WindsorEssexCycling V2 Launch
2024-09-19 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Toronto) | Windsor Hackforge, 300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210, Windsor, Ontario, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette AVe, Unit 210) and Online via Zoom 💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

In 2022 Windsor Hackforge began an initiative to connect the local tech and cycling communities. In partnership with The City of Windsor, The County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS), and Parallel 42 Systems, we launched a beta version of WindsorEssexCycling.ca. This free to use, no account required web app offered cycling routes that took into consideration road conditions such as speed limit, surface quality, bike lane presence, and general traffic levels.

Built by community members, this version served as a proof-of-concept, and gave users something to test and provide feedback on.

With that feedback and contributions from even more community members, we’ve developed WindsorEssexCycling.ca Version 2.

Using the same principles as the original, V2 offers a better UI as well as turn-by-turn directions. Routing improvements are a never-ending endeavour, with updates coming through as our OpenStreetMap team incrementally improves the underlying data.

On Thursday, September 19th we’re celebrating the official launch of WindsorEssexCycling.ca V2 with an event at our HQ in Downtown Windsor, and online via Zoom. Developer Haley Tibbits will be on hand to discuss some of her work, and members of our OSM team will be present to talk about routing. We’ll also share some details about our future plans for the app, and how you can get involved!

📅 Thursday, September 19th⌚ Time 6 – 7:30 PMRegister to attend In-Person in the RSVP box belowRegister to attend Virtually via Zoom.

Open Streets Windsor 2024
2024-09-22 10:00 - 14:00 | Drouillard Road, 1024 Drouillard Road, Windsor, ON, N8W 3X5, Canada
📍 Drouillard Road👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

This Sunday, September 22, Hackforge will once again be participating in Open Streets Windsor! This year we’ll be set up in Ford City, at roughly 1024 Drouillard Road (just south of Whelpton St).

For this year’s activity we’ll be introducing visitors to MotorCityMurals.tours, a web app released earlier this year. Focused on local street art, this no cost, no download, no sign up app will guide users from mural to mural throughout the city. With some of the densest availability of outdoor art, Ford City is a great place to test out the app.

We’ll also be running short tours every 30 minutes starting at 10:30 am! We’ll be helping walkers to learn the app, and guiding those without phones or data plans to some of the more hidden pieces in the area.

Make sure to stop in and say hi as you walk and wheel your way across Windsor!

📅 Sunday, September 22⌚ 10 AM – 2 PM📍 Drouillard Road

Linux Users Group: 🎉 Introduction to Automation with Ansible 🎉
2024-09-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Windsor Hackforge (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)👥 In Person Only💲 Free

Join us for this month’s LUG meeting, where we’ll dive into the fundamentals of Ansible! This event is ideal for IT professionals, DevOps engineers, system administrators, self-hosted enthusiasts, and anyone eager to learn how Ansible can streamline and elevate your infrastructure management.

What we’ll be covering:

💾What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)💾Basics of Ansible and its architecture💾How to write and run a playbook💾How to manage inventories and secrets💾How to use collections and roles

Don’t miss this chance to explore the world of Ansible and transform your IT management! We look forward to seeing you all there!

📅Date: Wednesday, September 25th🕘Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST)📍300 Ouellette Ave. Unit 210

Tech Project Showcase Night
2024-09-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)👥 In Person Only💲 Free

❓Have you built something with technology recently that you’re proud of?❓Are you looking for feedback or help, or interested in collaborating on a side project?❓Are you interested in fostering an open-source community locally?❓Just interested in seeing what others are working on, and chatting about tech?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this event is for you! Join us on Thursday, September 26th for a casual social event at Hackforge HQ focused on sharing tech projects and connecting like-minded people.

Attendees will have the opportunity to demo a project that they’re working on to get feedback, find collaborators, or simply show off! Projects do not have to be complete, complex, or specifically related to software development. Any piece of work that loosely involves tech in some way is fair game! Projects still in the “idea stage” and those involving the arts are also welcome.

