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.
JUL 25
SF
AI Bootcamp: Agents in the Enterprise — A Hands-On Build Day for Executives, Leaders and Innovators
AI Bootcamp: Agents in the Enterprise — A Hands-On Build Day for Executives, Leaders and Innovators for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Open World Hackathon: building the future of physical AI
Open World Hackathon: building the future of physical AI for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
24hr AI for Science World Models Hack @ Zeon Systems
24hr AI for Science World Models Hack @ Zeon Systems for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Mind Games AI Hackathon + Exclusive Napa Retreat
Mind Games AI Hackathon + Exclusive Napa Retreat for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Scalekit x Meetstream Agents in Production Build Day SF
Scalekit x Meetstream Agents in Production Build Day SF for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
VCN #44: The Loop
VCN #44: The Loop for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
For the First Time Ever: Siamak & Babak Hodjat — Live
For the First Time Ever: Siamak & Babak Hodjat — Live for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Personal Branding Round Table in AI Era
Personal Branding Round Table in AI Era for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
🦾 Self-evolving in the Real World: the Physical AI Edition
🦾 Self-evolving in the Real World: the Physical AI Edition for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
AI + Drone Innovation Lab
AI + Drone Innovation Lab for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Memory & Context — A Deep-Dive Salon @ GeekHouse
Memory & Context — A Deep-Dive Salon @ GeekHouse for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Robotics & World Models Reading Club 20: Agentic Robotics Models (ENPIRE and Cap-X) — Mountain View 07/25
Robotics & World Models Reading Club 20: Agentic Robotics Models (ENPIRE and Cap-X) — Mountain View 07/25 for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
the Epistemologies of Slop | Art + Tech Exhibition Closing Reception
the Epistemologies of Slop | Art + Tech Exhibition Closing Reception for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
NYC
Pre-AIWSNYC Meetup
Pre-AIWSNYC Meetup for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Agent-Native Founders Pitch & Mingle
Agent-Native Founders Pitch & Mingle for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Local AI Workshop
Local AI Workshop for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
Off the Record: AI Researchers Roundtable Chat w/ Dinner
Off the Record: AI Researchers Roundtable Chat w/ Dinner for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
c0mpiled-13: Startup School Hackathon II
c0mpiled-13: Startup School Hackathon II for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
YC AI Startup School Afterparty
YC AI Startup School Afterparty for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
YC AI Startup School Infra Layer After-party
YC AI Startup School Infra Layer After-party for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
YC Startup School Afterparty: Founder Hot Pot
YC Startup School Afterparty: Founder Hot Pot for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 25
SF
YC Startup School After Party with Roboflow
YC Startup School After Party with Roboflow for the SF builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 26
NYC
NEAR Legion Build City: A.I. For You
NEAR Legion Build City: A.I. For You for the NYC builder network with curated in-person attendance.
JUL 26
SF
JacHacks San Francisco
JacHacks San Francisco 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.