Day 0 TechBBQ x San Francisco PR afterwork

TechBBQ, in partnership with San Francisco, will host an insightful PR afterwork to kick off the summit week and set you up for success!

Join us for an effective masterclass hosted San Francisco Agency to learn how to use PR as a strategic tool for growth in the age of AI.

📅 Date: 25th August

🕡 Time: 15:00 - 16:30

What to expect:

We start with a masterclass: Why AI has changed the game for PR and business growth, and how to implement PR as a strategic lever for growth by San Francisco's CEO Reetta Ilo Gilbert.

Reetta will then be joined by top tech editor Mimi Billing from Sifted to discuss the view from the inbox in the AI era: what lands, what gets deleted, and how AI has changed newsroom workflows and inbox volume from a journalist's perspective.

This will be followed by a fireside chat where founder & CEO of Audicin, Laura Avonius, shares how a Finnish deep-tech startup builds international visibility — and what PR actually moves the needle for growth and fundraising.

After the fireside chat, San Francisco's CEO Reetta Ilo Gilbert will join for a Q&A - this is Your opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how to pitch great stories!

Important stuff to know:

Spread the word! You can invite your team members or co-founders or anyone you think would benefit from PR learnings and tips.

Spots are limited - if you RSVP for the event, please treat it as a firm commitment not to use up a seat in vain.

More about the speakers:

Reetta Ilo Gilbert - CEO, San Francisco Agency

Reetta leads San Francisco Agency’s ambitious team and business growth, working with scaleups and investors to craft impactful communications strategies and drive earned media visibility. She’s an award-winning PR professional, recognized by the Finnish Comms Awards and awarded a Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions for her work.

With a strong track record in building cross-border media relations and messaging strategies, Reetta specializes in helping fast-growing companies stand out in competitive global markets.

Before joining San Francisco Agency, Reetta worked across Europe’s startup ecosystem, where she supported founders in securing funding, gaining media traction, and expanding their international presence. She is also a board member of Atlan Ventures, a new venture studio helping nature-tech companies grow globally.

Laura Avonius - founder and CEO, Audicin

Laura is a Finnish entrepreneur, composer, and digital health leader, whose work focuses on using neuroscience-based audio journeys to improve focus, recovery and sleep. Laura has an impressive background: under the stage name GEA, she is an award-winning composer and artist and prior to her entrepreneurial ventures, she held leadership roles at Nokia (top 5% of leaders) and served as Chief Digital Officer at Aller Media.

Her company Audicin is a Finnish neurotech startup using brainwave entrainment and music neuroscience to deliver real-time stress recovery, focus and sleep support. Fresh off a $1.9M funding round backed by Oura ring co-founder Petteri Lahtela and Business Finland's Deep Tech Accelerator, the company pairs with wearables like Oura, Apple Watch and Whoop, and is expanding into defense, healthcare and phone-free environments.

Mimi Billing - Europe Editor at Sifted

Mimi Billing is an editor at Sifted, the Financial Times-backed media company covering Europe's startup and tech ecosystem. She leads editorial coverage across the region, with a particular focus on the Nordic startup landscape. As one of Europe's leading tech journalists, Mimi has interviewed hundreds of founders and investors and has a front-row seat to the stories, trends and innovations shaping the continent's startup ecosystem.