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Sept 12–14, 2025

I’m so excited to invite you to Developer Camp 2025, officially supported by Founders Bay— where we're helping shape the future of AI with purpose.

Join our very own Kristopher Floyd as he judges alongside legendary VC Bill Tai (early investor in Canva and Zoom), Dave Andre (Google X science chief), Amanda Terry (ACTAI/Web3 trailblazer) and more tech leaders. 

In just 48 hours, you'll design impactful AI solutions, collaborate with top builders, and pitch your ideas to investors. I’ll see you there!

Tuesday, August 26 - 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

​Join us for our monthly 4WARD climate connection gathering — an evening designed to spark new ideas, deepen relationships, and cultivate collaborative action across the San Francisco Bay Area sustainability community.

​This isn’t just another networking event. It’s a space to dream, share, build, and explore what's next — together.

Thursday, August 28 - 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.

Friday, August 29 - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

​Stephen will walk founders through the financial, legal, and strategic groundwork needed for a successful raise. From understanding your company’s valuation to setting up a clean cap table, you'll gain practical advice that helps you avoid common mistakes and speak the language investors expect. You'll also hear real-world insights from Stephen’s experience advising early-stage startups.

Wednesday, September 3 - 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

​Join us for a special Women-Led Startups Edition of Palo Alto Pitch Nights where the most promising seed-stage companies led by women founders connect with active investors, top startup advisors, and a powerful founder network.

Thursday, September 11 - 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.

Friday, October 10 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM

FOUNDERSBAY30 (30% off)

Join us for a transformative day exploring the frontiers of human health and lifespan extension. Featuring visionary keynote speakers including Dr. Aubrey de Grey, Dr. Niko Dimitriadis, and world-champion surfer and resilience expert Bianca Valenti—alongside top scientists, entrepreneurs, and wellness leaders shaping the future of longevity.

Don’t miss out on these exciting new offerings! Upgrade your membership today and take your involvement to the next level.

Subscribe To Growth Access and get free tickets to: Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: 2 Hour Block Legal Advice, Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - From Seed to Series A: How Founders Can Leverage Personal Branding to Raise Capital, Founders Bay Virtual Workshop: How to Get Started - Formation and Fund Raising, Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - AI Coding for Velocity-Obsessed Developers: Code in Parallel, Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - Term Sheets Best Practices for Founders, Founders Bay Virtual Workshop: Why a Financial System Will Make or Break Your Business in 2026

Subscribe To VIP Access, get all the workshops above for free and get free tickets to: Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: 2 Hour Block Legal Advice, Founders B2B AI Breakfast @ Cole Frieman & Mallon LLP

👉 Build a coding agent that fixes bugs using Agno, xpander.ai, and Amazon Bedrock (5PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Learn how to build and deploy a Slack-native coding agent that monitors bug reports, proposes fixes, and shares them with your team. This workshop covers using Agno with xpander.ai and Amazon Bedrock to create scalable, production-ready AI agents.

👉 Inside AI Gateway Layers – Building Context-Aware & Resilient Platforms (5:30PM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Discover how AI gateways provide resilience, governance, and cost control for multi-cloud, multi-model GenAI systems. The session breaks down architectures, challenges, and practical strategies for building robust AI platforms.

👉 AI on the Rooftop with TQ Ventures (5:30PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A community rooftop gathering with lightning AI talks, networking, and shared inspiration. Meet fellow AI enthusiasts, builders, and practitioners in a casual, social setting.

👉 ElevenLabs Voice Agent Meetup (6PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ElevenLabs hosts its first Voice Agent meetup in SF featuring leading startups in the voice AI space. The event includes networking, demos, and a sneak peek at new ElevenLabs features.

👉 AI & Robotics Gym at Circuit Launch (6PM-8:30PM)
📍 Mountain View
💬 Hands-on robotics session where participants assemble, train, and interact with open-source robots powered by state-of-the-art AI models. Includes guided access to multiple robot platforms and tools for beginners and pros alike.

👉 ✨ Climate, AI, Co-working day, followed by potluck and Happy Hour evening (9AM-9PM)
📍 San Carlos
💬 A full-day co-working event focused on AI and climate solutions, followed by a happy hour and potluck in Redwood City. Connect with innovators and collaborators working on sustainability and GenAI.

