Founder Dinner and Startup Poker 2.0
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 3:30 PM PDT – 7:00 PM PDT
San Diego, California
Hosted by Startup Haven
Please see our statement of inclusivity below. What to expect? Poker Clinic Please arrive on time if you'd like to participate. Our founder Bob Crimmins will host a poker clinic covering poker strategy as well as principles of GroundWork Growth, highlighting how poker sharpens founders' ability to make probabilistic decisions—a crucial skill. Special Guest - Jeff Hummel -- a real-life treasure hunter! Jeff Hummel is back! Jeff is President of Rockfish, a company dedicated to recovering more than $200M in gold from the bottom of the ocean. In 1875, the S/S Pacific was carrying miners from Victoria to San Francisco during the Cassiar Gold Rush. On November 4th, it collided with the S/V Orpheus. The Pacific sank that day with a cargo of gold worth more than $200M and now sits at the bottom of the ocean just off the Washington coast. Check out this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oum2m8s4P-E. Dinner and Networking Dinner is casual and catered, available at 5:30 or whenever you arrive. Serve yourself when you arrive and enjoy a drink while mingling or sitting. We strive to provide delicious food with a vegetarian option. "No pizza" rule. Ask and Offer This is a quick activity that gives people the opportunity to introduce themselves, and share their "ask" and their "offer" to the community. We can all offer expertise, introductions, or experience. Inclusive Poker (Optional after dinner, beginners are welcome. We'd always love to see you for dinner and networking only too.) Playing poker is always 100% optional. Come and enjoy the food and networking! Details on the poker game can be found here: Poker Basics Webpage. Please make sure to bring cash in small bills (i.e. $1s, $5s, and $10s). If you're new to these events, please familiarize yourself with the details by reviewing the Startup Haven Event Basics web page. Beginner poker players are encouraged to attend. This is a friendly game of low stakes poker and the first buy-in starts at just $10. Random and Guaranteed Poker Seats Just a reminder that, in the event that more than 40 attendees want to play poker, Level 2 members will be settled first and then we will cut cards for the remaining seats. Startup Haven Events Founders Dinner and Startup Poker 2.0 events have been running continuously for more than 19 years. If you are new to the Startup Haven network, you should know that this is a fun, inclusive, and low-stakes poker game and that we embrace diversity, open conversations, and learning. Playing in the poker game is not required; but it is a ton of fun and you might just win some cash and/or a cool sponsor prize! Startup Haven events are (usually) exclusively for our founder and investor members. If you are interested in joining Startup Haven as a free member, you can indicate that in your registration questions! Please do not bring uninvited guests. If you know a founder or investor whom you think would meet the Startup Haven member requirements, please make an intro (membership@startuphaven.com) and we'll get them set up. Premium Event This event is free for Level 1 & Level 2 members, but Level 0 members have a cost of $10.00. If you would like to attend this (and future) premium events for free, upgrade to Level 1 ($10/month) or Level 2 ($30/month). Safety Concerns If you have safety concerns and would like someone to accompany you to your vehicle, we would be happy to accommodate you, just let one of our team members know or email us in advance at membership@startuphaven.com. Thank you! If you are sick, or have loved ones that are vulnerable, please consider coming to future events instead. Sponsors Make it Happen Startup Haven and these events would not be possible without the support of our awesome sponsors. They buy all the food, drink, poker chips, cards, trophies, etc. so please thank them when you see them. Inclusivity We acknowledge that poker, as well as the tech and startup community, has historically been male-dominated. However, we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members and players. We strongly encourage women, people of color, and individuals from all under-recognized groups to join us at our events. Your presence enriches the experience for everyone, and we are dedicated to ensuring that our poker community is diverse, respectful, and inclusive. Read here, here and here for more about why we play poker at Startup Haven, and believe that poker is for everyone.