Welcome to the another Global Nerdy Saturday “picdump!” It’s the weekly article where I post the technology- and work-related memes, pictures, and cartoons floating around the internet that I found interesting or relevant this week. Share and enjoy!
The tl; dr
- The event: Data4 conference
- When: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
- Where: Embarc Collective, Tampa
- What: “A fun and friendly environment for all data professionals, no matter the industry, to meet and grow through shared contributions, interests, and mutual discovery. You’ll hear from data thought leaders, make connections across the tech ecosystem, and expand your network. You won’t be sitting down all day listening to speaker after speaker. Discussions won’t be focused on only one industry.”
- How much: $99. There’s also a government and student rate of $50!
A data conference?
You’ve heard the saying: “Data is the new oil.” That observation is generally attributed to Clive Humby, who’s said to have first used it in 2006. The idea is that data shares a lot of qualities with oil:
- It’s a valuable resource.
- It’s not useful in and of itself; it needs to be extracted, then refined and processed before you to highlight the idea that data, like oil, is a valuable resource that needs to be extracted, refined, and processed — but after that you get a lot of benefit from it.
- And finally, like oil, it’s a key driver for several industries and the economy in general.
Something this valuable needs a conference, and we’re having such a conference here in Tampa!
That conference is Data4.
What will the talks be?
Here’s the list of talks and their speakers / panelists:
|
Lakehouse Catalogs 101 – Governing and Transporting your Iceberg, Delta and Hudi tables Alex Merced |
Explore one of the most critical frontiers in the lakehouse ecosystem: catalogs. Alex will demystify leading catalog solutions such as Apache Polaris (incubating), Nessie, Unity Catalog, Gravitino, Dremio Catalog, and AWS Glue, and guide you through navigating this evolving landscape to effectively manage your lakehouse. |
|
AI Safety: Crafting Certainty in an Uncertain World John Licato |
Unpack how robust design, user-centric interfaces, and regulatory collaboration can transform AI from a black-box risk into a predictable and valuable tool. |
|
The Great Analytics Data Strategy Heist! Pradnya Chavan |
Learn to refine problems and apply iterative systems thinking, drive continuous improvement for data initiatives, and develop successful data strategies to reach business analytics objectives. |
|
Defense as a Market: Overcoming Barriers for Tech Innovation in DoD Jim Smith Casey Johnson Daniella Diaz Rocio Frej Vitalle |
Uncover insights surrounding Data, AI, and delivering game changing solutions to the DoD. |
|
Using Top-Level Ontology for Better Governance – A Vendor Risk Case Study Tim Toohill Joe Blankenship |
Explore how top-level ontologies align disparate data sources to address governance challenges in knowledge graphs. |
|
Mapping Ever Larger Data with PostGIS, DuckDB, GeoArrow and deck.gl. Jared Lander |
Learn how to make a high performance geo workflow on large data through covering the four key aspects of the geospatial pipeline. |
|
From Data to Dominance: Navigating Edge and Enterprise Data Needs for Scalable Insights Lisa Costa |
In a world defined by data ubiquity, success hinges on the ability to align edge-based and enterprise-level data strategies. This talk explores the nuanced differences between edge and enterprise data needs and how semantic frameworks, AI, and edge-based processing can bridge the two. Learn how to harness data at the right place and time—enabling hyper-localized decision-making, predictive analytics at scale, and adaptive cyber defense to create resilient, value-driven organizations in an interconnected global ecosystem. |
|
Driving Data Innovation in Telecom: Trends and Opportunities Antra Malhotra |
|
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Prescription for Precision: Building Smarter Pharma Sales Forecasting Dashboards Tanya Cashorali |
Ensure your regional sales goals are on track while identifying problem areas in real-time. |
There’s also a rumor that there might be some accordion entertainment during the day. Just sayin’.
Afterparty
And yes, there’s a happy hour after the event at American Social. Better still, there’ll be door prizes for a few lucky attendees!
How much will it cost to attend?
$99 for general admission. And that includes breakfast, lunch, and the happy hour.
Here’s a handy tip from the first episode of the 1975 TV series Space: 1999 that seems tailor-made for the current era of AI. Keep it in mind!
