What we’re about
Friday Coffee Meetup (FCM) brings together Pasadena’s innovation and startup community on the first Friday of every month in the comfortable environment of FoundrSpace in Old Town Pasadena. Cohosted by CALE at Caltech
Here you will learn from leaders in the tech, entrepreneurship and venture capital community; experience presentations from dynamic speakers; and engage with other innovators.
For almost ten years now, Friday Coffee Meetup has been where Pasadena’s innovation community gathered weekly, and then most recently during the pandemic monthly. Today, with a revived partnership with Innovate Pasadena, Friday Coffee Meetup continues the legacy of connecting and invigorating our community with programs of authentic, inspiring and informative presentations and valuable welcoming and personal networking.
Friday Coffee Meetup is open to Pasadena’s entire innovation community, including (but certainly not limited to) entrepreneurs, programmers, chief technology officers (CTOs), venture capitalists (VCs), angel investors, thought leaders, and more.
Each meeting includes a monthly presentation from a leader in the innovation community, followed by Q&A, and then time for meet-the-speaker in person and informal networking. Please note our Speaker Criteria below, especially if you are interested in presenting.
Friday Coffee Meetup is supported by a team of dedicated volunteers, currently including John Chou, Doreen Chen Allen, Evan Tsang, Jan Young, Nathan Hurvitz, Holly Bowyer, Cameron Church, Meredith Jung, John Deyto, Christine de la Fuente, and Christy Conner.
Founded in 2013 by Andy Wilson, and Mike Schaffer, with sponsorship provided by Echo Factory the last few years, Friday Coffee Meetup is now sustained through a partnership with Innovate Pasadena that began in 2022. We invite you to learn more about upcoming meetups by visiting innovatepasadena.org and following Innovate Pasadena on social media.
Recordings of many previous events are available on our YouTube channels:
[https://www.youtube.com/user/innovatepasadena](https://urldefense.com/v3/https:/www.youtube.com/user/innovatepasadena;!!Fh--17vRJmFW!n1nOw9oBscDsITeJR8MuG1BvafIH25aJs5bhCF0UFDmUiKJaGs2v7Qz2vqKtTQmOyu4KIA$)
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqEpMLu3srTmz_hbS0ucCBQ](https://urldefense.com/v3/https:/www.youtube.com/channel/UCqEpMLu3srTmz_hbS0ucCBQ;!!Fh--17vRJmFW!n1nOw9oBscDsITeJR8MuG1BvafIH25aJs5bhCF0UFDmUiKJaGs2v7Qz2vqKtTQnstxEnYw$)
OUR SPEAKER INFORMATION & CRITERIA
Notes:
• FCM cannot be used to primarily promote an individual’s service or business.
• Our speakers are traditionally Innovators, CEOs, Founders, Angel/Venture Investors.
• If you are a service provider, this is not the right forum for you. But if you have CEOs and leaders of industry that you work with and would like to highlight, please recommend them.
What our audience likes to hear about:
• Entrepreneurship…successes and/or failures
• Lessons learned - what went wrong and how you fixed it…we love a good turn around or pivot
• Investors, VCs, etc. - what type of investments are you looking for: industry, fund size, previous background/experience, successful exits, stories of failures, etc.
• Innovators - how you took your idea to fruition.
Thank you!
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Eric Burgess - Bringing Creativity and AI Together EthicallyFoundrSpace Coworking, Pasadena, CA
AI is here—but will it uplift human creativity or replace it?
In this thought-provoking session, Eric Burgess, MBA, Founder & CEO of Credtent.org, shares how his life’s work at the crossroads of technology, storytelling, and ethical innovation has culminated in a platform that brings AI and creativity together—credibly.With a background spanning writing, producing, game design, brand strategy, and tech-enabled marketing, Eric has gathered a powerful network of experts to create Credtent: a pioneering licensing and auditing tool that empowers creators and guides AI companies toward better decisions about the content they use.
He’ll explore:- 🎨 Why the future of AI must include—and respect—human creativity
- 🛠 How creators can reclaim agency in the AI era
- 🔍 How Credtent enables transparency, choice, and trust in content licensing
Whether you’re a builder, creator, marketer, or tech leader, you’ll leave inspired to be part of a more ethical, intentional AI future.
About the Speaker:
Eric Burgess is a writer, brand strategist, game designer, and the founder of Credtent.org, an open beta platform built to support ethical content use in the age of generative AI. He advises companies on branding, earned media, and marketing at the intersection of storytelling and technology.Moderated by: Marsha Swallow
Livestream available via Christy Conner on LinkedInAccessibility: FoundrSpace is in a historic building without elevator access. For accommodations, please email pasadena@foundrspace.com and admin@innovatepasadena.org by August 27th.
Presented by: Echo-Factory & Innovate Pasadena
Co-hosted by: CALE at Caltech
