Hi Friends,

After my divorce, I was rebuilding everything — my career, my community, my sense of self.

I wanted to find founders who understood what it meant to start over, to build from nothing, to belong somewhere again.

That’s why I created Founders Bay — and today, it finally has a home.

🔍 Discover founders & investors
💬 Join live workshops & events
🤝 Upgrade to access our private WhatsApp community

Here are some events happening this week and the LinkedIn post about all the events.:

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

Want to feature or add an event to our calendar? Submit it here

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

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👉 World Leading Scientists 2025 Conference (1PM-6PM)
📍 Berkeley
💬 Join global scientists to discuss California's innovation and the evolving role of AI in research. Expect deep insights on how frontiers of science are being pushed. A must-attend for anyone passionate about AI’s academic and practical impact.

👉 AI Agent Builders & Users Mixer (4PM-6PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Meet AI agent builders, users, and investors for an evening of connection and collaboration. Explore tools, insights, and opportunities shaping the AI agent ecosystem. Drinks, networking, and thought-provoking discussions await.

👉 Cloud Costs & Cocktails: CloudZero + GPU Economics (5PM-7PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Join a networking evening hosted by CloudZero and GPU Economics to explore cloud cost optimization. Enjoy food, mocktails, and a talk on smarter allocation strategies. Connect with peers in a friendly, insightful environment.

👉 Built on Bedrock Demo Night (5PM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Experience live demos from startups building Agentic AI on Amazon Bedrock. Learn how AI agents are revolutionizing real-world applications and workflows. Network with builders, innovators, and fellow Gen AI enthusiasts.

👉 localhost SFO: AI Gateway Meetup w/ ngrok (5PM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Get a sneak peek at ngrok’s pre-v0 AI gateway and share your feedback. Join demos and discussions on LLMs, design partnerships, and the future of AI infrastructure. Limited spots for a curated crowd of early adopters.

👉 Daytona AI Builders - SF, October '25 @Datadog (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A gathering of builders tackling real-world AI infrastructure challenges. Dive into topics like scaling agents, security, and cost control. Leave with practical insights and community connections to ship agent-native systems.

👉 Venture Boldly: A Screening of Show Her the Money (5AM-8AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Watch a powerful documentary on closing the gender gap in venture funding. Learn from women founders and investors driving billion-dollar businesses against the odds. Join a discussion that celebrates bold ideas and builds a more equitable future.

👉 Agents & Meatballs - A Public Dreamforce Week Event (No Badge Required) (1PM-6PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Just minutes from Dreamforce, join a casual event to explore AI agents while enjoying great food. Experience hands-on demos, roulette sessions, and real conversations that make AI practical. Come for the insights, stay for the meatballs and connections.

👉 Venture Boldly: A Screening of Show Her the Money (5PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A film screening and conversation focused on empowering women in venture capital. Follow the stories of trailblazing founders and investors breaking barriers. Network with changemakers passionate about funding women-led innovation.

👉 The Fractional Advantage: Marketing That Fuels Startup Growth (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Learn how effective marketing can transform early-stage startups into scalable ventures. Discover the role of storytelling, brand credibility, and fractional CMOs in growth. Ideal for founders seeking clarity and momentum in competitive markets.

👉 Dreamforce Recovery Hour: Brats, Brews & No BS (5:30PM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Take a break from Dreamforce and unwind over bratwursts, beer, and good company. No decks, no demos—just genuine conversations with finance professionals. Perfect for CFOs and SaaS leaders who want a relaxed Oktoberfest-style hangout.

👉 Designing Agentic Interfaces (5:30PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Explore how AI is reshaping both design tools and product experiences. Learn to design intuitive, trustworthy AI products that feel natural and human-centered. Gain insights from experts bridging creativity and cutting-edge technology.

👉 AI x Environmental Impacts - Panel Discussion (5:30PM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join a thought-provoking panel on AI’s environmental impact and responsibility. Hear from technologists, researchers, and activists tackling sustainability challenges. A must for those interested in ethical AI, climate tech, and social good.

👉 AI Founders Mixer @ StartupHQ (6PM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Connect with AI founders, builders, and investors in a casual, high-value mixer. Discuss challenges like scaling, infrastructure, and cost optimization over light bites. Expect authentic conversations and partnerships, not pitches.

👉 Voice AI Leaders Dinner (6:30PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A private dinner hosted by Cartesia for innovators in Voice AI. Share ideas, experiences, and visions for the future of conversational technology. Enjoy good food and better company among leaders shaping the next wave of AI.

👉 AI Agents Deep Dive (5PM-8PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Explore the latest breakthroughs in LLMs and autonomous agents. Connect with developers, researchers, and innovators shaping the future of intelligent systems. A focused evening for those curious about the next evolution of AI.

