Events
AI for Business Workshop: Building an AI Product That Benefits Your Business
AI for Business Workshop:Building an AI Product That Benefits Your Business
Learn how to build AI Products that benefit your business in this workshop conducted by Glissando AI Founder Amin Rabinia.
Everyone can build software with AI now. That's exactly why so many projects stall, get rebuilt, or quietly get abandoned. The hard part was never the code. It's deciding what to build, and designing it before you start.
This session walks through how AI products actually get built: how to tell which ideas are worth building, what has to be designed before anyone writes code, and why the same few mistakes sink most projects. Amin will show real systems he has built for businesses and founders, including what worked and what had to be rebuilt.
You'll leave knowing:
How to tell whether an AI idea is worth building, before spending money on it
Why so many AI projects work in a demo and fail in the real business
What to have ready before you hire a developer or start building
Where AI genuinely fits in a small business, and where it doesn't
Useful for business owners considering AI, and founders building an AI product.
Agenda
6:00 – 6:30 PM — Networking, food, and beverages
6:30 – 7:30 PM — Presentation
7:30 – 8:00 PM — Audience Q&A
The free monthly AI for Business series is supported by the City of Roseville. Food and beverages are provided.
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Roseville Venture Lab, 316 Vernon Street, Ste #110
Cost: Free
Registration: Eventbrite
The Panelists
About Amin Rabinia
Amin Rabinia is an AI product builder in Sacramento and the founder of Glissando AI, where he designs and builds custom AI products for founders and business owners. He has spent six years in machine learning, from computer vision and prediction models to the multi-agent AI systems he builds today. His work includes an automated procurement platform, an AI design platform for a furniture company, and two live consumer products he built and runs himself. He holds three master's degrees in computer science and philosophy of science.
Thank You to Our Sponsor!
About the Roseville Venture Lab
The Roseville Venture Lab is open to the public and dedicated to strengthening local startup businesses, spurring job growth, and fostering a community of entrepreneurs through programs, events, partnerships, workforce development, and coworking space. For more information vist them at roseville.ca.us/VentureLab.
AI For Marketing Panel Discussion
AI For Marketing Panel Discussion
AI is changing marketing fast, but the interesting question isn’t what AI can do. It’s what businesses are actually using it for right now.
Join us for an AI for Marketing Panel Discussion featuring three local professionals who are putting AI to work in marketing, content creation, customer engagement, and business growth.
Our panelists bring three different perspectives:
We’ll talk about how AI is changing the way businesses create content, reach customers, automate marketing tasks, and decide where to spend their time and money. We’ll also get into what’s working, what isn’t, and where human creativity still matters.
Expect a practical conversation rather than a parade of AI buzzwords. We’ll discuss real tools, real workflows, lessons learned, and ideas you can take back to your own business.
What We’ll Cover
We’ll explore topics including AI-assisted content creation, social media and digital marketing, customer targeting and personalization, marketing automation, video and creative production, measuring ROI, and how small businesses can get started without building an enormous AI tech stack.
We’ll also talk about the limitations of AI and where relying too heavily on automation can actually make your marketing worse.
Schedule
6:00–6:30 PM — Networking
Meet other business owners, entrepreneurs, marketers, and AI-curious people from the region.
6:30–7:30 PM — Panel Discussion
Hear how our panelists are using AI in their businesses and what they’ve learned along the way.
7:30–8:00 PM — Audience Q&A
Bring your questions. This is your chance to ask the panel about the AI marketing challenges you’re dealing with.
And yes, in keeping with the finest traditions of startup events, cold pizza and warm water will be provided. Come for the AI. Stay for the questionable catering decisions.
This event is sponsored by the City of Rancho Cordova and Frequency Coworking as part of the Rancho Cordova AI for Business Workshop Series.
Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, marketer, nonprofit leader, or simply trying to figure out how AI fits into your work, you’ll leave with practical ideas you can experiment with the next day.
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
Location: Frequency Coworking, 3249 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Jesse Delgado
Jesse Delgado is the founder of Storyline Media Group, a Sacramento-based video marketing agency, and a leader in Sacramento’s growing AI community. He helps businesses and founders combine storytelling, content, and AI to improve their marketing and turn ideas into measurable results.
About Justin Mendez
Founder, JustinMendez.ai · AI for builders and business leaders · Building systems so more people can build the world they want to live in.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Fall 2026 Startup Challenge
Fall 2026 Startup Challenge
Curious about entrepreneurship but not sure where to start? Whether you have a business idea you’d like to explore or simply want to experience what it takes to turn an idea into something real, the Startup Challenge offers a hands-on introduction to the entrepreneurial process. Over one weekend, you’ll collaborate with a team, test ideas, solve problems, and learn by doing.
Hosted by the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and StartupSac, the Startup Challenge brings together aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, students, and business professionals. No existing business, polished idea, or previous startup experience is required. Register by October 19 to take advantage of early bird pricing: $75 for general admission or $25 for students, before prices increase to $99 and $35. Registration includes meals throughout the weekend and an event T-shirt. Learn more and register today!
Experience Entrepreneurship in One Weekend
The Startup Challenge isn’t a traditional conference where you spend the weekend listening to presentations. It’s a hands-on opportunity to experience what it takes to build a startup from the ground up. Beginning Friday evening, participants will share ideas, form teams, and work together to explore and develop a business concept over the weekend. Throughout the weekend, teams will explore customer needs, develop solutions, test their assumptions, and prepare a pitch. By Sunday, you’ll have experienced the process of developing an idea, testing assumptions, working through challenges, and presenting a solution—skills you can apply whether or not you ever launch a startup.
No Business Experience? No Problem.
One of the biggest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that you need a business degree, technical background, or groundbreaking idea to get started. The Startup Challenge is designed to remove those barriers. Whether you’re a small business owner exploring new opportunities, a student curious about entrepreneurship, or someone interested in learning how startups work, this event is for you.
You don’t even need to bring an idea! Participants can join a team and contribute their skills, perspectives, and creativity. With resources and support available throughout the weekend, you’ll learn by doing and gain firsthand experience turning an idea into a potential business.
Connect With Sacramento’s Startup Community
Building a business doesn’t happen in isolation. The Startup Challenge brings together people from across Sacramento’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to exchange ideas, collaborate, and build meaningful connections. Throughout the weekend, you’ll work alongside others who share an interest in innovation, entrepreneurship, and solving real-world problems.
For early-stage founders, it’s an opportunity to strengthen entrepreneurial skills and meet potential collaborators. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s a chance to experience what starting a business actually involves. Whether your team continues developing its idea or not, you’ll walk away with practical experience, valuable connections, and a stronger understanding of the startup process.
What You Need to Know Before Registering
The Startup Challenge takes place November 13 to 15, 2026, at the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State. Participants will spend three days working with their teams to develop and pitch a business idea. To get the most out of the experience, participants should plan to attend the majority of the weekend.
Weekend Schedule:
Friday, November 13: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Saturday, November 14: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Sunday, November 15: 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Take advantage of early bird pricing through October 19, 2026! General admission is just $75 before increasing to $99, while currently enrolled students can register for $25 before the price increases to $35. Registration includes meals throughout the weekend and an event T-shirt.
Registration Details:
General Admission: $75 early bird / $99 regular
Student Admission: $25 early bird / $35 regular
Age Requirement: Participants must be 18 or older.
Take the First Step Toward Entrepreneurship
You don’t need a business idea or plans to launch a startup to benefit from the Startup Challenge. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to try something new. Over one weekend, you’ll gain practical experience, work with people from different backgrounds, and discover what goes into developing and testing a business idea. Whether you’re exploring entrepreneurship for the first time or looking to strengthen your skills, the Startup Challenge is an opportunity to learn, connect, and challenge yourself.
Register For Startup Challenge Here
Early bird registration ends October 19, so don’t wait to secure your spot.
