Topic: Building Your Influence
Session Summary:
John Maxwell, the author, speaker and pastor who has authored over 100 books on leadership, once said: “Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.” Whether or not you consider yourself a leader, you do possess an ability to influence others.
But do you consider yourself an influencer? Not the sort of influencer you hear about today – you know who I’m referring to, oftentimes a celebrity who uses social media to endorse or promote a product and leverages their fan base to increase sales. Rather, are you an influencer who inspires or guides the actions of others – even when there is no direct chain of command – meaning, you aren’t the boss (or the parent!)
Here’s the deal, you don’t have to be someone’s boss to be an influencer.
In this session, we’ll cover the six characteristics all true influencers share, what you can do to dial up your own influence, and how to create an Influence Network of your own.
Speaker Bio:
Gina Glover is a career coach and speaker – and a returning speaker for our chapter! Prior to starting her business, aptly named Gina Connects, she enjoyed over 25 years in various roles in the Fox Valley and fostering connections is what she loves doing most. Gina is working on her first book “Navigating SHIFT Creek” to help career changers find their way forward and she is also pursuing a quest to run a race in every state – #22 is coming up this summer.
Schedule of Events:
4:00pm: Chapter News and Intros
4:10pm: Presentation with Q&A
5:00pm: Closing Comments
5:05pm: Virtual Happy Hour
Cost:
FREE to all interested! CLICK HERE to sign-up and register.
**SIGN UP REQUIRED on chapter’s Eventbrite page to ensure Zoom meeting link can be sent to attendee.
Registration closes 4/18 at 5:00pm
Topic: Human-Centered approach to Tech Manufacturing & Innovation
Session Summary:
Developing products in a manufacturing company might seem natural, but are you unlocking your full potential? You may have the best idea and a team of amazing talented developers and creators, but your product will not hit the potential until you embrace the Human-Centered Innovation approach. Only with proper research, feedback loop, and attention to detail will your innovation feel polished and ready for consumption.
Speaker Bio:
Brian Haydin is a Solutions Architect with more than 20 years of experience helping clients build software and products to move their businesses forward.
As a longtime consultant, Brian brings deep experience across many industry settings to his work with his clients. He leads complex projects that facilitate digital transformation and innovation, making use of Azure cloud technologies and a wide range of coding languages and tools. Brian is an active member of several professional user groups and is a frequent speaker on innovative technologies, including topics such as building serverless systems and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Time & Date: 5:00-7:00pm, Tuesday, October 18
Event location: Holidays Appleton, 3962 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $10 Members, $15 non-Members, $5 Students with school ID
Please join us for casual in-person conversations with your fellow IT professionals!
- Enjoy an educational session presented by Brian Haydin from Concurrency, Inc
- Boneless wings, meatballs and pizza will be served during the social
- As a bonus, each attendee will receive 1 free drink ticket!
Topic: Top 10 Ways to Prevent a Cyberattack
Session Summary:
In 2022, cyber security is as important as ever, especially considering the possibility of increased state-sponsored cyberwarfare as a byproduct of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict. While cyberattacks and threats are an ongoing fight, they can be prevented by being aware of the various types of protocols, exploits, tools, and resources used by malicious attackers. In addition, knowing where and how to expect attacks ensures you’re taking preventative measures to protect your systems. Prevention is key, and we’ll show you the Top 10 Ways You Can Prevent a Cyberattack and how to safeguard your organization effectively.
Speaker: Mark Ziesemer
Mark Ziesemer is a versatile Information Technology professional with over 20 years of comprehensive experience and an Information Security focus across networking, infrastructure/operations, cloud technologies, and software development. He has regularly been involved in all areas of I.T. from design, engineering, and architecture through operations, support, and training – with emphases in security, high availability, monitoring, performance, quality, automation, standards compliance, and documentation across all efforts – and with a proficiency towards providing enterprise services and solutions. Held certifications include the (ISC)2 CISSP, CCSP, and CSSLP.
Schedule of Events:
5:00pm: Chapter News and Intros
5:10pm: Presentation with Q&A
6:00pm: Closing Comments
6:05pm: Virtual Happy Hour
Cost:
FREE to all interested! CLICK HERE to sign-up and register.
