Visual Facilitation

Train Your Brain Confidence & Adaptability Under Pressure What if confidence, adaptability, and decision-making could be trained through play? This interactive workshop introduces Cognitive Agility Through Chess — a beginner-friendly experience designed to strengthen focus, resilience, strategic thinking, and communication in a supportive and engaging environment. This is not a traditional chess class. Chess is used as a tool for reflection, collaboration, adaptability, and cognitive development through interactive challenges and guided exercises. WHAT TO EXPECT ♟️ Beginner-friendly introduction to chess fundamentals 🧠 Interactive cognitive and strategic challenges 🤝 Team-based and collaborative gameplay ⚡ Exercises focused on adaptability and thinking under pressure 💬 Guided reflection and discussion THIS EXPERIENCE SUPPORTS • Confidence-building • Strategic thinking • Communication • Adaptability • Emotional resilience • Cognitive flexibility • Decision-making under pressure WHO IS THIS FOR? Women interested in: • self-development • leadership • psychology • strategy • meaningful social connection • cognitive performance • creative and reflective experiences No chess experience is needed. EVENT DETAILS 📍 Motel One — Invalidenstraße 54, 10557 Berlin 🕒 2 Hours 👥 Limited small group experience, from 6-12 participants per event PILOT SESSION This is part of a limited founding pilot series in Berlin designed to create a thoughtful, engaging, and collaborative learning experience. FACILITATED BY Radwa Omar Founder & Cognitive Agility Facilitator Train Your Brain — Cognitive Agility Through Chess Train how you think. Elevate how you perform.

**Das fünfte Treffen** Wir lieben Romane! Wir diskutieren alle vier bis sechs Wochen im Prenzlauer Berg-Café en passant über ein Buch, das wir gelesen haben. Unseren Lesestoff wählen wir demokratisch aus. Bestseller, Geheimtipp oder Lieblingsbuch – wir entscheiden bei unseren Treffen gemeinsam, welchen Titel wir für den nächsten Monat auf die Agenda nehmen. Die Teilnahme ist auf 12 Personen begrenzt, weil sich in einem größeren Kreis leider nicht gut diskutieren lässt. Und hier das Buch für's nächste Treffen. **Annie Ernaux, DER PLATZ** Ihr Vater stirbt und Annie Ernaux schreibt über sein Leben: Um die Jahrhundertwende geboren, musste er früh von der Schule abgehen, war Bauer und dann bis zum Tod Besitzer eines kleinen Lebensmittelladens. Annie Ernaux erzählt in ihrem schmalen Buch von bescheidenem Wohlstand und der Angst vor dem Abstieg, ihrer eigenen Flucht aus dem Kleine-Leute-Milieu. Durch ihre Ehe mit einem Intellektuellen und ihrem Beruf als Lehrerin war sie im Mittelstand angekommen. Die Lebensumstände der Eltern befremdeten sie mehr und mehr. Genau das weckte ihre Skepsis. Sie wollte verstehen, woher sie kommt und beschreibt das elterliche Milieu und ihre Gefühle mit größter Klarheit, schonungslos und radikal offen.

led by L (Isadora Expert)\* Monthly meet-up for Isadora users in our Berlin studio. Join us as we cover special topics and offer guidance on the projects you are already working on. If you are new to Isadora, we provide a free Isadora 7-Day license to jump start your work. Beginner to advanced. All are welcome! **Isadora** is a software created by and for artists to use interactivity in performance, installations and more. Learn about Isadora [here](https://troikatronix.com/isadora/). **\*L** is a media artist, technical design consultant, multimedia show control programmer, as well as a projection, lighting, interactive technology, and live feed video designer. Their work has most recently been seen at Berliner Festspiele, Nationaltheater Mannheim,Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, Deutsche Oper, and La MaMa Galleria. They’re particularly interested in using various sensors to use the human body as a source of data for manipulating media

Hast du Angst vor Publikum zu sprechen? Verlangt dein Beruf, dass du Vorträge hältst? Macht dich das nervös? Hast du Schwierigkeiten beim Aufbau deiner Reden oder Vorträge? Driften deine Zuhörer ab und scheinen dir nicht mehr zuzuhören? Nimmt deine Nervosität überhand? Vergisst du im entscheidenen Moment was du sagen wolltest? Bei Toastmasters bekommst du auf all diese Fragen nicht nur eine Antwort, sondern kannst im sicheren Umfeld lernen und trainieren deine Redekunst zu verbessern und zum charismatischen Redner zu werden. Komm einfach zum nächsten Clubtreffen. Du bist herzlich willkommen!

