Funding the Founder in the AI Era

Funding the Founder in the AI Era
Co-Hosted With Innovate Bay · Thursday, July 23, 2026 · 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
San Francisco Bay University · 161 Mission Falls Ln, Fremont, CA 94539 · Mission Falls Business Park

AI has changed what companies look like, how much they cost to build, and how quickly they scale. But the fundamentals of matching capital to company haven’t changed — and most founders still pursue the wrong kind of money for the kind of business they’re actually building.
Following our May session on AI-era go-to-market and software development, this gathering turns to the capital side: how different businesses get funded, which investors actually fit, and how funding needs shift as companies move through stage transitions.
This isn’t a one-off event. It’s an ecosystem.
Two panels, one arc. Panel 1 asks whether you should raise — and whether your business is fundable and scalable. Panel 2 assumes you’re growing and asks how to move stage to stage, and bring the right capital in at the right time.
THE FRAMEWORK
The 4Cs of the Founder Ecosystem
Enduring companies are built where four forces intersect: Capital, Competencies, Customers, and Cities.
East Bay Founders exists to bring these forces together — creating the conditions for companies to start, scale, and succeed. This event focuses on the first C: Capital.
THE AGENDA
4:30 – 5:00 PM — Registration & Networking
Doors open. Meet founders, investors, operators, and builders from across the East Bay and Silicon Valley ecosystem.
5:00 – 5:10 PM — Welcome from SFBU
Opening remarks by Rohan Brown, San Francisco Bay University.
5:10 – 5:20 PM — East Bay Founders Overview
Introduction to the East Bay Founders community and the mission behind building a founder ecosystem across cities, capital networks, and technology operators.
5:20 – 6:20 PM — Panel 1: Types of Investment
Every company starts as a startup — but very few are venture-backed or even venture-backable. A deep dive into the full landscape of capital sources: venture capital, venture debt, commercial lending, and angel investment. When each fits, when each doesn’t, and how founders should think about the mix.

Moderator: Jason Sydow — 20+ years in VC, financial & corporateJeff Karras — General Partner, America’s Frontier Fund · Venture Capital
Matthew Stafford — Vice President, Innovation Banking Group · Venture Debt
James Reddy — SVP & Region Manager, Business Banking, City National Bank · Commercial Lending
Robert Hess — Angel investor & IP attorney, Life Science Angels / Band of Angels · Angel
6:20 – 6:50 PM — Break: Light Dinner & Networking
6:50 – 7:00 PM — User Group Update
What’s ahead for East Bay Founders user groups and programming.
7:00 – 8:00 PM — Panel 2: Stage Transitions
Stage transition points are make-or-break moments for growing companies. What are they in general? When do different capital sources come in, and how do these inflection points vary across different kinds of startups?

Moderator: Jason Sydow — 20+ years in VC, financial & corporateCarolin Funk, Ph.D. — Partner, Blue Bear Capital (former COO, FreeWire Technologies) · Multi-Stage VC
Michael Kasin — Founder, Guided Growth Legal · Corporate Counsel
Tom Rosario — Head of People, Brimstone · Scaling Teams
Vishnu Datla — Founder, AutoRabit & SimpleTest · Founder / Exit
8:00 – 8:15 PM — App Update
The EBF app launch — and what’s new.
8:15 PM – Close — Wrap-up & Networking
THE ROOM
Who Should Attend
Founders building companies of every shape — software, services, hardware, frontier tech
Investors and venture partners
Lenders, angels, and alternative capital providers
Product and engineering leaders thinking about funding strategy
Ecosystem builders and operators
Light dinner and refreshments will be provided.
THE COMMUNITY
About East Bay Founders
East Bay Founders is a community connecting capital, colleagues, customers, and cities to help entrepreneurs learn faster, build smarter, and scale companies that last.
Where Founders Grow. www.eastbayfounders.net