StrictlyVC Menlo Park
StrictlyVC events deliver exclusive insider VC content while fostering meaningful connections among top investors and entrepreneurs. Join us for an evening of intimate interviews and impactful conversations with industry heavy hitters—brought to you in partnership with Mayfield, a venture capital firm with a 55-year legacy of partnering with founders from day zero and supporting them with unwavering commitment and founder-to-founder expertise.
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Exclusive VC insights and networking at StrictlyVC

Mix and mingle — cocktail parties with killer content
StrictlyVC events deliver exclusive insider content from Silicon Valley and the global venture scene. If you’re an investor looking to mingle with your peers and watch some killer content, this event is for you. Get the inside scoop directly from sources you can trust. Previous events included interviews with Sam Altman (Open AI), Marc Andreessen (Andreessen Horowitz), Katie Haun (Haun Ventures), Hans Tung (GGV Capital), and many more!
Featured Speakers

Founder and CEO / Co-Founder and Board Director Aetherflux / Robinhood

Managing Partner Mayfield Fund

Founder & CEO Haun Ventures

President Cognition AI

CEO Neo

Baiju Bhatt is the Founder and CEO of Aetherflux, a U.S. aerospace company delivering energy to planet Earth with space solar power. He is a Co-Founder, Board Director, and former Co-CEO of Robinhood. Today, Robinhood is a publicly traded company with more than 20 million customers. Mr. Bhatt holds a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University.
Baiju's Sessions
Why Baiju Bhatt Is Betting on Space-Based Solar Power
As the co-founder of Robinhood, Baiju Bhatt helped redefine how millions of people interact with trading and investing. Now he’s setting his sights even higher — literally — with Aetherflux, a new venture aiming to harness solar power in space. In this chat, Bhatt talks about what drew him to one of the most audacious bets in tech, how building in hard science compares to fintech, and why big risks still matter.
Navin Chaddha is managing partner at Mayfield, an early-stage venture capital firm with a 50+ year track record.
Navin's Sessions
Betting Early
Navin Chaddha has backed over 60 companies that have gone public or been acquired. In this conversation, the longtime Mayfield managing partner shares what he looks for in founders, why emotional resonance still matters in early-stage investing, and where he’s placing his bets in AI and beyond.
Katie is the Founder and CEO of Haun Ventures where she and the team raised a $500 million early stage fund and a $1 billion acceleration fund to invest in the future of web3. Previously, Katie was a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) where she co-led the firm’s three crypto funds. She joined in June 2018 as its eleventh general partner and first female general partner. Prior to a16z, Katie spent a decade as a federal prosecutor focusing on fraud, cyber, and corporate crime alongside agencies including the SEC, FBI, and Treasury. She created the government’s first cryptocurrency task force and led investigations into the Mt. Gox hack and the corrupt agents on the Silk Road task force. While with the U.S. Department of Justice, Katie prosecuted RICO murders, organized crime, public corruption, gangs, and money laundering. She also held senior policy positions at Justice Department headquarters in both the National Security Division and Attorney General’s office where her portfolio included antitrust, tax, and national security. While in the private sector, Katie has testified before both the House and Senate on the intersection of technology and regulation. She has taught a course on crypto at Stanford Business School and on cybercrime at Stanford Law School. Katie clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and is an honors graduate of Stanford Law School. She is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Katie also served as a member of the board of directors of Coinbase from 2017 to 2024.
Katie's Sessions
A Conversation with Katie Haun
Katie Haun, founder of Haun Ventures, is a leading voice at the intersection of crypto, policy, and venture capital and will share what it takes to invest with conviction in volatile, high-stakes markets. From her DOJ roots to building a $1.5B+ firm, Katie offers a rare, inside look at navigating regulatory headwinds, backing bold founders, and building trust with LPs across cycles.
Russell is President at Cognition AI, makers of Devin, the first AI software engineer. He previously led the machine learning organization at Scale AI, which acquired his computer vision startup, Helia, in 2020. Before that, Russell was a senior ML Scientist at Tesla Autopilot. He did his MS and BS in Computer Science at Stanford, where he started TreeHacks, Stanford’s hackathon, and was a researcher in the Stanford Vision Lab advised by Fei-Fei Li.
Russell's Sessions
Founders, Funders, and the Next Generation of AI Natives
Ali Partovi has helped launch the careers of a generation of elite founders through Neo. Russell Kaplan is building Cognition, the AI-native company behind Devin, the so-called “AI software engineer.” Together, they unpack what it means to build and back technical talent in the AI age, what young founders often get wrong, and why this moment feels different from past tech waves.
Ali tries to make a career of betting on people smarter than himself. He leads Neo, a mentorship community and VC fund that backed Cursor, Kalshi, Bluesky, & more. He’s also chairman of Sway, a tech platform to reimagine democracy. Ali previously co-founded Code.org, iLike, and LinkExchange. He grew up in Tehran during the war and studied CS at Harvard. He loves climbing, snowboarding, guitar, & puzzles, and is a father of four.
Ali's Sessions
Founders, Funders, and the Next Generation of AI Natives
Ali Partovi has helped launch the careers of a generation of elite founders through Neo. Russell Kaplan is building Cognition, the AI-native company behind Devin, the so-called “AI software engineer.” Together, they unpack what it means to build and back technical talent in the AI age, what young founders often get wrong, and why this moment feels different from past tech waves.
StrictlyVC passes sold out!
Looking for more startup and VC content, plus powerful networking? Check out our upcoming events.

