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Hi All,
I wanted to personally invite you to a few of our upcoming events & workshops:
🥐 VC & Founder Breakfast: Enterprise AI & B2B Deals (Come meet with me!) [5 spots left]
If we’re not already connected, I’d love to hear from you — please follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Let’s connect!
🎉 One of THE MOST Attended Events in the History of Temple. Thank you!
Last Friday at Temple SF, our Gigaparty 3 (sponsored by Bridgepointe) made history: the first-ever VR-controlled humanoid robot fight by Rek and the most attended event the venue has ever seen.
Yes, there were long lines (we know—we outgrew the space!), but the energy inside was undeniable. From the Tech Summit to the Robot Fight to the after-party, Gigaparty 3 wasn’t just an event—it was proof of what happens when community, creativity, and inclusivity collide.
Some of my favorite moments:
Our Tech Summit reached near gender parity — something rare in tech events and core to Gigaparty’s mission.
The Reverse VC Pitch flipped the script and gave founders a behind-the-curtain look at how top investors think.
My fireside with the San Francisco Chief of Police, diving into how technology is helping make our city safer and cleaner.
The Family Office Panel, brought together by my friend Jason Ma, which gathered some of the top family offices in the world.
And of course—the Robot Fight, where history was made.
If someone had told me four years ago—when I was at rock bottom — that this would be my future, I wouldn’t have believed them. Yet here we are: 2,000+ founders, investors, family offices, and dreamers coming together to build a community where diversity, creativity, and inclusivity aren’t afterthoughts—they’re the foundation.
Thank you all for showing up, for supporting, and for making Gigaparty part of history.
We outgrew the venue this time—but that only means we’re going bigger and better next time.
👉 Click here to see all the photos from Gigaparty 3 »
📸 Huge thank you to Yadmer Mejia from Shoot It Studio for capturing the night so beautifully, and special thanks to Kevin Mei for also documenting these unforgettable moments.
Thank you all for showing up, for supporting, and for making Gigaparty part of history. We outgrew the venue this time — but that only means we’re going bigger and better next time.
🌟🌟🌟 I’m deeply grateful to my incredible co-hosts who made this possible: David Carvalho, Kristopher Floyd, Temple, and the entire Rek team, including Amanda Watson (a brilliant woman CTO), Nima Zeighami, Cix Liv. Special thanks to all the volunteers, Temple staff, and friends who showed up for us to help: Diana Carvalho, Pramanya Gouda, C.C Gong, Tiq Chapa and so many others!🌟🌟🌟
👉 Join us tomorrow for our B2B AI Breakfast to learn how to pitch your B2B startup to investors and how to close enterprise clients.
RSVP here: https://luma.com/pnajxttn
With gratitude,
— Mariane
Gigaparty sponsored by Bridgepointe Technologies
We’re excited to welcome Bridgepointe, a global tech advisory that helps teams lock in the right fit across AI/GPU infrastructure, cloud/data center, CX, BPO, and security. If you’re burning through GPU credits or your cloud bill just spiked, they’ll benchmark your current spend, surface the best trade-offs (speed, region, terms), and return 2–3 practical options within 24–72 hours from their network of GPU providers—then handle the sourcing and onboarding so you can keep building. Whether you need burst capacity for a training run or to rein in ongoing inference costs, they’ll get you to a clean, workable answer fast.
🎶 Watch: David Carvalho on Music, Entrepreneurship & Negotiation
In their very first in-person interview, Gerta Malaj and Alex Choi sat down with David Carvalho: entrepreneur, veteran DJ, and the man behind some of San Francisco’s most iconic tech and music events, including Gigaparty 3. He shared how he built a 20+ year career booking for Dreamforce, the Super Bowl, Coachella, and Silicon Valley’s biggest leaders—while offering powerful lessons on integrity, creativity, and negotiation strategy.
Founders Bay Upcoming Events
Want us to sponsor an event or partner together? Contact us here
Thursday, October 2 - 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Enterprise AI is moving fast — but what B2B trends are shaping the market right now, and how do you actually sell into the enterprise?
