Business and economics talks in the Bay Area

From Stanford Research to Startup

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Sat, Oct 24 ·11:00 am ·Mackenzie Room ·Stanford

What does it take to turn research into a company? A panel explores the journey from Stanford lab to startup commercialization, featuring Brian Bartholomeusz, Managing Director of Innovation Transfer at Stanford's TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy; Caraiosa O'Farrell, a Stanford founder; and a representative from StartX's energy vertical. The conversation covers idea validation, early-stage challenges, and how to navigate Stanford's entrepreneurial ecosystem for founders at any stage—from hackathon prototype to company launch.

via Stanford Climate Week ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
From Climate Data to Climate Action

Business & EconomyScience & TechCivics & Power Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Sat, Oct 24 ·3:00 pm ·Mackenzie Room ·Stanford

How can climate data drive real-world solutions? A panel discussion on turning climate insights into actionable opportunities, featuring Giancarlo Savini (Carbon Removal Partners), Kevin Kopczynski (Congruent Ventures), and Ajay Gupta (CLAI Ventures). The discussion explores how investors evaluate climate solutions, what evidence validates promising ideas, and what it takes to move from prototype to adoption. Aimed at hackathon participants seeking to connect technical work to customer needs, commercial viability, and measurable climate impact.

via Stanford Climate Week ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Daniel Rock - The Free Hypothesis: AI and Shifted Bottlenecks in Science

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Mon, Oct 26 ·12:00 pm ·Gates Computer Science ·Stanford

UPenn Assistant Professor Daniel Rock examines how AI is reshaping scientific research by shifting computational and labor bottlenecks. Part of a university seminar series on AI's impact on science and research methodology.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Future of Workplace Regulation Colloquium: Data Laws at Work

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Mon, Oct 26 ·12:30 pm ·UC Law SF ·San Francisco

Veena Dubal, Professor of Law at UC Irvine School of Law and General Counsel of the American Association of University Professors, whose research combines legal and ethnographic methods to study gig work and algorithmic wage-setting, presents Data Laws at Work — the closing session of the Future of Workplace Regulation Colloquium, a five-part series on how emerging technologies are reshaping employment law. Held in the Deb Colloquium Room.

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Stanford Energy Seminar | AI, Energy, and Sustainability: From Innovation to Impact | Richard Newell, C3 AI (former)

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Mon, Oct 26 ·4:30 pm ·Shriram Center ·Stanford

A fireside chat on artificial intelligence's dual role in energy systems—driving new demand for power while enabling cleaner, more reliable, and efficient infrastructure. Richard Newell, former CTO of Sustainability Solutions at C3 AI, discusses concrete AI applications in energy, 'physical AI' for grids and infrastructure, AI's reshaping of software deployment, and promising opportunities at the AI-energy intersection, in conversation with John Weyant, Stanford professor and energy systems analyst. The discussion explores lessons from past energy transformations and how students and early-career professionals can contribute to this emerging field.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
IIEX West 2026 Oct 27–28

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium

Oct 27–28 Tue, Oct 27 ·7:00 am ·Pier 27 ·San Francisco

A two-day conference on market and consumer research — how insights teams work, and what AI, behavioural science, and UX methods are doing to the discipline. Greenbook runs it across three stages, sixteen hosted roundtables, and some sixty sessions, with live technology demonstrations and a startup pitch competition alongside the talks. Speakers include Stanford professor Byron Reeves; Kristen Griffith, insights director at Clorox; Rob Gaige, global head of marketing insights at Reddit; Kendra Shapiro, who leads consumer insights and UX research at Ancestry; Mike Carlon of Charter Communications; and Maya Kantak of Rocket, with further speakers from Microsoft, Visa, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Airbnb. Part of the programme is reserved for client-side researchers.

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The AI X Leadership Summit 2026

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Tue, Oct 27 ·7:00 am ·Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport ·Burlingame

An annual summit on artificial intelligence and leadership hosted by ODSC (Open Data Science Community). The event brings together data scientists, AI practitioners, technology leaders, and business professionals to explore emerging trends, applications, and implications of AI systems. Held at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport. Pre-registration required; paid attendance.

Event link ↗ Edit
AI X Leadership Summit | ODSC AI West 2026

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium

Tue, Oct 27 ·9:00 am ·Hyatt Regency SFO ·Burlingame

ODSC AI West 2026 is a multi-day conference bringing together practitioners, business leaders, and AI professionals to explore reskilling opportunities, emerging technologies, and leadership strategies in an AI-driven economy. The summit features keynotes, expert panels, and topic-focused sessions on AI applications, workforce transformation, and organizational strategy. Hosted by the Open Data Science Community at Hyatt Regency SFO.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
ODSC AI West 2026 Conference

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Tue, Oct 27 ·9:00 am ·Hyatt Regency SFO ·Burlingame

The Open Data Science Conference (ODSC) AI West 2026 brings together data scientists, machine learning engineers, and AI practitioners for workshops and hands-on training led by industry experts. The conference features technical sessions on AI research, applications, and emerging tools, with opportunities to learn from leading practitioners across academia and industry. Multi-day program with keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
GTM AI Paradox: You Got Speed, But Lost the System

Business & Economy Workshop / PracticeLecture / Forum Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·4:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

A workshop on building scalable go-to-market systems for AI-native companies. Participants will learn why speed without a GTM operating system creates fragility, and what it takes to build systems that are fast, repeatable, and built to scale. Led by Lydia Flocchini and Tim Hillison—both 3x CMOs, GTM Partners Certified Partners, and repeat operators with a track record of nine successful builds across startups, scaleups, and Fortune 500 companies. Attendees will leave with a clear GTM operating system framework, a maturity assessment of their current GTM journey, and real examples from data to agentic GTM. A One Way Summit 2026 Official Side Event.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Platform Engineering Meetup: Agents broke the balance (& how to fix it)

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumBar / Cafe Talk Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·5:00 pm ·130 Sutter St floor 7 ·San Francisco

AI-generated code now arrives faster than validation pipelines can process, breaking the balance between code production and quality checks. This meetup brings together engineers rebuilding feedback systems for the agent era. Speakers and panelists will discuss why this gap matters for change success rates and recovery time, how pairing robust delivery pipelines with sub-minute validation improves efficiency, and how running only relevant tests keeps compute costs down. Hosted by Bond AI with a panel discussion, audience Q&A, and peer networking.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Git Your Ship Together: AI Beyond the Code

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·5:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

A conversation on how engineering teams integrate AI into their workflows beyond code generation. Tanmai Gopal (CEO, PromptQL) discusses how customer context and team knowledge shape AI-assisted work; Iba Masood (Optimal AI) covers AI code review, quality, security, and measurement; Joe Maionchi (co-founder, RocketRide.ai) addresses moving AI prototypes to reliable production, including testing, debugging, and maintenance. Aimed at engineering leaders attending GitHub Universe.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Founders (Don't) Cry

Business & Economy Lecture / Forum Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·5:00 pm ·Frontier Tower ·San Francisco

A talk on founder psychology and resilience with Matteo Cassese, founder coach and keynote speaker. How do successful founders—Steve Jobs, Larry Page, Jensen Huang—leverage difficulty and chaos for growth while avoiding burnout? Cassese explores the internal work that shapes external success: transforming conflict into opportunity, the stories founders tell themselves, and unconventional approaches to confidence and mindset drawn from psychology, mythology, and contemplative practice.

via Frontier Tower ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Information's 2026 WTF Summit Oct 27–28

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium

Oct 27–28 Tue, Oct 27 ·5:00 pm ·The Estate Yountville ·Yountville

The Information's annual summit for women in tech, media, and finance — what the initials stand for — held over two days at a Yountville resort. The format is onstage interviews with chief executives across the three industries, together with panels, breakout sessions, and networking; published topics include AI agents, the changing shape of SaaS, robotics, crypto financing, and AI in creative work. Tuesday runs as an evening reception and dinner, with the main interview programme on Wednesday. Speakers had not been announced at the time of listing.

Event link ↗ Edit
The Illicit Finance Hydra: Crypto, Sanctions Evasion, and the New Financial Battlefield

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College ✦ burnoff pick

Tue, Oct 27 ·5:30 pm ·Hohbach Hall ·Stanford

Cryptocurrency is reshaping illicit finance and international sanctions enforcement. Alexander Browder, founder of the Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database, analyzes two decades of major cases to explore how digital assets and stablecoins enable sanctions evasion, state-backed activity, and money laundering by Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other actors. He discusses policy responses from governments, financial institutions, and tech companies, and shares how his research prompted UK and EU action—and led to his being sanctioned by Russia in June 2026.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Anti-Debate || The Billionaire Tax

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumSalon Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·5:30 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco

An Anti-Debate on the billionaire tax, a structured dialogue format where participants build on each other's insights to explore complexity rather than declare winners. Moderated by systems strategist Jenny Stefanotti, with San Jose State finance professor Annette Nellen and UC Berkeley law professor Brian Galle exploring the tax's merits, challenges, and trade-offs from multiple perspectives.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
AI Reliability: Bridging Frontier Scale and System Stability

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·5:30 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

Frontier AI systems face real-world challenges at scale: GPU failures, cascading outages, and non-deterministic behavior threaten reliability. This session explores operational lessons from 2026's high-impact AI infrastructure incidents, featuring infrastructure leaders, SREs, and MLOps engineers discussing practical architectures for cluster resilience, inference under pressure, and redefining SLOs for probabilistic systems. Topics include mitigating compute failures, designing fallbacks and circuit breakers, measuring reliability in AI systems, and blameless postmortems from major 2026 outages. Hosted by Bond AI and Rootly.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Code Engineering: From Coding Agents to Software Factories

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum

Tue, Oct 27 ·6:00 pm ·AWS Builder Loft ·San Francisco

A technical talk on building software factories using coding agents, harnesses, and verification systems. Attendees will learn how AI-driven coding tools are being integrated into production workflows and what engineering practices enable scaling from experimental agents to reliable systems.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Tom Frank - The Creativity Con: How Innovation Became America's Biggest Racket

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Book TalkLecture / ForumBookshop Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·7:00 pm ·City Lights Bookstore ·San Francisco

Thomas Frank discusses his new book *The Creativity Con*, a critique of how 'innovation' and 'creativity' have become ideological cover for policies that entrench class inequality and protect elite interests. Frank charts the construction of America's self-image from Sputnik to Silicon Valley, examining how these concepts have been deployed by business leaders, technologists, and politicians while actual policies reinforce the status quo—tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation, offshoring, and urban reorientation. Frank is the bestselling author of *What's the Matter with Kansas?* and *Listen, Liberal*, founding editor of *The Baffler*, and former Wall Street Journal columnist.

