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Hi Friends,
This week, I’m focused on planning our May / June / July events for both You.com and Founders Bay while hosting our upcoming AI Engineers Happy Hour tonight with 250+ AI Builders joining us.
Also, we just crossed 6,000+ VC firms in the Founders Bay directory. You can explore the network, see who’s attending events, and connect with investors by creating an account here:
foundersbay.com
See you all soon :)
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See who else is attending Pre-Seed Fundraising 101: Plan a Round That Actually Closes and connect before you go.
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This Week's Journal
How are you dealing with it?
People keep asking me lately, “How are you holding up?”
And I never know what to say.
Because the truth is… I’m not.
In the middle of June, my son Liam is going into surgery.
An 8-hour surgery.
After that, he’ll have to relearn how to walk. We’ll be living at the hospital for almost two months this summer while he recovers.
And people ask me how I’m dealing with it.
I don’t think I am dealing with it.
I think I’m surviving it by refusing to fully think about it.
Because how do you process knowing the scariest day of your life is approaching?
How do you sit there knowing your child is about to be wheeled into an operating room, and for eight hours all you can do is wait… pray… and hope someone eventually comes out to tell you he’s okay?
How do you hear the words:
“There’s a chance he may never walk again.”
And then continue your day like a normal person?
I don’t know how.
Some days I’m answering Slack messages.
Hosting events.
Laughing at dinner.
Posting online.
Talking about startups and growth and AI and the future.
And then suddenly it hits me:
My little boy is about to face the hardest moment of his life.
Usually the breakdown comes at night.
When the house is quiet.
When Liam is asleep beside me.
When I look at his tiny legs and wonder how much pain he’s about to go through.
And I completely break down.
But I also know something else.
Right now, the best thing I can do for my son is keep living.
Keep smiling.
Keep laughing with him.
Keep making memories.
Keep making life feel safe and normal.
Because children feel everything.
If I collapse completely, part of him will too.
So every single day, I wake up and pretend to be stronger than I feel.
Not because I’m brave.
Not because I have the answers.
But because he looks at me for safety.
I think that’s the part people don’t understand about being a parent.
The world does not stop when your heart is breaking.
Emails still come in.
Bills still exist.
Work still moves forward.
People still need things from you.
And somehow, in the middle of all of it, you still have to pack snacks, answer questions, smile back at your child, and make them believe everything will be okay… while quietly falling apart inside.
So no, I don’t have some inspiring ending to this.
I’m terrified.
I am so unbelievably terrified.
But every time Liam smiles at me, I remember this isn’t about my fear anymore.
It’s about helping him walk into this feeling loved, protected, and never alone.
And maybe that’s what strength actually is.
Not being fearless.
Just loving someone so deeply that you keep showing up for them… even when your own heart is shattered.
And, Liam one day you'll read this and please never forget:
Mommy loves you and your brother more than anything in this world.
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In-person events in San Francisco — VIP members attend for free
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 | | AI-Intensive Pitch Competition @ Hanwha AI Center | | SF · Tue, May 19 · 5PM-9PM PT | | FREE for VIP | | View event → |
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|  | | C-Suite Dinner Hosted by Founders Bay X You.com X Baires Dev | | SF · Wed, May 20 · 5PM-9PM PT | | FREE | | View event → |
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|  | | AI Engineers Happy Hour — LangChain Side Event | | SF · Wed, May 13 · 6PM-9PM PT | | FREE | | View event → |
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|  | | AI Mixer: the Changing Role of Software Engineers | | SF · Thu, Jun 18 · 5PM-9PM PT | | FREE | | View event → |
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In-person events in New York — VIP members attend for free
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 | | AI Happy Hour - #NYTechWeek | | NYC · Fri, Jun 5 · 5PM-7PM ET | | FREE | | View event → |
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|  | | Yacht Party - #NYTechWeek | | NYC · Sun, Jun 7 · 2PM-6PM ET | | FREE | | View event → |
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|  | | Product-Led Summit NYC | | NYC · Thu, May 21 · 9AM-5PM ET | | FREE | | View event → |
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Join from anywhere — VIP members attend for free
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 | | Pre-Seed Fundraising 101: Plan a Round That Actually Closes | | Virtual · Tue, May 19 · 4PM-5PM PT | | $15FREE for VIP | | View event → |
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|  | | Founders Bay Virtual Workshop: GTM Essentials: Align Vision to Revenue for Growing Businesses | | Virtual · Thu, May 14 · 11AM-12PM PT | | FREE | | View event → |
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|  | | VIP Founder Meetup: Fundraising, Hiring & Branding Conversations | | Virtual · Tue, May 19 · 3PM-4PM PT | | FREE for VIP | | View event → |
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|  | | Founders Bay Virtual Workshop: Importance of Branding for Early-Stage Companies | | Virtual · Wed, May 20 · 11AM-12PM PT | | FREE | | View event → |
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|  | | Founders Bay Virtual Workshop: Understanding Equity Financing: a Complete Overview for Businesses | | Virtual · Thu, May 21 · 11AM-12PM PT | | FREE | | View event → |
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In-person events in Los Angeles — featured this week
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| Future of AI Summit |
| Friday, May 15, 2026 · 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM PT |
| Millennium Biltmore Hotel · Los Angeles |
| FREE |
| RSVP → |
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Still Looking?
