UX Design

**Schedule** 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm - Sign-in/Meet and greet/networking 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Break the Cloud Lock-in: Building Adaptive Intelligence Orchestration with DIO 7:00 pm - 7:45 pm - Leaning on the SQL: Crafting Resilient Data Layers **Talk and Speaker Details** **Time**: 5:30 pm est. **Title**: Break the Cloud Lock-in: Building Adaptive Intelligence Orchestration with DIO **Summary**: AIaas are often stuck in a binary choice: pay the "token tax" for convenient Cloud APIs or manage the complexity of local open-source models (Llama/Mistral) yourself. The future belongs to a hybrid architecture—but the routing logic shouldn't be spaghetti code. In this session, we introduce DIO (Distributed Intelligence Orchestration), a new open-source framework designed to bridge on-premise infrastructure and cloud capabilities. We will move beyond theory and look at the code behind the Federated Decision Engine (FDE)—the algorithm that allows you to dynamically route prompts based on privacy, cost, complexity, and more. **Session Takeaways:** \- The DIO Architecture: A technical deep dive into the open\-source framework that decouples your application from specific model providers\. \- Live Integration: How to implement the DIO SDK to build a "Smart Router" that connects the best of both world for Cloud & On Prem Intelligence\. **Speaker**: Snow Zhao **Speaker Bio**: Founder & CEO of AIgentic \| Ex\-Meta engineering leader\. Building the future of professional services with precision & trust\. Snow has decades of Silicon Valley experience building and scaling technology organizations at Facebook, Block (Cash App), and Groupon. She is currently building at AIgentic, an applied AI company designing robust, trustworthy AI systems for professional industries. She leads global teams that delivered secure, high-performance systems used by billions, from product infrastructure behind Messenger’s rewrite and end-to-end encryption, to architecting enterprise AI platforms that bridge traditional sectors with digital transformation. Her work has spanned mobile, security, open-source, federated architecture, AI-powered automation, cross-platform software ecosystems, and more — always guided by the principle that engineering excellence is a human discipline as much as a technical one. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Time**: 7:00 pm est. **Title**: Leaning on the SQL: Crafting Resilient Data Layers **Summary**: Most apps need to persist data. The mechanisms for persisting vary, from key-value pairs to relational databases to files and more. SQLite is the de-facto standard for persistence in mobile apps: it ships with every Android and iOS app. This session looks into best practices for SQLite data persistence, drawing from practical, digestible, real world examples. We look into when one should lean on the SQL versus when to perform data manipulation in application code. We look at some examples of constraints that you might have written in Kotlin/Swift, and how expressing them in SQL instead can offer data consistency and integrity benefits. A major focus of the session is on migrations. Data schemas inevitably evolve, and executing migrations carefully is essential, as mistakes can have severe consequences, including data corruption. We look into best practices for migration, including when to do migration in application code versus in SQL. We also examine some real world migration examples beyond the simple case of adding a column with a default value. Finally we look at migrations that cross data sources. This could occur if for example you were persisting data in a key-value store but you now want to migrate that to a database table. This must be done in application code but can you still take advantage of database migrations? Can you cover your migration code with unit tests? **Speaker**: Kiran Raon **Speaker Bio**: Two decades as a developer, got into Android in 2010. Adopted Kotlin in 2017, had my first attempt at KMP in 2019 (when it was still called KMM). Worked on and off with iOS and web client technologies throughout my career, also dabbled in other cross platform technologies. Full-fledged Mobile developer since 2023. **How to find us:** 1680 Capital One Drive, McLean, VA 22102 We'll be located in C2 **100 D/E**. The area is publicly accessible. If you can't find it, you can ask the front desk for directions to the **C2 100 D/E** **Attending Virtually?** [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84418455380?pwd=fJczZgKv2BaGVPLi7azEr3XAJMPvBR.1](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84418455380?pwd%3DfJczZgKv2BaGVPLi7azEr3XAJMPvBR.1&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw2giIJenXoEsPXfYgNs_atJ) Meeting ID: 844 1845 5380 Passcode: 369382 **Parking**: You can park at 1680 Capital One Drive; this garage has a sign indicating public parking. Or at the WEGMANS parking lot.

