Ready to connect, learn and lead in Victoria’s tech community?
Join the ACS Victoria Emerging Professionals Committee (VEPC) for Bytes & Banter, an evening of practical insights, meaningful conversations and new connections for the next generation of technology professionals.
This event brings together early-career professionals, career changers, recent graduates and students to explore the ideas, people and projects shaping Victoria’s technology sector.
Throughout the evening, you’ll hear from emerging technologists, discover innovative student and graduate work, and meet peers, mentors and industry professionals in a welcoming, inclusive environment.
Highlights include the Talent Project Showcase, How AI Overviews Are Changing the Way We Search, presented by Sara Al Lawati (PhD Candidate, RMIT University); the Knowledge Session, My First Startup: Reinventing Assessment with AI, presented by Abhi Mishra (AI Engineer, NCS Australia); and networking opportunities with peers at a similar career stage, experienced mentors and future collaborators.
Whether you are starting out, transitioning into technology or looking to grow your professional network, Bytes & Banter is an opportunity to learn from practitioners, share ideas and help shape a more connected emerging tech community in Victoria.
PhD Candidate
Sara Allawati is a PhD candidate at RMIT University, affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S). Her research is in human-computer interaction, focusing on how users interact with search systems such as Google and Bing as they increasingly incorporate AI-generated search results. She leads a research group at RMIT University and is a member of the ACS Emerging Professionals Committee.
AI Engineer
Abhi is a Generative AI Engineer at NCS Australia, where he develops agentic AI solutions for enterprise applications. He previously co-founded EdGenAI, an AI startup focused on intelligent assessment tools for education. Passionate about building practical AI products,Abhi enjoys building practical, impactful solutions that make technology more useful and accessible