TechCrunch All Stage – where founders and investors collide on July 15 in Boston.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 – the 20th anniversary of one of the most anticipated tech conferences.
Agenda
More to come on the agenda! Check back in for the latest updates.
June 18th
Check-In/Networking/Drinks/Hors d'Oeuvres
Betting Early

Managing Partner Mayfield Fund
Navin Chaddha has backed over 60 companies that have gone public or been acquired. In this conversation, the longtime Mayfield managing partner shares what he looks for in founders, why emotional resonance still matters in early-stage investing, and where he’s placing his bets in AI and beyond.
Why Baiju Bhatt Is Betting on Space-Based Solar Power

Founder and CEO / Co-Founder and Board Director Aetherflux / Robinhood
As the co-founder of Robinhood, Baiju Bhatt helped redefine how millions of people interact with trading and investing. Now he’s setting his sights even higher — literally — with Aetherflux, a new venture aiming to harness solar power in space. In this chat, Bhatt talks about what drew him to one of the most audacious bets in tech, how building in hard science compares to fintech, and why big risks still matter.
Founders, Funders, and the Next Generation of AI Natives

President Cognition AI

CEO Neo
Ali Partovi has helped launch the careers of a generation of elite founders through Neo. Russell Kaplan is building Cognition, the AI-native company behind Devin, the so-called “AI software engineer.” Together, they unpack what it means to build and back technical talent in the AI age, what young founders often get wrong, and why this moment feels different from past tech waves.
A Conversation with Katie Haun

Founder & CEO Haun Ventures
Katie Haun, founder of Haun Ventures, is a leading voice at the intersection of crypto, policy, and venture capital and will share what it takes to invest with conviction in volatile, high-stakes markets. From her DOJ roots to building a $1.5B+ firm, Katie offers a rare, inside look at navigating regulatory headwinds, backing bold founders, and building trust with LPs across cycles.
More Hors d'Oeuvres/More drinks/More networking!
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From seed to Series C and beyond, TC All Stage on July 15 in Boston brings together the entire startup ecosystem. Learn from experts like Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures), Jahanvi Sardana (Index Ventures), Chris Gardner (Underscore VC), and more. Save up to $475 and tap into real talk, sharp insights, and connections that drive growth.
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