If you have a project to share, you’ll get up to 15 minutes to present and answer questions from those in attendance (first come, first served). You can present in any way you like. We will have a projector and speakers available if needed.

📅 Thursday, September 26th⌚ 6 – 8 PM

Register to attend In-Person in the RSVP box below (Note that your registration is separate from signing up to present. There will be a signup page at the event that will determine presentation order.)

Intro to Data Analysis: Starting with Excel
2024-10-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Windsor Hackforge (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) and Online 💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Border City Data is beginning a new series, and with a new host!

Join Hackforge Board Member Rashmi Krishnamohan for an introductory session to data analysis. In this free, entry-level workshop participants will learn:

Data Cleaning: Techniques to remove duplicates, handle missing values, and correct data inconsistencies

Data Transformation: Using Excel functions and Power Query to reshape and prepare data for analysis

Dashboard Creation: How to build an interactive data visualization

This event will use Microsoft Excel. Both Excel Online and Desktop versions will work. Other spreadsheet software (such as Google Sheets or Open Office Lists) will not behave exactly as described in the lesson, and Rashmi will not be troubleshooting differences during the session.

If you do not have access to Excel, you can sign up for a free one month trial through Microsoft.

In-person and virtual attendance options are available. Register now to reserve your spot!Sign up to attend in-person using the RSVP box below.Sign up to attend virtually via Zoom.

🗓 Friday, October 4th🕡 6 – 8 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, unit 210) and online via Zoom

This event will be the first in an ongoing Data Analysis series. Stay tuned for more!

Funding, R&D, and other business services for Ontario-based Technology companies
2024-10-09 11:00 - 12:30 | Ontario
📍 Online via Zoom💻 Virtual Only💲 Free

Come learn about the business supports available from:

Carleton University

Saugeen Economic Development Corporation

FutureTek

Innovation Factory

Spark Centre

Mitacs

University of Toronto Mississauga

Spin Up

We-Tech

Launch Lab

Hackforge

ISED

Tech Access

IPON

La Cité, BioEnterprise

PARO

This event is presented by PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise.

Register to attend online

📆 Wednesday, OCtober 9th🕑 11 Am – 12:30 PM📍 Online via Zoom

OSM Indoor Mapping Party
2024-11-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

The weather may be (sort of?) cooling off, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop mapping!

During this casual event we’ll be using desktop tools to update Windsor’s OpenStreetMap data. This might mean adding missing attributes such as sidewalks, or putting in new ones like the Victoria Ave and Pelissier St bike lanes. We might also get into discussions relating to data import, the state of Windsor’s Open Data Portal, and Hackforge’s recent cycling app update.

Users of all experience levels and using all editing platforms are welcome to attend. We have some laptops available to use for those who need them.

📆 Tuesday, November 12th🕘 6 – 8 PM📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210), and online via Zoom

Register to attend In-Person in the RSVP box belowRegister to attend Virtually via Zoom.

End-of-Year Mixer
2024-11-15 20:00 - 22:00 | Chapter II Brewing, 234 Edna St, Windsor, ON, N8Y 4W8, Canada
📍 Chapter II Brewing (234 Edna St)👥 In Person Only💲 Free

2024 has been another great year at Hackforge, and we’ll be celebrating soon with our annual End-of-Year Mixer!

This year we’ll be meeting at Chapter II Brewing on the corner of Edna and Walker. Light snacks will be provided, with additional food items and drinks (both alcoholic and not) available to order at your own expense.

There is no cost to attend, and there is also no agenda! Simply meet up to hangout and catch up with fellow Hackforgers.

We’ll also have our new enamel pins available to purchase – $10 each, cash only.

📆 Friday, November 15th🕐 8 – 10 PM📍 Chapter II Brewing (2345 Edna St, Windsor)

Border City Data: Easy Data Pipelines with Luigi
2024-11-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

This month, Border City Data is focused on a Luigi, a simple Python tool for building data pipelines with directed acyclic graphs (DAGs).

