[SF]
[LA]
Stress Tested: Defense Tech Meeting Reality
Stress Tested: Defense Tech Meeting Reality
Presented by Starburst and Picogrid, with support from Griffiss Institute, B3K Prosperity, IAI, Collinear, and Weaver, this LA Tech Week event at Picogrid HQ in El Segundo will explore what it really takes to turn defense-tech innovation into operational capability.
We’ll spotlight the unique role of Southern California’s Space & Defense-Tech Triangle — from El Segundo to Kern County and Vandenberg — in connecting LA’s deep engineering and venture talent with the real-world needs of defense users.
🎙️ Panel Discussion
Hear from leading voices in defense innovation:
Zane Mountcastle, Co-Founder & CEO, Picogrid (picogrid.com)
Karthik Gollapudi, Co-Founder & CEO, Sift (siftstack.com)
Winnie Lai, Co-Founder & CEO, Auriga Space (aurigaspace.com)
Heather M. Hage, President & CEO, Griffiss Institute (griffissinstitute.org)
Joshua Boswell, VP Policy & Economic Development, REACH (reachcentralcoast.org)
Moderator: Benjamin Zeitoun, Starburst Ventures (starburst.aero)
🚀 Startup Innovation Showcase
Selected startups will showcase cutting-edge solutions in defense-tech and dual-use innovation, including:
BQP: simulation software using quantum algorithms on classical hardware (bqpsim.com)
Aerhart: UAVs for efficient drone delivery and inspection applications (aerhart.com)
VTOLogic: Hybrid-electric UAS with thrust vectoring for VTOL, STOL and conventional take-off and landing (vtologic-aero.com)
AugSense: AI-driven sensor fusion for operator health monitoring (augsensetech.com)
Dalion: Silent, zero-emission electro-aerodynamic propulsion systems (dalionaviation.com)
Rhea Space Activity: Reliable navigation and star tracker platforms (rheaspaceactivity.com)
If you’re building, funding, scaling, or enabling national security technology, don’t just watch the future happen — be in the room, make the connections, and help shape it with us.
For questions, reach out to: events@starburst.aero
This event is part of #LATechWeek — a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at tech-week.com.
Inception Studio, Intern Ship, Design Buddies
[SF]
[LA]
hackbubu
FiDi (SF)
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Inception Studio, Intern Ship, Design Buddies
feel like every tech week event is for founders + vcs, but never for you? we gotchu. this is a 3-hour vibe coding buildathon for students + new grads who wanna get their hands dirty (without selling their soul to a 12-hour hackathon). build fast, break stuff, and show off your skills to the sf ai scene. winners snag free credits + LABUBUS.
heads up: capacity is limited. we’re only selecting 50 people. register early if you wanna secure a spot.
12:00 pm: doors open
12:15 pm: kickoff
12:30 pm: pitch ideas (1 minute per person)
1:00 pm: form teams (3 people per team, needs to include 1 designer + 1 engineer)
1:30 pm: begin hacking
3:30 pm: demos
4:15 pm: judging
4:30 pm: doors close
hosts:
inception studio:
intern ship:
🐰design buddies: is a community where you level up your design career. Land jobs, improve your design skills, and make friends. We have resources, events, design challenges, job boards, fun perks, and more.
https://designbuddies.community / https://discord.gg/designbuddies / https://designbuddies.substack.com/
this event is a part of #SFTechWeek, a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
Legendary Ventures (Venture Hour) (W/VCA)
Legendary Ventures is hosting an exclusive shindig for investors, founders, and entrepreneurs to share, learn, and engage each other in the VC ecosystem. Availability is limited to thirty (30) people.
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
Reimagining Education with AI Happy Hour
Join us during SF Tech Week for a relaxed happy hour with an open bar, bringing together engineers, founders, and builders exploring how AI can transform education. Hosted by Ello, we’re building the world’s first AI teacher—one that listens, speaks, adapts, and inspires like the best human educators.
