RE: Robots, Sushi & Supply Chain
- Date
- 2026-06-21
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Host
- The Founders Guild
About this event
Robotics is changing how physical goods move, get made, and reach customers, but most conversations about it are either too technical or too vague to be useful. RE: Robots, Sushi & Supply Chain is a more grounded kind of gathering: an in-person evening in San Francisco for people who want to talk seriously about robotics, manufacturing, and supply chains in a setting that still feels social, approachable, and worth showing up for. If you care about the real-world systems behind modern industry, this event is designed to bring the conversation closer to the people building, operating, and rethinking those systems. The mix of robots, supply chain discussion, and a shared meal creates space for both sharp insights and the kind of candid exchanges that rarely happen in more formal settings. About the Event RE: Robots, Sushi & Supply Chain brings together a community around a set of topics that increasingly overlap: robotics, manufacturing, and the logistics networks that connect them. Rather than treating these as separate worlds, the event centers on the idea that the most interesting progress often happens where hardware, operations, and business realities meet. This is an in-person event in San Francisco, which matters. Physical industries benefit from face-to-face conversation because so much of the nuance lives in experience: what works on a factory floor, what breaks in deployment, what slows adoption, and what changes when automation meets real operating constraints. Being in the room makes those conversations more direct, specific, and useful. The format is built to be both substantive and social. Expect a community-driven atmosphere where discussion can move naturally between industry trends, practical challenges, emerging opportunities, and the everyday realities of building in robotics and supply chains. The inclusion of sushi in the title is not incidental; it signals that this is also meant to be a relaxed, human evening, not just a stream of talking points. Whether you come from the robotics side, the manufacturing side, or the supply side, the event is meant to create a shared language across disciplines. That makes it a strong fit for people who want perspective beyond their own lane. What to Expect You can expect an evening structure that supports both conversation and connection. Rather than a packed conference-style program, this kind of gathering works best when people have enough room to engage directly, ask thoughtful questions, and follow interesting threads without being rushed. Here’s the kind of experience this event is designed to deliver: Conversations about robotics in the real world — not just what the technology can do, but where it fits operationally and economically. Discussion around manufacturing and supply chain dynamics — including how automation affects throughput, resilience, labor, sourcing, and execution. Cross-functional networking with people who think about systems from different angles, from product and engineering to operations and strategy. A social setting with food that makes it easier to have open, practical, and memorable conversations. Because the event sits at the intersection of several fields, expect the discussion to be varied. Some people will be focused on deployment and scale, others on the future of manufacturing, others on the bottlenecks that make supply chains difficult to modernize. That range is a strength, not a distraction; it creates a fuller picture of where the industry is headed. You should also expect a more conversational tone than a trade show or formal panel environment. This is the kind of setting where people can compare notes, test ideas, and speak honestly about what is promising versus what is still hard. Why Attend If you work anywhere near robotics, manufacturing, or supply chain, the value of this event is simple: you get access to sharper conversations with people who understand physical systems. In a space crowded with abstractions, that kind of exchange is useful. This event is especially valuable because these sectors do not evolve in isolation. Robotics decisions affect manufacturing workflows. Manufacturing constraints shape what can realistically be automated. Supply chain realities influence everything from sourcing strategy to deployment timing. Being around people who see different parts of that puzzle can help you think more clearly about your own work. You might attend to: Learn how others are thinking about automation beyond the demo stage Better understand the operational context around robotics adoption Meet peers, collaborators, or future partners in adjacent parts of the ecosystem Get out of your usual professional bubble and hear what matters to builders and operators in neighboring domains Spend time with a community that cares about tangible, high-impact problems There is also value in the event simply being local and in person. San Francisco continues to be a strong meeting point for ambitious people working at the edge of technology and industry. Showing up in person increases the odds of leaving with conversations that are more detailed, more honest, and more actionable than what usually happens online. Practical Details Location: In person in San Francisco, USA. You should plan for a live, on-site experience rather than a virtual or hybrid format. That means the event is best approached as a focused evening for meeting people, participating in discussion, and being present for the full flow of the gathering. Time: Saturday, June 20 at 5:00 PM PDT. The timing makes this feel distinctly evening-oriented: a good fit for people who want a serious industry conversation without the rigid feel of a daytime conference block. It also gives the event a more social rhythm, consistent with the mix of ideas, community, and food. A few practical reasons this setup works well: Saturday evening timing can make it easier to attend without competing directly with the standard workday schedule. In-person format supports stronger networking and more natural discussion. San Francisco setting makes the event accessible to a broad mix of local builders, operators, founders, and industry professionals. If this sits close to your work or curiosity, it is worth making the time to be there. Come ready to talk shop, meet smart people across robotics and supply chain, and spend an evening in a room where the conversation is likely to be far more concrete than the average industry event.
Who should attend
If you want smarter conversations about how robotics meets the realities of manufacturing and supply chain, this is likely your room. - You work in **robotics** and want to understand how your product, systems, or deployments connect to real manufacturing and logistics constraints. - You’re in **manufacturing or operations** and want to hear how people are thinking about automation in practical terms, not just conceptually. - You work in **supply chain, sourcing, fulfillment, or industrial strategy** and care about how robotics is changing the way physical systems are designed and run. - You’re a **founder, builder, engineer, or operator** looking to meet others working on hard, real-world problems in physical industry. - You value **cross-disciplinary conversations** and want to meet people outside your immediate function who can sharpen how you think about execution. - You’re part of the broader **San Francisco tech and industrial community** and want an evening event that is both substantive and social. You do not need to fit a single narrow profile to belong here. If your work or curiosity sits anywhere near robots, production, or the movement of goods, you should feel comfortable showing up and joining the conversation.