Host Doug Sartori will guide attendees through a hands-on tutorial based on a pre-existing Luigi project. In order to follow along, please make sure you have a computer with Docker Desktop installed and ready to go. If you need help getting Docker set up please refer to the official documentation.

Note that existing knowledge of Python and ETL will be useful but is not required!

📅 Tuesday, November 19th🕚 6 – 7:30 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave) and Online via Zoom

Register to attend In-Person in the RSVP box belowRegister to attend Virtually via Zoom.

Effortlessly Integrate Your Data with AI
2024-11-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Supercharge your data with AI! Learn how to easily connect your data to powerful AI tools on AWS. Discover how to unlock valuable insights and make better decisions.

Using AWS’s fully managed GenerativeAI (GenAI) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), we’ll show you how to unlock powerful insights by seamlessly bringing your data into foundation models.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to AI, this session will show you how easy it is to implement these cutting-edge technologies to transform your data and drive smarter business decisions.

📅 Wednesday, November 20🕐 6:30 – 8:30 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave) and Online via Zoom

Register to attend In-Person in the RSVP box belowRegister to attend Virtually via Zoom.

CANCELLED: Advanced Tutorial: LLM Practical Project Using AWS Bedrock
2024-11-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
CANCELLED

Dive into the world of Generative AI and build your own personalized recommendation system using AWS Bedrock and Python. This hands-on workshop will guide you through leveraging the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) to create a system that provides tailored recommendations to individual users.

In this advanced session, attendees will learn:

→ Fundamentals of AWS Bedrock → How to apply LLMs to analyze user data and generate personalized suggestions

Developers, students, and data scientists are encouraged to attend. Prior experience with Python programming will help you to get the most out of this workshop.

📅 Monday, November 25th🕥 6 – 8 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 300) and Online via Zoom

Register to attend In-Person in the RSVP box belowRegister to attend Virtually via Zoom.

Linux User Group: Intro to Bootable Containers
2024-11-28 19:00 - 21:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Our next Hack Forge Linux User Group meetup is about bootable containers!

On Thursday, November 28th Charlie from Red Hat will be showcasing the new technology of creating an entire bootable OS from a singular Containerfile/Dockerfile.

With the knowledge from this session, you’ll be able to go from using a container to storing it on a bootable USB stick, or running it in a virtual machine.

This event is ideal for:💾 Anyone curious about containers or virtual machines💾 Those interested in learning more about bootable container technology

Introductory knowledge of a Containerfile / Dockerfile required to ensure you get the most out of this session. No other experience necessary!

Everything will also be (mostly) done through GUI.

Download and install Podman Desktop beforehand to follow along.

📆 Thursday, November 28th🕦 7 – 9 PM📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online via Zoom

Register to attend In-Person in the box below.Register to attend Virtually via Zoom.

Auto Industry Networking
2024-12-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

Join us for an exciting event where we’ll explore the future of the automotive industry in Windsor! As a hub for automotive innovation, Windsor is at the forefront of change, with AI, electric vehicles, and new policies shaping the landscape. This event is your chance to:

🚗Connect with fellow professionals, enthusiasts, and students passionate about the auto industry🚗Learn about the latest trends and challenges facing the sector🚗Contribute to building a vibrant community and shaping future events

Let’s come together to support and empower each other in navigating the exciting future of automotive in Windsor! RSVP below to let us know that you’ll be coming to this in-person event.

📆 Friday, December 6th🕦 6 – 8 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)

Practical Coding with Local LLMs: A Hands-On Workshop
2024-12-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻Virtual Only💲 Free

Are you an experienced developer curious about the power of Large Language Models (LLMs)? Join us for a practical workshop where you’ll learn how to implement and code with LLMs on your own machine.

In this session, we’ll be:

🤖Implementing a local LLM: Hardware considerations for optimal performance🤖Exploring different software options🤖Developing a proof-of-concept: Prompt testing and refinement techniques🤖Coding a solution using Docker and Python

This is a hands-on workshop, so come prepared to follow along and code with us!

Who should attend: Experienced developers new to LLMs.