**Agenda:** * 6-6:30 pm: Networking and food/drinks * 6:30-7:15 pm: Announcements and presentation * 7:15 pm-7:30 pm: Q&A and close-out **Hacking the Stack: Using OpenSearch Dashboards as an Application Framework** Most developers treat OpenSearch Dashboards (OSD) strictly as a visualization layer—a place for charts and graphs. They are missing the bigger picture. OSD is a powerful, untapped environment for full-stack application development. In this session, we peel back the architecture of **an enterprise-grade risk, compliance, and security platform built entirely *on top of* OSD**. We moved beyond simple plugins and pushed OSD to its limits to create a seamless, interactive application experience. Join us for a deep dive into the engineering reality of the OpenSearch stack, including: * **The Analysis:** Why the OpenSearch stack beat out the competition. * **The Build,** **Beyond Visualization:** How to implement custom React components to build complex workflows and interactive UIs within OSD. * **The Integrations:** Integrating Wazuh for agent management and ingesting data at scale. * **The “Gotchas”:** Honest, real-world lessons on data handling, state management, and what to look out for. **If you are ready to push your plugins from “reporting tools” to “robust software,” do not miss this session!**

**Agenda :** * 4.45 to 5.00 PM ET: Food and Networking * 5.00 to 5.50 PM ET: "Data Science & Machine Learning with Microsoft Fabric" Hello Everyone! Please join us for our March 12th edition of the AI-ML MeetUp. **Please note this is an in-person meeting and light refreshments/food will be provided. You will need a government-issued ID to enter the facility.** **Title:** Data Science & Machine Learning with Microsoft Fabric **Description:** Explore Microsoft Fabric’s integrated Data Science experience across ideation, preprocessing, modeling, & deployment. Learn how to ingest and prepare data via OneLake and Lakehouse, leverage Notebooks, Data Wrangler, Spark, SynapseML, MLflow for experimentation, & operationalize predictions with batch scoring and Power BI direct integration. Also, learn to build generative AI Q&A systems using Fabric Data Agents. **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!!!!

We’re still working to get more people into these Meetups, but our goal is to give PlayYourCourt members a few social tennis outings each week in addition to your practice sessions and Challenge League matches. These Meetups are co-ed, super laid back, and all skill levels are welcome. Post your skill level and a suggested court in the comments section so we can round up as many players as we can for some tennis fun! Also, if you’re looking to meet new practice partners or play some matches and you aren’t already in the PlayYourCourt Community, you can go here to see what we’re all about and sign up: https://www.playyourcourt.com/tennis-community/fairfax-va/meetup/ If you love tennis, we’d love to have you! Be sure and watch the quick video that explains how everything works. Happy hitting! - Scott

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

✨ One FREE Drink with Each Ticket ✨ Ticket Link: https://square.link/u/8pDIC1JX or go to DandiAndiDesigns.com 🍀 Get ready for a night of creativity and fun at our “Rolling Hills & Rainbows” Sip & Paint event at 4J’s Farm & Brewery! 🌄 Inspired by the stunning landscapes of Ireland, this vibrant painting captures rolling green hills filled with fluffy sheep, breathtaking rainbows even a sneaky little leprechaun running off in the distance. It’s an iconic scene of Ireland, full of beauty and charm. 🌈 🎉 We will start with a blank canvas, but no previous experience is needed. I will walk you through different shading and texture techniques to create your own work of art. There’s even a stencil provided for the little leprechaun. What’s Included: • A guided step-by-step painting session • All painting supplies (canvas, brushes, smocks and high quality acrylic paints) • 1 Free drink included per ticket! • A fun, relaxed atmosphere, great beer, and even better company Smocks will be provided to help protect your clothing, but Dandi Andi Designs is not responsible for any stains. Please plan to arrive 10 to 20 minutes before the scheduled start time to ensure you have time to order your drink and settle in. The painting session will last approximately 2 hours.

Theme for this coffee talk is: Would You Rather? – Lighthearted moral or silly dilemmas Meet up at Haraz, where rich coffee aromas and inviting seating create the ultimate casual hangout. Grab a traditional coffee, a sweet treat, or both, and settle in for relaxed conversations with friends old and new. This is the perfect spot for low-key socializing, sharing stories, and enjoying the friendly energy of the café.