(And in case you’re curious, here’s that episode, and I’ve even cued it up to the scene where the computer displays that message…)
Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, January 20 through Sunday, January 26, 2025! This list includes both in-person and online events.
Note that each item in the list includes:
✅ When the event will take place
✅ What the event is
✅ Where the event will take place
✅ Who is holding the event
This week’s events
- Monday, January 20
- Tuesday, January 21
- Wednesday, January 22
- Thursday, January 23
- Friday, January 24
- Saturday, January 25
- Sunday, January 26
Monday, January 20
Tuesday, January 21
Tuesday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Green Bench in St. Pete: It’s the January edition of St. Pete Connects, a meetup for a diverse group of entrepreneurs, founders, and community partners helping them to create friendships and network!
They’re bringing together the tech founders, connectors, creatives, and innovators of St. Pete. A laid back meet up for those new and old to the Sunshine City to find new friendships, expand their networks and build community partnerships.
Bring yourself and/or a friend and help us enjoy an evening with good beer and people.
Find out more and register here.
Wednesday, January 22
Thursday, January 23
Thursday morning from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. at Computer Coach in Tampa: LinkedIn Local™ events are organic meetups, hosted by members all over the world — this one’s the Tampa Bay edition! These gatherings provide an opportunity to network, build community, discuss industry trends, and share best practices for using LinkedIn.
Who should attend?
- IT Professionals: Expand your tech network and share industry insights.
- Business Leaders: Connect with peers and explore collaboration opportunities.
- HR and Talent Acquisition Specialists: Meet top talent and discuss the latest trends in recruitment.
- Entrepreneurs and Start-up Founders: Exchange ideas and gain support from like-minded individuals.
- Community Leaders and Influencers: Strengthen your influence and build lasting relationships.
Why attend?
- Enhance Your Network: Meet diverse professionals from various industries.
- Professional Growth: Gain new perspectives and learn from others’ experiences.
- Reconnect: Strengthen existing connections and make new ones.
- Collaborative Opportunities: Discover potential partnerships and business ventures.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Tampa Bay Brewing Company in Oldsmar: This event is all about meaningful conversations and building valuable connections with fellow tech professionals and industry leaders.
No presentations, no demos—just people talking to people. Come ready to connect, and grow your professional relationships in a relaxed, engaging atmosphere.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at 501 E. Kennedy (2nd floor) in Tampa: Tampa Bay AWS User Group is hosting a re:Invent recap session where local Solution Architects from AWS will talk about the many announcements and various highlights from the 2024 re:Invent event. Speakers from AWS include Renato Fichmann and Vivek Mittal.
This event is sponsored by JetSweep, and refreshments will be served!
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Embarc Collective, Tampa: Tampa Bay Data Engineering Group is kicking off 2025 with an introduction to data engineering. We’ll review Joe Reis and Matt Housley’s book Fundamentals of Data Engineering and other resources to define and explore the expanding world of data engineering practices.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at The Secret Insurance School: Tampa Bay’s security guild and band of merry pranksters, The Neon Temple, are featuring To Pimp a Benjamin, with Crispy presenting.
Their abstract is more fun than anything I can come up with right now, so I’ll just quote it:
Crispy has started in the basement and worked his way to the penthouse. From managing a taco joint to being one of the premier blue teamers in Tampa Bay, if not the country, he knows what the value of a buck is. He also knows how to make a dollar stretch its absolute value and make the convoluted financial system that spawned the meme below work for you. He pretty much planned his BFF Cochise’s retirement account (not that he’s smug about it). Join him for a night of financial literacy, knowledge, and some advice from a guy who’s not a financial planner and doesn’t have a college degree, but makes more than you.
Find out more and register here.
Friday, January 24
Saturday, January 25
Sunday, January 26
About this list
How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.
In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.
What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:
- Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
- Tech project management / agile processes
- Video, board, and role-playing games
- Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
- ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
- Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
- Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
- Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
- Anything I deem geeky
I’m busy at work on the documentation for Packfiles’ SaaS, Warp, which automates the difficult, tedious, and error-prone process of migrating repositories from other source control systems to GitHub. Warp is already operational and it turns days of work into minutes, but it needs a “quickstart” guide, which I’m working on right now!