Tech stack: Docker, Python

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical experience with local LLMs! Register via Zoom to receive the link to the call.

📆 Tuesday, December 10th

🕦 6 – 7:30 PM

📍 Virtual via Zoom

Board Game Night
2024-12-12 18:00 - 20:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

For our final event of 2024 we’re bringing back one of our most popular sessions – Board Game Night!

We’ll have a few games on-hand, but feel free to bring your own as well.

There is no cost to attend, and everyone 17+ is welcome to join. Space is limited however, so to ensure you get a seat make sure to show up on time! Doors will open ten minutes before the start of the event.

📆 Thursday, December 12, 2024🕦 6 – 830 PM📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)

Game-Making with AI
2025-01-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

As we gear-up for the 2025 Global Game Jam, we’ll be offering a series of events to get everyone feeling interested, excited, and confident about participating!

While AI has really caught on in the last few years, we were already playing (and losing) chess against computers in the 90’s. So were those computers intelligent? How did they know not only how to play the game, but to play it well?

The answer is ‘Combinatorial Game Theory,’ (CGT) and ‘Minimax’ (MM). Minimax is an implementation of the ideas about winning moves for zero-sum games put forward by CGT.

In this intermediate-level session, Doug Sartori will walk through a demonstration of how CGT and MM can be used in basic games (think Go, Tic-Tac-Toe, and checkers). Using Javascript, he’ll walk through the concept, math, and code, enabling you to use these theories in your own game-making.

📆 Monday, January 13, 2025🕦 6 – 7:30 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette, Unit 210)and online via Zoom

✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

Want to learn more? Check out this article on CGT in AI

Linux Gaming Social
2025-01-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻Virtual Only💲 Free

Will 2025 be the year of Linux gaming? Join us on Discord to discuss this spicy topic and everything to do with Linux gaming!We’ll be discussing the following topics:

How has the Steam Deck impacted the Linux gaming ecosystem?

Is gaming on Linux approachable for the average Gamer?

How to get started with building a game for Linux?

Building a Linux game for the Global Game Jam.

Running Windows Games on Linux.

And more!

I’m also compiling a document with useful links and resources for building and running games on Linux for the Global Game Jam event, which starts the following week. Please bring any resources that you think would make a fine addition to the collection.I hope to see everyone there!

📆 Date: Thursday, January 16th 🕦 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST) 📍 Virtual Event via Discord

Get Ready to Jam: Game Jam Prep with Josh Sankarlal
2025-01-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Are you gearing up for Global Game Jam 2025? Whether you’re a first-time participant or a seasoned pro, this free hybrid event is designed to help you make the most of your game jam experience!Join Josh Sankarlal, Canada’s GGJ Regional Organizer and a seasoned game developer, as he shares invaluable tips, tricks, and strategies to help you succeed. With his deep knowledge of game development and years of experience with GGJ, Josh is the perfect guide to get you ready to create something amazing.What You’ll LearnJosh will cover essential game jam topics, including:🎮 Choosing the right game engine🎮 Scoping your game effectively🎮 Submitting your game smoothly🎮 Resources to help you jam like a pro

Hands-On SupportAttendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions, and those joining us in-person should bring their game-making devices! After the presentation, Josh will provide hands-on assistance with setting up your development platform—a valuable opportunity, especially for beginners.(Please note: Individual help is not guaranteed, and priority will be given to those who register in advance.)

Don’t miss this chance to sharpen your skills, connect with fellow game jammers, and set yourself up for success at GGJ 2025. Mark your calendar, register today, and start preparing your questions!

📆 Sunday, January 19th🕦 1:30 – 3:30 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) and Online via Zoom✔️RSVP Below in attend in-person in the box below🧑🏽‍💻Register to attend virtually via Zoom

GLOBAL GAME JAM KICKOFF
2025-01-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

🌟 Kickoff the 2025 Global Game Jam with Hackforge! 🌟

Ready to dive into one of the most exciting global events in game development? Join us for our Global Game Jam Kickoff, an evening designed to spark your creativity, fuel your inspiration, and get you pumped to create something amazing!