Whether you’re already passionate about education or just curious about how AI is being applied in new ways, come meet the Ello team and explore how breakthroughs in AI and engineering can redefine what learning looks like for the next generation.
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
Vibe Week Starter Pack
Get ready to kick off Tech Week SF with the ultimate Starter Pack you’ve been waiting for! 🎉
We’re hosting hands-on workshops, laid-back networking, delicious food & drinks, and plenty of opportunities to explore how to build anything with AI. Come learn, connect, and vibe with an amazing community of creators.
Every participant gets a big boost of AI credits from top tools like Windsurf, n8n, Bolt.new, and more. You’ll also find a series of quick, power-packed workshops led by world-class Vibe Coders to help you hit the ground running.
This is your chance to meet and mingle with some of the brightest minds in AI coding from around the globe.
⚡ Pro tip: Don’t blame us if you end up winning hackathons after this! You might finally build that app you’ve always dreamed of (even if you never had the time or budget to hire a dev before). You’ve been warned. 😉
This event is part of #SFTechWeek — a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com
[SF]
[LA]
Hyperpersonalized Education : MOSaiC
We're disrupting education.
Join us to launch MOSaiC with bemosaic.ai with live product demos and audience input in designing the future of learning and self-development.
Hear our panel with Industry leaders in AI, Ed-Tech and Consumer tech on the disruption of the ed-tech and consumer-tech markets with AI.
Panelist details coming soon!
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
Round table discussion: Automotive in cabin retail moment
✨ NoowX is redefining how Gen Z shops jewelry and fashion—fusing AI, AR try-on, and cultural storytelling into a seamless digital experience.
🚀 Join us as we unveil our vision, connect with early supporters, and engage with experts from leading global automobile companies. Together, we’re building the future of shopping.
This showcase is part of #SFTechWeek—a week of founder- and VC-led events bringing together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
Metaverse Fashion Council
[SF]
[LA]
Smart Fashion Week
Santa Monica
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Metaverse Fashion Council
SMART FASHION WEEK LOS ANGELES is a flagship event for startups, VCs, and creators by the Metaverse Fashion Council, the largest global fashion x tech community.
Taking place across various locations from June 5-8, SMART FASHION WEEK LOS ANGELES will feature:
- Smart fashion shows integrating AI and Web3 technologies
- Fireside chats with VCs and startup founders
- Roundtables with world leaders in fashion x tech
- Demo day showcasing top fashion x tech startups
- Smart parties blending entertainment with innovation
- Networking events including exclusive breakfasts and dinners
This event is a part of #LATechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
NBA Foundation Presents: VC and Founder Reception @ Sawubona
[SF]
[LA]
Engineering Leaders × LLMs | Dinner by Optimal AI
You’re invited to an intimate, three-course dinner on Tuesday, October 14 at 6:00 PM, hosted near Santa Monica.
Optimal AI is bringing together a small group of engineering leaders across Los Angeles to explore how LLMs are changing the way teams build, secure, and scale software. From AI-powered code reviews to security automation, this will be an off-the-record conversation around what’s working, what’s hype, and what’s next.
Expect perspectives from leaders at fast growing startups and Fortune 500 co's, as we trade notes on:
- Where LLMs are truly saving time (and where they aren't)
- Security risks that are often overlooked
- What internal tools and processes teams are building around AI
- What PR review and debugging might look like in 6 months
Optimal AI is the team behind Optibot, a multi-agent system designed to act as your engineering team's fastest, most consistent code reviewer automating reviews with deep context and surfacing security issues early across repos. Customers include MongoDB, Prometric and Mpulse.
📍 Location to be shared with approved guests
🍽️ Three-course dinner included
Please let us know if you have any dietary preferences or restrictions by emailing Myra@getoptimal.ai.