Interested in learning about more programs that support entrepreneurs? Join our newsletter here to stay updated on opportunities and resources.
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring FYC Labs CEO Justin Fortier
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring FYC Labs CEO Justin Fortier
Come join out our monthly AI gathering at Granite City Coworking, where we'll enjoy some pizza while engaging in laid-back AI discussions.
Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking, invites you to our next AI Meetup.
Join us at Granite City Coworking for an evening of networking and real-time collaboration. This month we’re featuring FYC Labs CEO Justin Fortier.
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: November 17
Time: 6 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Drive, #Ste 250 Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Justin Fortier
Justin Fortier is a technology entrepreneur and founder of FYC Labs and Fractal Group. He grew FYC Labs into an international design and development firm serving clients including PepsiCo, Budweiser, and RE/MAX. Through Fractal Group, he helps founders build and grow businesses through technology services, strategic guidance, and angel investing. His experience spans software development, product strategy, and business leadership.
Roseville AI Startup Pitch Contest: $1,000 in Cash Prizes
Roseville AI Startup Pitch Contest: $1,000 in Cash Prizes
Watch local entrepreneurs pitch AI startup ideas, compete for $1,000 in cash prizes, and get feedback from judges at Roseville Venture Lab.
Come watch local entrepreneurs pitch their AI business ideas and compete for $1,000 in cash prizes:
1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $250
Audience Selection: $250
As part of our December Roseville AI Workshop, aspiring founders and early-stage startups will present the problems they’re solving, how AI fits into their solutions, and how they plan to turn those ideas into businesses. Hear their pitches, listen to questions and feedback from the judges, and meet others interested in building with AI.
Whether you’re a business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, investor, or simply curious about AI, join us to:
See practical ways AI could solve real customer problems.
Learn what makes a promising business idea.
Connect with founders and members of the local business community.
Support entrepreneurs taking their next step.
You don’t need technical experience or a startup of your own to attend. Bring your curiosity and come cheer on the presenters.
Want to pitch?
We welcome applications from aspiring founders and early-stage startups, including those with ideas and prototypes. An incorporated company, funding, or revenue is not required. 6 finalists will be selected to present.
Apply to pitch:
https://forms.gle/ayswfSsbh6VBtqNq6
Agenda
6:00 – 6:30 PM — Networking, food, and beverages
6:30 – 7:30 PM — Startup Pitches
7:30 – 8:00 PM — Judge Selection
The free monthly AI for Business series is supported by the City of Roseville. Food and beverages are provided. Thank you to the Carlsen Center for providing the prize pot.
Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Roseville Venture Lab, 316 Vernon Street, Ste #110
Cost: Free
Registration: Eventbrite
Meet the Judges
About Brian Bell
Brian founded Team Ignite Ventures in 2020 after building products and businesses across Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, startups, and financial services. At AWS, he helped launch the SageMaker AI Marketplace. He holds a Finance degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from UC Berkeley, and hosts the Ignite Podcast.
About Carolyn Peer
Carolyn Peer is the CEO and Cofounder of Humaxa, where she is leading the company toward the future of AI-driven knowledge workflow automation and large-scale workforce productivity solutions. She’s also an angel investor. With an academic background in Cognitive Neuroscience (BA) and Instructional Technology (MA), Carolyn combines expertise in education technology product design, instructional design, and performance support. She has successfully commercialized multiple educational and productivity products, ensuring they achieve real impact in competitive markets.
About Thom Schildmeyer
Thom Schildmeyer is a Partner at Growth Factory Ventures (GFV), responsible for Healthcare Investment and Strategy. A founder and operator with 30+ years in healthcare, he built, scaled, and sold a tech-enabled healthcare services company and led a national provider-network program at VSP. His earlier roles include Allergan and Modernizing Medicine. Today he invests in and advises founders building at the intersection of healthcare delivery and AI.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
About the Roseville Venture Lab
The Roseville Venture Lab is open to the public and dedicated to strengthening local startup businesses, spurring job growth, and fostering a community of entrepreneurs through programs, events, partnerships, workforce development, and coworking space. For more information vist them at roseville.ca.us/VentureLab.
About the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship serves as a premier regional hub for approachable startup education, mentorship, and community support in the Greater Sacramento area. Located on the Sacramento State campus inside the university library, it acts as an interdisciplinary launchpad designed to help students, faculty, alumni, and local community members bring their business or non-profit ideas to life.
Build a Website with AI: A Hands-on Lovable Workshop
Build a Website with AI: A Hands-on Lovable Workshop
Learn to build a website using AI and Lovable in this hands-on workshop. No coding experience required!
Want to create a professional website without learning to code? AI is making it easier than ever.
Join us for a hands-on workshop led by Matthew Loughran, Lovable Ambassador for Sacramento, and learn how to turn a simple idea into a functional website using AI.
Lovable is an AI-powered platform that allows you to build websites and applications simply by describing what you want in plain English. You don't need programming experience or web development skills.
During this interactive workshop, Matthew will walk participants through the process of creating a website from scratch, customizing its design, adding content, and preparing it for publication.
What You'll Learn
Getting Started with Lovable: Understand how AI can turn your ideas into a website.
Creating Your Website: Learn how to write effective prompts that tell AI what to build.
Customizing Your Design: Modify layouts, colors, images, and content using natural language.
Adding Features: Explore navigation, contact forms, calls to action, and other useful website elements.
Publishing Your Website: Learn how to get your website online and share it with others.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, startup founders, consultants, and anyone interested in building a website with AI.
No coding or technical experience is required.
What to Bring
Bring your laptop and an idea for a website you'd like to create. We recommend setting up a free account at Lovable.dev before the workshop.
By the end of the workshop, you'll have hands-on experience building a website with AI and a working website draft that you can continue improving.
Stop thinking about building a website. Come learn how to build one.
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: December 9, 2026
Time: 6 pm
Location: Frequency Coworking & Events, 3249 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Cost: Free
Register: Eventbrite
About Matthew Loughran
Matthew Loughran, EMBA is the Founder & CEO of Craftsman AI and a Lovable City Ambassador for Sacramento. He builds AI-powered products, SaaS platforms, and automation systems for startups, small businesses, and emerging technology companies.
His work spans product strategy, AI implementation, customer experience, growth systems, and rapid application development, with a focus on turning ideas into real, production-ready products. He has built and launched multiple active platforms across AI, fintech, education, local commerce, and community technology.
Matthew also serves as Board Chair of the Granite City Entrepreneurship Foundation and is the Founder of Folsom Cordova Tech Week. Through workshops, events, and founder programming, he helps entrepreneurs learn how to use AI and tools like Lovable to build, test, and launch faster.
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring Lovable City Ambassador Matthew Loughran
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring Lovable City Ambassador Matthew Loughran
Come join out our monthly AI gathering at Granite City Coworking, where we'll enjoy some pizza while engaging in laid-back AI discussions.
Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking, invites you to our next AI Meetup.
Join us at Granite City Coworking for an evening of networking and real-time collaboration. This month we’re featuring Lovable City Ambassador for Sacramento, Matthew Loughran.
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: January 19, 2027
Time: 6 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Drive, #Ste 250 Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: Free
Register: Eventbrite
About Matthew Loughran
Matthew Loughran, EMBA is the Founder & CEO of Craftsman AI and a Lovable City Ambassador for Sacramento. He builds AI-powered products, SaaS platforms, and automation systems for startups, small businesses, and emerging technology companies.
His work spans product strategy, AI implementation, customer experience, growth systems, and rapid application development, with a focus on turning ideas into real, production-ready products. He has built and launched multiple active platforms across AI, fintech, education, local commerce, and community technology.
Matthew also serves as Board Chair of the Granite City Entrepreneurship Foundation and is the Founder of Folsom Cordova Tech Week. Through workshops, events, and founder programming, he helps entrepreneurs learn how to use AI and tools like Lovable to build, test, and launch faster.