We only featured the top picks above
Browse the full calendar on the website — filter by city, save events, and unlock free VIP tickets.
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| ⭐ Featured Resource · $99 |
The Top 100 AI VCs Directory
A hand-researched directory of the 100 most active AI investors — check sizes, stage focus, partner emails, recent AI deals, and warm-intro paths. Delivered as a sortable XLSX + designed PDF.
| ✓ 100 active AI funds |
✓ Partner emails |
✓ Warm-intro paths |
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Recent posts from the Founders Bay blog — playbooks for early-stage AI founders.
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| 🎟️ Subscribe to VIP & Get Free Tickets |
VIP members get 100% off these upcoming events. Start your free trial today — no commitment required.
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AI + Sustainability — 1-Day Masterclass (IICSR)
Fri, May 15 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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Future of AI Summit hosted by Spaceguideai.com and Collimation Global Investment Bank
Fri, May 15 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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VIP Founder Meetup: Fundraising, Hiring & Branding Conversations
Tue, May 19 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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Pre-Seed Fundraising 101: Plan a Round That Actually Closes
Tue, May 19 · $15.00 FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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AI-Intensive Pitch Competition @ Hanwha AI Center
Tue, May 19 · Private Meet & Greet with Speakers for VIP
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RSVP |
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Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: Startup Advice with Mariane Bekker
Wed, May 20 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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Funders & Founders Happy Hour
Mon, May 25 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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LinkedIn for Founders: Grow Your Following & Build a Magnetic Personal Brand
Tue, May 26 · $15.00 FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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AI-tonomy Summit: Models and Agents June 5, 2026 | Plug and Play Tech Center, Silicon Valley
Fri, Jun 5 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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TECH FEST 2026
Fri, Jun 12 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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Step SF 2026: The AI & Tech Startup Festival
Thu, Aug 27 · Paid event FREE for VIP
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RSVP |
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Start Your Free VIP Trial →
Cancel anytime · Instant access to all VIP perks
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Free tickets and members-only guides — yours when you're a VIP
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New Playbook
From Profile to Influence — Master LinkedIn Branding
A founder's playbook for turning your LinkedIn profile into a deal-flow engine — attract investors, customers, and operators on autopilot.
$9 · Free for VIP
Get the Playbook →
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VIP Membership
Skip the line. Get the access.
| ✓Free tickets to all events |
| ✓Monthly AI Breakfast with VCs |
| ✓VIP founder dinners quarterly |
| ✓Free Top 100 AI VCs Directory ($99 value) |
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💼 Jobs of the Week
Hand-picked openings from the network
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This Week's Move
Make one warm intro this week. The best opportunities in SF start with a single connection.
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🌉 SF Weekly🗽 NYC Weekly🌍 Global Drops📓 Founders Bay Journal⚡ Edge of AI
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Disclaimer: Founders Bay curates and shares information about third-party events for informational purposes only. Founders Bay does not organize, manage, operate, control, or guarantee any event listed unless explicitly identified as the host. All event-related decisions, obligations, liabilities, and communications rest solely with the respective event organizers. Founders Bay disclaims all responsibility for changes, cancellations, pricing, speaker participation, venue matters, refunds, or damages arising from event participation.
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