**DC Service Jam is back.** This March, SD:DC is hosting the DC edition of Global Service Jam 2026 week. We are part of a worldwide movement of designers, strategists, and curious minds who come together to build real service concepts from scratch. From **Saturday March 14 to Sunday March 15**, you'll work in a small team around a secret theme revealed at kick-off. No briefs, no client. Just hands-on design, rapid prototyping, and plenty of Post-its. This year we're bringing AI into the mix. Throughout the weekend we'll look at how AI tools can support service design work, as a sensemaking tool, to build artifacts faster, and to push prototypes further. **WHAT TO EXPECT** **Saturday March 14th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast (theme reveal + team formation) * **10am - 6pm:** full day of research, ideation, and prototyping (meals provided) * **6:30pm (optional):** social / happy hour (nearby bar) **Sunday March 15th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast * **10am - 12pm:** finalize prototyping & storytelling * **12pm - 2pm:** present your work and share what DC made with the world **WHO SHOULD COME** You don't need to be a service designer. If you're a UX or product designer, strategist, public servant, researcher, or just someone curious about how services actually work, you're welcome here. **LOGISTICS** * **Dates:** Saturday March 14th & Sunday 15th (ending at 2pm) * **Venue:** SteamPunk, McLean, VA * **Capacity:** 50 spots only (first come, first served) * **Attendee fee:** $60\* (covers meals, materials, and space) *\* If the fee is a barrier for you, we have a limited number of discounted tickets available, just reach out to Sergio Venegas directly for a code.* **WHAT TO BRING** ✔️ An open mind and a willingness to make things ✔️ Laptop and charger ✔️ Curiosity about Service Design (no experience needed) **Follow SD:DC on LinkedIn and @DCServiceJam on Instagram for updates!** \*\*\* Many thanks to our host and sponsor, **SteamPunk** *Design. Disrupt, Repeat. Steampunk is anchored by a startup culture with a customer-centered delivery approach. We put our Federal government clients in the center of everything we design, develop, and deliver to drive high quality mission impacts and user experiences at speed.*

Whether you're new to Insight meditation or an advanced practitioner looking for like-minded people to sit with, you're welcome to join us at our Sunday morning drop-in group, sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. Insight meditation cultivates our natural wisdom and compassion. Meditation practice develops concentration, which allows us to calm and steady the mind. This class includes a 30-minute lightly-guided meditation, followed by a short talk and time for questions and discussion. The size of the group usually runs somewhere between 25-40 people in-person and between 12-25 online. Chairs are provided, or you may bring a sitting cushion or bench. You may also use the blankets and bolsters offered by the yoga studio. **We offer both in-person and online attendance.** To learn more about our topics and teachers, view our videos or **get the Zoom link**, visit our [class page](https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=735&utm_source=MeetUp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vienna-drop-in).

Join us on zoom call zoom from your phone free at 1929 436 2866; meeting id is 896 0197-4108 that's all, see you today 3rd Sunday at 12:45pm 2-15-26 ask for Howard!