Raising Capital for Medical Innovation presented by Dr. David Ferrick
Raising Capital for Medical Innovation presented by Dr. David Ferrick
Speaker Update: Dr. Christian Renaudin is unfortunately no longer able to join us for this event. We are pleased to welcome Dr. David Ferrick, an experienced biotechnology executive, scientist, entrepreneur, and life science commercialization leader, as our featured speaker.
Raising capital for a medical or life science startup is different from fundraising for almost any other kind of company.
Investors are evaluating more than the idea. They are looking at the science, intellectual property, regulatory pathway, market opportunity, team, and the milestones needed to reduce risk.
Join MedStart, in partnership with Sacramento State and the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, for a practical conversation about what it takes to fund and build a successful medical or life science company.
Dr. Ferrick has spent decades building and commercializing life science companies and technologies. He co-founded Sagres Discovery, raised $25 million in venture funding, and led the company through its acquisition by Chiron. He has also held senior leadership roles with Agilent Technologies, Seahorse Bioscience, Axion Biosystems, Guava Technologies, and other life science companies.
The discussion will explore topics including:
What investors look for in medical and life science startups
How founders can make their companies more investable
The milestones that matter when raising capital
How scientific, technical, and commercial risk affect fundraising
Lessons learned from building, funding, and exiting life science companies
Common mistakes founders make when approaching investors
This event is designed for biotech, medical device, diagnostics, therapeutics, digital health, and other life science founders, as well as researchers interested in commercializing their technology.
Whether you're actively raising capital or thinking about your next round, you'll hear practical insights from someone who has experienced the fundraising process from the founder, executive, and commercialization side of the table.
Food and beverage will be provided.
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 6 pm - 8 pm
Location: Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 6000 J Street, Library 1520, Sacramento, CA 95819
Cost: Free
Register: Eventbrite
PARKING INSTRUCTIONS
Please allow plenty of time to park as the semester is in session at Sac State.
Best to use Google, not Apple to locate the University Library.
Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
6000 J Street, Library 1520, Sacramento, CA 95819
Go through main doors of the University Library, turn hard right and keep walking, up a short flight of stairs to our doors
VISITOR INSTRUCTIONS
The event parking code is EV16907. You must use your coupon code at any parking permit machine located in any student parking lot/structure; view the campus map for locations.
At the permit machine:
1. Press any button to begin.
2. Enter your license plate (maybe take a picture of it).
3. Press "2" for a Daily permit.
4. Press "1" to enter your coupon code.
5. Finish your transaction.
Your parking permit is valid in student parking spaces. Please view our campus map for directions.
Permit machines are located in all student parking lots/structures: Student Lots 1C, 7, 8, 9, 14
5th floor of Parking Structure 1
3rd floor of Parking Structure 2
1st and 3rd floors of Parking Structure 3
3rd and 4th floors of Parking Structure 5
The UTAPS office at the Welcome Center building
About Dr. David Ferrick
Dr. David Ferrick is a biotechnology executive, scientist, and serial entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in life sciences, commercialization, and drug discovery. He co-founded Sagres Discovery, where he raised $25 million and led the company through its acquisition by Chiron. He has also held senior leadership roles at Agilent Technologies, Seahorse Bioscience, Axion Biosystems, and Guava Technologies, and began his career as a professor at UC Davis.
Thank you to our partners!
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring AWS Partner Initiatives Manager Robby Gill
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring AWS Partner Initiatives Manager Robby Gill
Come join out our monthly AI gathering at Granite City Coworking, where we'll enjoy some pizza while engaging in laid-back AI discussions.
Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking, invites you to our next AI Meetup.
Join us at Granite City Coworking for an evening of networking and real-time collaboration. This month we’re featuring AWS Partner Initiatives Manager Robby Gill
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: October 21
Time: 6 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Drive, #Ste 250 Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Robby Gill
Robby Gill is a technology partnerships leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he leads a team of business development professionals supporting AWS’s global ecosystem of independent software vendors. His work focuses on helping technology companies build stronger partnerships, expand their reach, and grow through AWS. Robby brings practical experience at the intersection of cloud technology, emerging innovation, and business strategy.
Sac Tech Week 2026
Sac Tech Week 2026: Free AI Events, Coworking, and Community in Folsom
A week of free coworking. A session on building bots for real business workflows. A full day dedicated to learning, building, and meeting other entrepreneurs. This October, you can find all of that right here in Folsom.
Sac Tech Week runs October 19–24, 2026, with events across the Sacramento region. Granite City Workspaces is a community host, bringing a full slate of local activities to Folsom. Startup Folsom is joining the week with our October 21 AI Meetup.
For founders and business owners, this is a chance to step away from the daily workload, explore practical uses for AI, and meet people working through similar challenges.
The Folsom sessions are free. You just need to RSVP for each one you plan to attend.
Why Put This on Your Calendar?
It’s easy to spend an afternoon reading about AI and finish with more browser tabs than useful answers.
A better starting point is a problem in your business. Maybe your team spends too much time on repetitive tasks. Maybe you have an app idea you want to test. Or maybe you want to understand what other local business owners are actually doing with these tools.
Bring that problem with you.
At Startup Folsom, we believe these gatherings are most useful when people leave with something they can act on: an idea to test, a person to follow up with, or a clearer understanding of their next step.
What’s Happening in Folsom
The local lineup starts with an early event on October 16, ahead of the official Sac Tech Week schedule.
The current event page has session details and individual registration options.
Join Startup Folsom on October 21
Our Folsom AI Meetup runs from 6–8 p.m., featuring Robby Gill, AWS Partner Initiatives Manager, speaking about AWS Startup Programs. The evening begins with 30 minutes of networking.
Come meet other founders, ask questions, and learn about resources that may be relevant to what you’re building. If you’ve been meaning to attend a Startup Folsom meetup, this is a good opportunity to join us.
Make the Week Useful
Our suggestion: pick one session that addresses a current business challenge and leave room for a conversation afterward.
You don’t have to attend everything. One useful connection or one improvement to a recurring task can make the time worthwhile. Bring a colleague, compare notes, and decide what you want to try the following week.
Where to Go and How to RSVP
The main Folsom venue is The Commons at Granite City, 705 Gold Lake Drive, Suite 150, Folsom. Thursday’s lunch and hAIppy Hour take place off-site, so check the registration details for locations. Each session has its own RSVP to help the hosts plan seating.
Explore the Folsom sessions and RSVP
Browse the full Sac Tech Week calendar
Choose your sessions, put them on your calendar, and bring something you want to work on. We’ll see you there.
frAIdays — October 2026
frAIdays — October 2026
Folsom knows a good rush. Highway 50 once carried prospectors toward gold country — now it runs straight for the Sierra. This winter, frAIdays borrows the mountain's trail-rating system for its breakout rooms: a quick mark so you can pick your line before you walk in, skill not status. Same town. New rush.
Session marks: 🟢 Easy · 🟦 Intermediate · ◆ Advanced · ◆◆ Expert Only. Full visual key and session details: fraidays.ai
Vol. 05 — October 2026.
Lunch to start at 11:45 AM, then four sessions this month only (one-time exception — normally three simultaneous rooms):
One Tool Isn't a Strategy: Prompting, MCPs & Building Your Own — 🟢🟦 Easy / Intermediate — Kyle + Scott
Idea to MVP: Build Your Own Business Tool (No Developer Needed) — 🟦 Intermediate — Matt Loughran
Building Grok Bots: Automate a Real Workflow in Your Business — ◆ Advanced — Sedale
The AI Calls You Can't Afford to Get Wrong Right Now — ◆◆ Expert Only — Justin Fortier
Also 12:45–1:45 PM: AI for Real Estate Agents with Scott Kirk (Weichert Realtors) — a separate Granite City Sessions talk during frAIdays. RSVP for that session here.
New this month: Open Office Hours, 2:00–4:00 PM — GCEF Founders Table. Individual support — bring what you're working on. Reserve a slot when you RSVP, or ask about walk-up availability at check-in.
