Ra's Circle · San Francisco, Edition III

​Ra's Circle · Edition III

​Ra's Circle is a private gathering for people who believe the best conversations happen in small rooms.

​Each edition brings together a carefully curated mix — investors, founders with exits, policymakers, artists, athletes, and the outliers who don't fit neatly into any category. Never too many of any one kind. Always a balance that makes the room more interesting than the sum of its parts.

​A rotating circle, never the same room twice, coming together around one question worth going deep on. Real connections. Honest exchange. The kind of conversation that stays with you.

​At its core, Ra's Circle is built on an old Silicon Valley instinct that's gotten rare: people who give before they ask. The curious ones, the slightly crazy ones, who believe changing themselves comes before changing the world.

​This edition's featured story

​Dr. Steven P. Shepard
Founder & CEO · Vaxon Space

​He spent his career at Lockheed Martin leading its Power and Propulsion portfolio — solving some of the hardest problems in getting things into orbit and keeping them there. Now he's building something that changes the math entirely.

​Here's a fact most people don't know: satellites in very low earth orbit are in a constant losing fight against atmospheric drag, burning propellant just to stay aloft until they run out and fall. Vaxon Space has developed a proprietary air-breathing electric propulsion technology that uses the Earth's atmosphere itself as propellant — extending the life of VLEO satellites built for missile defense and AI connectivity.

​The company has already won a DARPA award. Neuron-1, Vaxon's first satellite, is targeted for launch in Q4 2027.

​Come hear the story in person.

​Thursday, September 24th · 5:00pm – 8:00pm
The Battery · San Francisco · Address confirmed on approval

​Drinks and conversation from 5pm. Family-style dinner served around 6 – 6:30pm.

​If you're receiving this, it's because we genuinely want you in the circle. Every invitation is intentional and every seat is curated. We have space for 10 to 12 people only — please RSVP as soon as you can to confirm your place.

​A $50 contribution holds your seat. It isn't about the cost of dinner — it's what keeps the room committed. Drinks are on you.

​And if something comes up, please let us know as early as possible. Every seat matters, and someone on the waitlist would love to take yours.

​Sponsored by Vaxon Space
Hosted by Samira Curtis, founder of RawLab.Ventures