​Femigrants Annual Forum is the movement that connects 300+ global founders, Fortune 500 executives, venture capitalists, and diplomats for one purpose: build real partnerships, unlock capital, and accelerate cross-border opportunities—without the fluff.

​​VCs and investors joining us from Suncoast Ventures, Silicon Valley Venture, Plug and Play Ventures, All Raise, AI Syndicate, FTB Capital Group, and more.

​​*This event is open to ALL GENDERS and global and international leaders, and non-immigrants supporting and empowering globality and humanity.

​This forum is organized by Aytakin Aliyeva, the Founder of the Femigrants Foundation.

​​Femigrants is a global community of global immigrant leaders in tech, startups, and investment. At Femigrants, we connect immigrants to business and career growth resources through elegant networking events and leadership training programs.

​​This event is generously hosted by Plug and Play.

​​A special thank-you to Sanam (Amidi) Amidhozour — Chief Brand Officer, Plug and Play Tech Center (PNPTC), COO & Treasurer of the PNPTC Foundation, and Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 (Class of 2025)—for supporting Femigrants’ mission and helping bring this forum to life.

​​FORUM PARTNERS

​SILKROAD INNOVATION HUB

​​
Silkroad Innovation Hub is the main partner Femigrants Annual Forum 2026. Special thanks to Asset Abdualiyev, Founder & CEO of Silkroad Innovation Hub, for supporting Femigrants Foundation and our mission to empower global founders and tech leaders.

​​What to Expect

​​It’s a curated forum designed for high-quality conversations, genuine collaboration, and measurable results.

​​Program Highlights

• ​​Grand Opening | Keynote remarks by global diplomats & C-suite leaders

• ​​Keynotes + panel discussions featuring executive-level global leaders across: Startups & scale-ups | Investment & venture | Fortune 500 tech

• ​​Startup Pitch Showcase (5 selected startups): The top 3 winners receive prizes and gifts from our sponsors (to be announced soon)

• ​​Photo Booth + elevated experience moments

• ​​Event Booth: Small and medium businesses led by immigrant leaders or supporting immigrants and global leaders

• ​​Breakfast | Lunch (Mediterranean + vegetarian option | Cocktail Reception (drinks + appetizers, finger food, Turkish baklava)

​​______________________________

​​SPEAKERS

​​Our speaker lineup includes global diplomats, C-suite leaders, and executive-level leaders from startups, investment firms, and Fortune 500 tech companies.

​​KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

• ​​Ronaldo Costa Filho, Consulate General of Brazil in San Francisco

• ​​Isabella Tomás, Austrian Consul in San Francisco & the Bay Area; Co-Director of Open Austria

• ​​Rishi Oberoi, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Varo Bank ($1B+ Capital Raises | 30x Scaling | Ex-PwC, Deloitte & BNP Paribas)

• ​​Maher Hanafi, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Betterworks. Total funding: $161.5M

​​FORTUNE 500 TECH PANEL#1

• ​​Sanam Amidi, Chief Brand Officer, Plug & Play [moderator]

• ​​Amjad Shaikh, Vice President, Platform & AI, Service Now

• ​​Ginniee Singh, Senior Sales Leader, North America, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• ​​Anh Tran, Sr Manager Monetization Strategy, LinkedIn

​​INVESTORS PANEL #2

• ​​Brian Sparkes, CEO/Founder & Chief Venture Officer, Silicon Valley Venture. Host of the Silicon Valley Impact Podcast [Moderator]

• ​​Sobhan Khani, President & Partner, Plug and Play Ventures

• ​​Chima Osuka, VC, Senior Partner, Suncoast Ventures

• ​​Tess Robinson, Managing Partner, FTB Capital Group

• ​​Emery Han, Platform GTM, STRIPE

​​STARTUP LEADERS PANEL #3

• ​​Aytakin Aliyeva, CEO/ Founder, Femigrants Foundation | L'Experiant [moderator]

• ​​William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO, Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP)

• ​​Simon Wistow, Co-Founder, Fastly (NASDAQ: FSLY). Revenue: $172.61M

• ​​Sandeep Chopra, Co-CEO, Everest Systems. Total funding: $140 million (Top-tier investors, including Sutter Hill Ventures, Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, and D1 Capital)

• ​​Ruchi Kasliwal, Vice President of Finance, Zededa Inc. Total funding: $130M

​​JUDGES for the STARTUP PITCH CONTEST

• ​​Chloe Takahashi, Angel Investor. General Partner, AI Syndicate

• ​​JP Persico, Investor, Managing Partner, shuckerVC

• ​​Iryna Voskerician, Managing Partner, MachX

• ​​Benjamin Brand, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Plug and Play Ventures

• ​​Viki Huang, Investor/VC, P7 Ventures, an Aramco Ventures-affiliated fund

​​TOP 5 SELECTED PITCHING STARTUPS

• ​​Anudeep Chimakurthi - Gutway

• ​​Kruti Baires - TheSprintFit

• ​​Samarth Shyam - Niyam

• ​​Yan Khomenko - GENUM

• ​​Yash Mannepalli - Arthiva

​​Event Booth

​Agenda

​​No fluff. Just high-impact connections.

