The New American Dream: Venture Summit at Salesforce Tower

Venture Summit at Salesforce Tower An Independence Week summit above San Francisco on founders, capital, AI, and building the next generation of companies in America. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, SFPlayground is bringing together founders, investors, family office leaders, operators, and ecosystem builders for a high-signal evening on what the American Dream looks like in the startup era. The American Dream is shifting. For today’s builders, it is increasingly defined by the ability to start from zero, use new technology, access capital, build trust, find customers, and scale companies that create ownership and opportunity. AI is accelerating that shift, changing how companies are formed, how private markets move, how investors evaluate opportunities, and how startups grow from early traction to durable businesses. Through a panel discussion, dinner, and curated networking, we’ll hear from leaders across venture, private capital, company building, and the startup ecosystem. The conversation will explore how founders build in America from the ground up, how investors identify durable opportunities, how AI is changing the venture landscape, and how the American Dream continues to attract builders from around the world.

Featured Speakers 🎙️Moderator | Amir Sorhan Karimloo

Co-Founder, ELU. Startup media creator and founder storyteller. Amir Sorhan Karimloo is the Co-Founder of ELU and the creator behind one of San Francisco’s fastest-growing startup media pages. This year, he grew his Instagram to 50K organic followers by spotlighting founders, startup stories, and the people building in SF. He will moderate the discussion across capital, AI, founder trust, and building in America.

🎤 Panelist | Brett Horton

Chief Investment Officer, Paris-Roubaix Group. $6B+ Family Office. Brett Horton is CIO of Paris-Roubaix Group, a $6B+ single-family office investing across venture capital, private equity, real assets, alternatives, and direct investments. He brings a private capital perspective on founder signals, durable opportunities, and market timing. 🎤 Panelist | Kayvan Baroumand

Founder & President, SignalRank. Former COO, Plug and Play Tech Center. Kayvan Baroumand is the Founder & President of SignalRank, using AI and venture data to identify high-performing private companies. Previously, he helped build innovation platforms including Plug and Play Tech Center and GSV Labs. 🎤 Panelist | Charles Michael Yim

Founding Partner, Sync.VC. Serial Entrepreneur. Shark Tank Alum. Charles Michael Yim is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Breathometer, the first company on Shark Tank to secure investment from all five Sharks. Through Sync.VC and cMy Ventures, he backs founders across AI, robotics, deep tech, and emerging technology. 🎤 Panelist | Farzin Shadpour

Managing Director, Silicon Foundry. Venture investor and corporate innovation leader. Farzin Shadpour is a Managing Director at Silicon Foundry, where he helps large enterprises navigate startups, partnerships, and emerging technology. Previously, he was a Partner at Plug and Play, investing in 50+ startups across global markets.

Topics on the Table The New American Dream in the Startup Era How entrepreneurship, ownership, technology, and capital are reshaping what it means to build opportunity in America. AI, Private Markets & Venture How AI is changing company creation, investor evaluation, market speed, startup costs, and the path from idea to scale. Fundraising, Trust & Founder Signals What investors look for when backing founders, including traction, timing, team quality, narrative, execution, customer demand, and trusted relationships. From Zero to Scale How founders move from idea to company, from first customers to real revenue, and from early momentum to durable growth.

What to Expect A panel discussion with leaders across venture, private capital, AI, startups, and company building Practical insight into fundraising, investor trust, founder signals, AI-driven acceleration, and scaling companies in today’s market A conversation on how the American Dream is evolving through entrepreneurship, ownership, technology, immigration, and private markets Dinner, drinks, and curated networking with founders, investors, operators, family offices, advisors, and startup ecosystem leaders

Schedule 6:00 PM — Doors + Check In 7:00 PM — Panel Discussion 7:45 PM — Dinner, Drinks & Curated Networking 9:00 PM — Event Concludes

Registration & Attendance This event is designed for founders, investors, family offices, operators, advisors, university partners, and ecosystem builders interested in startups, venture, AI, private markets, and the future of entrepreneurship in America. Attendance is curated to keep the room focused, relevant, and high-signal.

Supported by

CBRE - The global leader in commercial real estate services and investment and a premier provider of critical infrastructure services.

Organizations supporting startups, venture capital, AI, private markets, founder education, innovation, and ecosystem growth are invited to partner with SFPlayground here.