Whether you’re a seasoned jammer or a first-timer, this event will set the stage for a fun, productive, and collaborative week.

Open to all, not just participants!

📆 Jan 20, 2025🕦6PM-8PM📍Hackforge HQ & Online via Discord

Register for Global Game Jam at globalgamejam.org

Come for the knowledge, stay for the community—and get ready to make something incredible! 🎨👾

Global Game Jam
2025-01-20 18:00 - 2025-01-26 17:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

For the second year running, Hackforge is participating in the Global Game Jam! As the world’s largest game creation event, GGJ brings together thousands of participants at hundreds of locations. Over the week of the jam, participants make video, board, and card games based on the secret theme (which is revealed at event kickoff).

Hackforge welcomes folks from anywhere who are interested in creating any kind of game. Design and develop as part of a team or a solo jammer – whatever you prefer! All ages are welcome to participate, but anyone under 17 must be on a team with a parent or guardian. Best of all, there is no cost to participate!

We will have some mentor resources available for specific engines, languages, and topics.

📅 Key Dates

🕹Monday, December 2, 2024Jammer registration opens🕹Monday, January 20, 2025Discord Voice Channel opens Global Game Jam Kickoff – 6pm-8pm @ Hackforge HQ & Online🕹Tuesday, January 21 – Friday, January 24, 2025 Hackforge Office Open 4pm-7pm come work on your game!🕹Saturday, January 25, 2025Hackforge Office Closed, Discord Channel remains open🕹Sunday January 26, 2025: 3 PM: Hackforge office opens for closing event, game final touches, and submission5 PM: Game submission deadline, followed by our closing events, including a chance to show off (and maybe even play!) your game5PM -7 PM: Show off your game!

This year will also include a series of lead-in events, with topics like Classic Board Game AI (combinatorial game theory), Linux gaming, and Game Jamming 101.

Here are a few links to get you started:

Hackforge’s official GGJ pageHackforge’s Discord Server – find the Global Game Jam channel under “Interests”: The official GGJ Discord Server

📆 January 20 – 26, 2025📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) and online via Discord✅ Register through the Global Game Jam website

GLOBAL GAME JAM Closing event
2025-01-26 15:00 - 19:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

🎮 Global Game Jam 2025: Closing Event 🎮

After a whirlwind week of creativity and collaboration, it’s time to celebrate all the hard work and incredible games made during the 2025 Global Game Jam!

Schedule of Events:

📌 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Final Touches & Game SubmissionsPut the finishing touches on your game and submit it to the global platform. Teamwork and focus are key as the clock winds down!

📌 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Show & Tell ShowcaseShow off your masterpiece! Teams will present their games, share their creative process, and—if time allows—play a few of the amazing creations together.

🎉 Whether you’re a jammer, a supporter, or just curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of indie game development. Let’s celebrate creativity, community, and innovation!

📅 Sunday, January 26, 2025⏰ 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)💻 Online via Discord

Register for Global Game Jam at globalgamejam.org

Come share the excitement, see the results of this epic week, and maybe even play a few games if time allows! 🚀👾

What's Your Favourite Browser Add-on?
2025-02-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Discover Hidden Gems of the Browser World!Join us for a fun and interactive session where we ask the big question: What’s your favorite browser add-on?

This show-and-tell style event is your chance to share the tools you love, explore nifty add-ons others swear by, and walk away with a treasure trove of new ideas to enhance your browsing experience. From productivity boosters to quirky tools you never knew you needed, there’s something for everyone!

What to Expect:📢 Brief presentations from attendees showcasing their favorite add-ons.💬 Casual discussions and Q&A to dive deeper into the coolest features.✨A chance to mix and mingle with fellow tech enthusiasts

📆Feb 6, 2025🕦6pm-8pm📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210, Windsor, ON)& Online via Zoom

✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

Let's Talk About Linux Distros
2025-02-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍Discord💻Virtual Only💲 Free

Join us for this month’s LUG social where we’ll be discussing everything related to Linux distributions! This event is perfect for anyone wanting to give Linux a try or seasoned users looking to try a new distribution.

