Founder’s Guide to Hosting Events in SF
Most founders come to San Francisco to attend events. The founders who build the strongest networks host them.
Whether it's a founder dinner, a customer meetup, a product launch, or an investor breakfast, hosting your own event is one of the fastest ways to become visible, build credibility, and meet exactly the people you want to know.
The problem? If you're coming from outside San Francisco, it can feel impossible.
Where do you host it? How do you get people to show up? Can you get a venue for free? How do you find sponsors? How do you fill the room if you don't know anyone in the city?
We've been there - and we're going to show you exactly how to do it.
🚀 Come steal our playbooks.
No gatekeeping. No theory. Just the exact templates and lessons we've used to organize founder events in San Francisco - including events that attracted 200 attendees and more than 400 people on the waitlist.
You'll leave with a practical, step-by-step blueprint covering:
✨ Choosing an event format people actually want to attend
✨ Finding great venues (without spending a fortune)
✨ Getting sponsors to help cover the costs
✨ Building the perfect guest list of founders, investors, operators, and customers
✨ Filling your event - even if you're new to San Francisco and don't know people yet
✨ Creating an experience people will remember (instead of another forgettable networking event)
✨ Managing RSVPs, waitlists, and inevitable no-shows
✨ Following up so one evening turns into long-term relationships, customers, investors, and opportunities
We'll also share the mistakes we've made, the hacks that worked, and the things we wish someone had told us before organizing our first event.
Whether you're coming for SF Tech Week, launching your product, meeting customers, or simply trying to build your network in Silicon Valley, this workshop will give you a playbook you can put into action immediately.
Speakers
Lyvia Chapman is the founder of Founders on Tap, a San Francisco community hosting founder-led workshops in bars. She previously helped build community and grow social media at Harvard Innovation Labs, and has led brand and audience growth for her own startups as well as YC-backed companies. Her events consistently attract exceptional founders, including a recent event with 200 attendees and more than 400 people on the waitlist.
Founder & CEO of SF Startup Labs, helping top early-stage founders raise capital, enter the US market, and build meaningful relationships in Silicon Valley. She worked with hundreds of founders, mentors, investors, and startup ecosystems worldwide. Ex-founder, ex-Google.
🎁 Bonus
Everyone who attends will be invited to our private WhatsApp community for founders coming to San Francisco this autumn - a place to meet other founders before you arrive, organize dinners and side events, find accommodation, and start building your Silicon Valley network before your plane even lands.