Agents and the Future w Arun Penmetsa, Partner at Storm Ventures
- Date
- 2025-03-27
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Host
- Agents and the Future
About this event
AI agents are moving from demo-worthy curiosities to products and workflows people actually rely on. If you want a sharper view of where this is heading, what matters beyond the hype, and how smart operators are thinking about the next wave, this San Francisco gathering is built for you. You’ll hear from Arun Penmetsa, Partner at Storm Ventures, in a setting designed to be both thoughtful and social: a focused conversation on agents and the future, followed by the kind of networking that helps ideas turn into momentum. Whether you’re building, investing, exploring, or simply trying to stay ahead, this is a chance to be in the room with people asking the right questions. About the Event This is an in-person community meetup centered on one of the most important shifts in AI right now: the rise of agents. The evening brings together people who are actively thinking about what agent-driven software means for products, startups, work, and the broader tech landscape. At the center of the event is a conversation featuring Arun Penmetsa, Partner at Storm Ventures. Expect a perspective grounded in how emerging technology trends translate into real company building, real adoption, and real opportunities. The goal is not abstract futurism for its own sake, but a useful discussion about where the space is going and what signals are worth paying attention to. Because this is also a community and networking event, the format is intentionally social. You won’t just sit through a talk and leave. You’ll have space to meet other attendees, compare notes, and continue the conversation with founders, operators, builders, and AI-curious peers in San Francisco. The result is a meetup that balances insight with access: enough structure to make the evening valuable, and enough openness to create genuine connections. What to Expect The evening will likely move through a simple, high-value flow designed for both learning and conversation: Arrival and informal networking so you can meet other attendees and get a feel for who’s in the room A featured session or fireside-style conversation focused on agents, where the discussion can get into trends, opportunities, constraints, and what the next phase may look like Community conversation around the ideas raised during the session, including the practical implications for products, startups, and teams Post-talk networking with time to continue discussions, make introductions, and meet people aligned with your interests You should expect a room that spans different levels of familiarity with AI. Some attendees will be deep in the weeds on product and infrastructure; others may be exploring how agents affect their company, career, or investment thesis. That mix is part of the value, because it creates a more grounded conversation than a purely technical or purely high-level event. Rather than aiming for polished consensus, events like this tend to be most useful when they surface tensions: what agents can do today versus what people claim they can do, where user value is emerging, what business models are becoming plausible, and where the friction still is. If you like events that leave you with better questions as well as better answers, this format should feel worth your time. You can also expect a pace that works well for a weekday evening. It’s substantial enough to be worthwhile, but social enough to feel energizing rather than formal. Why Attend If you’re paying attention to AI, agents are no longer a side topic. They’re increasingly central to how people think about software behavior, automation, workflows, interfaces, and startup creation. Attending gives you a chance to engage with that shift in a live setting, with people who are actively forming opinions rather than repeating talking points. Hearing from Arun Penmetsa offers a useful lens for anyone trying to understand not just what is technically interesting, but what may actually matter in the market. That perspective can help founders pressure-test ideas, help operators think more clearly about implementation, and help investors or AI enthusiasts get more precise about where the category may be heading. There’s also real value in being physically present with a relevant local community. San Francisco remains one of the best places to have these conversations in real time, especially around fast-moving topics like AI. The side conversations before and after the main session can be just as valuable as the featured discussion itself. You may leave with: A clearer mental model of what people mean when they talk about agents Better context on how the space is evolving and what signals to watch New connections with people building, exploring, or investing in AI Fresh ideas for products, experiments, collaborations, or career direction More grounded conviction about where the hype is justified and where it isn’t Practical Details This event takes place in person in San Francisco, USA. It is designed as a live meetup, which means the room itself matters: the energy, the conversations, and the chance encounters are part of the experience. If you get more value from direct interaction than from passive online content, this format is the point. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 at 6:30 PM PDT, making it a natural after-work gathering for local attendees and anyone already spending time in the city. Arriving on time will help you make the most of the networking and settle in before the main conversation begins. Because the event combines content and community, it’s worth coming prepared to engage. Think about the questions you’re currently wrestling with around AI agents, the products or workflows you’re curious about, and the kinds of people you’d like to meet. A little preparation can turn a good meetup into a highly useful one. If you’re deciding whether to attend, the simplest test is this: if you care about where AI is going next and want to discuss it with serious, interesting people in person, this is likely a room you’ll be glad you entered.
Who should attend
This is for people who want a sharper, more practical understanding of AI agents and also want to meet others thinking seriously about the space. - **You’re a founder or aspiring founder** exploring AI-native products and want a better sense of where agent-driven opportunities are real, differentiated, and worth building around. - **You work in product, engineering, design, or operations** and you’re trying to understand how agents may change user workflows, team processes, or the next generation of software experiences. - **You’re an investor, scout, or ecosystem participant** looking to refine your view of the category through live discussion and by meeting people close to the work. - **You’re an AI practitioner or technical builder** who wants to compare perspectives with others beyond your immediate circle and pressure-test assumptions about what’s actually useful today. - **You’re actively building your network in San Francisco** and prefer meeting thoughtful people around a focused topic instead of attending generic networking events. - **You’re AI-curious but serious**: maybe you’re not deep in the weeds yet, but you want informed conversation, credible context, and a room where you can learn quickly.