/ About this event
West Hollywood has been home to iconic startups like Tinder, Grindr, MISTR, and Barry’s. What will the next generation build here?
Join founders, investors, and City leaders for a lively conversation about what makes WeHo a powerful place to build, and what it will take to become LA’s next venture hub.
Hosted at Build Momentum headquarters in the heart of the Sunset Strip, we’re bringing together the people building, backing, and shaping West Hollywood’s next chapter.
For founders: Hear from people building here, discover practical City resources, and connect with investors, experienced operators, and potential partners.
For investors: Meet emerging founders, connect with civic and venture leaders, and explore opportunities to support the next generation of local companies.
For local businesses and community builders: Share what the ecosystem needs, meet collaborators, and help shape a stronger venture community in West Hollywood.
MEET THE PANEL
• Danny Hang, Vice Mayor of West Hollywood: The City’s vision for entrepreneurship and how civic partnerships can help founders grow.
• Paolo Kespradit, Business Development Manager, City of West Hollywood: Practical support and resources for businesses, and how founders can access them.
• La Keisha Landrum Pierre, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Emmeline Ventures: What investors look for in early-stage companies, and connecting women and underrepresented founders with capital, networks, and support to grow.
• Patrick Driscoll, Holland & Knight: The emerging companies and venture capital perspective, connecting founders with capital and support to scale.
• Yosh Miller, Founder & CEO of Hadley: The experience of building a company in WeHo and what local founders need to thrive.
Hosted and moderated by Michael Meo, founder of Build Momentum, bringing the founder and venture studio perspective.
THE EVENING
A short panel and community conversation What makes WeHo a great place to build? What do founders need next? Bring your questions and ideas.
30-second founder pitches Hear what local founders are building, what they need, and how our community can help.
Sushi, drinks, and connections Enjoy welcome pours from Zispa, a local agave wine aperitivo, and plenty of time to meet your next collaborators.
HOST & PARTNERS
Hosted by Build Momentum, a venture studio partnering with technical founders and industry experts to build, launch, and scale new companies. https://buildmomentum.dev/
Thank you to the City of West Hollywood for sponsoring, BIG Outdoor for supporting our space, StartOut for connecting and supporting LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, and Zispa for helping warm things up with great local drinks.
City of West Hollywood https://www.weho.org/
BIG Outdoor https://www.bigoutdoor.com/
StartOut https://startout.org/
Zispa https://sipzispa.com/
Explore our full Tech Week lineup: https://buildmomentum.dev/ecosystem
This event is part of LA Tech Week, a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. https://www.tech-week.com/
