Collapsing Startup Time: What AI Acceleration REALLY Means for Founders & Investors - Light DAO Salon (SF)
Join Light Dao and our community of conscious entrepreneurs and investors for a salon evening filled with connection, deep conversations, and a fireside chat with Mariane Bekker and Ruby Yeh, Co-Founder of Light Dao.
Light Dao is a fast-growing "friends of trusted friends" global network of over 3,000+ entrepreneurs, including 800 investors, with curated in-person and online gatherings and experiences in LA, NYC, SF, Lisbon, Taipei, Puerto Rico and Australia.
Our heartfelt mission is to expand the collective consciousness and co-create a thriving regenerative future for humanity.
Special Salon Guest: Mariane Bekker
Get ready for a high-voltage conversation with Mariane Bekker — one of the most plugged-in ecosystem leaders in the Bay Area startup world.
Mariane's team built Founders Bay from a few thousand to over 80,000 members in a year, hosting multiple IRL and online events every week to keep founders and investors ahead of the curve.
Recently, Founders Bay launched a new fund that’s already drawing strong early interest from potential LPs.
She’s also the powerhouse behind Women Founders Bay, a fierce advocate for women in tech and venture.
Mariane and her team are the masterminds behind the legendary GigaParties — epic 2,000-person gatherings that fuse tech, culture, and community into something unforgettable.
But her story isn’t just about scale — it’s about vision, passion, and heart.
From escaping war as a refugee from Lebanon to raising two young kids as a single mom, Mariane’s rise to Silicon Valley power influencer is nothing short of astounding.
In this fireside chat, we’ll get a true insider’s take on:
🔹 How AI is collapsing startup time and rewriting the playbook for early stage founders and investors
🔹 The hidden opportunities and broader access emerging in this new era of extreme velocity.
🔹 What most founders and investors are missing — and how to stay ahead
🔹 Her personal story of grit, reinvention, and radical generosity in leadership
Before starting Founders Bay, Mariane led engineering teams through five acquisitions and one IPO, and founded a consultancy helping early-stage startups scale their technical teams. This deep operational experience gives her rare insight into both the technical and strategic sides of startup growth.
✨ If you're building, investing, or navigating the fast-shifting future — this is THE room and conversation to be in.
This will be another cutting-edge, signature Light Dao talk you won't want to miss.
SALON AGENDA:
6:00-7:00pm - Welcome and healthy snacks served (no entry after 7:00PM)
6:15 -7:00pm - Dao Owner Members' only, private time with Mariane7:00-7:30pm - Light Dao's signature Connection Experience
7:30-8:15pm - Fireside chat with Mariane and Ruby
8:15-8:30 - 1-liner business intros from each guest
8:30-9:30pm - Hang out & Wrap-up
VENUE DETAILS: TBD
GUIDELINES: This is more than your typical, professional networking event.
Light Dao is a private membership club for leaders seeking to join a like-valued global tribe and excited to deeply connect with fellow entrepreneurs and investors on a "whole person level," beyond just business networking.
We respectfully ask everyone to arrive before 7:00PM when the door will be closed, for our signature "Connection Experience," which has been a favorite among past guests.
If you are not a Light Dao Member Owner yet, please be thorough with your registration answers to help us understand how you might be valued-aligned with our community as an EXPERIENCED FOUNDER OR INVESTOR, which allows us to quickly approve you.
Please note, friends or Plus 1s must RSVP individually.
JOIN US: We are excited to welcome you to our global community! http://wearelight.one/
Our past San Francisco Salon Guests have included:
Tim Chang, Mayfield Fund with $4B in exits, and a pioneer in human potential
Chris Yeh, Co-author with Reid Hoffman of Blitzscaling, on scaling impactful tech startups
Jeremy Nixon, Architect of the famed SF Bay Area AGI Hacker Houses
Ani Chahal Honan, Founder & MP of the $1 Billion "Beneficial AI Fund" IMAGINE Ventures
Vivienne Ming, Co-founder of Socos and an AI and neuroscience visionary and scientist
Ashley Bell, Leading a $500M fund focused on underserved communities
AJ Keller, Founder of Neurosity funded by Adam Draper, at the cutting edge of BCI technology
Agnieszka Pilat, Robotics artist & "artist in residence" at XPrize, Boston Dynamics & Seoul airport exhibition
Tom Chi, GoogleX Founding Team Leader & Founder of $500M+ ClimateTech Funds at AtOne Ventures
De Kai, True AI OG with 40 years experience. New AI book endorsed by Geoffrey Hinton & MC Hammer.