**SIGN UP REQUIRED on chapter’s Eventbrite page to ensure Zoom meeting link can be sent to attendee.
Come join us as we learn more about the convergence of technology and where this march of technology may take us!
• Take part in an in-person educational session on Technology Megatrends
• Heavy hors d’oeuvres (wings, pizza, veggies) will be served
• 1 free drink ticket for each attendee!
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Time: 5:00pm Doors open, food & networking
5:30 pm Welcome & Technology Megatrends Presentation, additional networking to follow
Event location: Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $0 Members (free), $10 non-Members, $5 Students with school ID
CLICK HERE to sign-up and register.
5:30pm Session: Technology Megatrends
The world is changing at exponential speed due to the convergence of technology: AI, 3D printing, robotics, quantum computing, blockchain, and ubiquitous high bandwidth connectivity. The next twenty years will be one of the most significant times in history to be alive. But do you understand how these advances will affect your life? Your work? How did we reach this point where a world of abundance is at our fingertips? Yet the inevitable march of technology goes unnoticed?
I hope you will join me as I walk you through the technology megatrends that will change our lives forever. With over twenty years of experience managing sales at EDCi, a Value Added Reseller in NE Wisconsin, and the last six years researching technology trends for my novel, The Alleged Conspiracy, my presentation is not focused on the bits and bytes of our industry. But on the larger scale, focusing on developments that will rock our world.
Speaker: Nicholas (Nick) A. Tseffos
CS Lewis said, “Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God, do you learn.”
The world of “experience” has shaped my life. From a humble blue-collar family in Racine, Wisconsin, I graduated from Iowa State University in 1975. By thirty-three, I became Vice President of Sales for Bemis Company’s Distributor Products Division. I changed professions in 1996 to enter the technology industry. I joined EDCi, a VAR in Appleton, Wisconsin, rising to Executive Vice President and Partner. In 2016, I sold my interest in the company to pursue my lifelong passion for writing.
I am an active member of the International Thriller Writers Association. Through their THRILLER-TIQUE program providing authors with virtual critique groups, I was selected to work with authors Bonnar Spring and Stacy Woodson. I have studied at the Loft in Minneapolis under the guidance of author Tea Obreht, and at the Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild with Nickolas Butler. My short stories have won awards at The Mill in Appleton, WI, and I was recently published by Indignor House in an anthology.
My motto is that the world is never black and white. It’s gray. The only absolute we can count on is change. Technology will be the driver of massive transformation in our lives, and my twenty years of experience in the field gave me the background to write a techno-thriller. The Alleged Conspiracy is the result.
Come join us as we learn more about E-Recycling and what steps you can take to improve our resources and our world.
• Take part in our interactive session on E-Recycling and Data Security
• Heavy hors d’oeuvres (wings, pizza, veggies, fruit) will be served
• 1 free drink ticket for each attendee!
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Time: 5:00pm Doors open, food & networking
5:30 pm Welcome & Speaker Presentation, additional networking to follow
Event location: Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $0 Members (free), $10 non-Members, $5 Students with school ID
5:30pm Session: Managing end of life electronics for a sustainable and data secure future
Global E-Waste is a fast-growing waste stream and projected to reach over 100 million tons in the next 30 years. E-Waste may be just 2% of solid waste but accounts for 70% of the hazardous toxins entering the waste stream. With so little actually recycled what can we do to increase community efforts to improve our earth’s resources? Come find out how!
Be a part of the conversation as Janek Cieszynski from Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction shares insights on what can be done in your workplace and in your home to reuse and recycle your electronics, as well as secure your data when your electronic asset has reached its end of life.
Speaker: Janek Cieszynski
Janek is the Regional Accounts Manager for Sadoff E-Recycling and Data Destruction, a Division of Sadoff Iron and Metal, a scrap metals recycler providing 75 years of safety, sustainability & customer satisfaction.
As a whole brain thinker, Janek brings expertise to closing the IT Ecosystem thru proper and certified recycling with particular attention to data security, sustainability and ESG concerns, working with national and regional clientele.
His passion stretches into volunteerism for the Scouts of America and being a Leave No Trace Trainer.