​​10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

​​CHECK-IN | BREAKFAST | NETWORKING
Connect with global leaders in startups, investment, and Fortune 500 companies while enjoying coffee, tea, pastries, and fresh fruit. Start the day with meaningful conversations and business relationship-building from the moment you walk in.

​​11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

​​GRAND OPENING | WELCOMING REMARKS

• ​​Aytakin Aliyeva, CEO/ Founder, Femigrants Foundation | L'Experiant

• ​​Ronaldo Costa Filho, Consulate General of Brazil in San Francisco

• ​​Isabella Tomás, Austrian Consul in San Francisco & the Bay Area; Co-Director of Open Austria

​​11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

​​THE VISION | KEYNOTE SPEECHES

• ​​Rishi Oberoi, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Varo Bank ($1B+ Capital Raises | 30x Scaling | Ex-PwC, Deloitte & BNP Paribas)

• ​​Maher Hanafi, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Betterworks. Total funding: $161.5M

​​12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

​​THE FUTURE | PANEL DISCUSSION #1: FORTUNE 500 TECH STRATEGY

• ​​Sanam Amidi, Chief Brand Officer, Plug & Play [moderator]

• ​​Amjad Shaikh, Vice President, Platform & AI, Service Now

• ​​Ginniee Singh, Senior Sales Leader, North America, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• ​​Anh Tran, Sr Manager Monetization Strategy, LinkedIn

​​1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

​​THE NETWORK | LUNCH & CURATED CONNECTIONS
Forget eating alone. This is your time to connect with founders, investors, executives, diplomats, and future collaborators over lunch. Build relationships that can turn into partnerships, clients, capital, and long-term opportunities.

​​2:00 PM – 3:45 PM

​​THE DEAL FLOW | STARTUP PITCH COMPETITION
JUDGES COMMITTEE

• ​​Chloe Takahashi, Angel Investor. General Partner, AI Syndicate

• ​​JP Persico, Investor, Managing Partner, shuckerVC

• ​​Iryna Voskerician, Managing Partner, MachX

• ​​Benjamin Brand, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Plug and Play Ventures

• ​​Viki Huang, Investor/VC, P7 Ventures, an Aramco Ventures-affiliated fund

​​TOP 5 SELECTED PITCHING STARTUPS

• ​​Anudeep Chimakurthi - Gutway

• ​​Kruti Baires - TheSprintFit

• ​​Samarth Shyam - Niyam

• ​​Yan Khomenko - GENUM

• ​​Yash Mannepalli - Arthiva

​​3:45 PM – 4:15 PM

​​THE CAPITAL PLAYBOOK | PANEL DISCUSSION #3: INVESTORS

• ​​Brian Sparkes, CEO/Founder & Chief Venture Officer, Silicon Valley Venture. Host of the Silicon Valley Impact Podcast [Moderator]

• ​​Sobhan Khani, President & Partner, Plug and Play Ventures

• ​​Chima Osuka, VC, Senior Partner, Suncoast Ventures

• ​​Tess Robinson, Managing Partner, FTB Capital Group

• ​​Emery Han, Platform GTM, STRIPE

​​4:15 PM – 4:30 PM

​​RESET | NETWORKING BREAK
Take a short break to recharge, connect, and prepare for the final sessions of the day, including the startup founders panel and live pitch competition.

​​4:30 PM – 5:10 PM

​​THE BUILDERS | PANEL DISCUSSION #4: STARTUP FOUNDERS

• ​​Aytakin Aliyeva, CEO/ Founder, Femigrants Foundation | L'Experiant [moderator]

• ​​William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO, Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP)

• ​​Simon Wistow, Co-Founder, Fastly (NASDAQ: FSLY). Revenue: $172.61M

• ​​Sandeep Chopra, Co-CEO, Everest Systems. Total funding: $140 million (Top-tier investors, including Sutter Hill Ventures, Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, and D1 Capital)

• ​​Ruchi Kasliwal, Vice President of Finance, Zededa Inc. Total funding: $130M

​​5:10 PM – 5:15 PM

​​FINAL ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLOSING REMARKS
Official closing remarks, startup pitch awards, and final acknowledgments to speakers, sponsors, partners, and guests who helped make the forum possible.

​​5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

​​COCKTAIL RECEPTION
End the day with premium cocktails, a professional red-carpet photo experience, and relaxed networking with speakers, investors, founders, and executives.

