Engineering Leaders and VCs Play Chess
We are excited to announce the second round of our chess series - this time with a twist: engineering leaders and venture capitalists coming together for an evening that’s all about strategy, connection, and intellect. Think chess, but with a side of bold bets, visionary ideas, and the battle to shape the future of tech.
The main idea behind our chess events is simple: we designed them with your mindset - an opportunity to step away from the daily grind, engage in strategic chess matches, and network with peers who share your passion for technology and innovation. It’s not a sales event. It’s a space for engineering leaders and VCs from the SF Bay Area to meet, connect, and challenge their thinking through the timeless game of chess.
What’s on the agenda:
New chess formats: want to take on Chess Masters? Or maybe just watch the action? There’s something for everyone, no matter your skill level.
Intimate gathering: with a small group, it’s easy to dive into meaningful conversations and make connections.
Chat with visionaries: engage with peers and colleagues from two distinct yet interconnected worlds: share perspectives, challenge ideas, and spark new collaborations.
All skill levels welcome: never played chess? No problem. Love the game? Bring it on. There’s space for everyone!
No Sales Pitches: this is purely for the intellectually curious.
Why Chess?
As experienced engineering leaders ourselves, we believe that chess isn’t just a game - it’s a lens for exploring creativity, strategy, and decision-making. By blending the game with insightful conversations, we aim to spark new ideas and build lasting connections.
This isn’t just another event. It’s chess meets tech meets big ideas. So come ready to play and connect. See you at the board!
Our guests:
Mark Heimann is an American Chess Grandmaster and machine learning researcher, working on developing machine learning methods for graph-structured data and applying them to several areas of science and engineering. He received an undergraduate and master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015, and a PhD from the University of Michigan in 2020. Alongside his research career, he is also an accomplished chess player, has also obtained the international master title in 2022 and completing the requirements for the grandmaster title in 2024. He also competes and referees in the sport of powerlifting at the national level.
Luke Vellotti is an International Chess Master and a three-time National chess champion. He is a member of the United States Junior Math Olympiad and a five-time All-American U.S. Chess team member. Current rating: USCF 2524 - Blitz 2500 - FIDE 2411.
Rishabh Gokhale is a National Master. He has participated in the World Under-14 Championships. He is a winner of numerous state championships and international tournaments. He is the only student at his school to receive the General Achievement Award twice consecutively. Rishabh has also shared his passion by teaching chess to kids from local orphanages.
Organizers:
Ridge Ventures is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2007. Ridge Ventures specializes in Seed and Series A funding, focusing on experienced founders transforming software interaction in technology, enterprise, and consumer markets.
Orion Innovation is a leading digital transformation and product development services firm. We help companies and startups across various sectors with solving SW technology challenges by scaling the engineering capacity and co-innovating to design high-quality solutions across many industries including industrial IoT, telecom and media, professional services, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, sports and entertainment, and education.
Silicon Valley Chess Community brings together people who love playing chess, meeting new friends, and discussing topics like technology and AI. Spanning from the South Bay to San Francisco, the group hosts weekly chess events at local bars, creating a unique social and intellectual atmosphere.