👉 Ops Bottleneck Breakthrough (1PM-2PM)
📍 Online
💬 A practical workshop to identify and solve operational bottlenecks without adding headcount. Teams will leave with a personalized roadmap of quick wins and long-term fixes.

👉 We The Builders ft. David Cramer (Cofounder Sentry) (4PM-6PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Fireside conversation with David Cramer, Cofounder of Sentry, on scaling open-source into a $3B developer platform. Gain insights into building developer tools, fundraising, and startup growth.

👉 4WARD SF Bay Area Climate/Sustainability Monthly Event (5PM-9PM)
📍 Redwood City
💬 A monthly community gathering for sustainability leaders and climate innovators in the Bay Area. Designed to spark collaboration, idea-sharing, and action around building a sustainable future.

👉 Startup Confessions: (YC) AI Founders & Friends Get Real (6PM-9PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A candid event where YC founders and AI entrepreneurs share real stories and lessons from their journeys. Expect honest discussions, networking, and insights into the realities of startup building.

👉 Social Impact SF Mixer (7AM-10AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A mixer for mission-driven founders, nonprofit leaders, and social impact professionals. Enjoy food, art, and collaborations with changemakers across the Bay Area.

👉 GTM Fireside Chat: How the New Gen Buys (and Why You’re Doing It Wrong) (10AM-12PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Learn how modern B2B buyers make decisions and why old GTM playbooks no longer work. Gain practical insights for adapting your sales strategy to new customer behaviors.

👉 Hyperspace: Agentic OS (11AM-1PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Keynote unveiling Hyperspace Agentic OS, featuring a live demo of its spatial AI browser. Includes the launch of the first agentic blockchain protocol.

👉 San Francisco: AI x Health Tech Meetup at Innovaccer HQ (4:30PM-6:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Celebrate Innovaccer’s new SF office with a fireside chat on AI in healthcare. Stick around for an open bar, networking, and community vibes.

👉 MCP Server Builder Series - August (5PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Hands-on talks and demos on building with Model Context Protocol (MCP). Learn from community experiments and connect with other MCP developers.

👉 CTRL+ALT RESPAWN Fireside Chat ft. Fiona Ma & Chaniah Kelley (5PM-8PM)
📍 Oakland
💬 A curated evening blending film, gaming, and investor networking. Join the premiere session where bold ideas turn into real opportunities.

👉 SaaS Summit (5PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Evening lightning talks on building modern SaaS with the right tools in 2025. Network with founders and the developer community at AWS Builder Loft.

👉 AI Agents + Full Stack Demo Night @Convex with Inkeep (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Talks on AI Agents, vibe coding, and full-stack dev co-hosted with Inkeep. Food, refreshments, and networking round out the evening.

👉 OpenAI, Ollama and vLLM meetup on gpt-oss (5:30PM-10PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Meetup at Y Combinator SF office featuring discussions on gpt-oss with OpenAI, Ollama, and vLLM. RSVP required; food and drinks included.

👉 Founder Night (5:30PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A casual night for founders to share stories and connect over drinks. Perfect for builders at any stage of their journey.

👉 [Bits in Bio] AI transformation across the Biopharma R&D Lifecycle (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Panel on how AI is reshaping biopharma R&D, hosted by the Bits in Bio community. Learn from leaders in biotech, VC, and AI innovation.

👉 XDC Vibe Coding Bootcamp - Stage 1: Vibe (6PM-7PM)
📍 Online
💬 Intro bootcamp for building decentralized applications on the XDC Network. A beginner-friendly entry into vibe coding and blockchain dev.

👉 San Francisco Hottest AI, Tech & Finance Networking Event (7PM-9PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A networking event bringing together professionals in AI, tech, and finance at Soundtrack bar. Meet entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors driving the future of AI solutions.

👉 Social Impact SF Mixer (7PM-10PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 An evening mixer uniting mission-driven founders and changemakers with food, art, and networking. Free entry with proceeds supporting Social Impact SF events.