Lunch is available for purchase: $15 if reserved ahead of time, $20 on-site.
Hosted at Granite City Workspaces
frAIdays is hosted at Granite City Workspaces in Historic Downtown Folsom, a home base for founders, builders, remote teams, small businesses, and community-led innovation. Weather and setup permitting, some sessions may also be available outdoors on the patio using silent disco headphones.
Date: Friday, October 16, 2024
Time: 11:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: The Commons at Granite City, 705 Gold Lake Dr., Suite 150, Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: Free
Register: Luma
AI For Marketing Workshop
AI For Marketing Workshop
Storyline Media CEO Jesse Delgado shares practical best practices for using AI to improve your marketing.
Storyline Media CEO Jesse Delgado will lead a practical workshop on how businesses can use AI to improve their marketing, sharing best practices, real-world strategies, and tools you can put to work right away.
The monthly AI for Business series is supported by the City of Rancho Cordova and Frequency Coworking
Agenda
6:00–6:30 PM — Networking (food + beverages)
6:30 –7:30 PM — Panel discussion
7:30–8:00 PM — Audience Q&A + “steal these workflows” wrap-up
Who should attend
Business owners, operators, team leads, consultants, and anyone who wants practical ways to use AI for real work—no coding required, no “AI will replace your staff tomorrow” doom talk.
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
Location: Frequency Coworking, 3249 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Jesse Delgado
Jesse Delgado is the founder of Storyline Media Group, a Sacramento-based video marketing agency, and a leader in Sacramento’s growing AI community. He helps businesses and founders combine storytelling, content, and AI to improve their marketing and turn ideas into measurable results.
Thank you to our sponsors!
GrowTECH FEST 2026
GrowTECH FEST 2026
Join founders, entrepreneurs, investors, students, innovators, and community leaders for GrowTECH FEST 2026, Northern California's largest entrepreneurial conference north of Sacramento. Over two days in downtown Chico, you'll discover practical insights, make valuable connections, and experience the energy of one of the region's fastest-growing startup ecosystems.
Whether you're launching your first company, scaling an existing business, investing in startups, or supporting innovation, GrowTECH FEST offers opportunities to learn from experienced founders, meet potential partners, and connect with the people building the future of Northern California.
What to expect:
Inspiring keynote speakers and founder stories
Startup showcases and pitch opportunities
Interactive workshops and expert-led sessions
Investor, mentor, and ecosystem networking
Emerging technology demonstrations
Community events throughout downtown Chico
GrowTECH FEST is designed to bring together the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem—from students with their first idea to experienced founders, investors, and business leaders—to foster collaboration, accelerate innovation, and strengthen the North State startup community.
If you're looking to grow your business, expand your network, or discover what's next in entrepreneurship and technology, GrowTECH FEST 2026 is the place to be.
Dates: October 8 - 9
Location: Chico California
Cost: Starting at free for students (use your .edu email to register)
Register: EventMobi
AI for Business Workshop: Who Owns What AI Creates?
AI for Business Workshop: Who Owns What AI Creates?
Learn how to protect your IP, content, data, and business when using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more.
Your employees are using ChatGPT. Your marketing team is creating images with AI. Someone may be using AI to write code, develop proposals, summarize documents, or brainstorm your next product.
But who owns what AI creates?
As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday business, it is creating a new set of questions around intellectual property, copyright, confidential information, ownership, and risk.
Join us for a practical AI for Business Workshop with attorney Anders Bostrom, Senior Associate at Feldesman LLP, as we explore what business owners and entrepreneurs should know about intellectual property in the age of generative AI.
What We'll Discuss
We'll explore questions such as:
Who owns content created using AI?
Can AI-generated content be copyrighted?
What happens when employees put confidential company information into ChatGPT or other AI platforms?
Can you use AI-generated images, text, or code commercially?
What are the risks of AI inadvertently reproducing someone else's intellectual property?
What should businesses consider when using AI-generated work from employees, contractors, or vendors?
What should you look for in AI-related contracts and terms of service?
What policies should businesses consider putting in place for employee AI use?
The goal isn't to scare businesses away from using AI. It's to help you understand the potential legal issues so you can use these tools more intelligently and protect what you've built.
Agenda
6:00 – 6:30 PM — Networking, food, and beverages
6:30 – 7:30 PM — Presentation
7:30 – 8:00 PM — Audience Q&A
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is designed for:
Business owners
Entrepreneurs and startup founders
Executives and managers
Marketing professionals
Consultants and agencies
Anyone using generative AI as part of their business
If you're already using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Midjourney, Copilot, or other AI tools in your business, this workshop will help you better understand where the legal lines may be.
Bring your questions. AI is moving quickly, and most company policies and business practices haven't caught up yet.
The free monthly AI for Business series is supported by the City of Roseville. Food and beverages are provided.
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Roseville Venture Lab, 316 Vernon Street, Ste #110
Cost: Free
Registration: Eventbrite
The Panelists
About Anders L. Bostrom
Anders L. Bostrom is a Senior Associate with Feldesman LLP. His practice focuses on advising organizations on complex transactions, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, operational matters, and business agreements.
Anders works with healthcare providers, physician groups, management services organizations, health systems, healthcare technology companies, private equity sponsors, and investors. He has been recognized as a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2023 through 2026 and was named to The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch 2026 for Corporate Governance and Compliance Law and Corporate Law.
Thank You to Our Sponsor!
About the Roseville Venture Lab
The Roseville Venture Lab is open to the public and dedicated to strengthening local startup businesses, spurring job growth, and fostering a community of entrepreneurs through programs, events, partnerships, workforce development, and coworking space. For more information vist them at roseville.ca.us/VentureLab.
MedStart CEO Roundtable Featuring Patrick Cormier
MedStart CEO Roundtable Featuring Patrick Cormier
This month's featured executive is Patrick Cormier who was the CFO for Infinant Health where he raised over $150 million.
What to expect:
Opening framing (10 min)
Patrick's Story (30 min)
Facilitated roundtable (30 min): your challenges, peer counsel, shared solutions
Who this is for:
This forum is designed for CEOs, Founders, and C-level leaders at medical and life science startups. If you're building, hiring, raising, or navigating clinical and regulatory hurdles, you'll get the most from this room.
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 6–8 PM PDT
Where: Granite City Workspace, 705 Gold Lake Dr Ste 250, Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: Free
Register: Eventbrite
Capacity: 12–16 seats
Chatham House Rule: Speak freely. What's shared stays in the room.
Food and beverages provided.
About Patrick Cormier
Patrick is a finance and accounting executive with over 15 years of experience spanning public accounting, corporate finance, and CFO-level leadership in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors. Patrick began his career at Deloitte, where he led engagements across biotechnology, media, and clean energy industries, including oversight of publicly traded company audits and multiple transactions. He currently serves as CFO of Infinant Health, a clinical-stage company, CFO of Renosome Bio, and CFO at Immunogenik, supporting capital raises and long-term financial modeling at these organizations. He is also the founder of Cormier Strategic Finance, a fractional CFO practice focused on the life sciences and biotech sector. He holds a bachelor's in accounting from CSU, Sacramento, and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Intermediate AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Intermediate AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Already building with AI? Let's go deeper.
You've felt the magic and hit the wall — the context window that fills mid-task, the timeout that loses your work, the worker that forgets what you explained five minutes ago. Maybe you've already tried giving your AI a manual, scoping context, or opening an issue for every bug.
If you've experimented with the fundamentals of AI-assisted development and want to build more reliable, more ambitious systems, join Evolution Labs for an intermediate session on the AI-Native SDLC.
We'll go past the basics into the machinery that makes it hold up: the substrate as memory, the "dome" and its attachment points, grading systems that never let a worker grade its own paper, rituals that replace culture, and the operational practices that keep an AI-run codebase honest at scale.
This is a free community event for builders, developers, and founders who've already gotten their hands dirty and want to level up — ideally folks who've attended an intro session or worked through the early materials.
At Evolution Labs, we're sharing what we've learned running real software with an AI workforce, and growing a safe, like-minded community where we can all observe, experiment, and improve together.
Bring your questions and what you've built. Share with a friend. Let's learn and build together.
For more information and free early materials, visit: www.evolutionlabs.dev
#AICoding #SoftwareDevelopment #AIEngineering #AICommunity #Builders #EvolutionLabs #AISDLC
Introduction to AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Introduction to AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Learning to code with AI? You’re not alone.
AI coding tools can feel magical — until they hit a context-window limit, time out halfway through a task, or forget what you just explained five minutes ago.
If you’re experimenting with AI-assisted development and wondering how to get more reliable results, join Evolution Labs for a free introduction to the AI-Native SDLC.
We’ll explore simple, practical methods for improving AI-coding outcomes, including how to think about context, workflow design, collaboration with AI tools, and building software in a more structured way.
This is a free community event for curious builders, developers, founders, and explorers who want to learn by doing.
At Evolution Labs, we’re sharing what we’ve learned so far — and creating a safe, like-minded community where we can all observe, experiment, and improve together.
Bring your questions. Share with a friend. Let’s learn and build together.
For more information and free early materials, visit:
www.evolutionlabs.dev
#AICoding #SoftwareDevelopment #AIEngineering #AICommunity #Builders #EvolutionLabs #AISDLC
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring Ohana Dwellings Founder Jennifer Jones
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring Ohana Dwellings Founder Jennifer Jones
Come join out our monthly AI gathering at Granite City Coworking, where we'll enjoy some pizza while engaging in laid-back AI discussions.
Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking, invites you to our next AI Meetup.
Join us at Granite City Coworking for an evening of networking and real-time collaboration. This month we’re featuring Ohana Dwelling Founder Jennifer Jones
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: September 15
Time: 6 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Drive, #Ste 250 Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones is the founder of Ohana Dwellings and ADU Build Pro, platforms focused on transforming how homeowners and builders design, price, and plan accessory dwelling units (ADUs). With over a two decades of experience in real estate, construction and technology, she is innovating AI-driven tools that bring clarity, speed, and accuracy to the preconstruction process—helping projects move from idea to build-ready with confidence.
AI for Business Panel Discussion: How Real Business Owners Use AI
AI for Business Panel Discussion: How Real Business Owners Use AI
Curious how businesses are actually using AI? Join us for a practical panel discussion with local business owners who use tools like ChatGPT in their day-to-day work. You’ll hear what’s working, what’s not, and the simple workflows that save time, reduce busywork, and help teams move faster without hiring a small army. Food and beverage will be provided. Our panelist include Michelle De La Campa Martinez, Jenifer Namestka, and Dr. Jordan Plews.
The monthly AI for Business series is supported by the City of Rancho Cordova and Frequency Coworking
Agenda
6:00–6:30 PM — Networking (food + beverages)
6:30 –7:30 PM — Panel discussion
7:30–8:00 PM — Audience Q&A +
Who should attend
Business owners, operators, team leads, consultants, and anyone who wants practical ways to use AI for real work—no coding required.
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:30 PM
Location: Frequency Coworking, 3249 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Michelle De La Campa Martinez
Michelle is the owner of the Ludlow Cleaning Company which Premium cleaning services for businesses and homes across the El Dorado Hills, Folsom, and Sacramento area.
About Jenifer Namestka
With over 26 years of experience across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, Ms. Namestka founded Avo Solutions on the belief that change should move people, not just metrics. She specializes in organizational change management that bridges the gap between where organizations are and where they're heading, having guided hundreds of clients across government, non-profit, and Fortune 100 companies through meaningful transformation. Her approach combines proven frameworks for readiness assessment and adoption tracking with the hard conversations that unlock trust, clarity, and momentum. She develops change management programs that help leaders see clearly, respond wisely, and move forward with purpose. She believes that when you measure what matters, momentum follows. Ms. Namestka holds a Master of Education in eLearning and Bachelor of Arts, with certifications as a Certified Change Management Practitioner, Certified Return on Investment Professional, and Instructional Systems Designer.
About Dr. Jordan Plews
CEO/CSO, entrepreneur, and scientist with over 20 years of experience bridging academic excellence and industry innovation. Specializing in regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and healthcare, he has successfully founded and scaled companies, built and led diverse, high-performing teams, and invented and launched groundbreaking products and technologies.
Thank you to our sponsors!
2026 Pitch Elk Grove Finals
2026 Pitch Elk Grove Finals
Join us as Northern California’s most promising startups compete live on stage for their share of $20,000 in prize money!
Pitch Elk Grove is Northern California’s premier startup pitch competition, a high-energy celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional economic development.
Now celebrating its fifth year, Pitch Elk Grove was launched in 2022 by Invest Elk Grove, the City of Elk Grove's Office of Economic Development, in collaboration with StartupSac, to showcase the region's most promising startups and highlight Greater Sacramento as a growing hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
But it is more than just a pitch event. It is also an opportunity to showcase Elk Grove's unique identity. From locally crafted beer and wine to catering from some of our favorite restaurants, Pitch Elk Grove proudly highlights the businesses that make our city special.
Whether you're a founder, investor, or community supporter, this is your chance to experience the energy of our growing startup ecosystem and discover the local flavors, talent, and innovation that make Elk Grove a vibrant place to live and do business.
On September 3, up to eight standout startups will take the stage to pitch their ventures live to a panel of expert judges and an audience of founders, investors, and community leaders. Whether you're an entrepreneur, an innovation enthusiast, or simply curious about what's next, you'll want to be in the room.
Prize Money
First Place: $10,000
Second Place: $5,000
Third Place: $2,500
Best Elk Grove Startup: $2,500
Join us as we celebrate the founders, innovators, and big ideas shaping the future of our region's startup ecosystem.
Meet the Finalists
BillDecoder (Lodi) – AI technology that helps patients identify medical billing errors and generate dispute letters.
Core Envision Inc. (Folsom) – AI-powered framing layout technology designed to improve construction efficiency.
First Bite (Davis) – A medical device that securely holds breathing tubes for neonatal and pediatric ICU patients.
GuLP AAC (Sacramento) – A communication platform designed for nonspeaking children.
Insta Brow (Elk Grove) – A patent-pending beauty product that simplifies eyebrow application for several days.
Krokos Bio (Davis) – Plant cell culture technology producing high-value botanicals such as saffron.
Lilypay (Lincoln) – A financing platform helping families manage funeral expenses.
Pheronym, Inc. (Woodland) – Sustainable agricultural technology using pheromones to control soil pests.
Purple Door Finders (Sacramento) – A platform helping families compare senior living and care options.
Yeast Bay Bio (Davis) – Developing yeast-based alternatives to traditional household insecticides.
Meet the Judges
Rick Spencer, Growth Factory Ventures
Lokesh Sikaria, Moneta Ventures
George Parrish, Stockton Entrepreneur Lab and Bay Angels
David Lopez, Sacramento Angels
Michelle Hallsten, Sacramento Angels and Greenberg Traurig
Date: Sept. 3
Time: 4:30 - 8 pm
Location: 8230 Civic Center Dr #100, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
Cost: Free
Register: 3Common
AI for Business Panel: Starting Your AI Startup
AI for Business Panel: Starting Your AI Startup
AI startups are no longer just being built by venture-backed teams in Silicon Valley. Founders, consultants, small business owners, and local builders are now using AI tools to test ideas, prototype products, automate services, and launch new companies faster than ever.
Join us at Roseville Venture Lab for a practical panel discussion on Starting Your AI Startup, part of the AI for Business series. This session will feature entrepreneurs and business leaders discussing how founders can identify real AI opportunities, validate ideas, build early prototypes, and avoid common mistakes when launching an AI-enabled business. The panelist include Strived Co-founder, Shweta Gandhi, Humaxa Co-founder Carolyn Peer, and Core Envision Founder Mauro Sica.