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Women's Impact Summit

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Conference / SymposiumLecture / Forum

Wed, Oct 28 ·8:30 am ·PG&E Auditorium ·Oakland

A regional summit convening 250+ senior women leaders from Bay Area business and civic sectors to discuss pressing issues shaping the region's economic and social future. Keynote from First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Hosted by the Bay Area Council at PG&E Auditorium.

via Bay Area Council ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Agentic Infrastructure Stack Summit

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·9:00 am ·Terra Gallery & Event Venue ·San Francisco

An in-person summit for enterprise IT leaders, technical decision-makers, and infrastructure architects scaling agentic AI systems at scale. Hear from enterprise leaders deploying and debugging AI agents in production, exchange technical strategies on inference economics, memory and context infrastructure, AI factory architectures, and agentic workload orchestration. VentureBeat curates a focused peer-networking environment designed for meaningful one-on-one conversations across industries and access to proprietary research on how enterprises are scaling agentic AI.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Crescendo Live 2026

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium

Wed, Oct 28 ·9:00 am ·Terra Gallery & Event Venue ·San Francisco

A conference bringing together customer experience leaders and AI experts to explore the intersection of AI and business strategy. Speakers include James Green and Hemant Taneja, alongside industry practitioners and researchers examining how organizations are deploying AI systems and rethinking customer engagement in an AI-driven landscape.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
One Way Summit: The Flagship Event for Immigrant Entrepreneurship

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Conference / Symposium

Wed, Oct 28 ·9:00 am ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A summit bringing together 1,000+ founders, investors, and innovators from 30+ countries to advance immigrant entrepreneurship and build connections across the global startup ecosystem. The event features keynotes, expert panels, and networking sessions designed to support immigrant-founded companies, attract venture capital, and showcase the economic contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to innovation and job creation in the Bay Area and beyond.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Advising Clients on Evolving Health Privacy Laws

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·1:00 pm ·UC Berkeley ·Berkeley

A panel discussion on health privacy law strategy across biotech and pharma sectors. Heather B. Deixler (Latham & Watkins), Joanna Kim and Alexis Watson (Abbott) explore how in-house and outside counsel navigate evolving state-level privacy regimes. Moderated by Vincent Joralemon, Director of the Life Sciences Law and Policy Center at Berkeley Law.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
All that is compute transforms into concrete: Monopoly rent and the fixity of AI’s infrastructure

Science & TechBusiness & EconomyCivics & Power Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free ✦ burnoff pick

Wed, Oct 28 ·3:30 pm ·575 McCone Hall ·Berkeley

How does AI infrastructure concentrate power and extract wealth? Geographers Dillon Mahmoudi (University of Maryland Baltimore County) and Alan Wiig (University of Florida) argue that the AI economy is fundamentally material and geographic—anchored to specific territories by data centers, energy demands, and land availability. They analyze two forms of monopoly rent: control of location and network proximity (extracting value from proximity to data and low latency), and control of computation itself (concentrated in a handful of firms charging tribute for access to scarce training capacity). Drawing on financial filings, industry reports, and fieldwork in Northern Virginia's Data Center Alley, they show how what appears as agglomeration economy is actually rent extraction through strategic fixity of capital in digital infrastructure—and how rising fixed-capital requirements are driving a profitability crisis in the sector.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
First Rays - AI Portfolio Day

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·4:00 pm ·San Francisco ·San Francisco

An exploration of how enterprise AI adoption is reshaping infrastructure, security, and data practices across organizations. The event features presentations and discussions on emerging AI applications and their operational impact.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Carina Hong - Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Speaker Series

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Wed, Oct 28 ·4:30 pm ·Nvidia Auditorium ·Stanford

Carina Hong, founder of Axiom Math, discusses AI systems for mathematical reasoning at Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Speaker Series. The series features entrepreneurs and innovators sharing insights on building and scaling ventures.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
GenTeam Build Night: AI Agents for Real Estate

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Workshop / Practice Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·5:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

Build your own AI agents for real estate workflows — transaction coordination, acquisitions, property search, and construction — using Genspark's AI workspace. Led by Corey Griffin, a real estate business owner who has deployed 10 agents for his own company, this hands-on session walks you through setting up agents that plan, research, and execute work autonomously. No experience needed; bring your laptop and a free Genspark account (created before arrival). Designed for realtors, investors, contractors, title professionals, and business owners curious about AI agent capabilities.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Panel on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Bay Area — Then and Now

Business & EconomyCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumLibrary Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·5:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

Explore the German-American influence on Bay Area innovation from the Gold Rush through Silicon Valley. Award-winning author Sandra Bonura discusses Claus Spreckels, the German-born 'Sugar King of California' who built an industrial empire. German journalist Arndt Peltner examines German immigrants' broader role in shaping the region. Silicon Valley entrepreneurship specialist Anne Cocquyt traces continuing connections between German innovation and contemporary Bay Area enterprise. Reuters editor Judith Langowski moderates, followed by audience Q&A.

via SF Public Library ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The People of Color Sustainability Collective Professional Development Symposium: BIPOC Professionals in Environmental Careers

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·5:00 pm ·Alumni Room ·Santa Cruz

A symposium connecting UCSC students with BIPOC environmental and sustainability professionals, organizations, and career pathways. Attendees will learn directly from practitioners across environmental fields, explore diverse career opportunities, and build professional networks. The event centers BIPOC leadership and businesses in the sustainability sector, offering students resources, mentorship, and connections to support their academic and career development in environmental work.

via UC Santa Cruz ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Data for Agents: The New Database User

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumBar / Cafe Talk Free

Wed, Oct 28 ·5:30 pm ·135 Constitution Dr ·Menlo Park

How data infrastructure and database systems are evolving to support autonomous AI agents in production. The talk covers data freshness, parallel request handling, access control, and metadata discovery across the data stack. Speakers include Savannah Whitman (VeloDB) on enterprise AI agents querying databases; Sijie Guo (StreamNative) on agent runtime failures and cost control; Jaz Ku (PuppyGraph) on mapping relationships across thousands of tables; and Adi Wabisabi (Datastrato) on scoping agent access to user permissions. The event concludes with a panel and Q&A.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Trick or Treat: A HallowGreen Pitch Night

Business & Economy Social

Wed, Oct 28 ·6:00 pm ·9Zero Climate Innovation Hub ·San Francisco

A pitch competition and networking event hosted by Swissnex San Francisco, connecting Swiss innovators and startups with North American investors and industry leaders. The event brings together Switzerland, North America, and global partners in science, education, innovation, and the arts. No substantive educational program or speaker agenda is described.

via Swissnex San Francisco ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Building Products For Agents

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / Forum

Wed, Oct 28 ·6:00 pm ·Vapi ·San Francisco

A ProductTank SF meetup focused on building products designed for AI agents. ProductTank is a global community for product managers and builders to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities in product development. This session explores how to design, develop, and ship products that leverage agent-based AI systems, covering product strategy, user experience, and technical implementation for agent-driven applications.

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AI in Healthcare

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumLibrary

Wed, Oct 28 ·7:00 pm ·Lafayette Library and Learning Center ·Lafayette

Dr. Priti Patel, Vice President and Chief Medical Information Officer at John Muir Health, discusses how AI tools are transforming patient care and workforce efficiency in healthcare systems. Drawing on her background as a family physician and clinical informaticist, Dr. Patel will explore where AI adds value in healthcare today, practical implementation strategies, and the ethical guardrails necessary for safe and responsible deployment.

via Lafayette Library Foundation ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
SFCC D.C. Check-In with Congressman Kevin Mullin

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum

Thu, Oct 29 ·10:00 am ·San Francisco ·San Francisco

A fireside chat with U.S. Congressman Kevin Mullin on his legislative priorities, state and federal partnerships for economic growth, and business policy. Hosted by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

via Yes SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Agentic AI Day: From Models to Systems That Act

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Thu, Oct 29 ·1:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

A half-day summit on infrastructure for autonomous AI agents, featuring 10 live product and technical demos from selected teams, a keynote on connected and collaborative AI systems, and a panel discussion on the infrastructure requirements for agentic applications. Speakers and judges include Dan Ndombe (Docker), Brett Liu (Sixty Degree Capital), Benny Liao (Acorn Pacific Ventures), and Vandon Duong (DCVC). Topics span agent runtime, tool use, multi-agent orchestration, context and memory systems, inference and serving, and evaluation and security. The curated room of approximately 80 attendees includes founders, engineers, researchers, investors, and enterprise leaders building in the agentic AI space.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The FDE Conference III

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium

Thu, Oct 29 ·3:00 pm ·San Francisco ·San Francisco

A multi-session conference for forward-deployed engineers, founders, and operators working in AI. The program features keynotes, breakout sessions, and fireside chats exploring emerging practices, technical challenges, and industry trends in AI deployment and engineering. Designed for practitioners navigating rapid AI adoption across organizations.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
GitHub Universe Week: Multiplayer AI for Product Managers & Engineering Leaders (Hands-on Learnathon)

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Workshop / Practice Free

Thu, Oct 29 ·4:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

A hands-on workshop exploring how multiplayer AI can streamline product development workflows—from backlog to spec to implementation to team review. Participants will learn how to turn tickets into shareable specs, work with AI bots to build features, and capture team decisions for future context. Led by Anuhrut Gupta, Product & Applied AI Lead at PromptQL. Bring your laptop and a backlog item (sample data or authorized materials welcome). Dinner and non-alcoholic drinks provided.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
What is private equity?