# ✨ Real Founder Lessons for Builders & Career Pivoters (Ashburn) **Saturday, March 14 • 2–4 PM • Ashburn, VA** What if growing your work didn’t have to come with constant exhaustion? This entrepreneur-focused session is a behind-the-scenes conversation about how to build, pivot, and scale **without burning yourself out** — and without chasing work that drains your energy. Whether you’re launching something new, navigating a career pivot, or rebuilding after a layoff, the principles are the same: 👉 protect your energy 👉 make smarter pivots 👉 build momentum that lasts 👉 apply AI practically to support smarter decisions and workflows Over 12 years, I’ve launched **7 startups and side hustles** — alongside **21 years in corporate tech leadership**. The biggest lesson wasn’t scaling tactics… It was learning when to pivot, how to sustain momentum, and how to align what energizes you with what serves your customers — an approach that generated **revenue** in my first full-time year without burnout. A key part of that evolution has been learning how to integrate AI in grounded, practical ways — helping accelerate testing, decision-making, and workflow clarity without adding complexity. During this session, I’ll share real founder insights — including a live screen walkthrough — showing how smart pivots happen and what separates intentional growth from reactive hustle. *** ## What We’ll Explore 1. **How to recognize when to pivot — and when to stay the course** 2. **Building energy-first systems instead of burnout cycles** 3. **Founder decision-making under pressure** 4. **Designing work that supports long-term momentum** 5. **Why sustainable growth outperforms hustle culture** 6. **Using AI strategically to support pivots, experimentation, and smarter workflows** This is not a lecture or pitch — it’s a grounded founder conversation for people who want to grow smarter and build work that lasts. Expect practical thinking, humor, and takeaways you can use immediately. *** ## Event Details 💵 $20 RSVP — includes coffee + snacks 📍 Ashburn, VA (exact address shared after RSVP) 🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM 👥 Max 15 attendees — intentionally small for meaningful conversation Most attendees are professionals, founders, and growth-minded builders navigating reinvention, pivots, or startup ideas. *** ## About the Space — Startup Garage Style Hosted in my early-founder style startup garage — a **bright, spacious, comfortable Ashburn living room** designed for focused conversation and practical learning. These sessions are intentionally intimate — closer to a founder roundtable than a seminar. *** ## Background — Corporate to Founder Journey After **21 years in corporate tech leadership**, including senior director role, I transitioned into full-time entrepreneurship, building on years of startup and side-hustle experience. If you’re exploring a career pivot or next chapter, you’ll find this conversation highly practical. *** ## 🔗 Builder Ecosystem & Resources 🌐 Website: [https://midlifereinvention.co](https://midlifereinvention.co) ▶ YouTube (300K+ views): [https://www.youtube.com/@midlife_mindfulness](https://www.youtube.com/@midlife_mindfulness) 💼 LinkedIn (4K+ followers): [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-debnath-0061524/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-debnath-0061524/) 🤝 Meetup Community: [https://www.meetup.com/ashburn-transition-meetup-group/](https://www.meetup.com/ashburn-transition-meetup-group/) 📚 Amazon Author Page (2 Books published, more on the way): [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anju-Debnath/author/B0FFNBVZLQ](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anju-Debnath/author/B0FFNBVZLQ) Everything shared comes from lived founder experience — not theory. *** **Space is intentionally limited to ensure focused discussion, interactive learning, and practical takeaways you can use immediately.**

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“A Practical Guide to Social Change,”** a research-based look at how communities bring about reform and progress, with Marissa Robinson, founder of Real Health Impact LLC and an adjunct professor at George Washington University who teaches courses focused on public health leadership and social change. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-social-change](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-social-change) .] Systems built on inequality rarely transform without deliberate pressure from the people most committed to justice, because progress takes coordination, conviction and willingness to change what has always been accepted. Real change starts when people choose to move together. Learn what research and experience say about how to make real social progress with Dr. Marissa Robinson, a public health practitioner who previously worked in federal agencies coordinating global and national public health initiatives focused on infectious diseases, HIV, and health equity. Among the key questions she’ll tackle: How do communities overcome barriers to create real change? When should evidence guide decisions and when does context matter more? She’ll discuss established frameworks for moving from intention to measurable progress and talk about the importance of building coalitions that actually work and of making decisions grounded in real data. You’ll learn about the importance of testing ideas on a small scale before going big, as well as how to use rapid feedback loops and continuous improvement cycles to refine approaches and scale what truly works. Dr. Robinson will share stories of ordinary people and communities who refused to accept the status quo and pushed through real barriers to achieve breakthrough results. She’ll talk about practical strategies, usable frameworks, and evidence-based examples that people can apply immediately in their own communities and organizations to support change that lasts. If you have dreamed about bringing about progress in your world, this talk will give you the clarity, direction, and confidence it takes to turn such dreams into reality. ( Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

