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 21
SF
SF AI Summit
SF AI Summit for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
Project 1232 Launch Lunch
Project 1232 Launch Lunch for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
Flatkey Monthly Gathering
Flatkey Monthly Gathering for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
As AI changes the workforce, what jobs will we insist stay human (if any)?
As AI changes the workforce, what jobs will we insist stay human (if any)? for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
Everyone's all in on AI. What about NI (Nature's Intelligence)?
Everyone's all in on AI. What about NI (Nature's Intelligence)? for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
In the age of AI, will artists and creatives be the last irreplaceable intelligence? How will that intelligence be best used?
In the age of AI, will artists and creatives be the last irreplaceable intelligence? How will that intelligence be best used? for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
In this age of synthetic media and AI, how will we verify the authenticity of posts and posters?
In this age of synthetic media and AI, how will we verify the authenticity of posts and posters? for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
What is the value of human connection in an AI world?
What is the value of human connection in an AI world? for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Humanity in the Room: AI for Good Walk
Humanity in the Room: AI for Good Walk for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Net 30 - applied AI summit on the future of finance
Net 30 - applied AI summit on the future of finance for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Workshop Wednesday: Optimizing Your Business's Visibility in AI Search (AEO/SEO/GEO)
Workshop Wednesday: Optimizing Your Business's Visibility in AI Search (AEO/SEO/GEO) for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Founders & Investors Soiree | Supermoon, MongoDB & Concord Visa
Founders & Investors Soiree | Supermoon, MongoDB & Concord Visa for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
NYC AI Builder Nights: Pizza & Prompts
NYC AI Builder Nights: Pizza & Prompts for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
AI AFTER: NYC Founders & Entrepreneurs Afterwork Hangout #4 @230 Fifth Rooftop
AI AFTER: NYC Founders & Entrepreneurs Afterwork Hangout #4 @230 Fifth Rooftop for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Figma agent: Builder night (Wednesday, October 21)
Figma agent: Builder night (Wednesday, October 21) for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
NAB Creator Connect - NYC
NAB Creator Connect - NYC for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
She AI x 14Y: Wellness, Meet AI
She AI x 14Y: Wellness, Meet AI for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Off The Record: Hubscale x Evolution Equity Partners
Off The Record: Hubscale x Evolution Equity Partners for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
After 5 Dinner Series: NYC
After 5 Dinner Series: NYC for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Agentic Video Production
Agentic Video Production for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
NYC
Product Building x PMC Mentorship
Product Building x PMC Mentorship for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
AGNTCon + MCPCon Happy Hour | Workato & AWS
AGNTCon + MCPCon Happy Hour | Workato & AWS for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
Eve of AGNTCon+MCPCon Happy Hour
Eve of AGNTCon+MCPCon Happy Hour for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
OCT 21
SF
A Fireside Chat with Derek Kan: Silicon Valley vs. DC, who runs America in the Age of AI?
A Fireside Chat with Derek Kan: Silicon Valley vs. DC, who runs America in the Age of AI? for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
No upcoming events yet.
Related Products
Tools that support ticketing, invites, and demo shipping.
WithFriends.events
Make money from your ticketed events
Event discovery and organizer visibility for filling rooms and driving paid attendance.
Visit WithFriends
DarePhone.com
Automate Invitations
Calls, SMS, email, and website chat in one shared workflow for faster event coordination.
Visit DarePhone
DareBuild.com
Help participants build demos
Build Python apps in minutes and ship for weeks with a frictionless browser-based platform.
Visit DareBuildEvent Examples
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.