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Thu, Oct 29 ·4:00 pm ·Social Sciences Building ·Berkeley

What is the role of private equity in the U.S. economy? Charlie Eaton, Associate Professor of Sociology at UC Merced, presents new research assembling systematic data on PE's shifting strategies and ownership patterns since the 1980s. Drawing on a working paper co-authored with Albina Gibadullina, Marie-Lou Laprise, and Adam Goldstein, Eaton analyzes four interconnected PE roles—corporate raider, main street invader, shadow owner, and monopoly-builder—and how their balance has changed over time. He explores PE's expansion from traditional corporate restructuring toward agglomeration of private companies, longer hold times, and the spread of shareholder value logic across the economy with minimal transparency or regulation.

via BESI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Climate Career Session: Real Projects, Real Advice

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumSalon

Thu, Oct 29 ·5:00 pm ·9Zero Climate Innovation Hub ·San Francisco ·$12

An evening connecting climate designers with business professionals to explore climate careers and real-world solutions. Climate designers from UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design present projects on flooding disaster management, environmental contamination from sea level rise, extreme heat, and green infrastructure. Attendees gather for topic-specific tables where designers pressure-test visions against professionals with expertise in financing, partnerships, governance, and implementation — an opportunity to discover how climate expertise translates to careers and how business skills apply to human adaptation challenges.

via Social Impact SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Two Bay Areas, Shared Innovation - From San Francisco to Shenzhen

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Oct 29 ·5:00 pm ·The Historic Klamath ·San Francisco

A discussion on U.S.-China relations focusing on energy, technology, finance, and digital trade ties between the San Francisco Bay Area and Shenzhen. Hosted by the Bay Area Council in partnership with Bank of China NY, the event will feature speakers exploring bilateral economic and innovation opportunities. Followed by dinner and drinks aboard the Historic Klamath.

via Bay Area Council ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
You Can't Wait for Certainty: A repeatable way to decide under pressure, one your team can use without you in the room

Business & Economy Workshop / PracticeSalon Free

Thu, Oct 29 ·6:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco

A structured decision-making workshop for middle managers through senior leaders who find themselves as organizational bottlenecks. Participants learn a repeatable process for delegating decisions to their teams, working through a real decision from their own work in pairs and individually. The session covers reorgs, tool adoption, AI rollouts, and shifting priorities — leaving attendees with a one-page process they can hand to their team immediately. Led by The Commons SF.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Presentation on Stressless Taxes for Artists, Creatives, and Freelancers

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumLibrary Free

Thu, Oct 29 ·6:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

Learn tax fundamentals for self-employed creatives and freelancers, covering taxable income, deductible expenses, Schedule C forms, hobby losses, home office deductions, self-employed health insurance, and recent tax code updates. Sarah Lockhart, an Enrolled Agent with 25 years of experience serving artists and nonprofits, will lead the presentation and Q&A. Lockhart has developed tax workshops for Intersection for the Arts, Vital Arts, and SF Art Institute, and brings both tax expertise and a multi-disciplinary artistic background to the discussion.

via SF Public Library ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
State-Building by Other Means: Selective Enforcement and the Capital of Impunity

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College ✦ burnoff pick

Fri, Oct 30 ·12:00 pm ·Encina Commons ·Stanford

An examination of corruption and impunity in societies where rule-breaking is ordinary business practice. Rather than measuring violations, Michael Derrer investigates who is protected from legal consequences and who remains exposed—framing unequal impunity as the basis of hierarchy and state power. Drawing on 55 interviews in Moscow and Kyiv conducted in 2021, Derrer contrasts Russia's centralized control of protection with Ukraine's fragmented system, and argues that anticorruption reform, without addressing the underlying distribution of impunity, can paradoxically increase extraction. Derrer is Professor of Economic Sociology at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and author of a three-volume study of informal governance in Russia and Ukraine.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Japanese Are Coming: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies of Japanese Law Firms in California

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Oct 30 ·12:00 pm ·333 Deb Colloquium and Sky Deck, 5th Floor Cotchett Law Center ·San Francisco

A panel discussion on Japanese law firms entering and operating in the California legal market, examining business opportunities, regulatory and competitive challenges, and strategic approaches to market entry and practice development.

via UC Law SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Scalable Nonparametric Demand Estimation in Differentiated Product Markets | Julien Monardo - University of Bristol

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Oct 30 ·12:10 pm ·241 Giannini Hall ·Berkeley

Julien Monardo of the University of Bristol presents research on scalable nonparametric methods for estimating consumer demand in differentiated product markets. The talk addresses methodological challenges in industrial organization and applied microeconomics, part of UC Berkeley's Agricultural and Resource Economics Friday Seminar Series.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Group Coaching & Peer Support for Founders, Creators & Business Builders: Navigating Uncertainty & Relationships

Business & Economy Salon Free

Fri, Oct 30 ·2:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco

A weekly peer support circle for founders, creators, and business builders facilitated by Nima Imani, an ICF-certified leadership coach. Attendees bring real situations—decisions they're stuck on, team tensions, or the isolation of building—and receive coaching or peer reflection in a small group setting. No pitching; the focus is on navigating uncertainty, hard decisions, and the human side of change.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
USF Enterprise AI Summit #2

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College

Fri, Oct 30 ·2:00 pm ·101 Howard Street ·San Francisco

USF's second Enterprise AI Summit brings together industry leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore applications of AI in enterprise settings. The event spotlights USF's MS in Data Science and AI program and Data Institute, featuring talks on AI research, career pathways, and industry trends. Designed for students, professionals, and anyone interested in understanding how AI is reshaping business and technology.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
OSA Con 2026 - The Anti-Hype Conference for Open Source Analytics and AI

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Mon, Nov 2 ·9:30 am ·AWS Builder Loft ·San Francisco

OSA Con 2026 brings together engineers, architects, and builders working at the intersection of open source data infrastructure and AI. The conference features deep technical talks on AI workloads and data management, agentic analytics platforms, real-time analytics, shared data lakes, and emerging open-source architectures. Speakers include Lisa Cao (Databricks) on AI agents writing Apache Spark pipelines, Wei-Chin Call (Grafana Labs) on benchmarking AI agents for debugging, Jason Smith (Google) on serverless eventing for AI data pipelines, Aditi Pandit (IBM) on the Presto C++ engine, and Alex Merced (Dremio) on agentic lakehouses, alongside sessions on AI-generated code licensing, infrastructure dashboards, data lock-in, RISC-V Kubernetes clusters, and AI-powered analytics for gaming. November 2, 2026, AWS Builder Loft, San Francisco.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Transatlantic West: Political Disruption and Geoeconomics

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum ✦ burnoff pick

Mon, Nov 2 ·3:30 pm ·The Historic Klamath ·San Francisco

Dr. Michael Huther, Director of the Presidium of the German Economic Institute, discusses Germany's economic trajectory amid geopolitical upheaval. Topics include structural challenges in manufacturing and energy, China's growing trade pressure, Germany's defense spending as the Ukraine war continues, and evolving EU-U.S. relations. Huther brings decades of experience analyzing German economic policy, including prior roles as Secretary General of the German Council of Economic Experts and chief economist for DekaBank.

via Bay Area Council ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Stanford Energy Seminar | The US Energy Transition: What is the Same; What Has Changed; and What Could Be | Philip Deutch, NGP Energy Technology Partners

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Mon, Nov 2 ·4:30 pm ·Shriram Center ·Stanford

What remains constant in energy technology investment, and what has fundamentally changed? Philip Deutch, Partner and Co-Head of Energy Transition at NGP Energy Technology Partners, draws on nearly three decades of experience as one of the nation's most active energy tech investors to examine the enduring drivers of energy innovation and the new forces reshaping the sector. Part of Stanford's flagship Energy Seminar series at the Precourt Institute for Energy, which brings perspectives from academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, nonprofits, and industry leaders.

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TechEquity Ai Summit 2026: Talks + AI Agent Workshops Nov 3–6

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Nov 3–6 Tue, Nov 3 ·8:30 am ·135 Constitution Dr ·Menlo Park

TechEquity AI Summit 2026 features keynote talks and hands-on AI agent workshops. The event explores applications of generative AI across industries and skill-building in emerging AI tools and methodologies. Free to attend.

via TechEquity AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Defense Tech Conference Nov 3–4

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Conference / Symposium

Nov 3–4 Tue, Nov 3 ·12:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco ·$300

A mission-driven summit for founders building defense tech and dual-use startups, alongside government officials and investors. The conference aims to highlight early- and growth-stage companies, foster public-private collaboration, and equip founders with insights and community to succeed in defense innovation. Includes a pre-conference Founder Bootcamp on November 3rd with tactical guidance and direct engagement opportunities. November 4, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM PT.

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Stefanie Hutka - What Your Machines Should Do: The Science and Strategy of Human-Centered Automation

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / CollegeBook Talk Free ✦ burnoff pick

Tue, Nov 3 ·5:30 pm ·Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation ·Berkeley

A book launch talk on the strategic gaps between AI ambitions and organizational readiness to deploy automation effectively. Stefanie Hutka, design leader and author of *What Your Machines Should Do: The Science and Strategy of Human-Centered Automation*, examines what she calls the "Automation Strategy Gap"—the distance between companies' AI plans and their actual capability to implement them usefully. Drawing on human factors, cognitive science, and management theory, she argues that automation accelerates existing organizational systems and beliefs, making it essential to map your organization's foundational assumptions before automating anything. Essential for anyone navigating AI roadmaps and deployment strategy.

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Kristen Naiman - Real Style

Culture & HumanitiesBusiness & Economy Book TalkLecture / Forum

Tue, Nov 3 ·7:00 pm ·The RealReal ·San Francisco

Kristen Naiman, Chief Brand Officer at The RealReal and co-author of Real Style, discusses her book, which reframes style beyond traditional fashion guides to explore personal expression, sustainability, and intentional consumption in the age of resale and circular fashion.

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Beyond the Model: Connecting Design Data Across the Project Lifecycle

Business & Economy Lecture / Forum

Wed, Nov 4 ·8:30 am ·Center for Architecture + Design ·San Francisco

Architecture and design teams create vast amounts of project data that often becomes fragmented across design, construction administration, fabrication, construction, and operations phases—resulting in duplicated effort, disconnected workflows, and lost institutional knowledge. This AIA San Francisco session examines how design teams can develop more connected approaches to project information across the entire lifecycle. Attendees will explore different data types (design, BIM, project management, asset information), identify common information loss points, and learn practical strategies for maintaining continuity between phases. Real-world workflow examples demonstrate how intentional data management improves collaboration, reduces rework, and extends design value well beyond project handoff. Earns 1 AIA LU credit.

