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.
OCT 17
NYC
AI x Fintech Hackathon - Money Talks 2
AI x Fintech Hackathon - Money Talks 2 for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
Arm + ExecuTorch: Edge AI Challenge
Arm + ExecuTorch: Edge AI Challenge for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
The GSD hackathon (Get s*** done!)
The GSD hackathon (Get s*** done!) for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
San Francisco | Physical AI for Science Impact Lab
San Francisco | Physical AI for Science Impact Lab for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
NYC
Leadership Forum & Career Summit: Navigating Career Paths in the AI Era
Leadership Forum & Career Summit: Navigating Career Paths in the AI Era for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
AI Safety Communications Bootcamp
AI Safety Communications Bootcamp for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
Build with Pine Computer - $7,500 in cash prizes
Build with Pine Computer - $7,500 in cash prizes for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
ExecuTorch Hackathon
ExecuTorch Hackathon for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
Mem-Off! The Open Source AI Memory Showdown
Mem-Off! The Open Source AI Memory Showdown for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
NYC
AI Product Demos & Social NYC | Food, Drinks & Networking
AI Product Demos & Social NYC | Food, Drinks & Networking for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
NYC
Solo Unicorn Roundtable · Series 04
Solo Unicorn Roundtable · Series 04 for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
Co-work at Homebrew Club – Weekend Open House Edition!
Co-work at Homebrew Club – Weekend Open House Edition! for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
NYC
Context Engineering Guild: October Edition
Context Engineering Guild: October Edition for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
AI Entertainment & Creativity Meetup
AI Entertainment & Creativity Meetup for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
Sinofuturism (1839-2046 AD) by Lawrence Lek | Screening @ TIAT for Chinamaxxing
Sinofuturism (1839-2046 AD) by Lawrence Lek | Screening @ TIAT for Chinamaxxing for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
AI Creative Workshop: Build Brand-Ready Ads with AI
AI Creative Workshop: Build Brand-Ready Ads with AI for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
SF
Show Your AI Setup | Yes SF!
Show Your AI Setup | Yes SF! for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 17
NYC
Apollo Research: Post-EAG NYC Socials
Apollo Research: Post-EAG NYC Socials for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 18
SF
Sudo Sunday #1: Auto Research
Sudo Sunday #1: Auto Research for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 18
SF
Builder Odyssey: AI Infra, Multimodal & FDE | Founder Demos & AI Film Showcase
Builder Odyssey: AI Infra, Multimodal & FDE | Founder Demos & AI Film Showcase for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 18
SF
Parenting in the AI Age: Raising the Next Generation with Wisdom, Discernment & Purpose
Parenting in the AI Age: Raising the Next Generation with Wisdom, Discernment & Purpose for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 18
SF
Top AI Researchers Roundtable & BBQ Party in Atherton
Top AI Researchers Roundtable & BBQ Party in Atherton for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 18
SF
Bio-Data Hackathon Demos + Prizes at SPC
Bio-Data Hackathon Demos + Prizes at SPC for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 18
SF
InclusionAI Tech Night: Your AI Reality Check
InclusionAI Tech Night: Your AI Reality Check 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.