This event is a part of #LATechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
World's Shortest Hackathon Vercel x NVIDIA
NVIDIA and Vercel are teaming up and taking the World’s Shortest Hackathon to SF Tech Week!
We’re throwing a full hackathon in two hours, limited to 50 teams of 2. Leave the sleeping bag at home and come equipped with your best prompts and most powerful AI—and let it rip!
For prizes, we’ll have free credits from the best developer tools, and each person from the winning team will go home with cool swags from Brex, Nvidia and Vercel.
📆 Schedule
• 5:30pm → Check-in & Networking
• 6:00pm → Demos & Kickoff
• 9:00pm → Finalist Presentations
• 10:00pm → Winners Announced
Exact Location disclosed upon approval.
Brex is an all-in-one financial platform designed to help companies move fast. From corporate cards and spend management to global payments and business accounts, Brex empowers startups and enterprises alike with tools to scale efficiently. Trusted by thousands of high-growth companies, Brex simplifies finance so teams can focus on what matters most—growing their business. Thank you for being our co-host!
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
Web3 & AI Pitch Competition
Welcome to the Web3 Pitch Competition & VC networking #SFOTechWeek edition presented by Ga^3in Ventures!
Ga^3in Ventures is a Duke & friends focused Web3 Syndicate & Accelerator with 16,000 audience across the globe. We host Web3 pitch competitions around the world, investor soirées, and Crypto + AI funds yachts to grow the Web 3.0 + AI industry.
Agenda:
10:00 - 10:15 guests gathering
10:15 - 11:15 pitch competition
11:15 - 13:00 networking - startups & VC's
MC: Sergey Khusnetdinov - managing partner at Ga^3in Ventures, professor at SKEMA
Judges (To be announced):
Every month, Ga^3in Ventures carefully select 6-8 teams to present their Web3 + AI innovation. Founders get a chance to interact with investors from around the world and network with industry leaders from our Web3 + AI Ecosystem.
Whether you are a VC or angel looking for your next investment, a platform looking for the next killer product, or a startup with a game-changing idea – join us and participate in the next wave of innovation.
Pitching is FREE, but admission to the event is ticketed (Stipend is available, please apply). Regardless whether you are selected to pitch or note, please come to network with us and our ecosystem.
Selection process:
- We collect applications, then run a social media voting on our twitter account, then we post the results on who is pitching.
- Judges could nominate startups to pitch. - Wild card: we randomly draw one startup from the audience to pitch, so if you are not selected, please still come to take your chances.
Event Details:
Presentations - 3 minute Presentation + 4 minute Q&A Judges to be revealed closer to the event start
This event is a part of #LATechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
AI at Work: The Future of Industrial Construction
Robert Dong (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertdong-ai/), founder of Jobotics (https://jobotics.ai/) will showcase how his AI platform is redefining industrial construction. By transforming fragmented project data into real-time insights across the organization, Jobotics empowers contractors to make faster, smarter decisions on the ground.
For investors: the platform opens exposure to a $1.8T industry primed for automation, with scalable applications across the full lifecycle of construction.
For construction industry players: Jobotics functions as an AI-powered answer engine, streamlining operations, reducing waste, tightening schedules, and unlocking new growth levers.
For AI builders and entrepreneurs: it represents the future of how AI can embed into essential industries, not replacing expertise, but amplifying it.
Robert has built and refined the product in deep and on-the-ground partnership with the team at Sylvan, one of the largest specialty multi-trade contractors in North America with operations in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Jobotics.ai isn’t just building an AI-powered knowledge engine; it’s building the connective tissue between data, people, and performance in one of the largest and most underserved sectors of the economy.
