Startup Grind Oceanside: Meet, Learn & Connect with Local Founders
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 3:00 PM PDT – 5:00 PM PDT
Frontwave Arena · 3475 Hero Dr, Oceanside, CA 92056, USA
Hosted by Gregory Shepard
When was the last time you could ask a founder with a $925M exit anything you wanted? On July 23 in Oceanside, you can. For free. Startup Grind is bringing the North County San Diego community to Oceanside. After a packed first gathering in Carlsbad, this is an afternoon built for founders, builders, and anyone serious about growing something real. WHO IS HOSTING Gregory Shepard, The Startup Architect, founded this chapter to give local founders the room he wished existed: real answers, real connections, real momentum. He is not a theorist: • A 12-time founder with 12 exits, including the $925M AffiliateTraction acquisition by eBay • A Fulbright Scholar and co-founder of the Fulbright Entrepreneurship Initiative • A TEDx speaker and a speaker at the United Nations • Author of The Startup Lifecycle, with 100+ articles in Forbes, Fortune, and Entrepreneur • Founder of StartupScience.io, serving 100,000+ founders and 200+ startup programs worldwide WHAT YOU WILL WALK AWAY WITH • An answer to your hardest startup question. The heart of the afternoon is an open AMA with Greg: no filter, no script, direct answers from someone who has built and sold 12 companies. • Connections worth keeping. Local founders, operators, and investors, all in one room. Leave with at least one conversation that goes somewhere. • A read on North County's startup scene. Who is building what, and where you fit in it. HOW THE AFTERNOON RUNS (3:00-5:00 PM) • 3:00 - Founder meet and greet. Check in, grab a seat, and start meeting the people building in North County. • 3:30 - Open AMA with Gregory Shepard. Bring your hardest question: fundraising, product, hiring, scaling, exits. Greg answers directly from 12 companies of experience. • 4:30 - Founder connections. Keep the conversations going and trade details with the people you want to know. • 5:00 - Close. WHO THIS IS FOR Founders at any stage, operators, early-stage investors, and anyone serious about building something in North County San Diego. First time at a Startup Grind event? Perfect. Come say hi. THE DETAILS Thursday, July 23, 2026, 3:00-5:00 PM Oceanside, CA (venue details on this page) Free to attend. RSVP required, space is limited. This event is sponsored by GYSIO Business & Bookkeeping, Inc., a concierge-level business and bookkeeping firm serving entrepreneurs across North County. Our thanks to Shamelle and the GYSIO team for making it possible. No pitch decks. No fluff. Just real founders, real answers, and a room worth being in.