We’ll be discussing the following topics:

Our favourite distributions and why

Why it’s hard to recommend a specific distribution

What distributions you’d like to try

How to try out a new distribution

And much more!

I hope to see everyone there!

📆 Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025 🕦 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST) 📍 Virtual Event via Discord

DIY Retrieval-Augmented Generation
2025-02-18 18:30 - 19:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Unlocking AI’s Potential with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)Are you ready to take your AI expertise to the next level? This event is tailor-made for experienced technologists eager to explore the cutting edge of artificial intelligence.

Join Doug Sartori as he demystifies Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), a game-changing approach to enhancing AI models with your own data. In this insightful session, Doug will showcase the tools and techniques he used to develop an expert chatbot designed to help users navigate the goals, policies, strategies, and structure of Canada’s Ministry of Health bureaucracy.

What You’ll LearnDoug will guide you through key concepts and practical insights, including:🤖 How RAG works and why it’s a breakthrough in AI development🤖 Tools and resources to integrate custom data into AI models🤖 Practical steps for creating your own specialized chatbot

Interactive Q&ABring your questions! After the demonstration, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in an interactive Q&A session to deepen their understanding of RAG and its applications.Don’t miss this chance to expand your skillset, connect with fellow technologists, and explore the frontier of AI innovation.

📆 Tuesday, February 18, 2025🕡 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online

✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

Running a Local LLM
2025-02-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Join us for this LUG event as we walk through the steps for running a local LLM within a container, discussing why you would want to run a local LLM, and how to configure Open Web UI to use your local LLMs.

Prerequisites for the DemoIf you’d like to follow along during the demo, please carefully read everything below. We won’t have time to bootstrap everyone’s computer during the event. Some familiarity with your operating system’s command line will be required as we’ll be using commands to get everything up and running. Using Linux is not a requirement as the commands should also work on Windows and MacOS (though there might be some slight variances).

Having a computer with a LLM chip or any other specific hardware is not required. Everything we’ll be doing can be run on the CPU. The presentation will cover some hardware considerations and limitations.

What you’ll need:

Laptop (if in-person)

If using Windows or MacOS, make sure Podman Desktop is installed and up to date

If using Linux, make sure Podman and/or Podman Desktop is installed and up to date

If you have any questions about any of the prerequisites or need help, please join the Hackforge Discord and ask your questions in the #linux-users-group channel. Our user base will be more than happy to help you!

Agenda

Brief presentation covering:

What we’ll be doing in the demo

Discuss a couple of reasons why you would want to run a local LLM

Hardware considerations & limitations

Demo

📆Date: Thursday, February 27th🕦 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST)📍Location: Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210, Windsor, ON) & Zoom

✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

Open Data Awards Watch Party
2025-03-05 18:15 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Online via Discord (public) and in-person (by invitation only)💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Hackforge friend and data advocates the Canadian Open Data Society (CODS) will be presenting the 2025 Canadian Open Data Awards on Wednesday, March 5th. Broadcasting from Edmonton Alberta, CODS will be recognizing excellence in the field of open data by issuing up to 8 awards.

We wanted to get in on this action, but didn’t feel like visiting Edmonton in February, so we’re hosting a local watch party! Plus, we’re going to steal even more ideas and present an award for the Windsor-Essex Data Champion 2025! Who do you think it will be?

This event will be free, and it will be hybrid. However, due to space-constraints, the in-person portion will be by invitation only. We would love everyone else to join us on Discord this year, and perhaps in 2026 we’ll rent out a theatre. (Think your invite for the in-person session got lost in the mail? Drop us a line and we’ll see what we can work out)

Agenda:

Doors and stream start at 6:15 PM

Local award presented at 6:30 PM

Awards show stream at 7 PM

Wrap-up at 8 PM(ish)

More details on the Open Data Awards 2025

📆 Wednesday, March 5🕦 6:15 – 8 PM📍Online via Discord (public) and in-person (by invitation only)

Dodging a Career Bullet: Workshopping the Joel test for 2025
2025-03-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Not all tech jobs are created equal! Before you say “yes” to an offer, do you know what red flags to watch for?