Enjoy a vibrant and engaging dance experience that blends global rhythms and diverse styles. This class combines elements of Bollywood, Latin, and other dance forms into a smooth, easy-to-follow flow designed to get you moving and grooving at a comfortable pace. Perfect for all levels, this class focuses on fun, relaxation, and connection with the music while giving you a gentle workout. Join us for a refreshing and enjoyable dance session! (Please wear socks). Friday, March 13 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Held at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Museum – Virginia, 14020 Thunderbolt Place, Suite 200, Chantilly, VA. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Please arrive on time. **FREE EVENT - Registration Required at [https://shorturl.at/KJoXv](https://shorturl.at/KJoXv)** *Support the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Museum with your tax-deductible* *contribution.* **[CONTRIBUTE](https://www.meditationmuseum.org/contribute.html "https://www.meditationmuseum.org/contribute.html")**

Food is one of the most meaningful ways to experience culture — and Ethiopian cuisine is rooted in community, tradition, and bold, layered flavors. Join the Global Food & Culture group as we gather at Enatye Ethiopian Restaurant to explore traditional dishes served on injera. If you’re open to sharing, we can create a few shared platters so everyone can sample a variety of dishes — but individual ordering is perfectly fine too. Enatye is a small restaurant and does not make reservations so they recommended the 2-4 pm time frame. We’re initially capping this at 12 guests to keep the experience comfortable and conversational. If interest is strong and the restaurant can accommodate, we may open additional spots. The good news is that they will bill each of us separately! Come hungry. Come curious. And come ready to connect around the table.

**Ever dreamed of designing your own backyard oasis?** Here’s your chance to make it happen! Join us at the **Premier Pools & Spas showroom in Manassas, VA** for a fun and creative evening of pool design, conversation, and inspiration. We’ll sip, sketch, and dream up the ultimate backyard retreat together! ️ **What to Expect:** * Hands-on pool design session (we’ll provide poster boards, pens, pencils, and markers!) * Learn how pool layouts, materials, and costs come together in real-world projects * Light refreshments, good company, and expert advice from our design and construction team * **Bonus:** select designs from the night will be turned into **real-time 3D renderings** by one of our pool designers! **Space is limited** — only 15 spots available (each attendee may bring one guest). Whether you’re seriously planning your dream pool or just curious about the process, this laid-back event is the perfect mix of creativity and conversation. Come ready to design, sip, and have a great time!

Leads come in, but they don’t move. Prospects engage, but they don’t convert. Customers join, but they don’t stay. And most teams are guessing where the breakdown actually is. At this DC Marketing Tech Talks event, Geoff Livingston will walk you through a practical, end-to-end AI workflow designed to help you identify and fix the gaps in your customer journey. This session is about using AI to analyze how buyers are actually moving through your funnel, uncover where engagement drops off, and turn that insight into measurable improvements. You’ll learn how to: * Map your real customer journey * Identify friction points across your lead funnel * Use AI to analyze messy marketing data in a structured way. Geoff will show you how to turn disconnected touchpoints into a clear picture of behavior, how to surface usable insights, and how to feed those insights back into your campaigns to improve performance. This session will give you a detailed playbook. You will see the specific tools, the specific processes, and the step-by-step structure to implement this workflow inside your own organization. From auditing your journey to identifying measurable gaps, to prioritizing the highest-impact fixes, to building a repeatable optimization loop, you will walk away knowing exactly how to execute this approach from start to finish.

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

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. Bicycling from Vienna is possible but difficult, though once you are here, there's a bike rack in the garage behind the building, and there's also a Capital Bikeshare dock 15 min walk away. **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).

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun – Resource Presentation** **Why Not Today? Build Systems That Support Your Growth** **Presented by Leslie Kane, Founder of Why Not Today?** **Wednesday March 25th \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun** Join us for a powerful resource presentation designed to help entrepreneurs move from scattered effort to sustainable momentum. *** ## **About the Session** Entrepreneurs rarely struggle because they lack ideas. They struggle because everything lives in their head. In this session, **Leslie Kane**, founder of **Why Not Today?**, will explore how developing intentional systems creates clarity, focus, and forward progress in business. Drawing from decades of leadership experience and working with hundreds of entrepreneurs, Leslie shares how structure reduces overwhelm, simplifies decision-making, and transforms inconsistent action into repeatable success. If you’re building a business and constantly feeling stretched thin, this conversation will challenge you to ask a powerful question: **Why not today?** *** ## **What You’ll Gain** * Insight into why systems are critical for growth * Practical perspective on turning ideas into structured action * A framework for reducing overwhelm * A mindset shift from reactive to intentional leadership This is not about adding more to your plate — it’s about building the foundation that allows your business to grow without burning you out. *** ## **About 1 Million Cups** 1 Million Cups is a national program that brings entrepreneurs and communities together to learn, connect, and grow through conversation and collaboration. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month. Join us for coffee, connection, and a conversation that may completely change how you approach your business growth.

