TECH FEST 2026

Tech Fest 2026 — Silicon Valley Join an exclusive gathering of 500+ tech professionals, founders, decision-makers, and architects for an evening designed to spark ideas, meaningful connections, and future collaborations in the heart of Silicon Valley — bringing together the Valley’s brightest minds for high-stakes networking and innovation. Tech Fest 2026 brings together leaders from across the technology ecosystem to explore the innovations shaping tomorrow — from artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to career growth, industry insights, and new opportunities across the tech landscape. Visit: https://sftechfest.com/ From keynote addresses by Google, high-impact panels, lightning talks, and fireside chats to hands-on showcases and networking moments that go beyond the stage, the day is designed to keep you engaged at every level. Alongside the sessions, attendees can experience the Tesla Overnight Experience, meet LUMI the humanoid robot by AGIBOT, and enjoy a curated Gourmet Lunch and high-energy Happy Hour designed for meaningful connections and conversations. The Tesla Experience We're bringing the TESLA EXPERIENCE to Tech Fest 2026. Attendees can sign up for an exclusive Tesla Overnight Experience and take innovation home for the night—exploring Tesla's cutting-edge technology, intelligent driving capabilities, and the future of mobility firsthand. Meet Lumi (The Bot) By AGIBOT Experience LUMI, AGIBOT's AI-powered humanoid robot, live on the Tech Fest show floor. Interact with LUMI before lunch as it engages with attendees, followed by a SPECIAL LIVE PERFORMACE during lunch where it dances and entertains—bringing together robotics, interaction, and entertainment in real time. Complimentary OpenClaw Workshop Get hands-on with OpenClaw, one of the fastest-growing open-source AI agent platforms. Build and customize your own AI agent, create a custom skill, and gain practical experience deploying AI agents safely—all in a guided workshop led by AI practitioner Saurabh Yergattikar. Gourmet Lunch & Happy Hour Some of the best conversations happen away from the stage. Enjoy a curated GOURMET LUNCH, premium refreshments, and an energetic HAPPY HOUR designed for meaningful networking. Whether you're meeting founders, investors, executives, or innovators, this is where ideas spark, partnerships form, and lasting connections begin. AGENDA 11:00 AM - 11:10 AM | Opening Address - TechFest – Going Beyond Radio Kick off TechFest 2026 with a warm welcome from RJ Roshni, the event emcee, as she opens the event, sets the tone for the day ahead, and recognizes the sponsors and partners supporting the experience. The opening address will then be delivered by Taresh Anand, who will share insights in his talk, "TechFest – Going Beyond Radio," exploring the evolving role of media, technology, and innovation in shaping the future. Taresh Anand, CEO, Radio Zindagi 11:10 AM - 11:20 AM - Opening Address: AI the Next Gold Rush Ride the Wave Dr. Sam will open Tech Fest 2026 with his keynote, "AI: The Next Gold Rush – Ride the Wave." In this thought-provoking address, he will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, creating unprecedented opportunities for innovation, and driving the next era of economic growth. Attendees will gain insights into the evolving AI landscape and learn how individuals and organizations can position themselves to capitalize on this transformative technological wave. Dr. Sam Swapn, CEO, Strategism, Inc. 11:20 AM - 11:50 AM | Panel 1: What's Hot, What's Not in AI Investing AI is moving faster than ever, but where are investors placing their bets, and what trends are already cooling off? Join leading VCs for a candid conversation on the evolving AI landscape: from agentic AI, vertical applications, infrastructure, and cybersecurity to the realities of enterprise adoption, defensibility, and monetization. The panel will explore what’s driving conviction in today’s market, where investors see overcrowding and hype, and what founders need to build to stand out in the next wave of AI innovation. Ashmeet Sidana, Chief Engineer, Engineering Capital Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner, Fusion Fund Manu Rekhi, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Quad (SVQ) Preethy Padmanabhan, Head of Marketing, Cisco IIoT & Founder, 10x Growth Strategies 11:50 AM - 12:05 PM | Tech Demo: Microsoft IQ: Unified Enterprise Intelligence in Action! At Microsoft, they create technology that empowers people and organizations to achieve more. In this interactive demo, see how Microsoft Fabric, Foundry, and Microsoft 365 come together to create a unified, AI-ready foundation. Learn how enterprise data is connected through semantic models to enable intelligent search, reasoning, and real-time insights, while AI agents transform those insights into actionable workflows and business impact. Sanjay Soni, Director-Global Cloud and AI Technical Sales Enablement, Microsoft Sid Jaitly, Director, Microsoft 12:05 PM - 12:15 PM | Lightning Talk - Arc - Economic OS for the Emerging