Charlottesville Technologists

Join us in Charlottesville, VA, for Haystack US 2025 – an immersive experience featuring workshops, training sessions, and other exciting events tailored for search and AI professionals.

Conference talks 23-24 April, workshops on the 22nd, and other events before and after.

Guest Speaker: John Berryman
Principal Consultant at Arcturus Labs and former Senior Machine Learning Researcher at GitHub, where he worked on Copilot. Expert in prompt engineering and large language model applications and author of Prompt Engineering for LLMs.

Talk Title: What is Prompt Engineering?
Explore the process of translating user input into LLM logic, techniques for sourcing data, assembling prompts, and strategies such as zero-shot, few-shot, and advanced methods.
After the talk, we'll continue our group discussions on how to collaborate effectively as learners and explorers.

6:00 PM - Doors Open
Feel free to bring your own snacks or grab something from nearby eateries.
6:30 PM - John Berryman Talk and Q&A
7:15 PM - "Breakout Track" 3-Minute Pitches
Continuing from our last meeting, if you have an idea for a side-series under the CvAIEx umbrella that you would like to lead, this is a chance to pitch to the group and organize the breakout track:

• Mike Powers: Book Club - AI Engineering: Building Applications with Foundation Models by Chip Huyen
• Owen Zanzal: AI-generated Web Series
• Other: Contact Owen (via Meetup, Cville Slack, or LinkedIn) to be added to the list in advance or make an ad-hoc pitch at the meeting time.

7:30 PM - Open Forum
Topics or questions for group discussion:

• Share your personal/group project
• Have an open discussion about [X]
• Share something interesting you saw or read recently
• Other: Contact Owen (via Meetup, Cville Slack, or LinkedIn) to add something to the list in advance, or raise an ad-hoc point at the meeting.

8:00 PM - Wrap Up

Organizers
Owen Zanzal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenzanzal/
Mike Powers - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-powers-4262033/

Chat with us on Cville Slack #cvilleaiexplorers
If you aren't a member of Cville Slack, DM me your email, and I'll send you an invite.

Sponsors

Studio IX
Coworking space in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, designed for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and remote workers.
Studio IX offers a flexible shared office environment with options for open workspaces, dedicated desks, and private offices. The space fosters a collaborative community through weekly events and mixers, featuring a 'warm industrial' atmosphere with ample natural light.
Amenities include high-speed internet, soundproof phone booths, conference rooms, and premium coffee. Studio IX is staffed by a community manager on weekdays and provides 24/7 access for members.
Tours of the space are available; interested individuals can contact them via:

• Email: COWORK@STUDIOIX.CO
• Phone: 434.260.3803
• Website: https://www.studioix.co/