The LA Grind: Week of June 2nd

Upcoming events, founder spotlight, venture deals, investment opportunities, and more.

Author

Justin Gordon
June 02, 2025

Curated events and standout stories for LA’s most ambitious founders, builders, and investors.

👋 I’m Justin. I run The LA Grind and Newsletter Founder, host the Just Go Grind podcast with 350+ founder and investor interviews, and scout for Headline. I’ve lived in LA since 2018, earned my MBA from USC (✌️), and I’m probably out running when I’m not writing this.

Want to connect?

What I’ve got for you this week:

  • 📅 Events (Including a hike I’m hosting!)

  • 💡 Founder spotlight on Gefen Skolnick

  • 💰 Recent LA startup funding announcements

  • 👋 LA career & investment opportunities

  • ☕️ The best of LA-living

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Upcoming Events

🌴 Upcoming Events I’m Hosting 🌴 

🗓️ June 7: The LA Grind: LA Startup Community Hike at Runyon Canyon. ​Take a break from your screen for a couple of hours, exercise outside in our lovely LA weather, and meet some great founders, operators, investors, and more in the LA startup ecosystem. Hosted by yours truly.

🗓️ June 17: Curated Founder Dinner. ​I'm curating a private dinner for a small group of ambitious LA founders. Whether you’re venture-backed or bootstrapped with traction, you’re welcome to apply to join. I’ll be selecting 6 to 14 founders based on stage, experience, and fit. I’m currently finalizing a brand sponsor to cover the cost of the dinner. Message me if interested in sponsoring.

🗓️ June 24: Startup Community Mixer. ​Founders, investors, and operators join us for our June mixer at one of my favorite locations in Santa Monica! ​This startup mixer will be a casual way to meet other amazing people in the LA startup ecosystem.

This Week

🗓️ June 2: HubSpot x LA: Tech & Dev Meetup (POST/CON 25). A meetup for developers to explore HubSpot's technical solutions and network with peers.

🗓️ June 3: The Information's The Future of Influence. Top execs from tech, media, and entertainment explore how influencers are reshaping business.

🗓️ June 3: 🔓Discover the Way You’re Wired to Win with Human Design for Creators & Builders: in person workshop at Lighthouse Venice. A connective in person workshop co-hosted by WeAreLATech x Lighthouse limited to 20 people. You'll discover the blueprint of who you are and the way you're designed to win.

🗓️ June 4: Startup Cafe: You Are the Strategy: From Self-Doubt to Entrepreneurial Power. A coffee meetup that brings together founders and leadership experts to explore how self-awareness and mindset shape entrepreneurial success.

🗓️ June 4: Founders Mesh #11: LA x EU Edition | Startup & Investor Networking. Candid conversations, natural wine, and opportunities for founders to pitch their ventures, focusing on international growth and transatlantic collaboration.

🗓️ June 5: Pitch & Run LA: Run Club for Founders, Investors, and Tech. A founder-friendly Thursday morning run (with coffee after) I personally recommend and attend most weeks.

🗓️ June 5: Longevity Leadership Conference. It brings together founders, investors, and scientists to explore cutting-edge health and longevity innovations. Expect keynotes, panels, biotech showcases, and premium networking. It’s the go-to event for anyone shaping the future of human lifespan.

🗓️ June 5: KSE LA Event: Explosion of K-Content. Hosted by Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs, it highlights the global impact of Korean entertainment featuring insights from industry leaders, a fireside chat with Ted Kim, and a networking happy hour.

🗓️ June 5: Manhattan Beach Tech Happy Hour. A casual gathering to connect, unwind, and mingle with fellow tech professionals in the local community!

🗓️ June 2-5: LA Summit 2025. A private event bringing together top CEOs, investors, and founders for panels, company showcases, and high-level networking at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

🗓️ June 6: AI Unfiltered: Founder Fridays in the Hills. A high-energy networking event in Beverly Hills where founders, investors, and entrepreneurs gather to share challenges, exchange strategies, and build meaningful connections in an upscale setting.

