical complexity * Distributed Governance: Transitioning from centralized QA to shared ownership in AI-driven CI/CD pipelines * Responsible AI Guardrails: Practical Human-in-the-Loop frameworks to prevent bias, hallucinations, and silent failures **About the Speaker** Alekhya Guduri is a seasoned technology leader whose career sits at the intersection of engineering execution, operational excellence, and innovation. As Director of Engineering at Indeed, she focuses on building high-performing organizations that treat quality as a strategic advantage, not a last-mile activity. With deep experience scaling complex systems and leading cross-functional teams, Alekhya works at the forefront of shaping how AI and human judgment coexist within modern software delivery. She is a strong advocate for distributed governance, responsible AI practices, and the evolution of Quality Engineering into a trusted business partnership. **Why You Should Attend** * Learn how to design QA organizations for AI-driven delivery * Understand how to balance speed with responsibility in modern pipelines * Gain leadership frameworks for shared ownership of quality * Move beyond AI hype to practical, defensible testing strategies * Connect with Washington-area QA, engineering, and tech leaders **About The Test Tribe** **The Test Tribe** is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 7**00+ events** and **150K+ members** across **130+ countries**, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more. By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

**Agenda :** * 4.30 to 4.45 PM ET: Food and Networking * 4.45 to 5.30 PM ET: "Building Smarter Agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio (Jan 2026 Edition)" Hello Everyone! Please join us for our Jan 13th edition of the AI-ML MeetUp. **Please note this is an in-person meeting and light refreshments/food will be provided.** **Title:** Building Smarter Agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio (Jan 2026 Edition) **Description:** Discover how to design intelligent, task-driven AI agents using **Microsoft Copilot Studio**. Learn how to connect copilots to enterprise data, workflows, and external systems. Explore real-world use cases, best practices, and architecture patterns for scalable agents. Get hands-on insights into what’s new in the Jan 2026 edition and what’s coming next **Location:** The meeting will be hosted in the Applied Information Sciences ( AIS ) office in Reston, at 11440 Commerce Park Dr # 600 · Reston, VA. The location is also right off the Silver Line metro's Wiehle-Reston Metro Station. **Parking:** Parking is paid and can be validated at the AIS office reception. We will meet in Room Lake Anne. We hope to see you all there!!!!

Ruggers! Break out your swimsuits and join the coolest Special Olympics supporters in Northern Virginia. West Potomac RFC is once again coming together to support the Special Olympics Virginia athletes in making their Olympic dreams come true. We'll use my (Woj's) house as a staging ground for changing, bag storage, and general pre-gaming. Then, we'll walk down the street to take the plunge, toss a ball around, and hand out business cards to any potential new recruits. The team page is here: **https://impact.specialolympicsva.org/team/792944** **IMPORTANT:** by registering for the team, you're agreeing to raise/donate at least $25 by 1/26/2026, and, you'll need to raise/donate at least $100 to take the plunge itself. **Tentative Schedule** * 11:00 AM – Registration/check-in * 1:00 PM – Check in closes. Costume Contest. Awards Presentation * 1:15 PM – Official Plunge start time — the plunging won’t stop until everyone has had a turn. **Parking is available for free at Mosaic**. The preferred parking garages are: * Garage at Target, 2905 District Ave * Garage at the Avalon Apartments, 2987 District Ave * Garage at the Modera Apartments, 2920 District Ave. The event is also metro accessible via the Orange line to the Dunn Loring stop. The event is a very short taxi or car ride away.

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun Workshop: How AI Can Work for Your Business** **Wednesday\, January 28 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun – Ashburn** Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword — it’s a practical tool that businesses of all sizes can begin using today. Join **1 Million Cups Loudoun** for a special **workshop-style presentation** led by **Victor Meer of AI Prime** and **Jay Jay Billings of Band Gap AI**, designed to help entrepreneurs understand how AI can realistically support their business operations. This workshop will provide: * A clear, practical overview of what AI actually is * Real-world examples of how businesses are using AI today * Insight into where automation can save time and reduce friction * Guidance on how to start leveraging AI without needing technical expertise Whether you’re AI-curious, overwhelmed by the noise, or ready to explore automation in your business, this session will help you think clearly about where AI fits — and where it doesn’t. As always, coffee, conversation, and community are at the heart of 1 Million Cups Loudoun. ### What Is 1 Million Cups? 1 Million Cups is a national program powered by the Kauffman Foundation that brings together entrepreneurs and community members for weekly conversations that educate, support, and inspire. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Join us on **January 14 at 9:00 AM** for coffee, connection, and a meaningful conversation about reimagining after-school education in Loudoun County. **We look forward to seeing you there.**

We are now Meeting at ResQ BBQ in Leesburg \*\*help us track guest attendance, please register here please: https://www.bniconnectglobal.com/web/open/visitorRegistration?chapterId=16801 \*\* *** Thanks for visiting our meetup group for information for BNI Potomac Business Alliance where I am honored to hold the Title Insurance seat. During this meeting you will meet other local business professionals from a wide variety of industries who commit to providing excellent service to people within our shared networks. We will pass over 1.5 million dollars of business in 2022-2023. and we want you to consider applying to be a part of our referral network. So come out, enjoy an excellent breakfast, learn a little more about me and Title Insurance, and consider being a part of a fantastic group of business professionals. Be prepared to tell everyone about your business in about 30 seconds or less. We want to know what you do but have to keep it short so we can complete the meeting's agenda, we want to honor your time! • 30 second elevator speech? What do I say?! Your Name Your Company's Name What your company does (in basic form) One key difference maker (deliver on-time, on budget. or We close complicated cases. or We can sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Etc...) Who you would like to meet in the room or in the area (so we can refer you business :-) ) Keep it short and sweet, there will be plenty of time after and before the meeting to get to know other people in the group and even opportunities to schedule "one to one/1:2:1" meetings. We love to grab our coffee and go out to a spot in the lobby afterwards in one on ones to discuss how we can work together, get to know each other, get business done! So plan a little extra time to meet if need be.

Our local amphibians and reptiles are both susceptible to habitat destruction and pollutants and can often be victims of being misunderstood. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for an introductory look at our local amphibians and reptiles, what our citizens can do to help protect their habitats, and what related programs are available through Loudoun Wildlife to help monitor populations and increase community awareness of these often overlooked and fragile species. This presentation takes place at Rust Library and is co-sponsored by the Loudoun County Public Library and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.