[SF]
[LA]
The Civic Stack: A Salon on Democracy
Mission
·
Maaya Movement Institute
Bringing together civic tech builders, activists, and political philosophers including Claire Shorall from Sway (community voting blocs, Neo-backed) for an intimate salon exploring how to rebuild political engagement from the ground up. We’ll start with a panel dissecting the current civic tech stack—what’s broken, what’s working, and where the opportunities lie. Then participants will break into interactive workshops to design better platforms for political engagement, testing their concepts on live San Francisco policy issues. You’ll experiment with different approaches to civic participation and discover which design choices actually move the needle on democratic involvement.
Hosted by The Maaya Movement Institute, a youth-led legal action and research institute committed to creating a world where everyone can fully participate in civic, social, and economic life.
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.
HEALTHCARE *by design*, Axle Health
[SF]
[LA]
Building NextGen Healthcare
Santa Monica
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HEALTHCARE *by design*, Axle Health
Building in healthcare isn’t for the faint of heart. Between regulation, reimbursement, and the realities of patient care, every decision carries weight...and opportunity!
This panel brings together founders, clinicians and investors who are actively building what’s next in healthcare. We’ll dig into the challenges of scaling in a highly complex and regulated industry. The lessons learned along the way, and the breakthroughs shaping the future of healthcare.
Whether you’re a builder, operator, or investor, we hope you’ll leave with real insights into what it takes to build solutions that matter in healthcare today.
Agenda:
6-7pm Sunset Drinks
7-8pm Panel
8-9pm Networking
Panelists:
Adam Stansell
Founder & CEO, Axle Health
Prior to founding Axle, Adam worked in investment banking, management consulting, logistics technology leadership at Motive (fka KeepTruckin), and at Uber where he helped launch UberEats in markets across the US. His goal is to bring operational and strategic best practices from other industries into the world of healthcare.
Maureen Burgess
Partner, Cedars Sinai Health Ventures
As a Partner at Cedars-Sinai Health Ventures, Maureen focuses on investments in healthcare technology and innovation. She has a rich background in both early-stage startups and large enterprise environments. Prior to her current role, she was a Principal at Crosscut Ventures, where she invested in various sectors, including healthcare, security, and analytics. She also served as the Director of the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator powered by Techstars, working with B2B healthtech companies targeting providers, payers, and pharmaceutical firms
Dr. Greg Burrell
Co-founder, Carbon Health
Dr. Greg Burrell has served many executive roles at healthcare startups. Most recently as the Chief Medical Officer at Homeward, a rural health company backed by General Catalyst and ARCH Venture Partners. He previously co-founded Carbon Health, a multi‑state primary, virtual, and urgent care provider, and served as their Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Product. Prior, he was the Vice President of Clinical Solutions and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Accolade, providing care delivery, navigation, and advocacy services to more than 10 million members. He is currently a Venture Partner at Necessary Ventures and a Senior Advisor to Altira Health.
Moderated by:
Nuzi Barkatally
Creator + Host, HEALTHCARE *by design*
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]
Female Founders and Funders Walk
Back by popular demand! SF #TechWeek Female Founders and Funders Walk with Venturous Counsel will take place at Salesforce Park on Tuesday, October 7th from 2:30pm until 4:30pm. This event is a part of #TechWeek - a week of events hosted by VCs, startups and allies to bring together the tech ecosystem. No agenda other than to walk and talk, networking with other like-minded women and woman-identifying founders and funders in the startup ecosystem (outside of the usual, noisy bar atmosphere). We look forward to engaging conversations while taking in some fresh air!
Additional details:
Meet up: You will need to find the elevators/escalators to the 4th level or ride the gondola up (which is free but sometimes has a line). We’ll meet up near the amphitheater stage on the southwest end of the park near 2nd Street—we’ll gather there and then set off on the walking path around 2:45.
More details on the park layout (which will show where you can find elevators/escalators on the ground level): https://www.tjpa.org/salesforce-transit-center/salesforce-park
About the host:
Aravinda Seshadri is the Founding Partner of Venturous Counsel, a uniquely mission-driven firm dedicated to representing underestimated startups, investors and values-aligned companies. As a part of that work, she actively maintains and expands her network of diverse-led law firms and diverse attorneys to whom she can refer startups and investors needing the right legal partner. She has initiated a series of Diversity Referral nights in the SF Bay Area, organized to give diverse lawyers in various specialty areas the opportunity to present their practices to other attorneys, particularly those in large law firms, in-house and government positions, to broaden their networks and facilitate referring work to these diverse attorneys.