The free monthly AI for Business series is supported by the City of Roseville. Food and beverages are provided.
Agenda
6:00 – 6:30 PM — Networking, food, and beverages
6:30 – 7:30 PM — Panel discussion
7:30 – 8:00 PM — Audience Q&A + startup idea wrap-up
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Roseville Venture Lab, 316 Vernon Street, Ste #110
Cost: Free
Registration: Eventbrite
The Panelists
About Shweta Gandhi
Shweta Gandhi is currently the CEO and co-founder of Strived; an academic data platform aiming to augment teacher decision making through the use of AI and is a serial entrepreneur. Previously, she co-founded and led Jetpacked, an edtech data aggregation platform designed to boost edtech product usage fidelity and efficacy for students, teachers, and parents.
Additionally, Shweta managed teams of over 100 people at AT&T, a Fortune 10 company, and founded a nonprofit in India that provided assessment-based scholarships to high-school students.
About Carolyn Peer
Carolyn Peer (CEO and Cofounder of Humaxa) is an award-winning Human Capital Management industry leader with an MA in Instructional Technology and a BA in Cognitive Neuroscience. Carolyn started her career as the Lead Instructional Designer at an early stage startup called ProBusiness. ProBusiness was acquired by ADP in 2003. Carolyn left ADP in 2017 to join forces with two associates and to found Humaxa, a Generative AI platform that that pulls data from internal and external sources and provides immediate insights.
About Mauro Sica
Mauro Sica is a passionate and innovative professional with a degree in Architecture and more than a decade of experience in the construction industry. He is known for exceptional problem-solving skills and specializes in driving advancements that improve traditional building practices. His work has focused on developing cost-effective prefabrication systems that enable projects to be completed significantly faster and at a fraction of the cost of both traditional construction and conventional prefabrication methods. He is dedicated to raising industry standards through solutions that balance efficiency, sustainability, and design excellence.
About the Roseville Venture Lab
The Roseville Venture Lab is open to the public and dedicated to strengthening local startup businesses, spurring job growth, and fostering a community of entrepreneurs through programs, events, partnerships, workforce development, and coworking space. For more information vist them at roseville.ca.us/VentureLab.
5th Annual iCAMP26 Innovation Summit for Food Biomanufacturing
iCAMP (Integrative Center for Alternative Meat & Protein)
iCAMP26 brings together researchers, students, startups, manufacturers, investors, policymakers, economic development organizations, incubators, and food industry leaders to accelerate the future of food through collaboration, innovation, and commercialization.
Over two days, attendees will experience:
Inspiring keynote speakers and fireside conversations
Scientific panel discussions
Interactive roundtable discussions
Student Flash Talks and Poster Competition
Food Innovation Showcase
Industry exhibits
Networking with leaders from across California's food innovation ecosystem
Exclusive tours of regional innovation facilities
Featured topics include:
Food biomanufacturing and manufacturing scale-up
Plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated food technologies
AI-enabled food innovation
Functional ingredients and future foods
Commercialization and technology transfer
Entrepreneurship and investment
Workforce development
Food security and the future bioeconomy
Whether you are conducting research, building a startup, commercializing new technologies, seeking investment, expanding manufacturing capacity, or looking to connect with California's rapidly growing food and ag biomanufacturing ecosystem, iCAMP26 offers a unique opportunity to engage with the people and organizations shaping the future of food.
Summit Dates
September 1, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
September 2, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location
UC Davis ARC Conference Center
760 Orchard Road
Davis, CA 95616
Register
https://na.eventscloud.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=883778&
Registration Deadline
August 25, 2026
Registration is free for academic faculty, staff, and students, and registration is required to attend.
frAIdays — AI in Practice
frAIdays — AI in Practice
Vol. 04 — August 2026. Theme: AI in Practice.
Lunch to start, then three simultaneous tracks at different levels:
Spark — just getting started with AI
Flame — using AI weekly, going deeper
Forge — building professionally, agentic workflows and production deployments
Lunch is available for purchase: $15 if reserved ahead of time, $20 on-site.
705 Gold Lake Dr, Suite 250, Folsom, CA 95630 — The Commons at Granite City Workspaces.
Presented by Granite City Workspaces, FollowThrough Works, and FYC Labs.
Hosted at Granite City Workspaces
frAIdays is hosted at Granite City Workspaces in Historic Downtown Folsom, a home base for founders, builders, remote teams, small businesses, and community-led innovation. Weather and setup permitting, some sessions may also be available outdoors on the patio using silent disco headphones.
Date: Friday, August 28
Time: 11:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: The Commons at Granite City, 705 Gold Lake Dr., Suite 150, Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: Free
Register: Luma
Smart First Markets: Life Science & Medical Startups
Smart First Markets: Life Science & Medical Startups
Join us at Granite City Workspace for an interactive workshop led by Dr. Jordan R. Plews, co-founder of Elevai Labs on smart first markets
Founders in life science and medical innovation often assume their first path to market must follow the most complex regulatory route. In reality, some of the most effective commercialization strategies begin by identifying adjacent markets with lower barriers to entry, faster customer adoption, and earlier revenue potential.
Join MedStart for a conversation with Dr. Jordan Plews on how life science and medical startups can think more strategically about commercialization. Dr. Plews will explore how innovators can evaluate alternative entry points such as cosmetics, veterinary medicine, wellness, and other adjacent sectors that may offer a more efficient path to market while still building toward larger long-term opportunities.
This session will cover:
How to think about “first market” strategy for life science startups
Why some adjacent markets can offer faster commercialization pathways
How founders can use early market entry to generate traction, validation, and revenue
What to consider when balancing speed, regulatory complexity, and long-term positioning
Real-world ways startups can sequence their commercialization strategy more effectively
This event is designed for life science founders, medical innovators, startup executives, and ecosystem partners looking for practical ways to move promising technologies out of the lab and into the market.
If you want something a little punchier for Eventbrite or LinkedIn, here’s a tighter version:
Join MedStart for a practical discussion with Dr. Jordan Plews on faster commercialization strategies for life science and medical startups. Learn how founders can evaluate adjacent markets such as cosmetics and veterinary medicine as strategic first steps to gain traction, generate revenue, and reduce time to market.
Date: August 26, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 8 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Dr Ste 250, Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
About Dr. Jordan Plews
CEO/CSO, entrepreneur, and scientist with over 20 years of experience bridging academic excellence and industry innovation. Specializing in regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and healthcare, he has successfully founded and scaled companies, built and led diverse, high-performing teams, and invented and launched groundbreaking products and technologies.
Academic foundation includes rigorous research at internationally recognized institutions such as Stanford University, University College London, and the University of Sheffield, supported by a deep technical background in Stem Cell Research, Biochemical Engineering, and Bioprocess Development. Transitioning seamlessly between academia and industry, he has leveraged his expertise to drive product innovation and commercialization at global healthcare leaders like Pfizer, along with founding multiple biotechnology and medical aesthetics startups.
His strengths include identifying market opportunities, developing advanced bio-scientific solutions, and effectively bringing new technologies from lab bench to market. Jordan is passionate about building dynamic teams, mentoring scientific and business talent, and creating collaborative cultures focused on results and innovation. His technical competencies include single-cell genomics and proteomics, RNA sequencing, advanced stem cell processing techniques, and comprehensive experience with regulatory processes and intellectual property management.
Through a combination of entrepreneurial vision, scientific rigor, and strategic business acumen, Jordan consistently aims to create impactful technologies that enhance human health and transform the future of medicine.
Startup Happy Hour Comes to Elk Grove with IGH Naturals COO Rich Foreman
Startup Happy Hour Comes to Elk Grove with IGH Naturals COO Rich Foreman
Some of the most useful startup conversations don’t happen on a conference stage.