**⚠️ IMPORTANT: REGISTRATION MANDATORY ⚠️** Registration on **Luma** is **REQUIRED** to attend this event. **Link: https://luma.com/7zfk3orp?utm_source=meetup** Your registration is subject to host approval. You must complete the registration process on lu.ma to receive the full event location details and confirmation of your attendance. **Please note: Without approved registration on Luma, you will NOT be able to access the event location or attend.** We are excited to host a **BLISS x juna.ai workshop** featuring **Dr. Nima Siboni (senior RL Engineer)**, who will guide us through an interactive session on algorithm discovery with LLMs. **​​​ Title: The Heuristic Scientist: Open-Ended Algorithm Discovery with LLMs** **📅 Date: 03.06.2026** **🕕 Time: 18:00** 📍 Location: TU Berlin Marchstrasse 23 [Room 0.011] ​​​The session will last around 2 hours, followed by a networking session with juna.ai and fellow AI enthusiasts (and free pizza!🍕). Bring your laptop! **​Abstract:** Large language models are increasingly useful not only for writing code, but for exploring the space of possible algorithms. In this hands-on workshop, we will look at how LLMs can act as “heuristic scientists”: generating candidate strategies, turning ideas into executable code, testing them against concrete objectives, and refining them through feedback. The workshop centers on the general discovery loop behind LLM-assisted heuristic generation. Participants will learn how to structure problems for algorithm discovery, prompt models to propose interpretable heuristics, evaluate those heuristics with simulations or benchmarks, and use the results to guide further search. We will also discuss when simple prompting is enough, when training or fine-tuning may help, and how to keep generated heuristics understandable, testable, and auditable. ​By the end of the session, participants will have built a small discovery loop of their own and will understand the practical trade-offs involved in using LLMs for open-ended algorithm discovery: creativity versus control, exploration versus verification, and automation versus human judgment. ​ **⚡ FINAL REMINDER ⚡** **You MUST register and be approved on Luma to attend. The event location will only be visible after your registration is confirmed by the host. Link: https://luma.com/7zfk3orp?utm_source=meetup** *** We are **BLISS e.V.**, Berlin’s AI community connecting like-minded individuals passionate about machine learning and data science. Our **BLISS Workshops** connect **students and young professionals with industry partners**, offering an inside look into **how machine learning is applied in real-world settings** \- from research and development to deployment\. ​ ​​​BLISS Website:[ https://bliss.berlin](https://bliss.berlin/?utm_source=luma) ​​​BLISS Youtube:[ https://www.youtube.com/@bliss.ev.berlin](https://www.youtube.com/@bliss.ev.berlin?utm_source=luma)

**A place to meet sound, without maps** Facilitated by **Vesti Gium (they/them)** Everyone enters as they are. No score. No threshold of skill. We follow the room, moment by moment— listening, nudging, letting the music find itself. A breath, a shoelace, a laugh, a footstep— each carries weight. Silence is welcomed; noise is celebrated. There are no wrong directions here. We practise a listening that reaches outward and inward: to ourselves, to one another, to the space we shape together. That is where the music begins. * 🌀 Bring a voice, an object, an instrument, a movement—or nothing at all. * ✨ **Priority given to FLINTA folks and people with migration backgrounds.** * 🎧 No experience needed. Curiosity is enough. * 📍 Berlin – \[theodorstraße 5,12099] * 🗓 Every Wednesday 17: 30 * 📬 DM or email **[vestigium.impro@gmail.com](mailto:vestigium.impro@gmail.com)** to join Come make sound—come be heard.