Aravinda has been the committee chair of the Solo/Small Firms committee of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area for 3 consecutive years, as well as a Forum Ventures mentor. She also participates in various technology and legal forums that focus on women and women of color, advising accelerators with diverse cohorts, helping to judge startup pitch events at UC Law and her firm works with the UC Law Startup Legal Garage Clinic to provide pro bono services to aligned startups along with training for law students.
Aravinda has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 7 consecutive years. She was previously a Partner at Silicon Legal Strategy in San Francisco. Before that, she was a corporate associate in the startup practice of Hogan Lovells in Palo Alto. She started her career in Orrick’s Emerging Companies Group in Menlo Park. Aravinda received her law degree with distinction from Stanford Law School and her undergraduate degree with honors in Language and Mind from New York University.
Make sure to come early for a small giveaway to the first 10 attendees!
By registering, you agree that Venturous Counsel can email you about important events, key strategic insights and relevant updates.
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]
Ugly Talk: Design Founder Takeover
Join us for an unfiltered panel discussion exploring what happens when designers take the lead and don’t wait for permission to build. Design Founder Takeover brings together a bold lineup of founders who started their careers in design and are now leveraging AI to build companies from the ground up.
This conversation will dive deep into the unique vantage point of design-led founders: how their design intuition shapes product thinking, what it means to prototype with AI as your cofounder, and how they navigate building, scaling, and fundraising as non-technical founders in a tech-dominated space.
Whether you're a designer dreaming of starting something or just curious about what it looks like when creativity meets code, this is the panel you don’t want to miss.
Who Should Attend: Designers, founders, builders, product thinkers, AI experimenters, and anyone curious about the evolving role of design in startup creation.
🎤 Who’s on the Panel
Izac Ross - Founder & CEO of Haven Headache & Migraine Center
Izac Ross is the founder and CEO of Haven Headache & Migraine Center, a virtual-first clinic reimagining how millions access expert headache care. Living with migraine since childhood, he brings a rare blend of patient perspective and healthcare innovation experience from Hinge Health, Alto Pharmacy, and Collective Health. At Haven, Izac is building AI-enabled tools and care models that help patients track progress, reduce disability, and find relief. A former product designer, he is endlessly curious about what people need to thrive. Outside of work, Izac enjoys hiking with his dog Parker, ceramics, live music, and biking.
Kris Woyzbun - Co-Founder & CEO of Gumption
Kris Woyzbun is a 2X tech founder and product design executive based in Palo Alto, California. Having held leadership roles at Google, SSENSE, EDITR, and IDEO, and with recognition from IDSA Awards and NVIDIA, Kris's work focuses on building companies and products in consumer technology. Currently building Gumption, an AI Home Design Companion.
Fifi Kara - Co-Founder & CEO of Aster
Fifi Kara is originally from London, now in San Francisco, Fifi has 10 years building consumer and B2B products across the UK, Europe, and US. Most recently at Meta, she led Design for Health & Fitness (AR/VR), was a Staff Designer for Messenger (150M MAUs), and pioneered Workrooms Web. As a two-time founder and early startup hire, she has focused on 0-1 building and scaling. She co-founded a YC-backed fintech in 2019 and joined Bulb as an early design hire, growing usage from 100K to 1.4M MAUs. Fifi is a LSE graduate, Fulbright Scholar and is self-taught in product design and front-end engineering.
[SF]
[LA]
Consumer Investor Panel
Venice
·
Startup Village, Quantfi
An evening with local consumer angels and VCs sharing what’s exciting them in the market. This will be followed by founders revealing the viral growth hacks that fueled their breakout.
Hosted by Startup Village.
Sponsors include Rivian Venice.
Speakers TBD
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.
VCPE GROUPS, OLHSO, Shin Start
[SF]
[LA]
VCPE & Family Offices DINNER @ OLHSO HOUSE
San Mateo
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VCPE GROUPS, OLHSO, Shin Start
VCPE & Family Offices DINNER @ OLHSO HOUSE RESTAURANT
We have a limited guest list due to venue capacity. Priority access for guests of VCPE GROUPS, ECVC ACCELERATOR, The OLHSO & partners. If your registration is approved, your pass is non-transferable and does not include +1. Please have your colleague or guest register separately. Thanks for your interest!
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek - a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. https://www.tech-week.com/
VC/PE GROUPS is a peer group that supports the growth and establishment of diverse and exceptional, high performing emerging managers, investors and founders to build the ecosystem.
About OLHSO:
We’re scaling Olhso—robotic Korean BBQ micro-restaurants that operate 24/7 with no staff here in San Mateo. Imagine a full-service dining experience running in the space of a parking spot, with menus and cuisines updated via software. No more queues, no late-night closures. We’re not just building restaurants—we’re creating the infrastructure layer for how food will be consumed globally.