[SF]
[LA]
Listen to Her: Founders Who Speak
Listen to Her: Founders Who Speak — An Intimate Fireside Chat in Palo Alto featuring Boardy.ai
Why Women Founders Should Share Their Stories
A Fireside Chat Moderated by Eraina Ferguson
This fireside chat brings together a powerhouse lineup of women leaders and founders who are reshaping industries and redefining leadership:
Together, they’ll explore why telling your founder story isn’t just a personal choice—it’s a strategic advantage. You’ll hear how sharing your journey can:
Build credibility and visibility in your industry
Unlock funding, partnerships, and opportunities
Inspire the next wave of women leaders
Shift narratives in business and entrepreneurship
✨ Special Addition: Boardy will also be attending our event and connecting with speakers before and during the program. That means you’ll be matched with your right person in advance and have the opportunity to connect directly—amplifying the impact of your time on stage.
Featured Panelists
Emily Latour
Founder & CEO, Latour Advisory
Emily Latour, based in the United States, is the Founder and CEO of Latour Advisory. She brings deep expertise from her previous roles at Gartner and Accenture, where she worked at the intersection of strategy, advisory, and growth. A graduate of Southwestern University, Emily leverages her background to guide leaders through strategic decision-making and to unlock new opportunities for scaling.
Tabby Biddle (she/her)
Women’s Thought Leadership Coach & Public Speaking Mentor
Tabby Biddle helps female founders, innovators, and change-makers amplify their impact through the power of their voice and story. A former United Nations Foundation press fellow and columnist for The Huffington Post, Tabby has guided hundreds of women leaders to craft signature talks, deliver TEDx talks, and step into greater visibility as thought leaders. She is the creator of The Feminine Voice Revolution Summit™ and founder of the women’s public speaking accelerator Speak & Prosper. Her work has been featured by USA Today, NPR, The Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and UN Dispatch.
Keyaira Lock
Keyaira Lock is a mission-driven entrepreneur and ecosystem builder who helps founders scale from the inside out—elevating both their leadership and their businesses. As Director of Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s The Garage SF, she has sourced and scaled 200+ startups, launched Northwestern’s flagship accelerator, and built initiatives that unlocked millions in pipeline and capital access. Through her company, Spice & Sage, she works with founders to reframe identity and story into strategic assets that accelerate growth. Keyaira brings a powerful perspective on how women founders can use storytelling not only to attract funding and partnerships but also to build ecosystems, earn trust, and expand what’s possible in business and tech.
Moderator: Eraina Ferguson
Eraina Ferguson is a 7x TEDx Curator, Founder of Listen to Her—an AI-powered speaker marketplace connecting women speakers with corporate opportunities—and a Product Content Engineer. She has led product marketing at Meta, Udacity, and Lever, and is a champion for elevating women’s voices on global stages. Featured in LA Parent Magazine and The Verge, Eraina also serves on the board of Las Trampas, supporting adults with disabilities. Her mission: help women founders share their stories so they can inspire change, secure resources, and lead with impact.
#WomenFounders #FiresideChat #ListenToHer #Entrepreneurship
Expect candid stories, actionable advice, and a room full of women committed to raising their voices—and each other.
✨ Space is limited. RSVP required.
Heavy hors d’oeuvres, great company, and big inspiration provided.
This event is part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com
[SF]
[LA]
Securing your First AI Investment: a Walkthrough
Join us for brunch at "How Flux AI Secured the First AI Investment: A Walkthrough during Brunch" hosted by Flux AI in partnership with Unita Club, bringing together investors, founders, and industry leaders at the forefront of AI innovation and investment.
Gain practical, step-by-step insights into securing AI investments, from effective positioning and outreach strategies and closing techniques. It's an opportunity for meaningful conversations and networking to enhance your AI fundraising and investment strategies.
Whether you're keen on identifying the right AI targets early or refining your fundraising narrative, this is the event to attend. Expect a relaxed atmosphere, engaging minds, and actionable takeaways.
About the Hosts:
Flux AI is transforming into a delightful, engaging experience for consumers everywhere with its flagship product CRAISEE, the only all-in-one GenAI platform.
This event is a part of #LATechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
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