How to Break into SF as an Immigrant Founder

How do you actually break into San Francisco as an immigrant founder? Moving to SF is exciting...until you realize everyone already seems to know everyone. How do you build your first network? Meet investors? Find your people? And avoid wasting months learning the same lessons every founder before you? In this founder-led workshop, we'll unpack what it actually takes to build a startup as an immigrant founder in Silicon Valley. You'll walk away with: 👉 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (the communities, events, and relationships that actually open doors) 👉 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 (how networking, fundraising, and founder culture work differently here) 👉 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 (finding customers, mentors, investors, and opportunities without an established network) Whether you've just landed in SF or are planning the move, you'll leave with practical advice you can use immediately. This is not a panel. It's a founder-led workshop in a bar, designed to go deep on one topic so you leave with real takeaways. Come for the lesson, stay for the conversations after.

About the Speaker Adriel Yong is the Co-Founder and COO of Clout Kitchen (now Clouted), an AI startup building the next generation of creator and distribution intelligence tools. He helped scale the company from inception through its $4.45M seed round backed by a16z, Peak XV’s Surge, AppWorks, and Antler, and later its $7M seed financing led by Slow Ventures. He is also an active angel investor and ecosystem builder, supporting early-stage founders across Southeast Asia and Silicon Valley.

What should I expect? 6:30–7:00 PM Arrival, drinks, and casual networking. 7:00–7:45 PM Founder workshop. 7:45–8:05 PM Q&A. 8:05–9:00 PM More chatting, drinks, and meeting people.

🧠 About Founders on Tap Founders on Tap is a workshop series in SF's coolest spots. Each session goes deep on one useful topic, such as community, GTM, fundraising, automation, or getting your first customers.

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We’ll reach out if your session feels like a good fit.

Do I have to be 21+? Yes. You must be 21+ and present a valid ID to enter the venue.

Will this event be photographed or recorded? Photos and short video clips may be taken for promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to being photographed or recorded.

Accessibility If you have specific accessibility needs or questions, please email Lyvia at foundersontap@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to support you.