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HAI Seminar with Marcos Santiago Rojas Pino & Thomas Caruso

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Wed, Nov 4 ·12:00 pm ·Gates Computer Science Building ·Stanford

Clinical Mind AI is a Stanford-developed international platform that uses AI-simulated patient encounters to strengthen clinical reasoning education across health professions. Marcos Santiago Rojas Pino and Thomas Caruso discuss the platform's design principles, its implementation across institutions and languages, and how it supports instructor-centered clinical simulation. The talk also explores Clinical Mind AI as research infrastructure for studying learning processes—examining how learner interactions generate evidence about reasoning, hypothesis formation, and feedback integration—and addresses broader questions about building AI systems that preserve educator agency, enable multilingual collaboration, and advance the evidence base for AI-supported health professions education.

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Italian Lives, Belgian Coal An Environmental History of Labor and Migration

Business & EconomyCivics & PowerCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Wed, Nov 4 ·12:00 pm ·370 Dwinelle Hall ·Berkeley

Daniele Valisena, Visiting Fellow at the German Historical Institute, UC Berkeley, discusses his book *Italian Lives, Belgian Coal*, which examines the 1946 'men in exchange for coal' agreement between Italy and Belgium. Drawing on archival documents, primary sources, and oral histories, Valisena traces how labor migration, coal extraction, and environmental transformation intersected in the Belgian Walloon coalfields, exploring the agency of states, industry, miners, and ecosystems. The book reveals the environmental and corporeal injustice inflicted by capitalist institutions on workers' health, society, and nature.

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Fall 2026 ADR Speaker Series: Democracy and the Resilience of Large Law Firms

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free ✦ burnoff pick

Wed, Nov 4 ·12:30 pm ·333-501 & Zoom ·San Francisco

Katrina Lee, John C. Elam/Vorys Sater Professor in Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, examines democracy and the resilience of large law firms. Lee is an award-winning teacher and author of *The Legal Career: Knowing the Business, Thriving in Practice* (third edition, 2026), and teaches Business of Law, Legal Negotiation, and Legal Analysis and Writing. She chairs the AALS Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and previously practiced complex litigation in San Francisco as a law firm equity partner.

via UC Law SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Reverie: The summit for AI builders Nov 4–5

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Nov 4–5 Wed, Nov 4 ·4:00 pm ·San Francisco ·San Francisco

A one-day summit exploring the data systems and infrastructure that power AI training. Attendees will hear from practitioners running some of the most ambitious training runs, discussing their architectures, technical tradeoffs, failures, and lessons learned. Designed for AI builders, engineers, researchers, and those working on the systems enabling large-scale model training.

via Bay Area AI Events ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Celine Halioua @ Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Speaker Series (ETL)

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Wed, Nov 4 ·4:30 pm ·Nvidia Auditorium ·Stanford

Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a clinical-stage veterinary medicine company developing drugs to extend healthspan and lifespan in dogs, discusses her path to founding and scaling a biotech startup. Part of Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series, which features founders, investors, and industry leaders on disruption and startup building.

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Data for AI: Open vs Locked In

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumConference / Symposium Free

Wed, Nov 4 ·5:00 pm ·OneSpace Work ·San Jose

Data for AI meetup exploring open versus proprietary approaches to data infrastructure in the age of AI agents. Topics include open table formats (Iceberg, Delta, Hudi), semantic standards, catalog federation, and the trade-offs between interoperability and vendor lock-in. Practitioner talks and case studies from data engineers, AI/ML engineers, and platform architects on production experiences with open standards, agent deployment patterns, and when walled gardens make sense.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Collectively Operating a Performance Theater in SF — San Francisco Neo-Futurists

Culture & HumanitiesBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumLibrary Free

Wed, Nov 4 ·6:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

The San Francisco Neo-Futurists discuss how they operate as a non-hierarchical, consensus-based collective to produce 100 shows annually, write and direct the acclaimed *Infinite Wrench*, and manage their performance space, committees, budget, and fundraising. Learn their process for developing new material with rotating casts, their anti-oppression practices, and how they balance artistic creation with collective business operations. The Neos are a prolific experimental theater group known for immediate, ephemeral, accessible performance that positions the audience as active creative participants.

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BoxWorks Dev Summit 2026 Nov 5–6

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Nov 5–6 Thu, Nov 5 ·8:00 am ·San Francisco Marriott Marquis ·San Francisco

BoxWorks Dev Summit is a two-day conference for developers, technical leaders, and builders working with intelligent content management and AI. Thursday features keynotes from Aaron Levie (Box), Jensen Huang (NVIDIA), and Lip-Bu Tan (Intel), followed by technical sessions and interactive demos in the Expo Hall Dev Zone. Friday offers hands-on programming workshops and technical deep dives on building with Box, AI, and leading AI tools. The summit includes peer networking and developer community connection. November 5–6, San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
UXDX San Francisco 2026 Nov 5–6

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / Symposium

Nov 5–6 Thu, Nov 5 ·8:30 am ·August Hall ·San Francisco

A two-day conference on how product, design, research, and engineering teams actually work together, built as one cross-functional agenda rather than separate tracks per discipline. Speakers include Rachel Been, SVP of design at Expedia Group; Sneha Narahalli, who heads product and UX at Sephora; Richard Dalton, chief design officer at Verizon; Shobha Diwakar, VP of ads product and engineering at Snap; Ashley Nutter, SVP of product and design at CNN; Purvi Shah, who leads UX design, research, and accessibility at Target; and Maz Brumand, VP of product at Ōura. Keynotes and case studies run alongside hands-on workshops, a partner expo, and evening socials.

Event link ↗ Edit
Voice Agents Forum

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Thu, Nov 5 ·9:00 am ·Digital Jungle SF ·San Francisco ·$300

A one-day summit for engineers, founders, and product leaders building and deploying voice agents in production environments. The program covers practical technical and operational challenges: latency, turn-taking, interruptions, handoff, observability, orchestration, and compliance. Confirmed speakers include Kaan Karakas (Delphi), Vyoma Gajjar (ServiceNow), Pete Warden (Moonshine AI), Jessica Powell (Audioshake), and others. Sessions include opening keynotes, technical talks, hands-on workshops, lightning talks, and direct access to 20+ vendor booths. Attendees will gain architecture patterns, evaluation frameworks, and lessons from real deployments—what worked, what broke, and what changed after launch.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
TVR Signal Series: AI Infrastructure and Security

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / SymposiumLecture / Forum Free

Thu, Nov 5 ·9:45 am ·SPIN San Francisco ·San Francisco

A day of talks and fireside chats on AI infrastructure and security from The Velocity Room, a technologists' membership community. Tom Edwards, EY's Americas consumer AI lead, on what it takes to scale generative and agentic AI across an enterprise; Zane Niyazbekov of AWS infrastructure supply on the land, power, and water behind a hyperscale data center; Christine Boles, a 33-year Intel veteran who ran its federal and industrial edge-computing business, on edge compute and physical AI in industry; Joseph Bisaccia of Behavior Frontiers on standing up an AI function under HIPAA; and Cal Al-Dhubaib of Rubrik on keeping AI systems from becoming autonomous insiders. A security session, a community AMA built from questions gathered over lunch, and a closing happy hour round out the program.

Event link ↗ Edit
Energy, Materials, and Water Use in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Challenges and Opportunities for Supply Chain Resiliency

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Thu, Nov 5 ·4:30 pm ·Bishop Auditorium ·Stanford

Semiconductors power the digital economy and AI, but their production demands complex supply chains and significant materials, water, and energy inputs. Dr. Sadasivan Shankar, Research Technology Manager at SLAC National Laboratory and adjunct professor in Stanford Materials Science and Engineering, will present research on circular approaches—recycling, reuse, and localized processing—to reduce supply chain dependencies, improve resource efficiency, and create economic and strategic opportunities for the US. Dr. Richard Dasher, Director of the US-ATMC, moderates.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
What Do We Owe Each Other in the Age of AI?

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Nov 5 ·5:00 pm ·Paul Brest Hall ·Stanford

What do we owe each other as AI reshapes work and wealth? Economist Betsey Stevenson argues that AI's productivity gains won't automatically improve human flourishing, drawing on economic history and research on happiness and meaning. She explores how policy can pace job transformation, distribute AI-generated wealth more broadly, and strengthen sources of meaning beyond employment — building a society where human worth doesn't depend on outperforming machines. Stevenson is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, former member of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, and Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Labor. Discussed by Lukas Althoff, Assistant Professor of Economics at Stanford University.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Jonathan Weber - City on the Edge: Technology, Politics, and the Fight for the Soul of SF

Civics & PowerBusiness & EconomyCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumBook Talk ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Nov 5 ·6:00 pm ·Mechanics' Institute ·San Francisco ·$7.18–$17.85

Jonathan Weber discusses City on the Edge, his account of San Francisco's tech boom and near-collapse, tracing the intersection of technology, politics, and urban identity. Moderated by Jeanne Carstensen. Hosted at the Mechanics' Institute, a trusted civic institution.

via Mechanics' Institute ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Ankur Goyal & Corinne Riley on How Agents Are Changing Evals

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum Free ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Nov 5 ·6:00 pm ·560 Davis St suite 250 ·San Francisco

Agents are generating massive data volumes, running autonomous queries, and executing multi-step production workflows—fundamentally shifting how AI teams approach evaluation and observability. Ankur Goyal, Co-founder and CEO of Braintrust, and Corinne Riley, Partner at Greylock, discuss why the focus is moving from standalone evals to agent observability, rebuilding databases for agentic systems, and making model decisions when there are more models than ever. A fireside chat with audience Q&A for technical leaders building with AI.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Startup World Cup Grand Finale

Business & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Fri, Nov 6 ·8:30 am ·Santa Clara University ·Santa Clara

The Startup World Cup Grand Finale brings together founders, investors, and industry leaders for a day of startup pitches competing for $1M in investment. The event features keynote speakers, networking, and a live pitch competition modeled on a venture-capital tournament. Special guest Daymond John from ABC's Shark Tank will participate. Hosted by Santa Clara University at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco on November 6, with transportation provided from the SCU campus.

via Santa Clara University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Grow with Google's San José Small Business Workshop

Business & Economy Workshop / PracticeLibrary Free

Fri, Nov 6 ·11:30 am ·Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library ·San Jose

A practical workshop for small-business owners to learn how to use AI tools to grow their businesses online. Hosted by Grow with Google in partnership with San José's Mayor's Office, San José Public Library, and the Bay Area Council as part of the AI For All Initiative. No prior AI experience required; light refreshments provided.

via SJPL AI Center ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
eWEAR Health Prize @ Stanford U.