👉 Lindy AI Agent Build Night @ Lindy HQ (6PM-8:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Build two AI agents alongside the Lindy team in this hands-on workshop. Collaborate with fellow builders and see the latest product capabilities in action. Ideal for both seasoned creators and first-time agent developers.

👉 Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: Startup Advice with Mariane Bekker (10AM-12PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 Online
💬 Get tailored advice on fundraising, technology, and team building for your startup. Learn how to craft pitches, scale efficiently, and attract the right talent. Limited slots available for founders seeking direct, actionable insights.

👉 Proving Ground + Snowflake: AI Startup + Builder Sprint (2:30PM-8PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 A high-energy sprint where founders turn ideas into scalable AI startups. Build with Snowflake, collaborate with 150+ peers, and pitch to top VCs. Winners earn feedback, accelerator access, and startup credits to accelerate growth.

👉 The Inaugural AgeTech SF Hackathon (9AM-6PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join designers, engineers, clinicians, and founders to prototype solutions that help caregivers and older adults thrive. This hackathon tackles one of society’s fastest-growing challenges—caregiving for middle-income families. A full day of collaboration, innovation, and impact-driven design.

👉 Daytona HackSprint - SF, October '25 (9AM-6PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Not your average hackathon—this is a HackSprint built for speed, creativity, and real outcomes. Turn bold ideas into working prototypes while connecting with top AI innovators. Expect deep focus, great vibes, and seamless collaboration.

👉 Hacktoberfest Hackathon 2025 - San Francisco (10:30AM-7:30PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Celebrate Hacktoberfest 2025 with a full day of hacking, learning, and exclusive swag! Build with peers, attend expert-led sessions, and win prizes worth $400+. Code, connect, and get creative with the dev community.

👉 Meditation GenJam: Make a Meditation Video with AI! (6PM-10PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Where meditation meets creation—this GenJam blends mindfulness with AI-powered artistry. Use tools like Suno, Luma, and ElevenLabs to co-create guided meditation videos. A peaceful night of learning, collaboration, and flow.

👉 Startup Pitch Salon | Cash Award | Investor Feedback (2PM-4PM)
📍 San Jose
💬 Early-stage founders take the stage to pitch their ventures to seasoned investors and a live audience. Expect real-time feedback, audience voting, and a $1000 cash award for the top pitch. A dynamic afternoon of insight, community, and opportunity.

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Negotiation is a daily part of startup life—from dividing equity with your co-founder to closing your first enterprise deal. Yet many founders underestimate just how much leverage they give away without realizing it.

At our recent Founders Bay Workshop, Gerta Malaj, founder of YourNegotiations.com, shared how founders can become stronger, more strategic negotiators. Trained by experts from MIT and Harvard Law School, and with experience spanning LinkedIn, IBM, South Park Commons, and multiple venture-backed startups, Gerta helps founders, executives, and professionals secure better deals—without burning bridges.

💡 Key Takeaways

🔹 You Negotiate Every Day
Founders aren’t just negotiating with investors. You’re negotiating with co-founders, early hires, advisors, design partners, and even vendors. Each conversation—equity splits, timelines, pricing, ownership—affects your leverage. Recognize every touchpoint as a negotiation moment.

🔹 Protect Your Leverage
Negotiation isn’t about demanding—it’s about managing information flow. “Your leverage,” Gerta explains, “is like your hand of cards. Once you show them, you lose your power.” For example, when a company asks for your salary expectations, avoid naming a number or even a range—you risk either underselling yourself or pricing yourself out before talks begin.

🔹 Prepare Like a Pro
The strongest negotiators know exactly what matters most. Before entering any discussion, define your priorities (cash, equity, brand reputation, lifetime value, timeline, etc.) and your non-negotiables (the points you’d walk away from). Clear self-awareness leads to confident, principled deals.

🔹 Build Win-Win Outcomes
Great negotiators don’t “win at all costs.” They craft outcomes where both sides gain—whether that means trading short-term price for long-term partnership, offering testimonials for discounts, or creatively aligning incentives with early collaborators.

🔹 Mind the Psychology
Small communication shifts can dramatically change outcomes. Simply adding the word “because” in a request, Gerta notes, statistically increases compliance—showing that human behavior often responds more to framing than logic.

✅ Why It Matters for Founders & Leaders

As Gerta reminded us, “You don’t get what you deserve—you get what you negotiate.” By treating every interaction as an opportunity to protect your leverage and create mutual value, founders can turn everyday conversations into strategic wins.

👉 Want to learn more?
Connect with Gerta Malaj on LinkedIn or visit YourNegotiations.com for personalized startup negotiation coaching.

View the entire workshop video here: