An Open Letter to the Community
We possess world-class universities, a deep capital base, and industry leadership spanning MedTech, Clean Energy, Aesthetics, Gaming, and Defense Technology. Our region has every necessary ingredient to compete among the nation’s top ten startup and innovation hubs—except for one missing piece: a unified voice.
Following the natural tech circuit from Silicon Valley down through LA Tech Week, we are opening our doors and inviting the global tech community, founders, investors, and innovators from around the country and the world, to extend their stay in Southern California and experience “Innovation in Paradise.”
We want to show the world what makes Orange County’s innovation brand truly unique, uniting builders across all 34 cities, from our iconic coastline and university corridors to our industrial and creative epicenters of Irvine, Anaheim, and beyond.
OC Tech Week 2026 is that voice.
Hosted by Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN), Orange County’s longest-standing founder-first nonprofit, OC Tech Week 2026 is a six-day, radically inclusive, decentralized celebration of entrepreneurship and technology running October 19–24, 2026.
Executing the Vision
True ecosystem development doesn’t happen in isolation. OC Tech Week is structurally aligned with the strategic industry clusters outlined in the Irvine Innovation Blueprint, serving as a “Front Door” to Orange County’s innovation economy:
Pioneering advancements and expanding clinical impact.
Driving the future of gaming, AR/VR, and digital media.
Scaling Defense Tech, clean energy, and advanced R&D.
The strength of OC Tech Week lies in an ecosystem that shows up together. While partner-hosted events are being added daily, here is a preview of the week:
Hosted by Quantum eMotion bringing together women and men involved in various technology sectors.
The Cove at UCI
Come join us for private room karaoke at the fabulous VIP Karaoke Lounge in Westminster! Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount of attendees before the event. Crypto & Chill is an OC meet-up group that has been on-going since 2024. We meet every other week at Fashion Island to discuss the latest technologies, happenings in financial markets, and to have meaningful conversations about politics, economics, and philosophy. We are open to newbies and OGs alike, and very welcoming. Afterwards, we go out and enjoy some food and drinks at local restaurants.
Kicking off OC Tech Week: a free one-day hackathon with Illumination Health + Home. Local builders and healthcare and nonprofit practitioners team up to build tools that help people experiencing homelessness reach care and resources. Organized by Claude Community Orange County, hosted at EvoNexus Irvine.
Registration requires approval
Tech week isn’t just for grown-ups! Kids ages 4&10 and their grown-ups are invited to a special story and activity hour. Join founder of & children’s author, Neetal Parekh, for a story from the Pineapple Friends series.
Deal Flow Golf Series by Inov8 Capital, hosted by OG Arabian Prince.
Most nonprofits have touched AI. Very few have changed how the work gets done. Join Nithin Jilla, Founder & CEO of Dreams for Schools and The Meraki Collective, for a hands-on lab on rebuilding the nonprofit work week. See a live, behind-the-scenes look at how Dreams for Schools rebuilt its operations around its own data model, turning paper attendance for thousands of students into one tap. Then map one of your own workflows with a simple one-page method, paired with technologists from the OC Tech Week community. You’ll leave knowing which workflow to automate first, and what your team could do with the hours it gives back. For nonprofit leaders, staff, funders, and builders who want to help.
Week-opening program featuring keynote speakers.
Hosted by International Impact Connections. Consul Generals and trade offices from 12+ countries discuss foreign direct investment and global opportunities.
The AI Lab launches TIP Protocol, an open, post-quantum trust layer that proves who made content, how it was made, and whether it changed.
AgentOne designs, builds and manages websites, just like a person would. No slop, no surprises – full control.
At this event business owners and decision makers will learn about the latest threats to their technology environments, participate in a live workshop demonstrating how breaches can occur (and how to resolve them) and walk away with tangible actions they can take to protect their business.
Join us for an interactive workshop focused on what it really takes to move from experimenting with AI to putting it to work.
Most of the AI conversation right now is about software. Models, agents, apps. But all of that has to connect to the real world at some point, through a sensor, a chip, a medical device, or a machine on a factory floor. Software and hardware are shaping the AI industry together, and each one is changing what the other can do.
