The San Francisco Bay Area is known as the world’s tech hub, but if you’re new to the area or to the field, it can be hard to know where to dive in and how to meet new people.
Well, this list of regular networking events in San Francisco and Silicon Valley is a great place to start. Well-known (and well-attended) among the Bay Area tech community, these events and meetups will have you learning new things, meeting new people, and building your SF network in no time.
1. Network After Work Events
Frequency: Varies (usually monthly)
Location: Varies
Price: $15-$25
Network After Work provides awesome networking events in 40 cities to over a million professionals looking to meet other like-minded people. In the past, events have been hosted at clubs, hotels, restaurants, and bars—so becoming part of this community will never get boring or repetitive.
2. IMPACT HUB San Francisco
Frequency: Varies
Location: IMPACT HUB, 901 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA
Price: Varies
Like to mix it up with your networking events? IMPACT HUB not only has one of the most jam-packed calendars around, but it also offers plenty of variety in the types of events you can attend. Sustainability hackathons? Yep. Cereal socials? For sure. Bad Ass Women Hub Club? Check.
3. Startup Grind Silicon Valley
Frequency: Monthly
Location: Pivotal Labs, 3495 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto, CA
Price: $0-$10
Silicon Valley’s Startup Grind chapter is one of the most robust out there. This monthly speaker and networking series is known for snagging some of the best talent to come chat with its attendees, from companies big and small.
4. ZURB’s Monthly Soapbox
Frequency: Monthly
Location: ZURB, 100 West Rincon Avenue, Campbell, CA
Price: Free
It sounds almost too good to be true: A free (yes, free) one-hour lunch event with leading entrepreneurs, designers, innovators, and creatives? You’ve got to RSVP to this one. In past events, ZURB has hosted Matt Mullenweg (the founder of WordPress), Irene Au (former Head of UX at Google), and Tom Conrad (former CTO of Pandora).
5. Tech in Motion
Frequency: Varies
Location: Varies
Price: Varies
Tech in Motion describes itself as an “event series started with the goal of bringing local tech communities together to meet, learn, and innovate.” It has get-togethers nationwide, but some of the best are in SF—including mixers, expert panels, and (our personal favorite) tech trivia!
6. 106 Miles
Frequency: Second Wednesday of each month in Palo Alto, 6-9 PM; fourth Wednesday of each month in San Francisco, 6-9 PM
Location: Varies
Price: Varies
This group’s for founders, engineers, or anyone who wants to be in one of those groups someday. The informal events (usually held at bars), are designed for networking, socializing, and sharing ideas.
7. General Assembly
Frequency: Varies
Location: General Assembly, 225 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA
Price: Varies
General Assembly offers a variety of ways to meet other people and grow in your field, from mixers and panels to classes and hackathons. The environment is enthusiastic and collaborative, perfect for people who are looking for a less traditional experience.
What are your other favorite tech networking events in San Francisco? Let me know on Twitter!