This Thursday at 10am, join us for an intimate Founders Bay breakfast at the Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP (CFM) office, with a beautiful patio overlooking the city. We’re gathering the founders, operators, and VCs who have done it—closing 7-figure contracts, building secure AI systems, and scaling adoption inside the Fortune 500.
Featured Panels & Speakers
💡 AI Trends in Investment: How Founders Get Ahead & Raise Funding from B2B Investors
With David Munir Nabti (Founder Institute), Elvie Kamalova (Blockstreet Capital), Mariane Bekker (Founders Bay), Andrew Boos (Darwinian Ventures)
💡 From Demo to Deployment: Selling & Scaling AI into the Enterprise
With Sako M (Gladly), Gerta Malaj (YourNegotiations.com), Alex Choi (ex-Instagram)
✨ What you’ll learn:
The latest AI B2B investment trends that every founder should know
How to go from demo → pilot → enterprise contract without losing leverage
GTM strategies for six- and seven-figure deals
Frameworks for adoption & growth inside large organizations
If you’re building in B2B AI, this breakfast is where you’ll learn what’s working now — directly from the people who are making it happen.
Friday, October 3 - 11:00 AM –12:00 PM
This webinar is based on four cases from my personal experience. Why do some startups fail to fulfill their potential despite having a great idea, a strong market, a capable team, and many other preconditions to become a big thing? I will openly share painful lessons and my views on why some of the promising ventures I was part of never transformed into something extraordinary. Better do your own mistakes than repeat mine.
Use FOUNDERSBAY code for 40% off VIP tickets
Saturday, October 4 - 9:30 PM - 2:30 AM
Please join us and 500+ of SF's finest young professionals at our annual 'CLOUD 9' birthday benefit bash, one you've helped make one of the best 'Themed' parties in SF where the ladies & gents get all decked out in oh so chic, fun & stylish attire.
White and/or Blue attire please - post playa outfits, angel wings, halos & any other 'heavenly' (or not so heavenly :) accessories highly recommended.
Celebrating the birthdays of Modernist Co-Founder Steve Chen, Chris Collins (PlayaPartyPatrol), Victoria Herlitz, Altif Brown, Alex Choi (Titanic's End: Hapki), Suzanne Zadeh, Iulia Ciontu, Khurram Pirov, Ivan Linn, & more (please let us know if you'd like to celebrate with us too!)
Monday, October 6 - 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Get ready for a night where the future takes the stage! Founders Bay Deep Tech & AI Pitch Night is your front-row ticket to the boldest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, robotics, and frontier tech. Watch visionary founders battle the clock as they pitch game-changing ideas to a panel of expert judges and a crowd hungry for innovation.
Tech Week, (presented by a16z) is a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. SF Tech Week takes place October 6-12, followed by LA Tech Week October 13-19. View the full schedule at: tech-week.com/calendar
Tuesday, October 7 - 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Join us for an evening of learning and connection as we explore the future of robotics. A panel of experts will share their views on how robots are changing the way we work, live, and solve problems. From factories to healthcare to everyday life, robotics is shaping the world around us.
Tech Week, (presented by a16z) is a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. SF Tech Week takes place October 6-12, followed by LA Tech Week October 13-19. View the full schedule at: tech-week.com/calendar
We’re looking for a speaker for this event—just reply to this email if you’re interested!
Thursday, October 9 - 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Join top founders, VCs, and operators for a high-energy happy hour 🍸 during SF Tech Week—an evening designed for real conversations, new connections, and unexpected collaboration. Whether you're raising your first round 🚀 or scouting your next investment, this is your chance to skip the pitch decks and connect face-to-face with the people shaping what’s next. With the venue's iconic ambiance and a curated crowd of builders and backers, this is where authentic relationships take root in the heart of San Francisco. 🌉
Tech Week, (presented by a16z) is a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. SF Tech Week takes place October 6-12, followed by LA Tech Week October 13-19. View the full schedule at: tech-week.com/calendar
If you’re an investor and would like to be featured on the Happy Hour poster, just reply to this email.
Friday, October 17 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
With a background as an investor, engineer, and community leader, I provide personalized support to help startups grow—offering guidance on fundraising, tech development, team building, co-founder matching, hiring top talent, and personal branding to position you for long-term success.