​​Topics of Discussions

​​Expect practical, real-world conversations around what’s shaping the market right now—across AI, startups, Fortune 500 innovation, and global collaboration:

• ​​AI in the real world (beyond the hype): how founders and executives are using AI to drive growth, efficiency, and smarter decisions

• ​​Global partnerships that actually work: cross-border collaboration, enterprise partnerships, and go-to-market alliances

• ​​Capital & investment in today’s climate: what investors look for now, how founders position for funding, and strategic partnership-driven growth

• ​​Immigrant and expat leadership: lessons from leaders who rebuilt careers, launched companies, and scaled impact

• ​​Community building that opens doors: social impact, credibility, and visibility that accelerates trust

• ​​Mindset + resilience: navigating uncertainty, obstacles, and big transitions while staying focused on execution

• ​​Shaping representation: initiatives that elevate immigrant and refugee contributions and create positive narratives

​​Startup Pitch Opportunity (Application Required)

​​We’ll select 5 top startups to pitch live on stage at the Femigrants Forum through an application-based process.

​​How selection works:

• ​​Startups submit an application

• ​​A review commission evaluates applications

• ​​The top 5 startups are selected to pitch live at the forum

​​Awards: The top 3 winners will receive prizes and gifts from our sponsors (to be announced soon).

​​How to apply: Complete the application form

​​DEADLINE to apply: March 27, 2026 — 11:59 PM PST
Selected startups will be notified via email from the Femigrants Foundation.

​​Questions? Email [email protected] with the subject line: “Startup pitch”.

​​Who Should Attend

• ​​Startup founders building partnerships and raising capital

• ​​Investors sourcing high-quality deal flow

• ​​Fortune 500 & tech executives partnering with AI/startups

• ​​Corporate and ecosystem leaders building cross-border growth

• ​​Diplomats and international community leaders

​​**Age restriction 21+.

​​Side Note:

​​Our event attendees are global diplimats, c-level leaders and executives from Fortune 500 Tech companies in Silicon Valley (including but not limited to Google, Meta, Netflix, Cisco, Paypal, Linkedin, Instagram, ServiceNow, Zoom, Autodesk, Microsoft, and more), Startup Founders, Investors, Social Media Influencers, and Small to Medium Business Owners living or working in the Bay Area.

​​Dress Code

​​Official or casual classic. Recommended color: Black or navy blue (not required)

​​Sponsors & Partnerships

​​Want your brand in the room with global founders, executives, investors, and diplomats? Sponsorships are limited and designed for visibility + meaningful engagement.

​​For sponsorship and partnership inquiries, email: [email protected] to learn about sponsorship packages and benefits.

​​Contact us now to embark on this exciting journey together!

​​Event Booths (For Small Businesses & Brands)

​​If you’re interested in an event booth, please email [email protected] before purchasing your ticket with the subject line: Event Booth.
We’ll share booth availability, details, and answer any questions.

​​Menu

​​We’re serving a Mediterranean lunch with a vegetarian option.
The detailed menu will be added soon.

​​Tickets (Please Read Before Purchasing)

​​Ticket inclusions vary based on the option you choose. Some tickets include full-day access (10 AM–7 PM), and some are half-day access (Happy Hour not included for half-day tickets).

​​Please read the details under each ticket option carefully before selecting your ticket.

​​Ticket Policy:

• ​​All tickets are non-refundable.

• ​​All tickets are non-transferable.

• ​​We are unable to accommodate requests to transfer tickets to another attendee.

​​About Femigrants Foundation

​​Femigrants Foundation is a nonprofit (501c3) organization that aims to connect global immigrants and international leaders to business and career growth resources through professional networking & elegant event experiences.

​​The Founder's Story

​​At Femigrants Foundation, transformation begins with access to the networks that truly matter. We connect immigrants with decision-makers, mentors, and sponsors who understand the immigrant journey.

​​The word Femigrants stands for female immigrants. Our community was founded by Aytakin Aliyeva, who moved to Silicon Valley with just $300 and no access to the executive networks that could accelerate her career.

​​Despite leading a successful career in her home country, Aytakin found herself in the devastating position of begging for low-paid jobs in America. Without connections to guide her path, it took her five years to secure her first corporate role that matched her experience and background. The isolation, rejections, and closed doors she faced became the catalyst for building something transformational.

​​Aytakin believes that cold messages don’t always work. Real success comes from connecting immigrants with decision makers in meaningful ways that build long-term relationships in real life. These relationships lead to partnership, collaboration, investment, and sponsorship opportunities.

​​What started as one woman’s determination has become a prestigious global network.

​​Through elegant gatherings and distinguished professional training programs, we curate environments where immigrant leaders feel valued, welcomed, and celebrated.

​​Together, we are building an ecosystem where global leaders don’t navigate alone. We rise together through the power of authentic connection, shared wisdom, and mutual support.