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Nov 6 ·1:00 pm ·Alumni Center ·Stanford

A pitch competition and conference showcasing deep-tech ventures at the intersection of health, AI, brain-machine interfaces, longevity, precision health, wearables, and robotics. Five finalist teams present to compete for a $25K prize. Keynote by John L. Hennessy, President Emeritus of Stanford and Chairman of Alphabet, in conversation with Prof. Zhenan Bao, eWEAR Faculty Director. The day includes pitches from teams including AlignSight Medical, Lume Health, CircuCare, and others, followed by a startup demo showcase and networking reception. Hosted by Stanford University's eWEAR initiative.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Group Coaching & Peer Support for Founders, Creators & Business Builders: Navigating Uncertainty & Relationships

Business & Economy Salon Free

Fri, Nov 6 ·2:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco

A weekly peer support and group coaching circle for founders, builders, creators, and small business owners navigating uncertainty, decisions, and relationships. Facilitated by Nima Imani, an ICF-certified leadership coach specializing in founder challenges, hard decisions, and team conflict. Bring one real situation — a decision you're stuck on, co-founder tension, or the weight of building alone — and get coached, reflect for others, or simply listen. Small group, no pitching. Meets every Friday.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Fizzah Sajjad | Speculation and Circulation: Real Estate Development and the Market for Land in Urban Pakistan

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Nov 6 ·5:00 pm ·Institute for South Asia Studies ·Berkeley

Fizzah Sajjad, Assistant Professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences and winner of the 2025 S. S. Pirzada Dissertation Prize, presents her research on speculative real estate development in Lahore. Her dissertation examines how developers profit from land conversions through a mechanism she calls 'accumulation by speculative circulation'—using financial instruments like 'the file' to finance expansion without institutional lending. Sajjad argues that these speculative practices structure the real estate market to serve investors and state actors rather than housing-seekers, deepening spatial inequality and dispossession. She explores how state entities enable sprawl and gentrification, and extends theories of financialization and urbanization in the Global South. Moderated by Munis D. Faruqui, Director of the Institute for South Asia Studies at UC Berkeley.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Danny Meyer - What Could Possibly Go Right?

Business & Economy Book TalkBookshop

Fri, Nov 6 ·6:00 pm ·Book Passage Corte Madera ·Corte Madera

Restaurateur, entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author Danny Meyer discusses his leadership philosophy and the tools he uses to build energized, cohesive teams. Meyer, founder of Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, draws on decades of experience in the restaurant industry to explore how leaders can cultivate purpose-driven cultures and unlock human potential in their organizations.

via Book Passage ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Paris Marx - Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech's Data Empires

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Book TalkLecture / ForumBookshop

Sun, Nov 8 ·2:00 pm ·Clio's Books ·Oakland ·$10–$34.92

Tech critic Paris Marx discusses his book *Hyperscale*, which exposes how tech companies exploit vulnerable communities to power their data infrastructure while pursuing digital dominance. The conversation explores the industry's deceptive practices around energy and water resources, the growing public backlash—including Oakland's recent moratorium on new data centers—and pathways toward technology that serves the social good rather than billionaire profits. Marx, host of the podcast *Tech Won't Save Us*, is joined by Dr. Alex Hanna, a sociologist of technology and labor at the Distributed AI Research Institute and co-author of *The AI Con*.

via Clio's Books ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
ISA Research Seminar: Joel Goh (National University of Singapore)

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Mon, Nov 9 ·12:00 pm ·Santa Clara University ·Santa Clara

Joel Goh of the National University of Singapore presents research in operations analytics across healthcare, supply chain, and service platforms. His work spans healthcare delivery and hospital operations, supply chain efficiency enabled by digital technology, and service-platform optimization through policy and information design. Goh is an Associate Editor at Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Service Science, and Health Care Management Science, and Senior Editor at Production and Operations Management.

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The Future of Public Media, with Paula Kerger and Michael Isip

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum ✦ burnoff pick

Mon, Nov 9 ·6:00 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

How will public media evolve to serve its mission to educate, inspire, and unite in an era of media fragmentation, streaming competition, and funding pressures? Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, and Michael Isip, President and CEO of KQED, discuss the future of public broadcasting as a vital institution for democratic life. Moderated by Michael Bolden, Dean of UC Berkeley Journalism.

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After Tokens

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Tue, Nov 10 ·8:00 am ·TERRA ·San Francisco

After Tokens is a one-day technical conference on the infrastructure behind AI product economics: metering, credits, entitlements, billing, and the systems that keep them in sync. Speakers include Dor Sasson (CEO, Stigg), Jonah Cohen (Tech Lead for Financial Engineering, OpenAI), Jerone Z. Ng (Former Head of Monetization Engineering, GitLab), Vidhi Agrawal (Director of Commercial Capabilities, Databricks), and engineering leaders from Webflow, Mixpanel, and other companies. Topics span metering and usage data, pricing infrastructure, AI cost control, and agent economics. Designed for backend, platform, and AI infrastructure engineers, technical founders, and engineering leaders building AI products.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Run by Apify

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Tue, Nov 10 ·10:00 am ·The Pearl ·San Francisco ·$199

A full-day conference for builders, founders, and engineers working with Apify's AI agent platform. Featuring keynotes, live demos, and talks from teams already shipping with Apify Actors, plus direct access to the Apify team. All-day catering and an evening reception included. Apify is the largest marketplace for AI tools, providing ready-made solutions for powering AI apps, lead generation, market research, and web automation.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Akamai AI Summit

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Tue, Nov 10 ·12:00 pm ·Oracle Park ·San Francisco

A one-day summit on real-time AI infrastructure and agentic AI for enterprise. Speakers include Akamai leaders, NVIDIA engineers, industry visionaries, and futurist Salim Ismail discussing inference optimization, AI agent security, scaling strategies, and organizational transformation. Programming features a live multimodal application teardown, hands-on code workshops, and networking with CTOs, founders, and engineering leaders. Held at Oracle Park, San Francisco, November 2024.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Culture Slop Live! Season One Finale

Culture & HumanitiesBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumSalon Free

Tue, Nov 10 ·2:30 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

Five talks from designers, artists, researchers, and technologists exploring how aesthetic judgment shapes technology culture. Speakers include Soleio on design philosophy, Nick Susi and VÉRITÉ on artist-made hardware, Dylan Abruscato and Andrew McClintock on taste formation, Tyler Mincey and Toby Shorin on feeling AGI, and Eugenia Kuyda on machine beauty. The evening includes conversation, a "Taste Gallery" edible installation, and drinks. Hosted by tiat and supported by the Department of Anthropology and Culture Forward grant from the Svane Family Foundation.

via tiat ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Stone Burch Lecture Presents The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free ✦ burnoff pick

Tue, Nov 10 ·3:10 pm ·Jarvis Auditorium, Engineering ·Berkeley

Owen Zidar, professor of economics and public affairs at UC Berkeley, discusses his research on America's hidden wealth class: ordinary entrepreneurs who built extraordinary fortunes through private business. Drawing on a decade of data, he examines who these owners are, where they come from, how their businesses generate and preserve wealth, and their role in top-end income and wealth distribution. The talk explores implications for policy, politics, and communities. Moderated by Danny Yagan, director of the Burch Center for Tax Policy and Public Finance.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Henry J. Evans - Bombs, Bacon, and Bankruptcy

Business & Economy Book TalkBookshopLecture / Forum

Tue, Nov 10 ·5:30 pm ·Book Passage Ferry Building ·San Francisco

A guide to crisis leadership in high-stakes situations, from life-or-death scenarios to business emergencies. Henry J. Evans explores essential frameworks for decision-making and organizational resilience when the pressure is greatest. Presented at Book Passage Ferry Building.

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Andrew Hogan // The New Rules of Design

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Tue, Nov 10 ·5:30 pm ·Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation ·Berkeley

Andrew Hogan, Head of Insights at Figma, presents empirical research on how design work is transforming in an era of AI and new tools. Drawing on years of research at Figma and his background as a Forrester analyst, Hogan examines who is actually doing design work today, how decisions get made across teams, and what separates organizations that consistently ship great products. He will discuss the rise of "designers by another name" across product, engineering, and marketing; how AI-generated interfaces and accelerated prototyping are reshaping practice; and where distinctly human judgment remains irreplaceable. He'll articulate emerging principles for contemporary design, including cross-disciplinary collaboration, pathways for junior practitioners, and strategies for sustaining distinctive design languages in an era of widely accessible interface creation.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Silk Lectures Featuring Nobel Laureates Presents: Joel Mokyr

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Tue, Nov 10 ·6:30 pm ·McLaren Complex 250 ·San Francisco

Dr. Joel Mokyr, 2025 Nobel Laureate in Economics, discusses the cycle of progress—how innovation displaces existing techniques and methods while creating uncertainty and disruption. He explores the future of innovation, addressing concerns about idea scarcity and AI competition, while making the case for continued human ingenuity and economic progress.

via USF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Mike Alvarez Cohen with Darren Cooke & Laura Hassner - Startup Campus

Business & EconomyCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumBookshop

Tue, Nov 10 ·7:00 pm ·Clio's Books ·Oakland ·$10–$23.13

A conversation on how ideas become ventures and how entrepreneurial ecosystems shape innovation. Mike Alvarez Cohen, UC Berkeley's Director of Innovation Ecosystem Development and author of *Startup Campus*, discusses Berkeley's rise as a global center for entrepreneurship alongside Darren Cooke, Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer, and Laura Hassner, Executive Director of the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Moderated by Missy Martin, founder of Cat Eye Collective. The evening opens with cultural anthropologist Cari Borja exploring how ideas move between people and what kinds of places enable that movement—examining not just what gets built, but what happens between the people doing the building.

via Clio's Books ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
AI in Architectural Practice: TAP Symposium

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Wed, Nov 11 ·1:00 pm ·Center for Architecture + Design ·San Francisco

TAP (Technology in Architectural Practice) Symposium explores the integration of AI and emerging technologies into architectural design and professional practice. Hosted by AIA San Francisco at the Center for Architecture + Design, this symposium brings together architects, technologists, and design leaders to discuss how AI is reshaping workflows, creative processes, and the future of the built environment.

via AIA San Francisco ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Annual Veterans Day Get-Together

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Lecture / ForumSocial Free

Wed, Nov 11 ·5:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

Social Impact SF, VetraFi, Context Ventures, and The Military Veteran convene military veterans and spouses with founders, investors, and operators for a discussion of careers, startups, and technology.