Tuesday, October 21 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: 2-Hour Block Legal Advice is a chance for startup founders to get direct legal guidance from an experienced professional. Led by Jessica North (Jorrie), Partner at Perkins Coie LLP, this session is perfect for founders seeking clarity on legal matters. Jessica specializes in advising emerging companies, venture capital funds, and private equity investors, making her a valuable resource for startups at any stage.
Thursday, October 23 - 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Securing funding is one of the biggest challenges for early-stage founders, and non-dilutive grant opportunities can be a powerful way to fuel growth without giving up equity. In this workshop, Kyle Pickett will guide founders through the complex landscape of grants, showing where to find opportunities, how to qualify, and how to strengthen applications.
Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum West 2025 [I’m speaking]
Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, Napa, CA
October 22, 2025 - October 24, 2025
Come and join Opal Financial Group's Annual Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum - West. Known for the fastest growing population of newly structured family offices in the world, Northern California is largely dominated by first and second-generation families from the Silicon Valley. Investment strategies such as Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Technology will be familiar themes throughout this conference. Investment managers and families will come together to discuss the foundations in which they built their wealth, and uncork the various investment strategies in which to keep their portfolios growing and plentiful. Additional hot topics such as impact investing, alternatives, and the trustee beneficiary relationship, will allow for delegates to sample a diverse blend of palatable subjects while networking amongst a top tier group of private wealth professionals.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 [I’m speaking]
October 27 – 29, 2025
I’ll be speaking at Techcrunch Disrupt and hosting a panel on Family offices. Join me with coupon code FOUNDERSBAY25 to get 25% off
TechCrunch Disrupt is where you’ll find innovation for every stage of your startup journey. Whether you’re a budding founder with a revolutionary idea, a seasoned startup looking to scale, or an investor seeking the next big thing, Disrupt offers unparalleled resources, connections, and expert insights to propel your venture forward.
Friday, October 24 - 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Angel Launch invites you to the Silicon Valley AI and Tech Investing Summit on Oct 24 from 11:30 am to 5 pm in Palo Alto. Join over 500 startups, investors and tech professionals for a delicious buffet lunch, venture forum, hear startups pitch judges and demo showcase. Startups seeking funding can register to pitch a panel of investor judges from the stage. Includes AI, general tech, and health tech.
Contact us at 310 6216850 or [email protected].
Wednesday, October 29 - 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Led by Aleks Gollu, Founder & CEO of 11Sight, the session will cover the realities of co-founder dynamics, equity decisions, and operational structures. Through real-world examples, Aleks will share mistakes that can derail momentum and the best practices that create a strong foundation for your company.
Thursday, October 30 - 11:00 AM –12:00 PM
A strong personal brand can change the way opportunities come your way. Instead of constantly chasing investors, clients, or partners, the right brand presence makes them come to you. In this workshop, Bruna Grace will share how founders and leaders can create a brand that attracts attention and builds trust in competitive markets.
Thursday, November 6 - 11:00 AM –12:00 PM
In today’s fast-changing, AI-driven world, leaders can’t afford to blend in. This workshop - provided by the team that created executive brands for leaders at Apple, Amazon, Omnicom, Booz Allen Hamilton, and New York City - is designed to help you understand how to align your unique strengths with market opportunities, so you can compete with confidence and position yourself as the voice people trust.
Friday, November 7 - 3:00 PM –4:00 PM
Spend an hour with Jessica-Rose Clark — professional mixed martial artist, world champion, and hands-on self-defence coach — as she shares practical tools to help you feel safer and more confident in everyday life. Jessy combines her years of experience in competitive fighting with her passion for teaching to make self-defence approachable and effective for everyone.
Managing Partner, Founders bay
Hi! I'm Mariane Bekker, an investor and a tech executive with over a decade of experience building high-performing engineering teams at leading startups such as New Relic and Mindbody. I've led engineering through 5 acquisitions and 1 IPO.
I’m the founder of Founders bay and Women Founders bay, connecting founders with expert guidance, events and funding opportunities in the Bay Area.