Tech Week LogoSan Francisco, October 5 - October 11
SF calendar

SF Tech Week 2026

A Founder's Journey to Scaling the US

Hosted by Ellis Porter

When
2:00 – 5:00 PM
Where
SOMA
Format
Panel / Fireside Chat
A Founder's Journey to Scaling the US artwork

/ About this event

What does it really take to build a company in the US when you are also navigating the personal realities of arriving in a new market?

Join an intimate conversation with a founder who moved to the US and built their company here. We will go beyond the usual startup success story: entering a new market, earning early customer trust, building a network from scratch, hiring, fundraising, navigating uncertainty, and learning how the US startup ecosystem actually works.

This will be a practical, honest founder conversation—not a legal briefing. Immigration will feature only as part of the broader story of what it takes to establish yourself and scale a business in the US.

Why the founder chose the US and what they underestimated before arriving

> The first 90 days: customers, community, co-founders, and credibility

> Fundraising and building investor relationships as a newcomer

> Hiring the first US-based employees

> Lessons for founders deciding whether, when, and how to expand

> The personal resilience required to build across borders

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

/ Stay in the loop

Get the SF Tech Week schedule in your inbox

New events, featured picks and reminders, straight to your inbox.

Tech Week 2026

Questions? Email us at hello@tech-week.com

Download Media/Press KitJoin the a16z speedrun talent networkView Community Guidelines

Follow Our Socials