**Weiter geht es mit dem Erfolgsnetzwerk** Wie angekündigt, geht es im 14-tägigen Rhythmus weiter. **Ablauf:** ***Bist du zum ersten Mal dabei?*** Dann sind wir gespannt, in der ersten Runde von deinem Projekt oder Vorhaben sowie deinem Hintergrund zu erfahren. Auch mögliche Hindernisse dürfen genannt werden. ***Teilnehmende, die schon einmal dabei waren,*** berichten von ihren Erfolgen und auch den Schwierigkeiten, die sie seit unserer letzten Zusammenkunft erlebt haben. Im Anschluss sprechen wir in der Gruppe über jedes einzelne Projekt, stellen Fragen und geben Feedback. ***Die dritte Runde gilt dem nächsten Schritt:*** Ihr überlegt euch konkret, was ihr bis zum nächsten Treffen erledigen wollt, um eurem Ziel ein Stückchen näher zu kommen. Das Erfolgsnetzwerk ist ein offenes Format für alle, die vor einem beruflichen oder privaten Projekt stehen und durch Austausch und Feedback ihre nächsten Schritte klarer sehen und umsetzen wollen. Ich freue mich darauf, euch beim nächsten Treffen zu begrüßen. Und da aller guten Dinge 3 sind, diesmal noch einmal kostenlos 😉

An opening of an art exhibition is a nice occasion to catch up and hang out. No agenda, just art, wine and chat. *** KIT Berlin ([@kitstudioartspace](https://www.instagram.com/kitstudioartspace)) invites you to an exhibition of paintings by Wiola Stankiewicz [@wiola_stankiewicz](https://www.instagram.com/wiola_stankiewicz/) “Now it Makes Sense, Isn’t It?” and a musical performance by Antonio Bastos [@antonio__bastos](https://www.instagram.com/antonio__bastos/) Now It Makes Sense, Isn’t It? continues the “Emotional Algorithm” project — a series of paintings built from intuitively selected screenshots, private photographs, and images found online. The images are combined like an emotional bajaderka (a Polish layered dessert traditionally made from mixed leftovers, fragments, and combined remains) — sometimes through color, contrast, or an unexplainable feeling that they simply belong together. The works explore screen aesthetics and digital ways of perceiving images. Meaning often appears only later. And sometimes not at all. Wiola Stankiewicz is a visual artist born in Elbląg, Poland, currently living and working in Coimbra, Portugal. Her practice focuses on painting, collage, and assemblage, using mixed media techniques and experimental material processes. Working with icons of popular culture, landscapes, found images, and photographs from her personal archive, Stankiewicz builds a coherent and autonomous visual language based on intuition and process. Her works function as images of an open character, in which meaning emerges from the relationships between image, material, and gesture. Antonio Bastos turns vulnerability into stage, community into sound and instinct into creation. From electronics to tradition, from improvised lyrics to shared movement, his music is born live and unfolds into a visual, emotional experience. With dozens of releases and festival shows, he was awarded People’s Choice at the IPMA (USA), blending performance with community creation — involving choirs, schools and local groups of all ages. Each concert is a seed sown in the territory, where the audience also becomes creator.

Der politische Diskurs ist für alle diejenigen, die politische und gesellschaftliche Themen verfolgen und sich gerne darüber austauschen wollen. Wir alle wissen, dass der Vorteil einer Demokratie gegenüber autoritären Systemen darin besteht, dass Meinungen geäußert und Kritik geübt werden kann - so let's do this! Jedesmal steht ein neues, eher generelles Thema im Zentrum, über das wir uns respektvoll austauschen wollen. Im kommenden Abend geht es um die Fördermittelaffaire der Berliner CDU. Da es sich um ein komplexeres Thema handelt, werde ich ich die Thematik über eine Präsentation aufbereiten, so dass wir alle auf dem selben Wissensstand sind. Anschließend Diskussion mit Getränken und Snacks. Interessante Informationsquellen für: [Nationale_Politik](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/podcast-106.html), [News_aus_Wirtschaft](https://open.spotify.com/show/0MqROiCw2Vl0aVqxWdPjRC?si=dioN4162TqytZm210rXpYw), [Internationale_Nachrichten](https://ground.news/) **WhatsApp Gruppenchat**: Regt dich ein Politiker / eine Argumentationslinie auf? Hast du einen Podcast gehört, den du unbedingt teilen und mit anderen besprechen willst? Möchtest du aktiv bei der Themenwahl unserer Diskussionsabende teilnehmen? Es gibt eine Whatsappgruppe. Sprich mich gerne auf einem Event an, dann füge ich dich hinzu. Wir freuen uns auf deine Ansichten! Foto: Maurizio Gambarini / Rotary International / IMAGO