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Notion Presents: The Software Factory Debate

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / Forum Free

Wed, Nov 11 ·5:00 pm ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco

An open conversation about building AI software factories—systems where agents help plan, build, test, and ship code. Ben Levine, Chief Product Officer at Candidly, leads discussion with product and engineering leaders on what's actually working in practice, where bottlenecks emerge, and how planning, specs, and handoffs change when agents move from demos into daily work. The event pressure-tests claims and explores real tradeoffs beyond polished product pitches.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Food & Bev, Vol 5: Behind the Scenes with Cookbook Creators

Culture & HumanitiesBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumSalon Free

Wed, Nov 11 ·6:00 pm ·Local Economy ·Oakland

Behind-the-scenes look at cookbook publishing and creation, exploring what it takes to bring culinary books to market. Speakers include Maria Zizka, James Beard Award–nominated cookbook author and editor (six of her own, 50+ with chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and Suzanne Goin); Joyce Tang, who left tech for culinary school and co-wrote her debut cookbook *Bake Sum* with Soleil Ho; and Aya Brackett, Oakland photographer whose work appears in cookbooks by Maria, Joyce, and Samin Nosrat. Hosted by Margarita Florez Vasconcelos (founder of Showoff) with conversation, Q&A, and light snacks.

via Local Economy ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Wait. That's the Post. — Alex Duvall

Business & Economy Workshop / Practice

Thu, Nov 12 ·12:00 pm ·The Hivery ·Mill Valley ·$40

A hands-on workshop on recognizing and transforming everyday moments into authentic content. Led by Alex Duvall, this mini-class teaches participants to identify content ideas from conversations, lessons, and workday experiences, then craft them without overthinking or mimicking others. Attendees will practice together and leave with two specific content ideas plus a realistic one-hour creation plan. Bring your lunch.

via The Hivery ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Illah Nourbakhsh - Crunch Time

Business & EconomyCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumBook TalkBookshop ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Nov 12 ·5:30 pm ·Book Passage Ferry Building ·San Francisco

How do we prepare ourselves and our children for fulfilling careers when the nature of work itself is changing rapidly and opaquely? Roboticist and author Illah Nourbakhsh discusses his book *Crunch Time*, examining the future of labor, education, and opportunity in a shifting economy. A conversation on work, meaning, and adaptation in an uncertain technological landscape.

via Book Passage ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Edtech Unconference

Business & Economy Conference / Symposium

Thu, Nov 12 ·6:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco ·$5

An unconference for edtech founders, leaders, and educators to share ideas and learn from peers. Participants suggest topics at registration, then break into three rounds of facilitated discussion groups organized around those themes — no presentations or pitches. Dinner provided. Hosted by The Commons SF.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Bing Gordon & Chloe Gordon with Paul Saffo - Everybody Wins

Business & EconomyCulture & Humanities Book TalkLecture / ForumBookshop Free

Thu, Nov 12 ·7:00 pm ·Kepler's Books ·Menlo Park

Bing Gordon, legendary video game industry strategist, and his daughter Chloe discuss *Everybody Wins*, their guide to applying game design psychology to product development and customer engagement. Drawing on four decades shaping companies like EA Sports, Amazon Prime, Spotify, and Duolingo, Gordon presents his "Gamification Checklist"—eight core principles including Wow Moments, Social Integration, Retention Hacking, and Game Loops—with Paul Saffo moderating. The event explores how the psychological drivers that make games irresistible can unlock better business strategy and user experience across industries.

via Kepler's ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Aviation Career Discovery Day

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Fri, Nov 13 ·9:00 am ·Student Union ·San Jose

A daylong celebration of aviation careers and innovation featuring aviators and industry professionals from Northern California. Students will engage with practitioners, learn about career pathways, and explore trends shaping the aviation industry. Organized by NorCalBAA in collaboration with San Jose State University's Career Center and Department of Aviation and Technology.

via SJSU ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Laurent Warlouzet | Liberty, Solidarity and Community: Capitalism and European Integration, 1945 to the Present

Business & EconomyCivics & PowerCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Fri, Nov 13 ·12:00 pm ·201 Philosophy Hall, UC Berkeley ·Berkeley

How have European countries navigated industrial capitalism and superpower competition since 1945? Laurent Warlouzet, historian of European integration and capitalism, examines the political and economic strategies European nations adopted to manage capitalism while building supranational institutions. A lecture exploring the deep history of the EU as a response to Cold War geopolitics and economic transformation.

via UC Berkeley ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
ISA Research Seminar: Candi Yano (UC Berkeley)

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Fri, Nov 13 ·12:00 pm ·Santa Clara University ·Santa Clara

Candace Yano, Distinguished Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, discusses her research in supply chain management and operations-marketing interdisciplinary problems. Yano is a Fellow of INFORMS and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, and has held numerous journal editorial positions. Hosted by Santa Clara University.

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Foresight Institute's Vision Weekend USA Nov 13–15

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Nov 13–15 Fri, Nov 13 ·5:00 pm ·San Francisco ·San Francisco

Vision Weekend USA is Foresight Institute's flagship three-day conference celebrating the organization's 40th anniversary. The event brings together frontier researchers, builders, and funders working on transformative science and technology across AI safety, neurotechnology, longevity, molecular manufacturing, energy, and space. The program features keynotes from leading researchers including Wojciech Zaremba (OpenAI), Robin Hanson (George Mason University), Adam Marblestone (Convergent Research), and others; lab tours at venues including the Internet Archive and Lighthaven; 1:1 connections; tech demos; and office hours. Attendees compete for a $10,000 grant for frontier projects. Includes VIP pre-party aboard the USS Hornet. March 2026, San Francisco.

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Japan Housing Innovation Delegation Nov 16–20

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Nov 16–20 Mon, Nov 16 ·9:00 am ·Bay Area Council ·San Francisco

A five-day curated delegation to Japan examining industrialized housing construction methods and mass timber prefabrication in seismic zones. Bay Area Council delegates tour cross-laminated timber plants, prefabrication facilities, and finished projects in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Shizuoka, meeting with Japanese developers, manufacturers, and government agencies. The program is designed for California housing and policy leaders to evaluate which industrialized construction methods are economically viable in California markets, establish supplier relationships as domestic CLT and prefab supply chains form, and study seismic-tested precedents for mass timber construction.

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The Brand Doctor Will See You Now

Business & Economy Book TalkBookshopLecture / Forum

Mon, Nov 16 ·5:30 pm ·The Best Bookstore in Union Square ·San Francisco

Josh Grau, former CMO and early executive at YouTube and Twitter, discusses his framework for measuring brand health through the lens of customer experience. The Brand GPA offers leaders—CMOs, CPOs, and CEOs—a weighted, evidence-based diagnostic for understanding how customers perceive their brand, separate from internal KPIs. Grau draws on research across 145 brands to show why customer-first metrics matter, especially as AI reshapes brand strategy.

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Microsoft Security @ UC Berkeley | Tech Talk + Q&A

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Mon, Nov 16 ·6:00 pm ·Gateway 5340, 5th Floor ·Berkeley

A tech talk and Q&A with Sangeetha Visweswaran, VP of Engineering for Microsoft Intune, on security in the AI era, engineering at global scale, and her path from software engineer to leadership. Designed for engineers, students, and security-interested builders at UC Berkeley.

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Microsoft Ignite 2026 Nov 17–20

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Nov 17–20 Tue, Nov 17 ·8:00 am ·Moscone Center ·San Francisco

Microsoft's flagship conference for IT professionals, developers, and enterprise technology teams, running four days at the Moscone Center with a pre-day of training on 16 November. The program covers the company's AI, cloud, and security stack through breakout sessions, hands-on labs, and technical deep-dives, and runs as a hybrid event with sessions also delivered online. It is Microsoft's main annual venue for product announcements, so much of the schedule is oriented to its own platforms rather than to the field at large.

Event link ↗ Edit
3rd Annual Silicon Valley IP Forum

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College Free

Tue, Nov 17 ·8:30 am ·Munger Complex ·Stanford

The 3rd Annual Silicon Valley IP Forum convenes judges, law firm and in-house counsel, and IP law academics for substantive discussion on intellectual property practice and policy. Hosted by Stanford University at Munger Complex.