I’m painfully aware that nobody reads documentation, and I’ve taken steps to ensure that the docs I’m writing are clear, easy to follow, and get to the point ASAP. You won’t need a Ph.D. to read what I’m writing, unless it means “Push here, devops.” I’m trying to make it that simple.
Welcome to the another Global Nerdy Saturday “picdump!” It’s the weekly article where I post the technology- and work-related memes, pictures, and cartoons floating around the internet that I found interesting or relevant this week. Share and enjoy!
Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, January 13 through Sunday, January 19, 2025! This list includes both in-person and online events.
Note that each item in the list includes:
✅ When the event will take place
✅ What the event is
✅ Where the event will take place
✅ Who is holding the event
This week’s events
- Monday, January 13
- Tuesday, January 14
- Wednesday, January 15
- Thursday, January 16
- Friday, January 17
- Saturday, January 18
- Sunday, January 19
Monday, January 13
Tuesday, January 14
Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at Hays, Tampa: The topic is OKRs — objectives and key results. they’re not just a goal-setting framework, but a powerful tool for driving focus, alignment, and measurable outcomes in product management. In this session, we will discuss how OKRs can significantly sharpen your product strategy to create meaningful and impactful results for your teams.
Find out more and register here.
Wednesday, January 15
Thursday, January 16
Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. at Computer Coach, Tampa: Join Tampa Bay User Experience for a year of reflection. As we enter 2025, it is time to look back on what we have done, celebrate together, learn together, and talk about what 2025 might look like.
Rob will share some highlights from the year. Then, we will switch gears and you will have the opportunity to share what you want from the group in 2025.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. at Magnanimous Brewing, Tampa: Join Tampa M365 for an awesome social gathering at Magnanimous in Seminole Heights on Florida Ave., where you can enjoy beers, socialize, and network with awesome local techies. Whether you’re new to Microsoft 365 or an experienced M365 IT Pro / Developer, this event is a great opportunity to meet new faces and get to know your local counterparts!
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at 5406 Hoover Blvd STE 10, Tampa:
Curious about how hackers think? Want to explore the mindset that drives innovation, creativity, and problem-solving in the digital age? Join us for “The Hacker’s Mindset w/ Outlier”, hosted by Neon Temple!
Dive deep into the world of ethical hacking, critical thinking, and strategies that will challenge the way you approach problems. Whether you’re a cybersecurity pro, a tech enthusiast, or just curious, this event is for YOU!
Find out more and register here.
Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Wind Rover Brewery, Tampa: Tampa Bay Agile & Clearly Agile are bringing the happy hour version of Lean Coffee to your area! Drinking not required!
Lean Beer is an alternative to the early morning Lean Coffees, for folks who can’t always join us at 7:30AM. Lean Beer is a great place to ask questions and share your stories of using Agile and Lean software approaches, over an adult beverage, if you choose. We discuss any topics on Agile and Lean that are of interest to whomever is gathered. You suggest the topics, then we prioritize that list democratically, through a good ole’ fashion vote. We manage our discussions via time boxes, and a Roman vote (drinks up/drinks down). Vegas rules apply!
We are a non-formal group, like to loosen our ties and roll up our sleeves at the end of a long day, and gather with other like-minded Agile Practitioners to exchange ideas and information. Come see what Lean Beer is all about and get your Agile on.
Find out more and register here.
Friday, January 17
Saturday, January 18
Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m. at Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company, Tampa: Tampa Bay Techies is holding their monthly study group and tech meetup!
This is a space to socialize, show off your current projects, ask questions with others studying for similar topics, and enjoy a nice cup of coffee! ☕✨
Whether you just started studying, about to take an exam, or still trying to figure out which certification path to take, our study groups are the perfect setting to share knowledge, learn some new study tips & tricks, and ask questions to current industry professionals.
Although they schedule the study session from 10am-1pm, attendees are free to come and go as they please.
Find out more and register here.
Sunday, January 19
About this list
How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.
In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.
What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:
- Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
- Tech project management / agile processes
- Video, board, and role-playing games
- Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
- ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
- Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
- Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
- Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
- Anything I deem geeky