🗓️ June 7: Coffee With Creators by Colin and Samir. Coffee, light bites, time to meet other creators, plus a live Q&A with Colin and Samir.

Coming Soon

🗓️ June 11: LA Female Founders Lunch. A monthly, in-person networking event designed exclusively for female entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. Hosted by Alenka Kyslik and Lisa McCarthy, it offers a casual setting where founders can share their business ideas, seek advice, and build supportive connections.

🗓️ June 12: Demo Day LA. A startup pitch event on June 12 in Venice Beach showcasing LA’s top early-stage startups. Founders present live pitches and demos while networking with investors and partners. It’s a key event to connect and accelerate new ventures.

🗓️ June 12: Breaking Into the Business of Biotech: Los Angeles Startup Spotlight. A networking and learning event for LA biotech founders and researchers. It features startup pitches, insights on local programs, and opportunities to connect with investors and peers.

Want to submit an event for consideration? Fill out this form.

Ready to actually know the LA tech community, beyond LinkedIn profiles and Zoom calls?

Join the WeAreLATech ‘Experience’ Club, where every month brings 4 unique, in-person adventures—surf lessons, beer tastings, rooftop dinners, horseback rides and more.

Each experience is curated to connect 8–15 like-minded people who live and breathe tech right here in Los Angeles.

This isn’t another networking event. It’s a club for real connection.

No fluff. No selling. Just good people, good vibes, and real community.

Spots are limited. Membership is quarterly.

To see photos and apply go to wearelatech.club

Gefen Skolnick is the founder and CEO of Couplet Coffee, the Gen Z–driven coffee brand turning heads with its bold mix of aesthetics, community, and hype culture.

Her mission is to shake up what she calls the “pretentious and stale” coffee scene by creating a fun, funky, and approachable space where young people feel they belong - not just with great coffee, but with an entire experience built around storytelling, limited-edition drops, and vibrant design.

Before launching Couplet, Gefen was a rising star in tech, holding product management roles at Hulu and Tesla by age 23. While still a UCLA computer science undergrad, her side hustle idea, making specialty coffee cool and accessible for Gen Z, took off when Away co-founder Jen Rubio became her first investor, pushing Gefen to go full time.

At Couplet, Gefen leads everything from viral product collaborations (like cow-printed Mooka Pots and upcycled latte candles) to sourcing beans directly from Nicaraguan, Peruvian, and Brazilian farms. Her flagship Echo Park café is not just a coffee shop; it’s a colorful, immersive playground packed with art, pop-ups, and community events like speed dating and art meetups, drawing weekend lines down the block.

With over 28,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram and viral hits that routinely sell out, Gefen is positioning Couplet as more than just a coffee brand: she’s building a cultural movement that bridges specialty coffee with Gen Z creativity. Her vision? To open more Couplet cafés across the country and even internationally, making sure the next wave of coffee drinkers has something far more exciting than just caffeine.

Connect with Gefen on X and tell her The LA Grind sent you.

Know a founder worth spotlighting? Submit yourself or a friend here.

Notable LA Startup Deals the Last Few Weeks

LA Startups

Bezel recently secured a $670K investment from Hyperspace Ventures as part of a broader $6.8M funding initiative.

Sansbank raised a Seed round with BoCG Ventures and Maracuja.

Axle Health announced a $10 million Series A round led by F-Prime Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Pear VC, and Lightbank.

LA Venture Funds

Sound Ventures invested in the Series A funding round for General Counsel AI.

Kairos Ventures invested in Vivodyne’s $40M Series A funding round.

Fifth Wall co-led Wander’s $50M Series B funding round. I interviewed Wander’s founder and CEO, John Andrew Entwistle, on the Just Go Grind podcast a few weeks ago.

Please send any fundraising news for LA-based companies or funds to [email protected].