Train Your Brain Confidence & Adaptability Under Pressure What if confidence, adaptability, and decision-making could be trained through play? This interactive workshop introduces Cognitive Agility Through Chess — a beginner-friendly experience designed to strengthen focus, resilience, strategic thinking, and communication in a supportive and engaging environment. This is not a traditional chess class. Chess is used as a tool for reflection, collaboration, adaptability, and cognitive development through interactive challenges and guided exercises. WHAT TO EXPECT ♟️ Beginner-friendly introduction to chess fundamentals 🧠 Interactive cognitive and strategic challenges 🤝 Team-based and collaborative gameplay ⚡ Exercises focused on adaptability and thinking under pressure 💬 Guided reflection and discussion THIS EXPERIENCE SUPPORTS • Confidence-building • Strategic thinking • Communication • Adaptability • Emotional resilience • Cognitive flexibility • Decision-making under pressure WHO IS THIS FOR? Women interested in: • self-development • leadership • psychology • strategy • meaningful social connection • cognitive performance • creative and reflective experiences No chess experience is needed. EVENT DETAILS 📍 Motel One — Invalidenstraße 54, 10557 Berlin 🕒 2 Hours 👥 Limited small group experience, from 6-12 participants per event PILOT SESSION This is part of a limited founding pilot series in Berlin designed to create a thoughtful, engaging, and collaborative learning experience. FACILITATED BY Radwa Omar Founder & Cognitive Agility Facilitator Train Your Brain — Cognitive Agility Through Chess Train how you think. Elevate how you perform.

**🔥 PLEASE REGISTER FOR THE EVENT →** [HERE](https://luma.com/jd97obwy) 🔥 This event has limited seats and [requires registration](https://luma.com/jd97obwy). In this highly interactive 90-minute workshop, you’ll explore how different communication styles shape the way people listen, interpret, and respond. Using the **Insights Discovery framework**, you’ll learn how small shifts in communication can dramatically improve buy-in and collaboration. Early Bird: 14.90 EUR Regular Price: 19.90 EUR Only 25 Seats Available

**This event is taking place online.** You have probably tried AI. Maybe you use it quietly. Maybe you opened it, stared at the blank prompt, and closed the tab. Maybe you are not sure where to start, or why it still feels harder than it should. Welcome to our community! 17:00 — An intro: Why are we here? 17:15 — What research and data shows us about how AI impacts work 17:30 — Where are you right now, what have you tried, what is in your way? 17:45 — What comes next: shaping the next session together This is the first meetup in a series. We will learn from each other, explore AI at work, and eventually dive into the tools together — because the best way to loosen the fear is to do it in good company. Facilitator: Anca Trif Language: English Capacity: 10 attendees **Join here:** [https://meet.google.com/ghd-cuvt-jnh](https://meet.google.com/ghd-cuvt-jnh)

**⭐ DOORS OPEN AT 19:30. PLEASE ARRIVE BEFORE 8PM! ⭐** The Creative Code Stammtisch is a casual show-and-tell for artists, makers, designers, coders, performers, learners and anyone interested in the use of computing skills for artistic expression. The event is free and open to all, regardless of age, origin, gender or experience. Beginners and first-timers should feel especially welcome! You don't have to be a coder yourself 😃 HOW TO FIND US? Find Prachtsaal Studio by crossing the courtyard next to Cafe Augusta on Jonasstr. 22, 12053 Berlin. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT? We start with quick introductions, then open the floor to anyone who wants to present something. There are usually around six 10-minute slots available, plus time for questions from the audience. First-timers are encouraged to share their work. Topics range from net art to computational design and interactive installations all the way to wearable electronics or generative poetry. If you’re wondering whether your own project might fit, take a look at the [Stammtisch archive](https://creativecodeberlin.github.io/Stammtisch/) to see what others have shared in the past. This event is *not* just for coders! New-media artists and anyone working with technology in their art are very welcome to share. If you enjoy art and/or technology, you’ll likely have a great time, and maybe even learn something new! BEGINNERS WELCOME! If you’re new to creative coding, you can find beginner-friendly resources at [creativecode.berlin/learn](https://creativecode.berlin/learn). THIS IS YOUR SPACE We do our best to create a welcoming environment for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. People from group generally underrepresented in open-source, art, and technology fields are warmly encouraged to come by. And if you know someone who might enjoy this meetup but isn’t sure it’s for them, let them know they’ll be welcome! SAFE SPACE POLICY We support the Berlin Code of Conduct: [berlincodeofconduct.org](http://berlincodeofconduct.org/) Please read and make sure you agree with its content. ACCESSIBILITY Prachtsaal Studio is located on an easy to access ground floor. We're very sorry to say that the bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible yet. DO I NEED TO SPEAK GERMAN? We speak mostly English so international guests are more than welcome! Our team also speaks French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Finnish and German... though language availability may vary depending on which organizers are present :) CONTACT Raphaël de Courville team@creativecode.berlin +49 (0) 176 70070572 or get in touch via [creativecode.berlin](https://creativecode.berlin/) *** The featured artwork of the month is by [aBe](https://hamoid.com). We'd love to feature your work on the cover for the next Stammtisch! Please send an image at team@creativecode.berlin

