Curated AI events in NYC and SF.
For Students, Developers, and Funded Founders
I run two calibrated tracks: Students / Developers and Funded Founders. We host high-quality hackathons, founder dinners, and premium PMF conversations in NYC and SF.
Design Principles
Built like a real team: curation, context, and execution discipline.
Room Quality First
Attendee quality beats vanity metrics. The right room creates compounding outcomes.
Context by Track
Students/developers and funded founders get separate, purpose-built experiences.
Operator-Led Formats
Events are run with production-level planning, not community chaos.
Real Follow-Through
Dinners, intros, and post-event workflows are built to move relationships forward.
Ecosystem
Trusted by leading organizations
Mission
From discovery to PMF: events that match founder stage and technical depth.
We blend flagship hackathons with intimate founder rooms. Early builders get momentum, while funded teams get high-context peer networks and PMF-level strategy conversations.
See founder dinner formatsAbout James Steinberg
AI researcher, serial entrepreneur, and host of high-signal builder rooms.
Background, operator context, and founder outcomes are documented below. These references explain why these events are run with a tighter standard than generic meetups.
Two Tracks
One network, two intentionally different experiences.
Students / Developers
Execution-heavy programs for technical builders shipping projects and meeting mentors.
- Hackathons with clear build milestones
- Hands-on workshops and technical talks
- Demo-focused events with real feedback loops
Funded Founders
Private founder rooms optimized for tactical growth and high-trust relationship building.
- Curated dinners across NYC and SF
- Operator and investor-adjacent conversation
- Selective PMF conversations and peer exchange
Event Formats
Programmed with card-level precision and strong attendance intent.
No upcoming events yet.
OCT 15
NYC
AI//UNBOUND by PEN Ventures
AI//UNBOUND by PEN Ventures for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
K-Pitch: Gyeonggi Startup Showcase NYC + Private Lunch
K-Pitch: Gyeonggi Startup Showcase NYC + Private Lunch for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
Agent Builders Breakfast - Founders & Builders in SOMA, SF
Agent Builders Breakfast - Founders & Builders in SOMA, SF for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
TiDB SCaiLE 2026
TiDB SCaiLE 2026 for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
Cascade Social Lunch
Cascade Social Lunch for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
HUMANOID HUB Conference
HUMANOID HUB Conference for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
Orkes Shift
Orkes Shift for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
C10 Labs x NYCEDC x Pegasystems: NYC AI Nexus Fall 2026 Cohort Launch Event
C10 Labs x NYCEDC x Pegasystems: NYC AI Nexus Fall 2026 Cohort Launch Event for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
Stanford Computational Medicine Research Colloquium | From Bits to Bedside: Three Clinical AI Pilots that Scaled - or Stopped
Stanford Computational Medicine Research Colloquium | From Bits to Bedside: Three Clinical AI Pilots that Scaled - or Stopped for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
ReCON - Coinspiracy II
ReCON - Coinspiracy II for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
Zenskar Finance Exchange | San Francisco
Zenskar Finance Exchange | San Francisco for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
Hands-on training: Agent Observability with Langfuse in New York
Hands-on training: Agent Observability with Langfuse in New York for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
The Quantified Self: What AI Can Actually Tell You About Your Data
The Quantified Self: What AI Can Actually Tell You About Your Data for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
AI TECH & Startup Night — Manhattan, New York
AI TECH & Startup Night — Manhattan, New York for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
Creative Machines NYC | Hosted by Dessn
Creative Machines NYC | Hosted by Dessn for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
Move Fast, Break Nothing: Corridor Happy Hour NY
Move Fast, Break Nothing: Corridor Happy Hour NY for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
AI Security Supper Club | NYC
AI Security Supper Club | NYC for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
Brex Supper Club NYC
Brex Supper Club NYC for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
How To Count Digital Minds (Jeff Sebo) + Q&A + Networking
How To Count Digital Minds (Jeff Sebo) + Q&A + Networking for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
Tech Leaders Fine Dining Series: AI Past the Pilot: A Private Dinner at Delmonico's
Tech Leaders Fine Dining Series: AI Past the Pilot: A Private Dinner at Delmonico's for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
The Next Frontier of AI Agents
The Next Frontier of AI Agents for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
NYC
AI Engineers: Poker & Game Night
AI Engineers: Poker & Game Night for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
Nace AI x Free Donuts: Join the Community
Nace AI x Free Donuts: Join the Community for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 15
SF
PickleTalk: Enterprise Operators × AI Founders (Seed to Series A)
PickleTalk: Enterprise Operators × AI Founders (Seed to Series A) for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
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Real rooms. Real builders. Real follow-through.
Founder Dinner Series
Funded Founder Rooms
We host intimate dinners across NYC and SF with founders from ecosystems like Y Combinator, Speedrun, and Techstars.
PMF Track
Product-Market-Fit Dinner
More selective than standard founder dinners, this room is generally reserved for teams that have raised $4M+ and are beginning to show PMF.
Contact
Want your next event room to feel this sharp?
If you are building in AI and care about room quality, we should talk.