Sadoff Iron & Metal offers scrap metal recycling of non-ferrous metals and ferrous scrap, auto salvage, electronics recycling, and more. Their multiple locations provide exceptional recycled products and programs for steel mills, foundries, smelters, and many others. Their mission is to incorporate a customer focus, attain operational excellence, find innovative solutions, and manage risk. They do this through investment in their people, teamwork, and adhering to the standards of excellence. You can find out more on their website at sadoff.com.
Be a part of our ChatGPT, chatbot and AI roundtable conversation.
Join us as we discuss the latest in this technology, what potential impacts it will have in our future, and why this is so important to examine today!
• Interactive Roundtable with our amazing panelists
• Heavy hors d’oeuvres (wings, pizza, veggies, fruit) will be served
• One free drink ticket for each attendee!
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Time: 5:00pm Doors open, food & networking
5:45 pm Welcome & Roundtable with Panelists
Additional networking to follow.
Event location: Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $0 Members (free), $10 non-Members, $5 Students with school ID
5:45pm Session: ChatGPT – What’s next for this ever-growing AI technology?
Chatbots have been with us for a number of years. So when ChatGPT recently began to take center stage with its advanced conversational capabilities many people wondered is this just another buzz in the headlines, or truly another stepping stone in artificial intelligence that will take the world by storm.
Join us for this interactive panel discussion to share your thoughts on chatbots and gain insights from educators and technologists in our community.
Panelist: Brent Presley
Brent is a professor of software development at Mid-State in Stevens Point, with over 20 years of experience in managerial roles in various business fields dealing with IT. Since 2015, Brent has been teaching software development in education.
Brent will be discussing his thoughts on ChatGPT and AI, including how ChatGPT is trained and how it works, as well as the ways in which AI can benefit a wide range of industries. He hopes to encourage discussion around AI and its role in shaping the future of technology. In particular, he will be addressing the natural concerns around job security in the IT industry and aims to help attendees become more informed about AI in general.
Panelist: Matt Meis
Matt has several years of experience in software development, Cybersecurity, and threat hunting. Most recently Matt has taken on an educational role as an IT Security Instructor at Mid-State Technical College.
Matt has been using AI image generators and chatbots recreationally and has worked through many issues these tools create for the education environment and student learning.
Panelist: Joe Baldwin
Joe is a Business Productivity Engineer – Modern Work Team for Heartland Business Systems. He has 25 years’ experience in IT, 19 years in the Microsoft Stack and 3 years as an IT Instructor. He is experienced in SharePoint On-premises Stand-ups and Rescues, Fileshare & SharePoint to Cloud Migrations, Cloud to Cloud Migrations, and Azure & O365 Integrations.
He also has a healthy fear of Robots and AI since he saw “The Black Hole” at age of 3.
Panelist (MC): Jared Alfson
Jared is a redneck geek, serving as a humble Scrum Master at Navitus Health Solutions. With a start in customer phone support at a local, dial-up Internet Service Provider in rural Northeast Wisconsin, he made his way to healthcare where he’s served over 15 years in various healthcare IT roles. A notable achievement was leading a rural, community hospital through a paper to Electronic Health Record conversion as part of the federal government’s incentive in the early 2010’s.
Jared is active in his church and other community organizations, including those his three kids are involved in. As a struggling gamer (that is, a gamer struggling to find time for gaming), he also enjoys podcasts, movies, and road trips with his kids in the RV.
As a geek always on the lookout for lifehacks, he’s excited to be a part of this conversation on ChatGPT and explore how this implementation of AI can help us all.
Join us as we discover what the 5th Question is all about from Gina Glover, a talented and rising star on the national speaker circuit who calls Northeastern Wisconsin home!
- Engaging session with our distinguished speaker
- Come hungry! Plenty of hors d’oeuvres (veggies, fruit, wings and pizza) will be served
- One free Drink ticket for each attendee!
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Time: 5:00pm Doors open, food & networking
5:45 pm Welcome & Speaker Presentation, additional networking to follow
Event location: Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $0 Members (free), $10 non-Members, $5 Students with school ID
5:45pm Session – Focus on the 5th Question: Networking Know-How for Real Relationships
In your heart of hearts, you want to focus on doing what you love most whether that includes serverless systems, cloud-based application development, document storage, etc., but first you have to show up like a salesperson, create and foster connections, and use the right language to bridge the communication gap between you and your clients, partners, and teams.
Focus on the 5th QuestionTM is foundational for developing real relationships, so prepare to be educated, engaged, and entertained during this session where attendees will learn about the 5th Question, and develop a variety of 5th Questions they can use and apply as part of their own networking know-how.
Packed with powerful personal stories, Gina inspires her audiences to push past the boring small talk and “get to the good stuff” by mastering their own 5th Question. By attending this talk you will learn:
- how to move from the mundane to the meaningful in your networking opportunities, both within and outside your own company.
- recognize the most common obstacles that jeopardize the application of your 5th Question and how to overcome each of them.
- understand how to apply the seven steps you can take before, during, and after your events to get the most out of every networking experience.
Presenter: Gina Glover
Gina Glover is a speaker, coach and connector with a diverse background spanning more than two decades in northeast Wisconsin. In addition to growing her business, Gina Connects, she is actively engaged in our community, serving on the local Habitat for Humanity board and mentoring entrepreneurs through Mid-Day Women’s Alliance. Gina is on the board of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Speakers Association and has been part of Toastmasters since her college years.
She is working on her first book, a guide to help business professionals navigate job change, and she’s on a quest to run a race in every state in the U.S. A 10K this past September in Vermont was state number 26 so she’s just over halfway there. When she’s not speaking, running, or writing, she’s in the garden, singing in her car, or traveling with her family and trying to keep their insatiable cat, Jinx, well fed.
NEW AITP February 2024 – AI Cybersecurity and Privacy Considerations
Join us for an interactive session on AI’s convenience and the concerns it raises in security and privacy.
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
5:00pm Doors open, food will be served. Wings, Chips, Veggies, Fruit and Pizza.
5:45 pm Welcome & Speaker Presentation, additional networking to follow
Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
$0 Members (free), $20 non-Members, $10 Students with school ID
5:45pm Session – “Honey, my AI bot blew our retirement funds: Cybersecurity and Privacy Considerations in Using AI”
In this session, Jarrod will dive into the rise of AI, blending his personal passion with its transformative role in the business landscape. We’ll touch on governance, usage, and the varied opinions of leading CISOs, questioning the real-world application and potential of AI. The discussion will pivot to the balance between AI’s convenience and the concerns it raises in security and privacy. We’ll wrap up by considering how we can thoughtfully adopt AI, ensuring it aligns with our goals and ethical standards.
Presenter: Jarrod Coulter
Jarrod is a cybersecurity maverick with over two decades of diving deep into the digital trenches, where he’s built and commanded elite squads in the high-stakes world of cyber warfare. His journey spans from the gritty frontlines of offensive security—where he’s orchestrated masterful cyber assaults to test the mettle of defenses—to the strategic command centers of defensive operations, fortifying fortresses small and grand against the dark tide of digital threats. Recently, Jarrod’s taken the helm of a Cybersecurity Operations department, where he’s playing a critical role in shielding the global gaming industry from the shadowy chaos of cyber threats. With a keen eye for vulnerability and a hacker’s heart, Jarrod’s mission is to outmaneuver the unseen adversaries and keep the digital playground safe for gamers around the world.
^^^ 100% AI generated!
March 2024 – Agility: Back to Basics with Jen Kalz – Follow -up Session
Come join us for the follow up session to last September’s discussion about Agility best practices and how to implement them in your organization. Engage in the conversation with your peers to find out what practices work, what challenges have been faced, and how to overcome the obstacles set before those ready to embrace an Agility mindset.
• Take part in our interactive session
• Wings, Pizza, Veggies and Fruit will be provided
Date: Tuesday, March 26th, 2024
Time: 5:00pm Doors open, food & networking
5:45 pm Welcome & Speaker Presentation, additional networking to follow
Event location: Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $0 Members (free), $20 non-Members, $10 Students with school ID
5:45pm Session – Agility: Back to Basics
Let’s get together for an evening of sharing knowledge in Agility. In this follow up session to last September’s discussion – Agility Back to Basics, we’ll cover the last half of the Agility diagram: Collaboration, Trust, and Technical Excellence. Our facilitator, Jen Kalz, will discuss the principles of what these areas in agility mean in our day-to-day delivery of solutions. This is an open conversation for all to share knowledge in Agility and Jen will also sprinkle a bit of SAFe, Lean, and Kanban into the discussion. Let’s all share the knowledge we have experienced to help overcome those pesky challenges.
Presenter and Facilitator: Jen Kalz
Jen Kalz is an independent consultant and coach with over 20 years of experience in delivering solutions for organizations in several industries. She has served as a project and product manager, agile coaching and business analyst.
She holds several certifications including: Certified Business Analysis Profession (CBAP), Certified Usability Analyst (CUA), Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Professional Scrum Master (PSM) along with training as a Six Sigma Green Belt. Jen is passionate about advancing the use of Agile in organizations and showing the value teams can deliver to move strategic objectives forward for organizations.
April 2024 -Mastering Solution Design in Generative AI Projects
Join us as our technical guru Greg Levenhagen dives into the technical aspects of designing solutions for generative AI projects!
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Time: 5:00pm Doors open, food & networking
• Come hungry! Plenty of hors d’oeuvres (veggies, fruit, wings and pizza) will be served
5:45 pm Welcome & Speaker Presentation, additional networking to follow
Event location: Holidays Pub & Grill, Appleton, 3950 N. Richmond Street, Appleton WI
Cost: $0 Members (free), $20 non-Members, $10 Students with school ID
5:45pm Session – Mastering Solution Design in Generative AI Projects
This session dives into the technical aspects of designing solutions for generative AI projects. Without resorting to code walk-throughs, Greg will provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying concepts critical for success in this domain. Participants will explore the intricacies of generative AI, dissecting terminology, patterns, and frameworks essential for crafting effective strategies and solutions. Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical examples, the session seeks to equip attendees with the knowledge to make informed decisions and drive innovation in their generative AI initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
- In-depth Understanding of Generative AI Concepts: Gain a solid grasp of the key terminologies and operational mechanics of generative AI, enabling a deeper comprehension beyond the basic definitions.
- Strategic Frameworks and Patterns: Learn about the strategic frameworks and design patterns specific to generative AI, facilitating more structured and effective solution design.
- Decision-Making Insights: Acquire insights into critical decision-making processes in generative AI project management, from conceptualization to execution.
- Innovative Solution Design: Understand how to leverage the unique capabilities of generative AI to design innovative solutions that address complex problems.
- Future Trends and Implications: Explore the future trajectory of generative AI technology and its implications for strategy and solution design in various industries.
Presenter: Greg Levenhagen
Greg Levenhagen is a Technical Fellow with Core BTS, a Microsoft Regional Director (http://rd.microsoft.com) and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). Helping make people’s lives better through technology and software. Having spent significant time in Linux, UNIX, Apple and Microsoft stacks, along with the big three cloud providers in Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure) and Google (GCP), believes strongly in a best tool for the job/solution approach.
A true enthusiast of computer science, with passions and interests including AI (several subcategories of Artificial Intelligence – neural networks, machine learning, and vision), data science, AR/MR/VR, mobile, User Experience/User Interaction, architecture, distributed computing, 3D/games, cloud, security, devops/devsecops, automated testing, web, agile, languages and much more. Greg speaks at conferences like THAT Conference, CodeMash, VSLive, Code PaLOUsa and various Code Camps.
He has a great passion for giving back to the community and teaching. He volunteers through TEALS and code.org to get computer science into schools, and sits on several non-profit and education boards. He is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), board member of THAT Conference, president of the Milwaukee Code Camp, president of the Northeast WI Code Camp, president of the Northeast WI Developers User Group (NEWDUG), co-organizer of the Fox Valley Game Development Meetup, co-organizer of the Northeast Wisconsin Cloud User Group (NEWCUG), organizer of MobileMKE, cofounder of the Northeast WI Agile User Group, INETA speaker and IEEE and ACM member.
Along with being a life-long geek, Greg enjoys golfing, football, woodworking, philosophy and stimulating conversation.