They happen over a drink, around a table, when one founder asks another founder, “How did you actually deal with this?”
That’s the idea behind Startup Happy Hour, coming to Elk Grove on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, from 5:00–7:00 PM at EBISU Sushi. The monthly gathering brings together Sacramento-area founders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators for an informal evening of conversation and connections.
This month’s featured AMA guest will be Rich Foreman, COO of IGH Naturals, the company behind HuMOLYTE and the winner of last year’s Pitch Elk Grove competition.
More Than a Startup Success Story
IGH Naturals has been building a healthcare startup in one of the toughest industries for entrepreneurs: life sciences.
Unlike many software startups, medical and healthcare companies often have to navigate clinical research, regulatory questions, intellectual property, manufacturing, fundraising, and commercialization—sometimes all at the same time.
At Startup Happy Hour, attendees will have an opportunity to ask Foreman about what that journey actually looks like.
Before joining IGH Naturals, Foreman was the founding CTO of Cordico, which was later acquired by Lexipol. He is also the Founding Director of Startup Grind Sacramento and has been active in building the Sacramento region’s startup ecosystem.
Rather than a formal presentation, the evening will feature an Ask Me Anything-style conversation, giving founders an opportunity to dig into the questions that matter to them.
Come for the AMA. Stay for the Community.
The bigger reason to attend may be the people sitting next to you.
Sacramento’s startup ecosystem continues to grow because founders are willing to share introductions, lessons, resources, and occasionally the mistakes they wish somebody had warned them about.
Startup Happy Hour is specifically designed to create those connections.
The event is organized by StartupSac and the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and sponsored by Invest Elk Grove. Appetizers will also be provided.
Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Time: 5:00–7:00 PM
Location: EBISU Sushi, 2513 W Taron Ct., Elk Grove, CA
Cost: $11.45
Register: 3Common
Startup Summer Party
Sacramento Summer Startup Party
Sacramento's legendary Summer Startup Party is back. Founders, builders & investors unite August 20 for Sacramento's biggest startup night.
Sacramento's Legendary Summer Startup Party is Back
Presented by The Urban Hive, Startup Grind Sacramento, and Sac Tech Week, in partnership with The City of Sacramento, StartupSac, Startup Folsom, and SacTech Social (SacTech, Inc).
Founded in 2014 as a partnership between Startup Grind Sacramento and The Urban Hive, the Sacramento Summer Startup Party has been the region's premier summer gathering for founders, programmers, builders, investors, creatives and community leaders. We're back on Thursday, August 20 — and this year we're going big.
What to expect:
Food + Cash Bar Light food included with your ticket. Cash bar all night.
Silent Pitch Competition: No stage. No mic. No nerves. Startups display a poster showcasing their idea, and attendees vote for their favorite throughout the evening. Two winners crowned at the end of the night — one chosen by judges, one chosen by the crowd — with $5,000+ in cash and in-kind prizes up for grabs. Free to participate for registered attendees.
Resource Expo: Discover the organizations, accelerators, programs, and resources fueling Sacramento's startup ecosystem. Tables are active from the time doors open until voting closes.
Open Mic: Ecosystem partners on the floor all night. Grab the mic anytime to point people to your table and get back to the party.
Door Prizes: Three Urban Hive memberships drawn from attendees who cast a vote. Must be registered to win.
After Party with SacTech Social: When the official event wraps, we're heading a block away to La Cosecha for the official after party, hosted by SacTech Inc
Date: August 20, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm - 8 pm
Location: The Urban Hive, 730 I Street, Sacramento, 95814
Cost: Starting at $15
Register: Startup Grind
Folsom AI Meet Up: Vibe Coding Panel Discussion
Folsom AI Meet Up: Vibe Coding Panel Discussion
Come join out our monthly AI gathering at Granite City Coworking, where we'll enjoy some pizza while engaging in laid-back AI discussions.
Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking, invites you to our next AI Meetup.
Join us at Granite City Coworking for an evening of good pizza, fast shipping, and real-time collaboration. This month we’re featuring a panel discussion about vibe coding. The panelist include Orion Burdick, Justin Mendez, and Rachid Abadli.
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: August 18, 2026
Time: 6 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Drive, #Ste 250 Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
Panelists
About Orion Burdick
Orion Burdick is a technology and product development leader with a background in software UI/UX design, engineering, and digital product development. He brings hands-on experience across mobile and web technologies, with a strong focus on building user-centered products that are practical, intuitive, and effective.
About Justin Mendez
Justin Mendez is Head of AI at GreyDot Marketing, where he helps business owners deploy AI in practical, revenue-focused ways. An Afghanistan veteran, father, and husband, Justin brings a service-minded approach to helping companies use technology to simplify operations, improve marketing, and move faster.
About Rachid Abadli
Rachid Abadli is an AI-native engineering leader and founder of LeaseBase. With more than 10 years of experience building and modernizing production systems across SaaS, payments, cybersecurity, and enterprise platforms, he focuses on using AI, cloud architecture, DevSecOps, and platform engineering to help teams build scalable, secure, and reliable software systems.
AI for Business 101: Practical Tools for Small Business
AI for Business 101: Practical Tools for Small Business
Join us for the kickoff of a new AI for Business workshop series. Whether you want to draft marketing emails in seconds, manage customer inquiries, or organize your meeting notes, modern AI tools can provide small businesses a competitive edge. No coding or technical background required. Food and beverages will be provided.
Agenda
6 - 6:30 pm: Networking
6:30 - 8 pm Presentation
Date: August 12, 2026
Time: 6 - 8 pm
Cost: $5
Location: Frequency Coworking & Events, 3249 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Register: Eventbrite
Thank you to our sponsors!
Design Like a Pro (w/ The AI Collective)
Design Like a Pro (w/ The AI Collective)
Most AI events show you what’s possible. This masterclass is designed to help you actually build.
Join us for a hands-on, four-hour workshop where you’ll learn the fundamentals of great design while creating real brand assets with AI. Whether you’re a business owner, marketer, creator, designer, or simply curious about AI, you’ll leave with practical skills you can use immediately.
Throughout the evening you’ll alternate between short, focused lessons and guided build sessions. Bring your laptop and build in the AI tools you already use...ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Cursor, Lovable, Replit, or any platform you’re comfortable with.
By the end of the night, you’ll walk away with:
A professionally designed brand asset
Powerful design skills for continued building
A premium AI-built website
Design principles that will improve everything you create going forward
This isn’t a meetup. It’s a masterclass. Less watching. More building.
What to bring: A laptop, your favorite AI tools, and a willingness to create.
As always, food and drink, engaging conversation, and incredible company will all be provided!
Please be advised: Unfortunately, space is very limited at these community events and we can not always accept everyone we would like to. If you are not accepted to this event, please keep applying! We appreciate your application tremendously and we are looking forward to seeing you at a future event very soon!
The AI Collectiveis a global non-profit building the human layer for the AI era. We unite 200,000+ leaders, builders, and stakeholders across 100+ forums worldwide to democratize the frontier, build trust, and coordinate how society navigates the rapid acceleration of technological progress.
All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct.
Date: August 13
Time: 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Cost: Free
Location: Rancho Cordova (Register to see address)
Register: Luma
Intermediate AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Intermediate AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Already building with AI? Let's go deeper.
You've felt the magic and hit the wall — the context window that fills mid-task, the timeout that loses your work, the worker that forgets what you explained five minutes ago. Maybe you've already tried giving your AI a manual, scoping context, or opening an issue for every bug.
If you've experimented with the fundamentals of AI-assisted development and want to build more reliable, more ambitious systems, join Evolution Labs for an intermediate session on the AI-Native SDLC.
We'll go past the basics into the machinery that makes it hold up: the substrate as memory, the "dome" and its attachment points, grading systems that never let a worker grade its own paper, rituals that replace culture, and the operational practices that keep an AI-run codebase honest at scale.
