

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Silicon Valley Ft. Kim Kolt & Brian Mac Mahon
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Silicon Valley: A Founder’s Playbook for Building the Future
Join us as we feature the delicious brains of investors Kim Kolt (GP, Bay Bridge Ventures) and Brian Mac Mahon (Director, Nathan Family Office) for an unfiltered, candid conversation on what it actually takes to navigate today's shifting landscape. Forget the polished PR narratives—this session exposes the hard realities of building, funding, and exiting tech companies in the current macro climate.
Key Discussion Topics
New Vehicles for Liquidity: How public markets are evolving and why Private Equity is swallowing VC, forcing founders to build for PE roll-ups and distressed AI exits instead of public listings.
Global Innovation Pitfalls: A direct look at regulation, capital efficiency, and why regions like the EU continue to struggle to foster high-growth tech ecosystems.
Cutting Through the Noise: How seasoned investors spot the fine line between a true visionary and a charismatic BS'er in under five minutes.
Investor Blindspots & Myths: The metrics and pitch deck elements founders obsess over that investors actually ignore when making real check-writing decisions.
The Silicon Valley Love-Hate Paradox: Why top investors and founders still flock to the Bay Area despite its glaring flaws, expensive overhead, and high friction.
Event Details
Date & Time: Sept 11 at 5:00PM -Private Dinner at 7:30pm
Location: The Park James Hotel, Menlo Park, CA
Speakers: Kim Kolt (Bay Bridge Ventures) & Brian Mac Mahon (Nathan Family Office)
Huge thanks to our sponsors:
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