👉 Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: 2 Hour Block Legal Advice (10AM-12PM)
📍 Online
💬 Get tailored legal advice for your startup directly from Jessica North (Jorrie), Partner at Perkins Coie LLP. Perfect for founders seeking clarity on formation, fundraising, equity, or compliance.

👉 Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: 2 Hour Block Legal Advice (10AM-12PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 Online
💬 A dedicated two-hour session with Jessica North (Jorrie) offering direct legal guidance to founders. Gain insights on corporate law, VC deals, M&A, and avoiding costly mistakes.

👉 AI for Property Managers (10AM-11AM)
📍 Online
💬 Learn how AI tools are transforming property management with automation and data-driven insights. This session highlights real-world use cases to streamline operations.

👉 Life Science, AI, and General Seed Round PitchForce & Conference (HYBRID) (10AM-6PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A full-day event with startup pitches, investor panels, networking, and discussions across AI, Life Science, and Seed Round funding. Founders can pitch live or virtually for investor feedback.

👉 Startup Grind Summer Bash (12PM-7PM)
📍 Oakland
💬 A summer gathering uniting founders, investors, and startup communities across Silicon Valley, SF, Fremont, and Oakland. Expect networking, conversations, and celebration.

👉 Bay Area Generative AI Builders Meetup (3:30PM-5PM)
📍 Redwood City
💬 A meetup for engineers, researchers, and builders exploring Generative AI’s impact on industries. Features demos, discussions, and networking with the AI community.

👉 FDE (Forward Deployed Engg) Meetup + Happy Hour (4PM-7PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 The first-ever FDE community meetup bringing together engineers from top AI startups. Includes a fireside chat, unconference, and networking happy hour.

👉 MCPs and the Next Wave of Reliability (5PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Industry leaders discuss how MCPs are shaping the future of reliability in AI and SaaS infrastructures. Expect demos, panels, and insights on automation, observability, and governance.

👉 AIDataTech Global Networking Summit - San Francisco (5PM-7PM)
📍 Online
💬 A global virtual networking event for AI professionals, employers, and innovators. Build relationships, showcase expertise, and discover new opportunities.

👉 Investing in the AI Revolution in Life Sciences and Tech (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Panel with family offices, angels, and VCs on funding opportunities in AI, biotech, and healthcare. Includes networking, Q&A, and discussions on market trends.

👉 Women Tech Meetup: Raising On Your Terms (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A women-focused meetup on navigating fundraising and building on your own terms. Features stories, strategies, and connections with founders and funders.

👉 SVGENAI: Agent Monitoring + AI in high volume manufacturing (5:30PM-8PM)
📍 San Jose
💬 Talks and demos on AI for monitoring agents in production and applications in manufacturing. Includes lightning talks, networking, and Q&A.

👉 Byte Tank : Fintech X Devtools (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A pitch and feedback event bringing together fintech and devtools founders with top investors and operators. Focused on storytelling, pitching, and practical feedback.

👉 Arize x Turing AI Builders Meetup (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Learn how to optimize AI agents with RL Gyms and Prompt Learning. Includes research insights, demos, and community showcases.

👉 LangChain Presents: Demo Night (6PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Builders showcase projects built with LangGraph in short demos. Includes networking, Q&A, pizza, and beverages with the LangChain team.

👉 Modular Meetup: High-Performance AI in the Real World (6PM-9PM)
📍 Los Altos
💬 Talks from Modular and Inworld AI on AI compute, production voice AI, and matrix multiplication. Includes Q&A, networking, and refreshments.

👉 AI trivia night! by OpenAI & SignalFire (6PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A fun trivia night for engineers with AI-themed challenges and prizes. Sponsored by OpenAI and SignalFire with opportunities to meet fellow builders.

👉 Silicon Valley Founders Meetup 🦄 (6PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A social mixer for founders and investors featuring startup lightning pitches. Includes networking, drinks, and opportunities to connect with investors.

👉 Silicon Valley Demo Night 🚀 (6PM-9PM)
📍 Mountain View
💬 Showcase of 10 pre-Series A teams presenting frontier tech. High-energy night with founders, investors, and the Bay Area startup community.