This is a free community event for builders, developers, and founders who've already gotten their hands dirty and want to level up — ideally folks who've attended an intro session or worked through the early materials.
At Evolution Labs, we're sharing what we've learned running real software with an AI workforce, and growing a safe, like-minded community where we can all observe, experiment, and improve together.
Bring your questions and what you've built. Share with a friend. Let's learn and build together.
For more information and free early materials, visit: www.evolutionlabs.dev
Introduction to AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Introduction to AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Learning to code with AI? You’re not alone.
AI coding tools can feel magical — until they hit a context-window limit, time out halfway through a task, or forget what you just explained five minutes ago.
If you’re experimenting with AI-assisted development and wondering how to get more reliable results, join Evolution Labs for a free introduction to the AI-Native SDLC.
We’ll explore simple, practical methods for improving AI-coding outcomes, including how to think about context, workflow design, collaboration with AI tools, and building software in a more structured way.
This is a free community event for curious builders, developers, founders, and explorers who want to learn by doing.
At Evolution Labs, we’re sharing what we’ve learned so far — and creating a safe, like-minded community where we can all observe, experiment, and improve together.
Bring your questions. Share with a friend. Let’s learn and build together.
For more information and free early materials, visit:
www.evolutionlabs.dev
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring Suite Fleet Co-Founder Nicholas Haystings
Folsom AI Meet Up featuring Suite Fleet Co-Founder Nicholas Haystings
Come join out our monthly AI gathering at Granite City Coworking, where we'll enjoy some pizza while engaging in laid-back AI discussions.
Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking, invites you to our next AI Meetup.
Join us at Granite City Coworking for an evening of networking and real-time collaboration. This month we’re featuring Suite Fleet Co-Founder Nicholas Haystings.
As always, we're serving cold pizza and room temperature bottled water.
Date: July 21, 2026
Time: 6 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake Drive, #Ste 250 Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: $5
Register: Eventbrite
Introduction to AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Introduction to AI Native SDLC by Evolution Labs
Learning to code with AI? You’re not alone.
AI coding tools can feel magical — until they hit a context-window limit, time out halfway through a task, or forget what you just explained five minutes ago.
If you’re experimenting with AI-assisted development and wondering how to get more reliable results, join Evolution Labs for a free introduction to the AI-Native SDLC.
We’ll explore simple, practical methods for improving AI-coding outcomes, including how to think about context, workflow design, collaboration with AI tools, and building software in a more structured way.
This is a free community event for curious builders, developers, founders, and explorers who want to learn by doing.
At Evolution Labs, we’re sharing what we’ve learned so far — and creating a safe, like-minded community where we can all observe, experiment, and improve together.
Bring your questions. Share with a friend. Let’s learn and build together.
For more information and free early materials, visit:
www.evolutionlabs.dev
AI for Business Workshop: Creating Video Using AI Tools
AI for Business Workshop: Creating Video Using AI Tools
AI video tools made practical. Join Jacob Rangel at Roseville Venture Lab to learn faster ways to create better business videos.
Creating Video Using AI Tools: How to Make Better Videos Faster with AI
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI tools to support real video creation workflows—from idea generation and scripting to storyboarding, editing, captions, and repurposing content for social media.
We’ll cover how AI is changing video production, where it fits in the creative process, and how founders, small business owners, marketers, and nonprofits can use these tools to create more video content without needing a full production team.
The workshop will be led byJacob Rangel founder of Jacob Rangel Productions.
You’ll see practical examples, real-world use cases, and ideas you can apply right away.
Perfect for founders, small business owners, marketers, nonprofit leaders, and anyone who wants to create better video content using AI.
Agenda
6:00 - 6:30: Networking with food and beverages provided
6:30 - 8:00: Workshop: Creating Video Using AI Tools
Every month, we’ll dive deeper into ways AI can help businesses thrive in the digital age. This is part of a free monthly series supported by the City of Roseville. Food and beverages will be provided.
Cold pizza and warm water will be provided.
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Roseville Venture Lab, 316 Vernon Street, Ste #110
Cost: Free
Registration: Eventbrite
About the Roseville Venture Lab
The Roseville Venture Lab is open to the public and dedicated to strengthening local startup businesses, spurring job growth, and fostering a community of entrepreneurs through programs, events, partnerships, workforce development, and coworking space. For more information vist them at roseville.ca.us/VentureLab.
frAIdays at Granite City: Three Tracks. One Rush.
frAIdays is the monthly AI gathering for the Folsom · Rancho Cordova · Hwy 50 corridor.
We start with lunch and optional guided conversation tables, then break into practical sessions based on where you are in your AI journey.
Whether you’re just getting started, already using AI at work, or building AI into products and systems, there’s a place for you here.
No gatekeeping. No generic AI hype. Just useful conversations, local connections, and practical ways to put these tools to work.
Bring your stack. Or come find one.
Hosted at Granite City Workspaces
frAIdays is hosted at Granite City Workspaces in Historic Downtown Folsom, a home base for founders, builders, remote teams, small businesses, and community-led innovation. Weather and setup permitting, some sessions may also be available outdoors on the patio using silent disco headphones.
Date: Friday, June 2026
Time: 11:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: The Commons at Granite City, 705 Gold Lake Dr., Suite 150, Folsom, CA 95630
Cost: Free
Register: Luma
Startup Happy Hour With Growth Factory Ventures Managing Partner Rick Spencer
Building a startup is better together. Join us for a Startup Happy Hour designed to bring Sacramento founders and creators into one room to share ideas and support one another. Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur or just launching your first project, this is a welcoming space to find your peers and strengthen our local network.
Spend the evening discovering how local collaboration leads to new opportunities while enjoying great conversations and delicious appetizers. Come be a part of a supportive community that believes shared success is the best kind of success.
Do not miss this chance to connect with the people who are actively building the future of the Sacramento startup scene.
AMA
AMA Guest Speaker is Rick Spencer Managing Partner at Growth Factory Ventures
Eats!
Delicious appetizers are being provided for this event.
Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to expand your network and have a blast at the same time. RSVP now to save your spot!
Your Hosts
Startup Happy Hour is organized monthly by StartupSac and the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Sponsored By
The City of Roseville
Date: Tuesday, June 23
Time: 5 - 7 pm
Location: Roseville Venture Lab 316 Vernon St STE 110, Roseville, CA 95678, USA
Cost: $10
Register: 3 Common
About Rick Spencer
Rick Spencer is the Managing Partner of Growth Factory Ventures, a position he has held since 2021 following a career as a startup founder and executive. He leads the portfolio development of over 60 companies across various sectors, including health, food, and technology. Spencer is also a board member for The Idea Village Momentum Fund, focusing on high-growth founders.
Innovation RX: Sacramento's Healthare Entrepreneurs Shaping the Future of Healthcare
Innovation RX: Sacramento's Healthare Entrepreneurs Shaping the Future of Healthcare
Launching a healthcare company is one thing.
Getting it to scale is another. In this Sacramento Healthcare Alliance event, join founders, investors, and clinicians for a moderated roundtable discussion on what it actually takes to move healthcare innovation from concept to real-world adoption.
We'll skip the pitch culture and go deeper into the hard parts: building the right partnerships, navigating reimbursement, driving clinical adoption, managing operational growth, and staying grounded as the healthcare landscape keeps shifting.
This is a working conversation. Whether you're building something, funding something, or practicing medicine while wondering if there's a better way, this room is for you.
Topics on the table:
• Translating technology into clinical practice
• Reimbursement pathways and payer strategy
• Partnership and implementation challenges
• Operational scaling beyond the early stage
• Navigating regulatory and market shifts in 2026 and beyond
Space is limited. Register to hold your seat.
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 6 - 8 pm
Location: Granite City Workspaces, 705 Gold Lake DriveFolsom, California, 95630
Cost: Free
Register: Luma