Doug Sartori invites you to a guided group discussion designed for software professionals navigating the job market in 2025. We’ll dive into the Joel Test, a 12-question framework for evaluating software teams, and explore how it holds up in today’s industry.

💡 Whether you’re job hunting or just want to sharpen your hiring instincts, this session will give you the tools to make smarter career choices. Join the discussion and level up your job search!

📌 What You’ll Learn:✅ How to assess a potential employer as a technical resource✅ How to prepare effectively for interviews✅ What to expect from a solid interview loop🔗 Learn more about the Joel Test before the event:

The Original Joel Test (2000)

The Joel Test 20 Years Later

📆 Date: Thurs., March 13🕦 Time: 6:30-8:30 PM (EST)📍Location: Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210, Windsor, ON) & Zoom✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

Extracting OSM Data
2025-03-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

OpenStreetMap Windsor-Essex has spent a ton of time talking about how everyone can add data to OSM, but we’ve never spoken much about how to get that data back out.

So for those of you interested in extracting geodata for analysis, use in your own projects, or a bit of light reading, this is the event for you!

Stop in to this free, 2-hour event for answers to:🌎 What is Overpass Turbo?🌎 What can I legally do with OSM data?🌎 How many parking lots does Windsor have?

Basic knowledge of OSM is recommended, but not required. As long as you can confidently navigate a web-browser and aren’t afraid of new words, you should be able to follow along just fine!📆 Date: Tues., March 18🕦 Time: 6-8 PM (EST)📍Location: Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210, Windsor, ON) & Zoom✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

🔗To get a head start, visit this OSM resource

Introduction to Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA)
2025-03-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

The web should be accessible to everyone—but many digital experiences still leave users with disabilities behind. This hands-on event will introduce essential web accessibility techniques, helping developers, designers, and content creators build inclusive websites that meet W3C-WCAG 2.2 standards. Led by David Best and Jason Pomerleau (President of ELEV8 WEB STUDIO), this session will provide practical skills to make your websites keyboard-friendly, screen reader-compatible, and legally compliant.

Who Should Attend?

This event is ideal for web content authors, visual designers, computer science students, front-end developers looking to improve their skills, and web studios wanting to stand out from the competition.

What You’ll Learn

✅ How assistive technologies interact with websites✅ Coding ARIA states, roles, and properties✅ Techniques for keyboard-friendly navigation✅ Best practices for accessible interface design✅ How to achieve W3C-WCAG 2.2 compliance

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

What You’ll Need

Laptop or mobile device

Screen reader & keyboard (Screen Readers come loaded on most devices)

Development environment (e.g., CodePen)

Event Details

📆 Date: March 20🕦 Time: 6-8pm📍Location: Hackforge HQ & Online via Zoom✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom

This event is sponsored by ELEV8 WEB STUDIO and aims to empower developers to create a more inclusive web. Students with disabilities are encouraged to attend.

Let’s build a better web—for everyone! 🌍

AWS user Group - March Meetup
2025-03-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Rd, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1Y3, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online💻👥 Hybrid💲 Free

Join us for the Windsor AWS User Group Meetup on Tuesday, March 26, at 6:30 PM, hosted at Hackforge!

Whether you’re new to AWS or looking to advance your skills, this session will provide valuable insights and guidance. Come ready to learn, share your experiences, and network with fellow cloud enthusiasts, developers, and architects in Windsor’s tech community.

This month, we’ll explore:✅ The path to becoming a cloud expert ✅ AWS certifications✅ How to prepare for certification✅ Certification’s impact on your cloud career

📆 Date: March 26🕦 Time: 6:30-8:30 PM📍Location: Hackforge HQ & Online via Zoom✔️In-Person RSVP below🖥️ Virtual RSVP via Zoom