Wir setzen uns in einen entspannten Trance-Zustand und reisen zur gewünschten Transformation/Veränderung des eigenen Lebens. Dabei aktivieren wir die Ressourcen/Kräfte/Stärken, die dafür gebraucht werden, und die schon längst da sind: "Die Ressourcen, die du brauchst, findest du in deiner eigenen Geschichte" - Milton Erickson, der Vater der modernen Hypno-Therapie. Ich bin zertifizierte systemische Life & Business Coachin und arbeite u.a. mit dem Milton-Modell, um in einer Fantasiereise die Aufmerksamkeit nach Innen zu richten und den Zielzustand mit allen Sinnen zu erleben. Diese Form des Hypno-Coachings hilft durch unterstützte Aufmerksamkeitsfokussierung, sich in körperlich und geistig entspannte Zustände zu begeben. Je nach Tiefe der Entspannung kann man in Trance kommen. Trance ist ein ganz natürlicher Zustand (z.B. wenn man dieselbe Strecke wie im Auto-Pilot-Modus fährt) und ruft gut erforschte physiologische Veränderungen hervor wie Muskelentspannung, langsames Atmen, Abnehmen der Stresshormone. Gewünschte Zielzustände können in Trance intensiver erlebt und für positive Veränderungen nutzbar gemacht werden. **Ablauf:** \- 10 Min: Wir machen es uns auf den Matten gemütlich und machen eine kurze Runde \(wer mag\) "Wer bist du? Was möchtest du erreichen?" \- 20 Min: Wir legen uns bequem hin\. Ich führe mit anleitenden Worten durch eine Meditation hin zu einem angenehmen Trance\-Zustand\. \- 15 Min: Im Anschluss geht jede:r für sich in den Transfer "Was wäre ein guter nächster Schritt\, um dem erlebten Ziel näher zu kommen?" **Prinzipien:** \- Jede:r teilt nur das\, was er/sie möchte\. Niemand muss was sagen\. \- Der Raum ist geschützt\. Alles Geteilte bleibt im Raum\. **Mitbringen:** \- Stift \+ Zettel zum Notieren von Gedanken/Ideen/Erfahrungen **Mehr Infos zu mir:** [https://dr-anne-losert.de/](https://dr-anne-losert.de/)