Orange County is one of the few places that does both. For more than 70 years, OC companies have built the aerospace parts, medical devices, semiconductors, and precision hardware that modern technology depends on. More recently, a real software and AI scene has grown up alongside them. The code and the hardware it runs on, made in the same county.
This panel brings together leaders from across OC’s tech economy to talk about how software and hardware are each driving the AI industry forward, where the two are starting to blur, and what that means for the people doing the work. Which roles are growing, which are changing, and what the next generation of engineers, technicians, and tech leaders in OC will need to know.
EvoNexus started a course for people to learn how to use AI for novice and beginners. We limited the enrollment to 40 attendees. This class is opened to anyone who would like to attend and learn AI. This week’s class description is as follows: Week 6 – Writing & Communication with AI Emails, reports, business documents, LinkedIn, resumes, cover letters, editing, summarization, and tone adjustment. Exercise: Improve or rewrite a real document using AI.
Hosted by TCA & Alliance for SoCal Innovation. SoCal’s premier startup pitch showcase.
Let’s have some fun!
Enterprises are rushing to hand the keys to autonomous AI agents. They are letting algorithms read emails, access databases, and execute workflows. But when an agent goes rogue whether it falls for a prompt injection attack or simply acts outside its intended boundaries the fallout hits the company deploying it, not the software vendor.
Master Your iPhone Video: Create, Connect & Show Up Join the National Association of Women in AI (NAWAIQ) for a special Orange County Tech Week experience at the Apple Store in Costa Mesa! We’re bringing our community together for our second Apple Store event, and this time we’re getting hands-on with one of the most powerful creative tools you already own: your iPhone.
During this interactive session, we’ll explore how to create better video using your iPhone, from capturing stronger footage to feeling more confident creating content for your business, career, and personal brand. Whether you’re a business owner, professional, leader, creator, or simply ready to sharpen your digital skills, come ready to learn, experiment, and have some fun. At NAWAIQ, we bring women together to learn, advocate, connect, and stay prepared for a rapidly changing AI and technology landscape. This event is a chance to experience that community firsthand, meet NAWAIQ members, build new connections, and learn something you can put to work right away. And we’re not stopping when the Apple session ends.
Afterward, we’ll head to a nearby location for a fun NAWAIQ mixer where you can continue the conversation, meet new people, exchange ideas, and connect with women who are learning, building, leading, and navigating the future of work together. Space for the Apple Store experience is limited, so reserve your spot early. Come learn something new. Meet some great women. Leave with better video skills, new connections, and maybe a few new ideas about what’s possible.
October 21 | Costa Mesa, California Presented by the National Association of Women in AI (NAWAIQ)
This event is open to everyone in tech. Engineers, designers, managers, business owners, and all those involved in tech are welcome to come!
Come find your people!
We are going to meet at Hangar 24 at 6pm.
Parking is free with validation, just make sure to park in the lot off Von Karman or the parking garage off Gillette and grab a ticket. You are encouraged to get a drink or something to support the venue.
You do not have to be 21+ to enter the brewery. They have non-alcoholic drinks and various food items if you do not drink.
Look for the Tech Link Up sign and the people wearing tech link up name tags.
What we do:
This is a social meetup. Leave your laptops at home, grab a drink (or food), and find some new friends in tech!
Hosted by Peach Score.
Hosted by Microsoft Innovation Hub.
A descriptive blurb is Exploring the full energy portfolio. Connecting technology, infrastructure, policy and capital.
Hosted by Sustain SoCal.
Hosted by WenInDoubt, a small, invitation-only coffee for senior executives.
Decision-makers, and technical teams working in or evaluating GovCloud, this working session explores how regulated and public-sector teams can put generative AI to work within their compliance boundaries.
Join the OC Startup Council for fun f2f startup growth and fundraising Q&A, investor pitch practice, and friendly networking! Limited Seats.
The OC C-Suite Tech Week Celebration at the Pendry brings together founders, investors, and tech leaders, and includes a book signing.