👉 XDC Vibe Coding Bootcamp - Stage 2: Craft (6PM-7PM)
📍 Online
💬 Hands-on bootcamp for building decentralized apps on the XDC Network. Aimed at developers learning cutting-edge blockchain tools.

👉 SF Hardware & Manufacturing Happy Hour (6:30PM-9PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Hardware FYI and Fictiv host a happy hour for engineers, founders, and leaders in manufacturing. A networking space to talk shop with industry peers.

👉 Health in My Hands: The Future of Wearable AI (7PM-9PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A conversation with Stanford neuroengineer Favour Nerrise on wearable AI for brain health. Learn how AI and devices like smartwatches and EEGs can transform early diagnosis.

👉 Deep Tech Connections Networking Breakfast (8:30AM-10:30AM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 A monthly breakfast bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and innovators in deep tech. Share ideas, discuss trends, and build meaningful connections in an intimate setting.

👉 Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - Fundraising 101: What Founders Must Know First (3PM-4PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 Online
💬 A workshop on the key steps every founder should take before raising capital. Learn how to prepare financials, understand valuation, and avoid red flags with investors.

👉 Wonder Night - Beyond the Loop (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 An intimate screening of Wonder Originals’ Beyond the Loop anthology followed by a filmmaker and producer panel. Explore human + AI collaboration and creative workflows in storytelling.

👉 Tesla x Startup Valley: AI Innovation Night — San Francisco (6PM-9:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Hosted at the Tesla showroom, this event features expert talks, live startup pitches, and investor feedback. Network with leaders in AI, startups, and venture funding.

👉 XDC Vibe Coding Bootcamp - Stage 3: Deploy (6PM-7PM)
📍 Online
💬 Hands-on coding bootcamp focused on deploying decentralized apps on the XDC Network. A practical session for developers ready to build and launch.

👉 Tech Networking Event by Startup Valley in San Francisco (7PM-10PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A networking night for tech professionals, investors, and AI experts. Pitch your startup, exchange ideas, and connect with the Bay Area innovation community.

👉 AI Networking Walk San Francisco (Startups & Investors) (10AM-11:30AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A casual 2.4-mile morning walk for founders and investors to network outdoors. Enjoy coffee, fresh air, and conversations while strolling along Crissy Field Beach.

👉 Enterprise AI Summit 2025 - Revealing Untapped $3 Trillion (9AM-6PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A full-day summit at Moscone Center exploring how AI creates $3 trillion in enterprise value. Features top AI leaders, startup showcases, and hands-on enterprise transformation sessions.

🎤 Early People Practices That Scale: Low-Cost, High-Impact HR – Highlights from Founders Bay’s Workshop with Darlene Harper

At our latest Founders Bay Virtual Workshop, startup founders and early team leads explored how to build strong people foundations without breaking the budget. Led by Darlene Harper—an HR veteran and startup advisor—the session covered practical hiring, culture, and performance practices designed to help small teams scale smoothly.

Darlene’s mantra? Culture forms from day one—so build it intentionally, not by accident.

💡 Key Takeaways:

🔹 Hire with Intention, Not Urgency
Define core values early, hire for adaptability and mission alignment, and avoid rushing into “convenient” hires. Clear role expectations and structured interviews set the stage for success.

🔹 Onboard with Care
Use checklists, assign a buddy, and have founders share values directly with new hires. Early clarity reduces confusion and builds commitment.

🔹 Culture Is Built in the Everyday
Culture isn’t perks—it’s behaviors. Document values, celebrate wins, communicate transparently, and create small rituals that reinforce team connection.

🔹 Feedback and Trust Drive Performance
High-performing teams maintain a 5:1 praise-to-criticism ratio. Build psychological safety alongside accountability, and practice consistent feedback loops.

🔹 Prepare Lightweight Systems Early
Even with a small team, use templates, regular check-ins, and simple OKRs to create structure. Compliance, clear documentation, and fair compensation practices prevent costly issues later.

Darlene emphasized that people practices are not a “later problem”—they are the foundation for sustainable growth, investor confidence, and attracting top talent.

Stay tuned for our next Founders Bay session.

View the entire workshop video here: