San Diego County Startup Mixer — September 2026

What stood out

This was probably the first Startup Mixer where I really realized how much this little community has grown.

We had 127 registrations and more than 80 people came throughout the evening. When I first started hosting these events, I didn’t really have a big plan behind them. I had moved to San Diego, wanted to meet more people in the startup community, and thought hosting something myself could be a good way to do it.

Seeing more than 80 people show up made me think a little differently about what this could become.

What I heard from people

During the night, I talked to a few people about what they liked about the mixer. Some were there for the first time, others had been coming for a while.

One thing kept coming back: the low-pressure side of the event.

There is no pitch, no presentation and no real agenda. People just come, grab a drink, meet someone and start talking. A few people told me that this made it easier for them to meet others, especially if they don’t usually feel comfortable at big networking events.

I really want to keep that.

What I want to improve

At the same time, it got me thinking about what comes next.

How do I bring more value to these events without changing what people like about them?

I don’t think the answer is adding presentations, pitches or making the event more structured. Maybe it’s about making it easier to find the right people in the room. Maybe better introductions. Maybe finding ways for people to stay connected after the event.

I don’t have the answer yet, and I think that’s okay. I want to try a few things and see what works.

But whatever comes next, I want to keep the event simple.

The setting

Harland Brewing in Bay Park has been a great place for these events.

It’s casual, people can move around easily, and it doesn’t feel like a traditional networking event. I think that helps a lot with the atmosphere we’re trying to create.