SF & LA Tech Weeks: My 360° Experience

The past two weeks have been wild, hopping between San Francisco and Los Angeles for Tech Week, attending everything from happy hours and panels to mixers and beyond. Along the way, I've had countless meaningful experiences—reconnecting with old friends from Uruguay, the U.S., Argentina, and more, while also meeting new people in the industry. It got me thinking: why not turn this into a full post? So here we are, and moving forward, I’ll share updates on events, business insights, and whatever else seems valuable.

But before diving into my experience from the past two weeks, here’s a quick intro for those who aren’t familiar with Tech Week. TECH WEEK by a16z is a series of week-long events in major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, designed to bring together tech enthusiasts, industry leaders, startups, and investors. It's a platform where companies share their perspectives on the tech industry, discuss new advancements, and, of course, have a great time with friends, colleagues, and new connections.

As CEO & Co-Founder of Thaloz , this is our second time attending as hosts. We first participated in New York Tech Week back in June, where we co-hosted the TechTonic: Gen AI + Digital Product Founders happy hour with our friends from Tryolabs . More recently, during SF Tech Week, we organized the Digital Product Founders Mixer, this time co-hosted with Embra . Both events were buzzing with energy and filled with valuable conversations.

If you're a Founder, CEO, or even part of a team looking to organize an event, I’d be happy to share what we’ve learned from hosting. Trust me, there’s a lot that goes into it, but it’s always worth it!

SF Tech Week Recap

Since starting Thaloz, we've traveled to San Francisco numerous times each year to visit clients and partners. It’s a city we’ve come to love, so imagine our excitement when hosting an event there for one of our favorite networks. (And if you say I admitted that, I’ll 100% deny it.) The vibe was incredible, and I’m sharing a few snapshots from our tech mixer below!

Besides our own mixer, I had the opportunity to attend a variety of events with Pablo Garcia ,Thaloz’s Chief Innovation Officer & Co-Founder. From AI-focused panels to product strategy discussions and founder breakfasts, here are some of the highlights:

AI’s Growing Influence:

AI continues to dominate conversations, with more and more startups offering AI-based services, integrations, and even fully AI-driven platforms. The main takeaway? AI is helping simplify and accelerate processes. However, while speed is important, maintaining the quality and reliability of human-led processes is still essential. At Thaloz, we’re always exploring new ways to integrate AI into our work, and Pablo’s role as CIO involves constantly seeking innovation in this space. One standout AI event was hosted by Tryolabs, where Alan Descoins (always great to hear you, my friend!) shared some fascinating insights on how AI and data are transforming enterprise models.

Fintech’s Rising Prominence:

The fintech industry is gaining momentum, with new payment methods and platforms looking for tech partners to enhance user experience. It was especially interesting to hear how digitalization has shifted user expectations—if major banks and investment companies don’t adapt quickly, they risk losing key clients. The emphasis on seamless digital experiences is only increasing, and fintech companies are at the forefront of this transformation.

Healthcare & Medtech:

Healthcare has been a growing focus for us at Thaloz , and we’ve had the pleasure of working on several healthcare-related projects recently (stay tuned for more from our marketing team on this!). At Tech Week, it was eye-opening to see how Medtech is tackling areas like women’s health, patient care in hospitality settings, and even biotech advancements.

Virtual Reality:

This one is personal—I'm a huge fan of virtual reality, so seeing how VR is being applied to sports and games was a highlight for me. At Thaloz, we’ve been testing out cloud integrations with our own Meta VR glasses, so hearing from different VR specialists about the future of this tech was incredibly exciting.

Aside from the events themselves, one of the best parts of Tech Week's is reconnecting with friends, clients, and making new connections. A huge shoutout to Bruce Randall , Sanjay Shamdasani , Chris Corio , Erik Knuppel , Martin Lewit , Conor Turley , Ayeh Bandeh-Ahmadi , Alan Descoins , Agustina Pizarro , Hernán Farruggia , Emilia Vicini , and Agostina Albamonte . It was amazing to meet in person, share insights, have a good laugh, and grab coffee or a meal together. Special thanks to Sanjay Shamdasani for opening the doors to their home—it was great to strengthen our relationship on a deeper level.

LA Tech Week

I hope you are not bored by now, let's keep things rolling. LA Tech Week was a different experience, Pablo García left to visit a client in Phoenix, Arizona, but it was also nice to experience it on my own.

The number of events felt a bit lower compared to SF, but after a packed week in San Francisco, I realized it wasn’t necessary to attend everything. I started to understand that it’s okay to prioritize—just go to the events that really catch your eye. Sometimes, we pressure ourselves to be everywhere, but it’s not always necessary. Taking some time to sit down with the computer, do follow-ups, and manage the “business as usual” is equally important.

That said, I did attend some events. One that really stood out was 'The Founder Journey: What Does It Take,' led by Chris S. , Founder and Growth Advisor. This hands-on workshop was full of insights from Chris’s experience with over 400 venture-backed startups, along with lessons from his interviews with other founders.

Hearing Chris share stories about founders at different stages of their journey was incredibly inspiring. I walked away with new perspectives on tackling operational challenges, leading teams through growth, and more. It was, without a doubt, the highlight of the LA edition for me.

Wrapping up

As I mentioned, these weeks are always a bit chaotic, and preparing everything in advance is key. Thankfully, I have an incredible team behind me—without them, it would’ve been overwhelming. It’s not just about planning events; it's also about making sure everything runs smoothly, from logistics to follow-ups with key contacts. The amount of coordination that goes into each event is tremendous, and I’m grateful to have such a dedicated and talented team by my side.

In fact, our team even put together a blog post outlining the tools we use internally to stay organized, from managing categories to creating seamless event experiences. It covers everything, you can check it out here—definitely something worth saving for next time!

Looking ahead, I’m excited to keep growing these networks, learning from others, and, of course, continuing to share insights and experiences with you all. There’s so much more to come, both from Thaloz and in the broader tech landscape. So, stay tuned for more updates, insights, and stories.

Thanks for sticking around through the recap—and until next time!