Internet Fifteen years ago, Android made software free and open, bringing billions online and enabling innovation no one expected. Money never had that moment. As openness reaches money, those excluded by the old system benefit first, but it doesn't stop there—entirely new businesses emerge. Today, the newest participants aren't people, but AI agents that can earn and spend on their own. We're building the operating system that brings humans and AI together to unleash economic productivity. Gagan Mac, Vice President - Head of Dev Products, Circle 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM | Panel 2: Wired for Life: Civic Innovation for Smart Cities and Homes IoT, connected infrastructure, intelligent buildings — the technology exists to fundamentally transform how we live, work, and move through cities. The leaders building that future are in this room. Let's talk about what's actually happening on the ground when technology in civics, government, and property come together. Martin Kirkwood, CEO, Estate Legend Inc Alina Aeby, Founder/President. Silicon Valley Proptech Association Daniela Florescu, Co-Founder and CTO, Fort Alto Ken Nim, Co-Founder, OffChain Global 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM | Gourmet Lunch Take a break to enjoy GOURMET LUNCH, connect with fellow attendees, and continue conversations with founders, investors, and tech leaders while live DJ music keeps the energy going throughout the venue. During lunch, experience LUMI, AGIBOT's AI-powered humanoid robot, live on the show floor as it dances, interacts, and engages with attendees—bringing the future of embodied AI to life. 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Partners & Sponsors Acknowledgement Join us as our valued partners and sponsor take the stage to introduce themselves and their organizations to the Tech Fest 2026. In addition, our Silver Sponsor - Yogi Sharma, will share brief insights on the Bay Area real estate market, homeownership opportunities, and the importance of making informed property decisions in today’s evolving landscape. 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM | Panel 3: AI in 2026: The New Tech Stack of Work — How Products, Careers, and Companies Are Rebuilt Explore how AI in 2026 is reshaping the modern tech stack, from intelligent products and workflows to evolving career paths and company structures, while unpacking what it takes to stay relevant, competitive, and future-ready in an AI-first world. Nidhi Shrivastav, Head of Program Management, Commericial, Articul8 AI Anjul Katare, Chairman/CEO, CBS Information Systems Inc Ramesh V Chitor, Chief Customer Officer, TrustModel.AI Dr. Sam Swapn, CEO, Strategism, Inc. 2:00 PM - 2:20 PM | Keynote Address: AI as your Business Accelerator Hear powerful insights from Gopi Kallayil, Chief Business Strategist, AI at Google, as he explores how AI is becoming a powerful business accelerator. Discover how organizations can leverage AI to drive innovation, enhance productivity, unlock new growth opportunities, and create lasting competitive advantage in an increasingly AI-driven world. Gopi Kallayil, Chief Business Strategist, AI, Google 2:20 PM - 2:50 PM | Panel 4: AI 2.0 – Building Trust Across the Stack Explore how AI 2.0 is redefining trust across the entire stack—from data and models to applications and user experience, while addressing challenges around transparency, security, and reliability. Saurabh Mishra, Field CTO - Executive Director, Oracle Doc Vaidyanathan, VP - AI Center of Excellence, IBM Ritendra Datta, Engineering Leadership, OpenAI Murtuza Haryanawalla, Director of Artificial Intelligence Solutions, Product Labs 2:50 PM - 3:20 PM | Panel 5: Beyond Speculation: Can Web3 Still Matter? After years of hype cycles, memecoins, regulatory battles, and market volatility, the Web3 industry finds itself at a critical turning point. Was Web3 merely a speculative trend, or is the technology finally maturing into something with real-world value? This panel explores whether blockchain, decentralized infrastructure, digital ownership, and tokenized ecosystems can move beyond speculation and deliver meaningful impact across finance, AI, gaming, identity, enterprise, and creator economies in 2026 and beyond. Miko Matsumura, Managing Partner, Gumi Cryptos Capital Ben Bartlett, Council Member, City of Berkeley Kenneth Hurley, CEO & Co-Founder, Genius Ventures Soniya Ahuja, Founder & CEO, Orbis86 3:20 PM - 3:30PM | Lightning Talk: Non Profit/AI in Health Tech Explore how AI is transforming healthcare and enabling nonprofit organizations to expand their impact, improve accessibility, and deliver better outcomes. This lightning talk will highlight key opportunities, innovations, and real-world applications at the intersection of AI, health tech, and social good. Sai Gundavelli, Founder & CEO, Solix Technologies, Inc. 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Panel 6: Agentic AI: From Hype to Enterprise Impact Explore how AI agents are transforming business operations, decision-making, and enterprise workflows. Ind