We are recruiting new group leaders for virtual men's groups! Our primary groups are outdoor movement groups, but we are launching virtual groups for the state of Ohio and beyond and the groups will move outside in the spring, creating room for men's groups, women's groups and coed groups all over the country. Read below to learn about our groups and click the links at the bottom to apply. ### **What is an Outdoor Empowerment Group?** Our Outdoor Movement & Community Empowerment Groups are simple, guided experiences designed to help people reconnect with nature, themselves, and others. We combine some form of movement (hike, walk, run, bike, yoga, workout) and meaningful conversation within a simple community circle to create a space where individuals can support each other while prioritizing mental and physical well-being. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, personal growth, or community, our groups offer everyone a unique and welcoming environment. ## **Why Join?** * **Improve Mental & Physical Well-Being** – Movement, nature, and supportive conversations reduce stress and promote balance. * **Feel Less Alone** – Build genuine connections with like-minded people in a safe, welcoming space. * **Gain Clarity & Perspective** – Step outside daily routines and into a space designed for personal growth and reflection. ## **The Ideal Group Leader** The ideal group leader * Has a born-in passion for mental health, movement, connecting with nature and building community. * Has 5 extra hours per week to dedicate to a meaningful cause for at least one year. Yes, you can leave any organization at any time and we can also ask you to leave, but we are building with legacy in mind and we need people who can commit and be ALL IN on this mission to build with us. * Is independently financially stable with the ability to volunteer with no expectation of pay. This is a deeply beautiful journey of service that all participants commit to at Speak Your Mind. * An ability to manage groups with high emotional intelligence and desire for human connection. * An ability to self-motivate and market/promote their group on Facebook and other social platforms. * Nature informed therapy or clinical therapists/psychologists a plus. ## **Our Impact**  Since launching, we have helped thousands find support, connection, and healing through our Outdoor Movement Groups. 100% of participants surveyed have reported: * A noticeable improvement in mental clarity and emotional well-being. * An increase in social connection and a sense of belonging. * Said they would return again. We believe mental health should be accessible, community-driven, and rooted in nature. Join us and take the first step toward a more connected, grounded, and supported version of yourself. ### **Why Our Groups are Donation-Based** Our Outdoor Movement Groups are made possible through a donation-based model. This approach allows us to keep our events accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances, while also ensuring that we can continue expanding our reach. It’s a great way to pay it forward and support the growth of this beautiful mission! Every contribution helps us: * **Cover Essential Costs** – Donations allow us to pay essential legal, marketing, insurance, and admin costs as well as nourish the important people who run the organization. * **Grow Our Mission** – With your support, we can bring these healing experiences to thousands more people in the future and execute our long term plan to expand across the USA, affecting up to 500,000 people per year. By choosing to contribute, you’re not just leading an event—you’re helping build a mental health movement that supports long-term well-being and connection for all during a severe mental health epidemic. ## **Come Join Us!** We’d love to have you be part of this growing community of people prioritizing their mental health, movement, and connection. 🔹 **Visit Our Website to Learn More:** https://speakyourmind.men/joinusoutside 🔹 **Apply Here to Lead Your Own Group!** – https://form.jotform.com/taketimespeakyourmind/sym-group-leader-application 🔹 **Support the mission**: If you resonate with the mission and want to support, feel free to join a group before applying or donate to help us reach our goals to help more people! You can donate here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/angels-for-angels/speak-your-mind Please text Mario with any questions: (808) 855-8831

## 🤝 Host Information A co-hosted event by ProductTank Columbus & Women in Product Columbus 💡 About the Workshop AI adoption is stalling across organizations — not because of a lack of motivation or tools, but because it's fundamentally a behavior design challenge. This hands-on workshop applies proven Behavior Design models and methods to help you move from a vague organizational wish to boost AI adoption to 3-5 concrete, testable interventions you can act on starting tomorrow. Whether you're a product manager, on a product team, or just someone trying to get AI to actually stick at work, you'll leave with a clear picture of what's worth focusing on, what to ignore, and how to drive real, sustained adoption — no guesswork required. 🛠️ What to Bring Laptop: Fully charged and ready to go. AI Assistant: Have your favorite AI assistant pulled up. (Dom will be using Claude, but feel free to use whichever assistant you prefer!) 🍕 Logistics & Perks Food & Drink: Pizza and drinks provided! Parking: Plenty of free spaces available on-site. ###

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Customize the IDE: Building Extensions for Visual Studio Code* Visual Studio Code is one of the most widely used development environments today, and much of its flexibility comes from its extension ecosystem. Extensions allow developers to customize the editor with new features, integrations, and workflow improvements tailored to their needs. In this session, we’ll cover what extensions are and the different types available, including full extensions written in TypeScript or JavaScript, along with lighter-weight extensions such as color themes, language packs, language support, code snippets, and keymaps. We’ll also look at practical reasons a developer might create an extension, from automating repetitive tasks to adding custom tooling. The session includes a hands-on walkthrough of creating a new extension, testing it locally, and understanding the basic project structure. We’ll close with a brief overview of how extensions are packaged and published to the Visual Studio Marketplace and other distribution options. **YouTube Link** TBD

**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose** Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap. Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn: * Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge * How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change * Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction * How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work. **About Our Speaker** [Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel. Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger. Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life. Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.

*Note: this is a demonstration event only, you **will not** shoot you own images. However, if you bring your camera we can test it for compatibility with the studio lights.* Bondage elements can add an extra layer of emotion and artistry to your images. Sample images on the internet are however dominated by BDSM style shots that are often sexualized and emphasize the model being in distress. In this demonstration Rachel and I show ways to use bondage elements in an artistic way. We explore the types of accessories that work best in artistic images and the best way to photograph them. Our model is Rachel Adams, an internationally known fetish model with many years of experience in this genre.

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.