Pendry Newport Beach (690 Newport Center Dr)
Join us for an evening of networking and conversation during OC Tech Week! Jami Eidsvold, a media and marketing professional and owner of Smarty Social Space, will share insights on the growing importance of social media in healthcare and how effective digital communication can help healthcare professionals and organizations connect with their communities. Enjoy drinks, light refreshments, and the opportunity to meet professionals across healthcare, technology, media, and marketing.
GABA and Orange County AI are delighted to invite you to an engaging panel discussion, bringing together three unique perspectives: academic innovation, manufacturing leadership, and enterprise strategy. Our experts will cut through the AI hype to offer practical, actionable insights on how to successfully adopt, deploy, and scale intelligent systems across high-stakes environments.
Many companies can say they use AI. Far fewer can say what the actual ROI is. The Morning Prompt is an open conversation at breakfast for founders and executives. This event is hosted by Dailin Hu, founder & CEO of SafeLab AI Engineering in Irvine and a former Senior Applied Scientist at Blizzard Entertainment. Each participant leaves with one written ROI hypothesis for their own business, plus a one-page worksheet. Coffee and breakfast provided. Seating is capped at 15.
Founder Beach Walk is a relaxed Friday morning for founders, builders, and creatives who want to meet good people and make real connections. No pitch decks. No name tags. Just movement, ocean air, and conversations worth having.
Hosted by WenInDoubt with EvoNexus to bring founders, executives, and operators for candid conversations on scaling, navigating, and building high-impact businesses.
Hosted by COR AI, a focused round table for marketing agency leaders on how AI is reshaping strategy.
Hosted by The Finnish Line, an exclusive event for super car owners in OC.
🥐 Come get brunch with us! 🚗 Free parking is available one block north at the city hall parking structure at 225 S Philadelphia St. (see picture) Working remotely? Tired of talking to avatars and staring at screens?
Come join us for a laid-back weekend brunch with fellow tech and tech-adjacent professionals! Whether you code, design, PM, or just enjoy good conversation, this is a great chance to connect, swap stories, and make new friends over coffee and waffles. No agenda, no pitches—just real people, real food, and some much-needed offline vibes. We’ll be hanging out for a couple of hours, so no worries if you show up later. We’ll be at the Anaheim Packing House when they open at 11am.
It’s a great venue and there will be a bunch of different food options available. If the weather’s nice we’ll be sitting outside the east entrance, just past Sumo Dog or Randy’s Donuts. There’s a nice shady spot there on fake grass. Otherwise we’ll head indoors. Will confirm exact location when we arrive. Any questions feel free to ask on our discord: Join Discord Server: http://discord.gg/XQ3yxvwYqT We’re all about bringing people together and building friendships, so come solo or bring a friend — we’d love to see you there!
Hosted by, Concordia University Irvine and Chapman University, Student innovation showcase.
Week-closing celebration to send off OC Tech Week.
Meet high school students turning real-world problems into technology and community impact. Experience live demonstrations, hands-on activities, student-led initiatives—and discover how Orange County’s community can help take their work further.
The strength of OC Tech Week lies in an ecosystem that shows up together. While partner-hosted events are being added daily, here is a preview of the week:
Mon · Oct
OC Tech Week is built by the community, for the community. Whether you are planning a founder breakfast, an investor panel, a rooftop mixer, or an intimate workshop, we invite you to bring your story to our official schedule.
Join us in building Orange County’s premier tech week. Click below to submit your event details, location, and preferred date. (Need a venue or have space to host? Let us know in the form so we can match event hosts with local venue partners.)
To maintain a high-value experience for all attendees, submitted events undergo a brief curation review by our steering committee before being published to the official schedule.
Participating Organizations & Partners
Passion & Purpose
OC Tech Week was created out of a deep passion for our community and a singular purpose: to finally unite Orange County’s most dynamic founders, investors, technologists, and civic leaders under one banner.
This is an open invitation to build the future right here at home. Thank you for your vision, your leadership, and your belief in Orange County’s potential.
Co-Chair, OC Tech Week 2026 Former Mayor, City of Irvine Board Member, TCVN
Co-Chair, OC Tech Week 2026 President, TCVN
Founder & CEO, CRISPx
We have (4) venues that are offering space (some with minimal fees) for OC Tech Week hosts.
Do any of these spaces fit your event?