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PortCon 2026 | The AI Software Factory Summit Nov 17–18

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Nov 17–18 Tue, Nov 17 ·12:00 pm ·Shack15 ·San Francisco ·$99

A two-day summit exploring AI's transformation of software engineering and the infrastructure needed to scale from individual agents to enterprise-grade AI software factories. Day 1 features hands-on workshops on Terraform automation, MCP servers, AI SRE governance, and engineering workflows. Day 2 includes keynotes from Kelsey Hightower (GitHub) and speakers from NVIDIA, 1Password, and Port, covering agentic SDLCs, orchestration, security, and scaling. Breakout sessions and technical deep dives with 200 engineering leaders, CTOs, and AI practitioners. November 17–18, 2026 at SHACK15, Ferry Building, San Francisco.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
A Replicable Path for Living Buildings: The PAE Living Building

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum

Wed, Nov 18 ·8:00 am ·Center for Architecture + Design ·San Francisco

The PAE Living Building in Portland demonstrates that deep sustainability can work on a commercial budget. This session translates the project's key strategies—net-positive energy, on-site water reuse, and low-carbon materials—to California's climate, codes, and challenges, from drought and wildfire to seismic resilience and Title 24 compliance. Claire Maxfield, Principal of Sustainability at PAE and a nationally recognized leader in sustainable and regenerative design, will share practical, cost-effective approaches architects can apply to their own projects, plus strategies for removing financial, regulatory, and design barriers to highly sustainable buildings. Includes 2 AIA learning units.

via AIA San Francisco ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
CRAN Tour: Factory-Built Architecture with 4C

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / Forum

Wed, Nov 18 ·11:00 am ·4C Construction Systems Manufacturing Facility ·Hayward

A tour of 4C Construction Systems' Hayward manufacturing facility exploring factory-built wall panels, roof and floor framing, and complete envelope components that reduce on-site construction time from weeks to days. Co-founders Yonah Naftaly, a licensed general contractor, and Denny Skripchenko, an architect, will walk participants through live production, compare 4C ECO (wood-framed, Type V) and 4C SAFE (steel-framed, fire-rated for WUI sites), and discuss quality control, continuous insulation installation, water-resistive barriers, and how panelization serves projects from single-family homes to multifamily housing.

via AIA San Francisco ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Slugs at Sundown – Negotiating for Mutual Gains

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Wed, Nov 18 ·5:30 pm ·3175 Bowers Avenue Santa Clara, CA 95054 ·Santa Clara

A masterclass on negotiation fundamentals for early and mid-career professionals. Scott McCreary, a UCSC alumnus whose 35-year practice spans high-stakes environmental disputes, shares core principles of his 'Mutual Gains' approach through real-world examples applicable to job negotiations, promotion advocacy, workplace dynamics, and resource allocation. McCreary joins UCSC Alumni Engagement Executive Director Shayna Kent in conversation, with extended Q&A and interactive discussion.

via UC Santa Cruz ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Global Environmental Policy Seminar with Ishan Nath

Civics & PowerScience & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Nov 19 ·1:15 pm ·Y2E2 Building ·Stanford

Ishan Nath, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and Faculty Associate of the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, presents research on how trade openness affects food price stability in the face of climate shocks and geopolitical disruption. The paper examines trade integration's protective effect against extreme heat shocks while revealing how importing countries face vulnerability to weather and policy shocks in source nations—illustrated by the 2022 Ukrainian wheat export disruption. Nath uses quantitative trade modeling to compare food price stability under varying trade scenarios and evaluate policies that diversify import sources. His research bridges climate change, international trade, and development macroeconomics.

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Agentic + AI Night: AI Agents Across the App Stack

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / SymposiumLecture / Forum Free

Thu, Nov 19 ·4:00 pm ·Terra Gallery & Event Venue ·San Francisco

A multi-track technical deep dive into agentic AI systems and their real-world deployment across the full application stack. Engineers and founders will hear from leaders at Databricks, Neon, SpaceX AI, Vercel, OpenAI, and WorkOS on production patterns, failure modes, and architectural models for autonomous agents — covering backend infrastructure, data layers, quality control, and observability. Topics include live demos of agent-driven infrastructure, strategies for production-quality code generation, democratizing app development for non-coders, and deploying agents safely with human guardrails. The evening includes networking with software engineers, ML/AI developers, and startup founders.

via Bond AI ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Machine-Mediated Economy: When AI Becomes the Interface to Everything

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / Forum

Thu, Nov 19 ·5:30 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

Explore how AI is reshaping commerce and customer discovery as artificial intelligence increasingly mediates transactions between consumers and businesses. What happens when AI systems negotiate on behalf of both sides before human interaction occurs? The talk examines the business and market implications of this shift, with insights from Toby Corey and his team at BrandCapsule, an AI discovery intelligence company learning these dynamics firsthand.

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Presentation on West Portal Neighborhood Speaker Series, Business

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumLibrary Free

Thu, Nov 19 ·6:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – West Portal ·San Francisco

A West Portal Fall Speaker Series for small business owners and entrepreneurs featuring expert professionals across multiple disciplines. Sessions cover financial management, tax planning, retirement and estate planning with Omar Moussa, certified public accountant at Alliance Accounting; legal and business structure guidance from John Cigavic and Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve; commercial insurance with Fred Danfoura of Regency Insurance Services; and IT consulting with Sean Riordan. Events held on the third Thursday of September, October, and November at 6 p.m.

via SF Public Library ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Bay Area Tech Economics Seminar

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Thu, Nov 19 ·6:00 pm ·Fromm Hall 120 - Xavier Auditorium ·San Francisco

A lecture on using large language models as experimental tools for social science research. The speaker argues that LLMs encode human preferences, enabling computational study of human behavior at lower cost and greater scale than traditional human-subject experiments, with unprecedented experimental control. The talk presents results from projects establishing this approach for economic models, applications across social-scientific domains, and analysis of both strengths and limitations.

via USF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Group Coaching & Peer Support for Founders, Creators & Business Builders: Navigating Uncertainty & Relationships

Business & Economy Salon Free

Fri, Nov 20 ·2:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco

A weekly peer support and group coaching circle for founders, creators, business builders, and side hustlers navigating uncertainty, decisions, and team dynamics. Participants bring one real situation — a decision they're stuck on, co-founder tension, team conflict, or isolation in building — and receive facilitated coaching and peer reflection in a small group setting. No pitching. Facilitated by Nima Imani, an ICF-certified leadership coach specializing in founder uncertainty, hard decisions, and interpersonal conflict.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Generative Capital & Organizational Ontology — Session 1: Foundations

Business & EconomyCivics & Power SalonConference / Symposium

Fri, Nov 20 ·2:00 pm ·2 Embarcadero Ctr ·San Francisco ·$50

First session of a four-part salon series exploring generative (rather than extractive) capital and organizational models aligned with social healing and ecological stewardship. The salon convenes angels, family offices, philanthropic foundations, mission-driven VCs, and systems thinkers to reimagine how capital flows through organizations built for mutual benefit. This session defines generative capital through keynote provocations, case studies of eight organizations operating outside traditional for-profit and non-profit structures, and small-group dialogue exploring organizational needs and ontological design principles. Participants will co-create a draft list of Generative Capital Principles. The series will continue with sessions on legal and financial innovation models, funder thesis and landscape mapping, and organizational prototyping. Ticket sales support DrawBridge's arts programs for children experiencing housing instability.

via Social Impact SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Voice AI for Real Life - Members +3

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Workshop / PracticeSalon Free

Fri, Nov 20 ·5:00 pm ·Frontier Tower ·San Francisco

A structured community discovery event exploring real-world applications for voice AI technology. Participants—founders, builders, operators, and community leaders—will engage in small-group conversations to identify meaningful challenges across small business, education, accessibility, healthcare, workforce development, and community services. Selected ideas will advance to a mini hackathon and demo showcase, creating a conversation-to-creation pipeline. First in a three-part series presented by NemulAI and Lynkable.

via Frontier Tower ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Group Coaching & Peer Support for Founders, Creators & Business Builders: Navigating Uncertainty & Relationships

Business & Economy Salon Free

Fri, Nov 27 ·2:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco

A weekly facilitated peer support circle for founders, builders, creators, side hustlers, and small business owners. Participants bring one real situation—a stuck decision, co-founder tension, or isolation—and receive coaching, offer reflection to others, or listen. No pitching. Facilitated by Nima Imani, ICF-certified leadership coach specializing in uncertainty, hard decisions, conflicts, and the human side of organizational change. Meets every Friday.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Design and Delivery of Parametric Architecture in the Caribbean

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Lecture / Forum

Tue, Dec 1 ·11:45 am ·Center for Architecture + Design ·San Francisco

A behind-the-scenes look at designing and building the world's largest swim-up pool bar in Nassau, Bahamas — a project featuring a sweeping free-form canopy that required pushing the limits of design, coordination, and fabrication. Brendan Mullins, AIA of Stantec, walks through the canopy's evolution from concept to installation, revealing the digital workflows, rationalization strategies, and on-site problem-solving that turned complex geometry into reality. Learn practical lessons on protecting design ambition, managing risk, and coordinating architects, engineers, contractors, and specialty fabricators to deliver ambitious architecture on tight schedules and within technical constraints.

via AIA San Francisco ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Evan Sharp at the Berkeley Forum

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College

Tue, Dec 1 ·6:00 pm ·The Berkeley Forum (UC Berkeley) ·Berkeley

Evan Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest, discusses his experience building one of the web's most influential social platforms. The Berkeley Forum, UC Berkeley's student-run speaker series, hosts a moderated conversation followed by audience Q&A.

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What Your Machines Should Do: The Science and Strategy of Human-Centered Automation

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free ✦ burnoff pick

Wed, Dec 2 ·12:10 pm ·210 South Hall ·Berkeley

A lecture on the science and strategy of human-centered automation—designing machines and systems that augment rather than replace human capability. The talk explores how organizations can approach automation thoughtfully, balancing efficiency with workforce impact and ethical considerations.

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Geography Colloquia Series with Luis Flores

Business & EconomyCivics & Power Lecture / ForumUniversity / College Free

Wed, Dec 2 ·3:30 pm ·575 McCone Hall ·Berkeley

Luis Flores, Assistant Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley, presents research on the regulatory and social politics of home-based moneymaking—examining how previously stigmatized informal economic practices became increasingly popular. His work addresses economic inequality and the intersection of informal work with urban and regional development.