Career Opportunities

LA Startup Investment Opportunity #1

Arro Finance is democratizing credit access with a credit card designed for people with limited or poor credit history, using behavioral science and AI-powered financial coaching to help users build credit and manage money.

Founded by fintech veterans Luke Pelullo and Ryan Duitch, Arro has gained 300,000+ app downloads, a $1.3M revenue run rate, and is raising on Wefunder campaign ($1M+ so far).

LA Startup Investment Opportunity #2 

Offside is the solution to content-market fit for media teams, automating pre-production by turning audience data and internet trends into real-time insights, actionable content suggestions, and production materials.

The team’s proof-of-concept generated 200M views, added $39k MRR from ads, and grew the podcast by 330% in 3 months.

Email me at [email protected] if you want to know more.

LA Startup Investment Opportunity #3 

An LA-based founder friend of mine raised a $1M pre-seed for her startup a year ago, a platform transforming the way Gen Z shops online, and is now raising a seed round.

She organically grew the app to 100k+ downloads in <2 months and has a highly engaged user base:

  • 40% D30 retention

  • 30% CTR (Instagram and TikTok have 1-3%)

  • Grew their brand IG to 110k+ followers in <6 months

Co-founders are Stanford graduates (CS AI + Economics), have scaled previous consumer fashion products, and are fashion creators (500k+ followers).

Email me at [email protected] if you want to know more.

LA Startup Investment Opportunity #4 

Tartare is a new fast casual restaurant chain that offers tacos, bowls and other options similar to Chipotle but with raw tuna and salmon and absolutely no cooking. They also use hemp hearts as a vegan protein alternative. They are transforming the fast food market to an environmentally friendly and healthy option!

They have found a wonderful space on Main St. in Santa Monica and are looking for funding to secure the lease. The founder has plenty of experience in several areas related to this startup and would be happy to walk anyone through the opportunity.

2 LA Investors Are Raising Their First Fund

One is raising an $8M fund, has a ton of experience working for fast-growing early-stage startups, and has been scouting for another venture firm recently.

The other investor is leaving their current fund to launch their own.

Email me at [email protected] if you want to know more.

Are you hiring? Looking for a co-founder? Raising capital? I’d love to help you. Fill out this form to get started.

Desert 5 Spot. A rooftop bar in Hollywood with a vintage desert vibe, live country music, and strong margaritas. It’s a great spot for casual group hangs or a fun night out with a view.

The Last Bookstore. A landmark indie bookstore in Downtown LA, famous for its towering book sculptures and wide selection of new and used titles. It’s a great place to browse or catch small literary events and art installations.

June 6: BET Weekend 2025 | A Curated Brunch Experience for Black Women in Media & Minority Creatives. Hosted by Tasha McCaskiel at Toastique, this gathering offers gourmet toast, fresh-pressed juices, and meaningful conversations during BET Awards Weekend.

June 8: TEDx Pacific Avenue: Bold, Provocative Ideas That Will Change the World. world-changing ideas from cultural icons like Selma Blair and Billy Baldwin, alongside emerging voices selected through a global open call. Attendees can expect transformative talks, art, and conversations that challenge the status quo. The event is hosted by The KINN, a collaborative space for conscious entrepreneurs.

June 2–8: Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA. This week they’re showing a sharp mix of classics and fan favorites like Pretty Woman, Scream, The Silence of the Lambs, and La La Land. Check the schedule for double features and showtimes.

Is there a cool place or fun event we should know about? Email me at [email protected] 

What did you think of this edition?

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Thank you so much for reading! I really want to help connect ambitious people in LA and provide them with opportunities. I want this to be the best place for founders, builders, and investors to get plugged in.

Reach out by email ([email protected]) if there’s anything we can do for you or you have ideas for how we could better support the LA startup ecosystem.

Please share The LA Grind to help more people!

See you next week,

-Justin

P.S. Want to partner? Send me an email 😊 

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