Thank you all who made it out to our HQ and told your story! Here’s some content from that night. Teresa Valenzuela kicks off our series;

[Sharing a great recommendation. Copied from a post by SaRai Caldwell] Have you heard about AI.com? Just Released on February 6th, 2026! Handles are being snatched up FAST! About ai.com ai.com is on a mission to accelerate the arrival of AGI by building a decentralized network of autonomous, self-improving AI agents that perform real-world tasks for the good of humanity. Written by ai.com 👀 Please note a couple things: 📌 This is not to be confused with a (dot)ai domain. 📌 The site will prompt you to sign up with a gmail account. 📌 You will be asked to create 2 handles (one that’s Human, and one that’s AI) 📌 You will be asked to put a credit card on file, although initial sign up at this time is FREE. It states that the credit card is for upgrading later to options concerning AI Agents. 🗞️ Read more about what it is with these press release from their Website: ai.com Launches Autonomous AIAgents to Accelerate the Arrival of AGI Product to Officially Launch on February 8 Following the ai.com Super Bowl LX Commercial February 6, 2026 – ai.com, a new AI platform founded by Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com, today announced the launch of its Autonomous AI agent offering for consumers. With a few clicks, anyone can now generate a private, personal AI agent that doesn’t just answer questions, but actually operates on the user’s behalf - organizing work, sending messages, executing actions across apps, building projects, and more. The key differentiating feature is the agent’s ability to autonomously build out missing features and capabilities to complete real-world tasks. Such improvements will subsequently be shared across millions of agents on the network, massively increasing the utility of each agent for ai.com users. With ai.com, users will soon be able to deploy their agent to do a range of actions on behalf of their user, like trade stocks, automate workflows, organize and execute daily tasks with their calendar, or even update their online dating profile - all while remaining private, permission-based, and fully under the user’s control. All user agents operate in a dedicated secure environment where data is segregated and encrypted with user-specific keys and agents are restricted to their user’s capability limits.

Event Details - Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026 - Time: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM PST - Location: Handlery Hotel San Diego, Mission Valley - Cost: $10 - Duration: 4 hours https://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-business-expo-2026-tickets-1979805426325?aff=oddtdtcreator

One of the most underrated skills I’ve built as a founder is having a daily shutdown ritual. Not a productivity hack. Not a hustle tactic. A boundary. For a long time, my workday never really ended. I’d close my laptopbut my brain stayed open. Thinking about unfinished tasks, tomorrow’s priorities, or that one email I didn’t send. Over time, that constant mental “on” switch is what led to burnout, not the workload itself. Here’s what a simple shutdown ritual does: -Creates a clear line between work and life - Reduces decision fatigue and mental carryover - Helps your nervous system actually power down - Makes it easier to have a personal life or be present with family (without guilt) My simple shutdown flow: 1. Write down what’s unfinished (so your brain doesn’t have to hold it) 2. Identify tomorrow’s top 1–3 priorities 3. Close all work tabs/apps (physical cue matters) 4. State “work is done for today” out loud (sounds silly, works shockingly well) This isn’t about doing more. its about giving yourself permission to stop—on purpose. Founders burn out when there’s no off-ramp. A shutdown ritual is that off-ramp. If you want something structured to help with this, I put together a short Family-First Workday Checklist (you all can access for free) that walks through: -how to start your day intentionally -how to protect focus during work hours -how to shut down without carrying work into your personal life All I ask is for your feedback if this helps you in any way =)

Hi everyone, I’m George. I’ve joined this community as both a mentor and a fellow entrepreneur. I’m the founder and CEO of a tech-enabled startup working at the intersection of blockchain, music, and creative economies. I’ve built and scaled teams, launched products, and navigated early-stage challenges firsthand, from customer discovery through growth execution. I’m here to support founders with practical frameworks, real-world insights, and candid feedback on what actually matters (traction, business model clarity, go-to-market, fundraising realities, etc.). I’m also here to learn from your experiences and contribute in ways that help you move faster. Looking forward to meaningful conversations and helping where I can. Let’s build something real together.