Hi All,

🚀 SUPER EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE SOME AMAZING HEADLINERS FOR OUR GIGAPARTY 3!

We just added powerhouse voices shaping the future of tech, venture, and culture. From legendary investors like Bill Tai and Eric Bahn to family offices worth billions, these new speakers are joining an already packed lineup — making this our biggest Gigaparty yet.

🎤 Here’s who’s taking the stage next:

🔥 Today Only! The first 10 to book a ticket with code Mariane20 get 20% off + a FREE VIP upgrade. Don’t wait — these will go fast!

I wanted to personally invite you to a few of our upcoming events & workshops:

✓ Private WhatsApp Founder & VC Channel
✓ Free Access to All our Events Below for Free
✓ Monthly Investor Breakfasts and Dinners
✓ Weekly Expert Office Hours including with Mariane Bekker, Kristopher Floyd, Legal and CTO

What I Learned Saying Goodbye at the Temple

Dear A.,

I loved you with my entire soul and it still wasn’t enough. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you but thank you for giving me Leo and Liam. My love will forever live inside of them.

—Mariane

For the last few years, I thought I had lost 13 years of my life in a broken marriage. I told myself those years were wasted, that I would never get them back.

At Burning Man, there’s a sacred space called the Temple. It’s where people leave their grief—letters, photos, unsaid words—and on the final night, it all burns.

I went because I thought I had wasted my 20s and ended up in a life I never expected: “a single mom, forced to start over again.”

But standing there, surrounded by the grief of thousands, I realized something I had never allowed myself to see:

I hadn’t lost those years at all.

Because out of that brokenness came my two sons, Leo and Liam.
Out of that pain came the courage to build this community.
Out of the ashes came the possibility of love and connection in new forms.

What burned wasn’t my past.
What burned was the belief that my life had been wasted.

Love was never lost. It just transformed — into children, into purpose, into new beginnings.

And here’s what I believe is universal:
We all carry stories of loss.
The failed startup. The co-founder who didn’t work out. The investor who didn’t believe. The years spent climbing a ladder, only to realize it leaned against the wrong wall.

It’s easy to call them wasted years. To believe we’ll never get them back.

But love, energy, devotion—they don’t vanish. They get transferred. Into the lessons we carry. Into the resilience we earn. Into the communities we create. Into the people who come after us.

Even ashes can be fertile soil.

At Burning Man, the Temple burns so we can release what no longer serves us. And in that fire, we’re reminded: nothing we gave with love is ever wasted.

So if you’re carrying regret—whether in love, in business, or in life—know this:

👉 Your years weren’t wasted.
👉 Your love wasn’t lost.
👉 It’s alive somewhere new, waiting to be claimed.

What burns away is only the illusion that time was lost.
What remains is everything you’ve built, everything you’ve learned, and everything you still have the power to create.

If you’d like to meet me, join me tonight at the AI Conference After Party »

If we’re not already connected, I’d love to hear from you — please follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Let’s connect!

Want us to sponsor an event or partner together? Contact us here

Friday, September 26 - 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM

If you’d like to sponsor, pitch your startup or speak at the conference, reply to this email!

​🔥 The WORLD'S FIRST VR-Controlled Humanoid Robot Fight 🤖🥊

For the first time ever, two humans step into VR rigs to control real combat robots in a live arena. Twitch founder Justin Kan will face off against UFC fighter Hyder Amil.

​Gamer vs UC fighter. Silicon Valley vs the Octagon. Two humans. Two machines. One winner! 🤯

Thursday, September 18 - 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

​Join us right after The AI Conference for an evening of connection, conversation, and celebration. We’re bringing together founders, investors, builders, and AI enthusiasts for a relaxed but high-energy gathering where the ideas don’t stop when the conference ends.

Our very own resident DJ David Carvalho will be spinning amazing music!

September 18 at 1:00 PM until September 19 at 8:30 PM

Use discount code FBAY20 for 20% off

Two days. One iconic roof.
We’re gathering builders, visionaries and funders at the edge of what’s next.

On September 18–19, Frontier Tech Forum convenes at the iconic Hero City at Draper University in San Mateo - a two-day program at the edge of possibility in the heart of Silicon Valley. This is where Innovation Pioneers in AI, AGI, Robotics, Deep Tech, and Blockchain converge. Boundaries are being redefined through visionary keynotes, sharp technical breakouts, and fast-moving panels that put builders and innovators at the center. If you’re ready to step beyond the hype and into the conversations shaping the future, this is where you belong.

Thursday, September 18 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

​Being a founder comes with big dreams and big responsibilities—but it can also bring stress, overwhelm, and burnout. In this interactive workshop, Sustainable Success: How Founders Can Thrive Without Burning Out, Allison Tibbs from Nourished Life Coaching & Consulting, will guide you through strategies to take care of both your business and your wellbeing.

Friday, September 19 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

​We’re excited to welcome Ellisha Blechynden, Principal Attorney at Blechynden Legal, as our featured speaker. Ellisha advises early-stage startups and investors on venture financings and deal structuring, and she’ll share actionable insights to help founders approach negotiations strategically.

Thursday, September 23 - 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.

Wednesday, September 24 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

​In today’s AI-driven world, the challenge isn’t just building powerful chatbots—it’s building trustworthy ones. This interactive workshop shows you how to create a secure, recruiting-focused chatbot on Google Cloud that engages candidates while safeguarding sensitive HR data.

Thursday, September 25 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

​Join us for the Founders Bay Virtual Workshop featuring a candid investor Q&A with Mohak Saxena of Race Capital. Mohak brings a wealth of experience investing in early-stage startups and partnering with founders to help them scale. This session is designed to give founders a rare inside look at how top investors evaluate opportunities, what they’re seeing in the market, and how you can position your company for success.

Friday, September 26 - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

​The Founders Bay Virtual Workshop will focus on why having a strong financial system is key to business success in 2026. It will help business owners and startup founders understand how tracking money, planning budgets, and managing cash flow can make or break a company. The session will show how good financial systems can help you grow faster and avoid big problems.

Wednesday, October 1 - 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

​This is a workshop on winning your startup negotiations. As a founder, investor, or operator, you are negotiating at all times, often without even realizing it - whether with your cofounders, investors, advisers, business partners, M&A partners, and more. Join this interactive workshop and learn from a negotiations expert, Gerta Malaj. We will have a Q&A to give the audience the opportunity to dive deeper into any particular negotiation scenarios.

Thursday, October 2 - 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

​This private breakfast brings together top B2B founders, investors, and enterprise leaders for a curated morning of meaningful conversations, actionable insights, and a chef-prepared meal. We’ll dive into how AI is reshaping enterprise productivity, reimagining GTM motions, and what investors see as the next wave of scalable opportunities.

We’re looking for a speaker for this event—just reply to this email if you’re interested!

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.

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.

We’re looking for a judge for this event—reply to this email if you’re interested!

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.

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. 🌉

Are you a female founder building something bold? Apply to pitch at the Berkeley Female Founders & Funders Summit on October 24th at Berkeley Haas.

This is your chance to get in front of the VCs actually betting on women — including investors from PayPal Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Forerunner, and top angels who’ve backed breakout female-led companies.

If you're building the future, we want to see it.
Apply now — limited spots available!
[Link to Apply]

October 27 – 29, 2025

FOUNDERSBAY25 (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.

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.