YC applications open soon and this Tech Week, we’re bringing together a powerhouse panel of YC alumni to break down what it really takes to stand out.
This 2-hour workshop + panel is designed to give founders an insider’s edge:
✨ Live teardown of a real (anonymized) YC application
✨ Candid panel of YC founders sharing what worked, what didn’t
✨ 5 live pitch reviews — with direct feedback from YC alumni
✨ Audience Q&A — ask the tough questions you can’t Google
If you’re serious about YC, you don’t want to miss this room.
Panelists:
Jacqueline Cheong - Co-Founder & CEO at Artie (YC S23)
Pritika Mehta - Founder at Butternut AI (YC S20)
Arko C. - CEO at Pipeshift (YC S24)
Kieran White - Co-Founder & CEO at Curo (YCF24)
Moderator
Robin Choy - Founder at BatchVentures (YC W20)
Why Attend?
Pre-seed & Seed founders: Learn how to sharpen your story, your pitch, and your application.
Builders exploring YC: Hear what really matters — and what doesn’t.
Anyone applying soon: Walk away with a tactical checklist you can apply immediately.
Event Flow
🕕 6:00 PM — Doors open & networking
🕡 6:15 PM — Welcome & Introductions
🕢 6:30 PM — Lightning Panel: Lessons from YC
🕖 6:45 PM — Anonymized YC App Teardown
🕗 7:00 PM — Live Pitch Reviews (5 founders, first come first serve)
🕣 7:40 PM — Audience Q&A
🕗 7:55 PM — Closing remarks + YC checklist
Disclaimer: This event is independently organized and is not associated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Y Combinator.
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]
Winning Attention: Scaling B2B SaaS with Creators
A tactical invite-only workshop for GTM teams looking to drive real results with creator-led growth - co-hosted by Passionfroot and Tasker AI.
Creator marketing isn’t just for DTC brands anymore - it’s becoming one of the most efficient and scalable ways for B2B and SaaS startups to drive awareness, trust, and demand.
But most early-stage teams don’t know where to start:
→ Which creators actually move the needle?
→ How much should we pay?
→ What’s the right brief, CTA, or platform?
→ How do we track ROI?
This tactical workshop breaks it down - from campaign planning to platform mix to real-world startup examples.
Who’s this for?
- Founders at early-stage startups
- Heads of Growth or CMOs
- Marketing and Demand Generation Leaders
Space is limited - we’re keeping this one intentional and highly curated. Please RSVP to guarantee your spot.
This event is hosted by Passionfroot. Passionfroot is the leading B2B Creator Platform helping global companies such as Replit, Rippling and Hubspot scale their GTM with creators. Learn more at www.passionfroot.me
Tasker is your own personal AI assistant for everyday
to-dos between your work and personal life. Let Tasker handle your routine tasks and watch your productivity soar.
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.
Can't make it to SF? Join us in NY for our September 18th breakfast on Growing your B2B Brand on Linkedin: https://luma.com/hk0b3mb3
[SF]
[LA]
Surf Santa Monica
Surf 🏄🏻♀️ Santa Monica w/ Angel Investors & Cracked Founders
We're bringing together select founders and investors for an energizing morning in the ocean. Hosted by Day One Surf: https://dayone.surf
Open to beginner surfers 🤙
- Signed waivers are required to attend
- Rental gear will be provided upon request for a fee
- Be on time: we will be in the water promptly by 8AM
- Find our intermediate/advanced event the day prior
🌊🌊🌊
Hosted by Day One Surf: https://dayone.surf. We curate wellness retreats at surf parks worldwide, helping high-achieving professionals accelerate physical and mental progression through endless waves at wave pools.
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.
Arcade.dev, LangChain, Visa
[SF]
[LA]
Build Authenticated Ambient Commerce Agents
SOMA
·
Arcade.dev, LangChain, Visa
Join Brace Sproul (Head of Applied AI, LangChain.com), Shub Argha (Head of Solutions Engineering, Arcade.dev), and Visa (Angie Wang) for a fast, practical look at agents that actually do work in the real world. We will cover Ambient Agents in production (10 min), the authentication and authorization layer that makes enterprise actions safe and auditable (10 min), and Visa Intelligent Commerce with a deep dive on agent-driven purchases (10 min). Expect concrete demos and a closing Q&A. What makes this special is the end-to-end path: agents that detect low inventory, place and reconcile orders, enforce policy, and complete payments securely.
Food and beverages will be provided.
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]
Mirage x a16z speedrun: VIP Gaming Mixer
Mirage x a16z speedrun are partnering up to throw a VIP Gaming Mixer during LA Tech Week. This event is for executives in the gaming industry who are interested in how AI is going to evolve their role.