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Michael Mondavi - Deals, Drama, Drive: Michael Mondavi and the Making of Napa Valley

Business & EconomyCulture & Humanities Lecture / Forum

Wed, Dec 2 ·6:00 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

An inside look at the deals, drama, and drive behind one of America's greatest wine dynasties. Michael Mondavi, founder and chairman of Folio Fine Wine Partners, discusses his family's role in building California's wine industry—now worth $84 billion annually to the state—in conversation with journalist and Wine Oh! TV creator Monique Soltani.

via Commonwealth Club ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Jim Bildner - A Matter of Hope

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum ✦ burnoff pick

Fri, Dec 4 ·6:00 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

How do leaders move from identifying problems to catalyzing change? Jim Bildner, CEO of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation and author of *A Matter of Hope*, discusses the role of hope as a catalyst for social impact and turning vision into action at scale. A conversation on venture philanthropy, nonprofit strategy, and optimism in addressing global challenges.

via Commonwealth Club ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Supply Meets Demand: Sector-Driven Talent Solutions

Business & Economy Conference / Symposium Free

Mon, Dec 7 ·10:00 am ·Historic Klamath ·San Francisco

The Bay Area Council, LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network, and Northern California Apprentice Network are bringing together Bay Area businesses facing talent challenges, with the education and workforce systems capable of providing solutions. Businesses will hear how workforce, education, and their peer business leaders within California & the Bay Area have come together to build programs and talent pathways that respond to today's most critical labor needs.

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John Fullerton and Kim Stanley Robinson: Revolutionary Thinking for a World in Crisis

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum ✦ burnoff pick

Tue, Dec 8 ·5:30 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A discussion of economic history and human organization across 300,000 years of civilization. John Fullerton, economist and impact investor, and Kim Stanley Robinson, author, explore how recorded history and modern economic theory represent only a narrow window on human possibility—and what alternative economic arrangements might emerge. Moderated by Philip Yun, Co-President and Co-CEO of the Commonwealth Club.

via Commonwealth Club ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Yerba Buena Speaker Series: Money Skills, Budgeting and Saving — Jenny Baltodano

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumMuseum Free

Tue, Dec 8 ·6:00 pm ·Creativity Theater ·San Francisco

An interactive discussion on personal financial planning, budgeting, and saving strategies. Jenny Baltodano, a financial planning expert, leads the conversation and takes questions from attendees. Part of the Yerba Buena Speaker Series, presented by Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy in partnership with Creative Collective SF.

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BUILD SF Summit

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Wed, Dec 9 ·8:00 am ·Center for Architecture + Design ·San Francisco

The BUILD SF Summit convenes business and civic leaders to examine how San Francisco can address its housing and infrastructure needs through strategic development. The program showcases transformational projects underway in the city, explores the real estate landscape and the policies shaping new development, and identifies innovative public-private partnerships tackling the city's economic and civic challenges. Attendees will learn about mixed-use development hurdles—zoning, financing, changing demand for office and residential space—and how investment drivers and policy incentives influence project feasibility and long-term competitiveness.

via AIA San Francisco ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Build or Die — Ned Resnikoff with Buffy Wicks & Natalie Foster

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumBookshop

Wed, Dec 9 ·7:00 pm ·Clio's Books ·Oakland ·$10–$33.8

Cities across America face interlocking crises: chronic housing shortages, skyrocketing homelessness, car-dependent infrastructure poisoning the climate, and dysfunctional city governments. Ned Resnikoff, independent urban policy analyst and author of *Build or Die: How America Is Suffocating Its Cities and What to Do About It*, joins California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Natalie Foster, co-founder of Economic Security Project and author of *The Guarantee: Inside the Fight For America's Next Economy*, to examine how a century of shortsighted policy created this disaster and what structural changes can revitalize American cities and democracy.

via Clio's Books ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Bay Area - Silicon Valley Summit 2026 with Fareed Zakaria

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum

Thu, Dec 10 ·10:00 am ·TBA ·San Francisco

Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and geopolitical analyst, addresses the Bay Area Council's annual Silicon Valley Summit. The event convenes regional business leaders, policymakers, and civic figures to discuss major challenges and opportunities facing the Bay Area economy, technology sector, and geopolitical landscape, with emphasis on the intersection of global affairs, American innovation, and regional prosperity.

via Bay Area Council ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Longevity Trap: Why the Obsessive Pursuit of Longevity Is Making Us Sick—and How to Actually Live Well

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum

Wed, Dec 16 ·5:30 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

Does the obsessive pursuit of health itself make us sick? A panel examines the booming wellness economy—biometric wearables, longevity podcasts, supplements, and expensive biohacking regimens—and asks whether complexity and cost have divorced modern longevity culture from genuine wellbeing. Speakers include Ben Dubin, venture capital investor and author at Health Gap Ventures, and Dr. Loree Pinnavaia, doctor of chiropractic, moderated by Robert Lee Kilpatrick of the Commonwealth Club's Health & Medicine Forum.

via Commonwealth Club ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Jon Haveman: The Economics of Immigration

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / ForumLibrary ✦ burnoff pick

Thu, Dec 17 ·6:30 pm ·Lafayette Public Library ·Lafayette

An economic analysis of immigration policy by Jon Haveman, Executive Director of the National Economic Education Delegation. The presentation examines how economic research illuminates key aspects of the immigration debate often overshadowed by rhetoric: crime, government support programs, and labor market effects. Haveman will discuss what economics reveals about these dimensions and raise substantive questions for policymakers developing immigration law.

via Commonwealth Club ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
HealthTech Summit 2027 Jan 13–15

Science & TechBusiness & Economy Conference / Symposium

Jan 13–15 Wed, Jan 13 ·9:00 am ·San Francisco ·San Francisco ·$75

A 3-day conference (January 14–16) exploring cutting-edge health technologies and advancements across longevity, women's health, diagnostics, biotech, peptides, stem cells, mental health, digital infrastructure, DeSci, and healthcare finance. Hosted by Aiify.io as a major JPM Healthcare Week side event, the summit features keynote presentations, panels, fireside chats, product demos, and a startup pitch competition with investor audience. Includes networking, co-living community options, and a HealthTech Wearables Fashion Show. In-person with livestream available.

via Value Economy Network ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
From Cyberselfish to the Nerd Reich: The Rise of Radical Silicon Valley — Paulina Borsook with Gil Durán

Business & EconomyCivics & PowerCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumLibrary

Thu, Jan 14 ·6:30 pm ·Lafayette Public Library ·Lafayette

Paulina Borsook's 1997 critique *Cyberselfish* identified toxic cultural undercurrents in Silicon Valley's libertarian elite that have since become mainstream realities. In conversation with journalist and author Gil Durán (*The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy*), Borsook examines how her "accidental prophecy" anticipated tech industry's ideological trajectory. A sharp historical reckoning with how tech culture shaped politics and democracy.

via Commonwealth Club ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Rocky Sharma - Solving Problems That Matter

Business & Economy Book TalkBookshopLecture / Forum

Mon, Jan 18 ·5:30 pm ·Book Passage Ferry Building ·San Francisco

Rocky Sharma discusses his experience building Ironman's helmet for the U.S. Army using Silicon Valley's Lean Launchpad and Lean Startup methodology. The talk explores how companies create meaning for customers while solving critical problems, drawing on real-world case studies from defense technology and innovation strategy. Presented at Book Passage Ferry Building.

via Book Passage ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Ask a Recruiter | Fireside Chat with Bernadette Lagman

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumBar / Cafe Talk

Wed, Jan 27 ·6:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco ·$25

A fireside chat on navigating today's job market with recruiter and CareerDette founder Bernadette Lagman, who brings 10 years of recruiting experience. Learn what employers want, how to stand out in a competitive market reshaped by AI, and get answers to common job-search questions — from recruiter ghosting to career transitions and resume gaps. Includes audience Q&A and networking with other job seekers.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Industrialized Construction Forum 2027

Business & EconomyScience & Tech Conference / SymposiumUniversity / College

Wed, Feb 3 ·8:00 am ·Simonyi Conference Center, CoDa ·Stanford

The CIFE annual Industrialized Construction Forum convenes industry leaders, innovators, and startups exploring off-site construction, prefabrication, 3D printing, robotics, and emerging business models reshaping how buildings are made. Since 2014, the IC Forum has served as the premier knowledge-exchange hub for this growing community across the Bay Area and globally, bridging research and practice in next-generation construction technology and methodology.

via Stanford University ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Mariana Mazzucato

Civics & PowerBusiness & Economy Lecture / Forum ✦ burnoff pick

Tue, Feb 9 ·7:00 pm ·Cowell Theater in Fort Mason Center ·San Francisco

Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London and Founder of the UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose, discusses the economics of innovation, the state's role in modern capitalism, finance and economic growth, and mission-oriented approaches to steering innovation toward sustainable development goals. Hosted by The Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason, San Francisco.

via Long Now Foundation ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Military Veteran Startups Conference 2027 Feb 10–11

Business & Economy Conference / Symposium

Feb 10–11 Wed, Feb 10 ·8:30 am ·Address shared upon registration ·San Francisco ·$200

The Military Veteran Startup Conference convenes the veteran-founded startup ecosystem for its 6th year. Attendees—founders, venture capitalists, and investors—learn how to build and scale businesses while networking with peers and supporters. The program features veteran-led and veteran-focused VC firms, with a focus on connecting entrepreneurs to capital and community.

via Social Impact SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Ask a Recruiter | Fireside Chat with Bernadette Lagman | CareerDette

Business & Economy Lecture / ForumBar / Cafe Talk

Wed, Feb 24 ·6:00 pm ·The Commons ·San Francisco ·$25

A fireside chat on navigating today's job market with recruiter and CareerDette founder Bernadette Lagman, who brings 10 years of recruiting experience. Learn what employers actually seek, how AI is reshaping hiring, and how to stand out to recruiters. Includes audience Q&A on ghosting, career transitions, resume gaps, and job-search strategy.

via The Commons SF ↗ Event link ↗ Edit

IIEX West 2026 Oct 27–28

The Information's 2026 WTF Summit Oct 27–28

TechEquity Ai Summit 2026: Talks + AI Agent Workshops Nov 3–6

Defense Tech Conference Nov 3–4

Reverie: The summit for AI builders Nov 4–5

BoxWorks Dev Summit 2026 Nov 5–6

UXDX San Francisco 2026 Nov 5–6

Foresight Institute's Vision Weekend USA Nov 13–15

Japan Housing Innovation Delegation Nov 16–20

Microsoft Ignite 2026 Nov 17–20

PortCon 2026 | The AI Software Factory Summit Nov 17–18

HealthTech Summit 2027 Jan 13–15

Military Veteran Startups Conference 2027 Feb 10–11