About this event
We're excited to invite you to a special edition of CJUG meetup. As a leader in advancing Java-driven innovation in the financial services industry, we'll bring you an evening of deep insights, international perspectives, and community connections.
The night will feature four diverse talks showcasing the latest in Java development, best practices, and real-world applications. The highlight of the evening comes from three special guest speakers visiting us from Brazil, sharing their expertise and perspectives from one of the most vibrant Java communities in the world.
Lightning Talks
Ankith Jain, Application Engineer, Discover
Title: From Code to Clever: Java Meets GenAI and Spring AI
Java continues to be the backbone of many enterprise applications, but the frontier is integrating GenAI directly into those systems. This session will show how developers can run open-source large language models (LLMs) locally using Ollama and accelerate AI-powered development with Spring AI. By the end, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge to begin experimenting and integrating GenAI capabilities into their Java applications.
Bruno Souza, "The Brazilian Java Man"
Title: Developer Career Masterplan
Looking for a plan to take your career to senior levels and beyond, and help you reach an outstanding reputation and the best positions in the market?
From getting the first job to getting the best job, from technology to creating amazing impact in the world, this interactive career conversation will both offer a proven masterplan, but Bruno will also discuss real career issues that you may have.
Based on the book of the same name by Bruno Souza and Heather VanCura, this presentation will walk you through the most important steps of technical career advancement, and will help you build your personal plan for an expert career.
Luiz Real, Lead Software Engineer - SouJava Leader
Title: Refactoring
Thiago Gonzaga, Sr Staff Software Engineer - JUG Noroeste Leader
Title: Java 25 Unboxed: What’s New, What’s Serious, and What’s Fun
Java 25 is here — and it’s not just another release. It’s packed with serious improvements (runtime optimizations, safer concurrency), fun upgrades (language features that cut boilerplate), and changes that impact how we write and run Java daily. This talk breaks down what’s really worth your attention: which features solve real problems, which ones are nice-to-have, and which ones you’ll be using tomorrow without even realizing. By the end, you’ll understand how Java 25 balances developer joy with production readiness, and why this LTS release will shape the next decade of Java.
Intended Audience
Java enthusiasts
Location
The meetup will be held at Discover Financial Services '606 office' - 350 West Wolf Point Plaza Chicago, 60654 (near the Merchandise Mart).