Expect happy hour, heavy bites, and great networking with gaming execs and AI trailblazers.
Mirage is the AI video generation platform for the gaming industry, streamlining video creation and enabling faster testing of performance-driven content with Frontier AI.
a16z speedrun is Andreessen Horowitz's program to invest in, and help, new startups. We run a 2x/year program that spans 12 weeks, with dozens of startups working out of a16z’s offices in SF and LA. So far we've invested in over 150 startups with $180M+ in capital deployed.
[SF]
[LA]
Allies in Action: Women in Tech & Venture Mixer
Bridge connections between female founders, women-owned firms, and allies. Enjoy interactive activities designed for meaningful relationship building. This event is a join event with The Wealth Salons Presents: OGs & LPs. - #LATechWeek (https://partiful.com/e/HwhvHhYQJB3zIbmg5YG4) Please register for that event for latest updates!
This event immediately precedes the LA #TechWeek - Female Creators and Investors Dinner (https://partiful.com/e/C3G1YFcYhHSeMcVnOedA)
www.musacap.com
This event is a part of #LA TechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
[SF]
[LA]
Dinner & Dollars - Dinner w/ Deel & Human Interest
Join Deel and Human Interest for Dinner & Dollars, an intimate evening with fellow SMB founders and Heads of People.
Over good food and easy conversation, we’ll dig into the real challenges that come with building and scaling a business today, everything from hiring and payroll to benefits and compensation. Think less “conference panel,” more “pull up a chair and share what’s really working (and what’s not).”
It’s a chance to swap stories, pick up ideas, and connect with other leaders who are in the thick of it just like you.
Seats are limited, so be sure to save your spot.
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]
What Are Humans For? | AI + Humans by Ascendancy
What are humans for?
Come join an event about the best combination of humans and technology. We will invite you into questions about the purpose of humanity and a flourishing vision for technology and culture.
Hosted by Ascendancy.
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.
Spice King of Zanzibar, Angel List
[SF]
[LA]
After Hours Founder's Poker Lounge w/ Angellist
North Beach
·
Spice King of Zanzibar, Angel List
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🃏 The Spice King’s Poker Nights at Techweek
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Founders, investors, LPs — the Spice King summons you. During Techweek, every night Sunday through Saturday, I’m hosting a private poker/founders lounge inside the sleek offices of AngelList. Yes, you read that right: poker in the house that built modern startup investing.
I’ve teamed up with AngelList because there’s no better backdrop for big bets and bold bluffs. Think polished floors, startup lore, and the kind of place where “all-in” could mean your next round.
*****Drinks & Snacks Included!*****
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CHOOSE YOUR FLAVOR:
At the table (or around it), you’ve got three ways to play:
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- 10c/20c No-Limit Hold ’Em — for the poker-curious
- 1/1 No-Limit Hold ’Em — light sparring, the warm-up ring.
- 5/5 No-Limit Hold ’Em — where the sharks circle and the pots get real.
- Drinks & Socializing — because sometimes the best move is sitting back with a whiskey and letting others show their tells.
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Who Belongs Here
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Founders who’ve raised $1M+ (you’ve proven you can ante up).
Investors & LPs who know that real deal flow happens after-hours.
Anyone who understands that poker is about character, risk, and nerve.
Why Show Up?
Because you’ll learn more about someone’s true game in two hours here than in twenty pitch meetings. Because this is AngelList + the Spice King — two brands that don’t exactly do “casual.” And because in this room, even a losing hand might win you your next deal.
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The Ground Rules
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No sneaking in: This is badged-in, ID-checked, guest-list-only. If you’re not approved, you’re not crossing that lobby.
Respect the seat: Take a spot, then ghost? You’ll be exiled from the Spice King’s future events. No second chances.
Special guests: Each night will feature surprise players — the kind who don’t just play the game, they change it.
Seats are scarce. The vibe is sharp. The room is swank.
— Spice King of Zanzibar
https://lu.ma/spicekingofzanzibar
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RSVP TO OTHER POKER NIGHTS DURING TECHWEEK!
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RSVP TO OTHER POKER NIGHTS DURING TECHWEEK!
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Mon Oct 6 - https://partiful.com/e/2s9AgbnP19mlXLQ4zi3C
Tue Oct 7 - https://partiful.com/e/60mj0wQK2dFvfD32WS7A
Wed Oct 8 - https://partiful.com/e/4lctWXCytcey9e4RyVtM
Thu Oct 9 - https://partiful.com/e/4ZomYSAK9jE18kGcZez6
Fri Oct 10 - https://partiful.com/e/GDPbUkJbQoOg06yzEaKR
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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.