Most AI meetups end up as just networking. **We’re different.** At **AI Tool Explorers Night \| Connect & Make New Friends**, you’ll: ✨ Walk away with a *real learning nugget* (a tool, workflow, or strategy you can use immediately) ✨ Connect with people who share your curiosity for AI, productivity, and automation ✨ Enjoy a fun, casual setting where new ideas and friendships spark naturally 👉 **Our promise:** every session delivers structure, substance, and takeaways you can use when you get home. ### 📅 Event Flow * **6:00–6:15 PM** → Arrivals & intros * **6:15–6:45 PM** → AI demo / learning nugget * **6:45–7:00 PM** → Q&A and group discussion * **7:00–8:00 PM** → Networking & contact sharing ⚡ Please hold networking until after the presentation so we can all learn together. Plenty of time at the end to connect and exchange cards! **Let's explore AI Tools that actually *work* in our day-to-day life!** *** #ChatGPT #Claude #Grok #Gemini #Perplexity #DeepSeek #NotebookLM #Cursor #GitHubCopilot #Replit #Windsurf #v0dev #Lovable #Zapier #Makecom #n8n #Descript #OpusClip #Synthesia #Runway #Sora #Kling #Veo #PikaLabs #LTXStudio #AdobeFirefly #Vidu #Hailuo #LumaDreamMachine #Wisecut #Elaiio #Capsule #Filmora #Gling #Magisto #AdobePremierePro #ElevenLabs #Suno #Udio #Soundraw #Riffusion #Mubert #BeatovenAI #AIVA #Loudly #SplashPro #Soundful #MagentaStudio #WavTool #MakeBestMusic #BandLabSongStarter #TadAI #EcrettMusic #Midjourney #DALLE3 #CanvaMagicStudio #NotionAI #Gamma #Fathom #FirefliesAI #MLX

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Secrets of Runes,”** on the origins, development, and interpretation of the runic script, with Lilla Kopár, runologist and a professor of medieval literature and culture at Catholic University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-rune-secrets](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-rune-secrets) .] The fame of runes outshines that of any other ancient script. They can be found not just on Viking Age rune stones, but on Bilbo’s door and as the Bluetooth logo on your cell phone. Runic script is commonly associated with magic, used by modern practitioners of neopaganism, and in recent decades has captured the imagination of filmmakers and video game designers. Yet most of us know little about the historical origins of runes and have no clue how to read or use them. Come to Crooked Run Fermentation in Sterling, Va., to get schooled on runic script with the help of Lilla Kopár, a veteran scholar of runes who has earned a following among Profs and Pints fans by giving fantastic talks on medieval monsters and Norse mythology. As someone who has carried out extensive field research on runes, published several articles on runic objects, and even appeared on the History Channel commenting on runes in America, she’s exceptionally qualified to introduce you to runology and the fascinating things that runes tell us. Dr Kopár will discuss the development of runic script from its humble origins on the borders of the Roman Empire in the first or second century CE, through its popularity in the Viking world, to its use and misuse in modern times. She’ll discuss how runes are a set of related alphabets that underwent changes over time and she’ll describe what inspired changes in this writing system and where and how runes were used in the medieval period. Her richly illustrated talk will highlight some of the most intriguing objects with runic inscriptions, from humble bone fragments to impressive rune stones, and offer insight into the scholarly methods of deciphering and interpreting runic inscriptions. We’ll also look at the function of the runic script from simple practical notes and memorial inscriptions to cipher-runes and magic. The most fun might be the in-class assignment, which will involve reading a few runic inscriptions and writing your name and other words in runes. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Part of Codex runicus, a rune manuscript written on animal skin and dating to about 1300 (University of Copenhagen / Wikimedia Commons).