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- A Personal Invite to Our Event + The Greatest Trick We Ever Played on Ourselves
A Personal Invite to Our Event + The Greatest Trick We Ever Played on Ourselves
Mariane Bekker
March 05, 2025
Hi,
This week, we are chugging along setting up our new fund, and finding the right partners. On Sunday, I’m going to New York for a few days for the Opal’s Family Office Winter Forum and Opal Investing in Healthcare 2025 conference so I’m very excited about that!
I wanted to personally invite you to a few of our events this week and next:
What I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Startup from Ben Park, book author and serial entrepreneur.
Women in AI Breakfast: Latest Investments Trends & Technologies @ Perkins Coie.
AI Agent Engineering: Key Pillars & Practical Strategies with Miles Maggio.
If we’re not already connected, I’d love to hear from you—please follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Let’s connect!
But before I share more about our events, I want to take a moment to express how i’m feeling this week…
The Greatest Trick We Ever Played on Ourselves
The greatest trick we ever played on ourselves was believing that having it all meant having a family and a career.
I got both.
Newsflash: It wasn’t enough.
No one tells you that even after you check every box — the career, the partner, the kids — you can still feel like something’s missing. Not because you’re ungrateful, but because somewhere along the way, we were taught to settle.
We were told that if you have the picture-perfect job, the picture-perfect relationship, the picture-perfect home, we should be happy.
That wanting more — more respect, more joy, more purpose — was selfish.
That good enough was the best we could hope for.
But no one talks about what happens when you get all those things — and still feel invisible in your own life.
No one talks about the quiet moments, when you realize you’ve spent so much time keeping everything together, you forgot to ask yourself if you’re okay.
My divorce taught me something I never expected — the hardest part wasn’t leaving.
The hardest part was all the years I spent staying.
Staying because this is what society expected of me.
Staying because I was afraid of what people would say if I left.
Staying because I didn’t want to be selfish — especially for my kids.
Staying because I convinced myself that my own happiness didn’t matter.
But here’s the truth:
Wanting more doesn’t make you ungrateful.
It doesn’t mean you failed.
It doesn’t make you selfish.
It makes you real.
The hardest thing isn’t walking away — it’s admitting to yourself that you need more, even if no one else understands why.
Because it’s not about having it all.
It’s about having the courage to want more — and believing you deserve it.
With Love,
Mariane Bekker
Featured Events
Want us to sponsor an event or partner together? Contact us here
Wednesday, March 5 - 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Starting a startup is an exciting but challenging journey, full of lessons that often come the hard way. In this workshop, experienced founders will share the key insights, mistakes, and unexpected hurdles they encountered along the way—so you don’t have to learn them the hard way.
Thursday, March 6 - 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
We’re hosting an exclusive breakfast for Women founders at Perkins Coie, co-hosted by Mariane Bekker, CEO of Women Founders Bay.
This event brings together leading voices from the world of AI, venture capital, and technology to explore the latest investment trends, breakthrough technologies, and the transformative role of women in shaping the future of AI.
Friday, March 7 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
In this hands-on workshop, we delve into the essential principles of AI agent engineering, equipping participants with the frameworks and tools needed to design, build, and optimize intelligent agents.
Friday, March 07 - 1:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Startup Grind, with support from Springline and Canopy, is assembling the best powerhouse community builders for the first time ever to explore the past, present, and future of Silicon Valley. Join top founders, investors, and operators for an unforgettable day of insights, connections, and innovation in the heart of the Valley! 💡🔥
Tuesday, March 11 - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Struggling to grow your startup? Join Bryce Parrish for expert marketing advice tailored to early-stage founders. Whether you're refining your brand, optimizing customer acquisition, or scaling your marketing efforts, this session will provide actionable insights to help you navigate the complexities of startup marketing. Get personalized feedback, proven strategies, and data-driven tactics to accelerate your growth.
Wednesday, March 12 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Discover how the R&D Tax Credit can help your business save money! This workshop will break down who qualifies, what expenses count, and how to apply. Whether you're a startup or an established company, you could be missing out on valuable tax savings.
Thursday, March 13 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Raising capital is one of the most critical—and complex—challenges founders face. This workshop is designed to give you a solid understanding of the financial essentials that drive successful fundraising, helping you make informed decisions to grow your startup strategically
Thursday, March 13 - 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM PDT
Join us for a pitch event for innovators in deep tech and frontier technology, hosted by Kristopher Floyd and Mariane Bekker from Founders Bay.
We are featuring extraordinary AI and Frontier Tech startups with traction, raising their seed rounds, taking the stage to showcase their companies and compete head-head.
Friday, March 14 - 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Exclusive Dinner & Networking Event for Series A+ AI Founders
Join us for an exclusive gathering at GPU House, a private Hillsborough mansion turned AI innovation hub hosted by PaleBlueDot AI, where 40-50 of the top AI founders, VCs, and family offices.
PaleBlueDot is a GPU cloud cluster marketplace bridging the gap between suppliers and users of AI Cloud resources. PBD just released the first AI Cloud Agent deployed on DeepSeek R1. We’re also a fund with $1B AUM in the digitalization and AI sector, HQ’d in Silicon Valley, with offices in Hong Kong & Singapore.
Tuesday, March 18 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ever wanted to create your own chatbot but thought it was too technical? This beginner-friendly workshop will show you how to build a functional chatbot using Google Cloud - no coding experience required!
Wednesday, March 19 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Are you building an AI agent for your startup? Join Miles Maggio for an interactive Founders Bay Expert Office Hours session, where you’ll get tailored advice on strategies, development, and scaling.
Thursday, March 20 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Your brand is more than just a logo—it’s the story, personality, and promise that connect you with your audience. In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to craft a compelling brand identity that stands out in a crowded market. From defining your core values to creating a consistent visual and messaging strategy, this workshop will help you shape a brand that resonates and builds lasting trust with customers.
Tuesday, March 25 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools for startups to engage customers, nurture leads, and drive conversions. In this session, you'll learn how to craft compelling emails, build targeted campaigns, and leverage automation to maximize results. Whether you're just starting or looking to improve your email strategy, this workshop will provide actionable insights to help you create high-performing email campaigns.
Friday, March 28 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Scaling a business requires strong, efficient operations. This workshop will help you build systems that support growth, streamline workflows, and reduce bottlenecks. Learn how to create processes that keep your business running smoothly as it expands.
Mariane Bekker, 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.
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