Selling to the government federal, state, or local is fundamentally different from selling to a commercial customer—and for defense tech companies, understanding how the system works can be just as important as building the technology.
Join Pillsbury, RSM, and Rising Tide Partners for a practical conversation and lunch about what founders and operators need to know as they pursue government customers and build companies for the defense market.
We’ll bring together government contracts attorneys, advisors who work with companies navigating the government market, and experienced operators to explore both the rules of the road and what actually happens when you start selling.
Martin Bridges, who has extensive firsthand experience selling into government, will moderate the conversation and help bridge the gap between the technical requirements and the realities founders encounter in the field.
We’ll cover topics including:
How selling to the government differs from commercial sales and what know before the first government contract
Protecting technology and intellectual property
Financial and operational considerations as government revenue grows
Lessons learned from successfully selling into government and how to avoid common mistakes
This isn’t intended to be a legal or technical lecture- not a single slide will be shown. It will be a candid, founder-focused conversation with plenty of opportunity for questions.
If you’re building in defense tech, dual-use technology, aerospace, national security, or another sector where the government could become a customer, we hope you’ll join us.
A low(ish) tide walk from Pacific Beach at Crystal Pier north to Tourmaline. Enjoy the sand and cool surf lapping at your bare feet on a mostly social walk with other tech related/interested people.
We're excited to kick off our community in San Diego by hosting our very first Longevity San Diego event. We'll grab some delicious matcha (or coffee!) to go, hear about the health benefits from matcha, and then go for a walk along Embarcadero. 📅 Date: Sunday, 18 October 🕙 Time: 2 PM 📍 Meeting Point: Spill the Beans Cafe Schedule: 2 pm - Meet at Spill the Beans Cafe & grab some matcha (or coffee) to go 2:30 pm - Welcome from Longevity San Diego team and short round of intros 2:45 pm - Walk along Embarcadero and casual chats 3:15 pm - Short break; learn about the benefits of matcha 4 pm - End of the walk 💬 Why Join? Be part of the beginning: This is your chance to help shape the Longevity San Diego community from day one. Connect authentically: Meet others who share your passion for health, wellness, and longevity in a relaxed, natural setting. Start your weekend right: Get some light exercise and great conversation in, setting a positive tone for the rest of your day. Come for the walk. Stay for the connection. About Longevity San Diego: Longevity San Diego is part of the Longevity Cities network, a leading community and platform dedicated to accelerating the global longevity movement and making it accessible, open and human
Three leading cannabis organizations — the Institute for Cannabis Research (ICR), the Global Hemp Innovation Center (GHIC), and the National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium (NICS) — are joining forces to launch what will be the most comprehensive interdisciplinary cannabis research conference in the United States, set for October 19-21, 2026, at the Double Tree by Hilton - Mission Valley in San Diego, California. With the NICS signing on as co-organizer, this collaboration will bring together researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers, legal experts and judges, industry leaders, educators, and social scientists for a deep dive into cannabis science, policy, and innovation. “This isn’t just another conference. It’s a convergence of cannabis science and dialogue,” said Dr. Chad Kinney, Director of ICR at Colorado State University Pueblo. “We’re gathering every corner of the cannabis research ecosystem to spark breakthroughs and shape the future.” What to Expect: - Dozens of sessions across 12+ disciplines - Keynotes from global leaders in cannabis science and policy - Industry exhibits on emerging industrial hemp and cannabis innovations - Legal roundtables, indigenous voices panels, social equity summits - The latest outcomes from cutting-edge scientific research - Clinical training, interactive workshops, and more “Together, we will build on years of pioneering work in curating inclusive, evidence-based cannabis discourse,” said Judge May Celeste (ret.), Director of NICS. “We are creating a powerful engine for knowledge exchange, equity, and innovation that will shape cannabis scholarship and practice for decades.” “As Chair of the 2026 conference, I’m thrilled to help lead this unprecedented collaboration,” said Joanna Zeiger, MS, PhD. “By bringing science, policy, business, and equity together in one space, this conference will be a thought-leader in the field of cannabis.” The call for session proposals will be announced in Fall 2025. Stay Connec
Del Mar Highlands Sky Deck The San Diego Tech Coffee is in its 16th year of being the largest weekly gathering of entrepreneurs and tech people in San Diego. Stop by for networking, sharing, brainstorming, mentoring, etc. And we love it when people want to share what they are working on! There is no agenda, which means you can't be late - come when you can, leave when you need to. Very informal. New to the San Diego startup community? Or just want to be better connected? Check out the Startup San Diego "Startup Ecosystem Resource List" at https://startupsd.org/resources/.
Claude Cowork for Lawyers & Paralegals: Hands-On Workshop Built for practicing lawyers and paralegals, this workshop shows you how to use Claude in your day-to-day legal work—from contract review and NDA triage to meeting preparation and first drafts. We'll cover three things: skills that teach Claude your firm's playbooks and drafting style, connectors that connect it to your email, calendar, and documents, and the latest Claude features relevant to legal practice. You'll see practical demonstrations of legal workflows, then work through a task yourself. We'll also discuss confidentiality, privilege, and the points where professional judgment and review remain essential. No technical background needed. Bring a laptop and a task from your practice that you'd like to speed up. You'll leave with a workflow you can put to use Monday morning. This workshop is designed for lawyers, paralegals, and other legal professionals. Priority registration will be given to those working in the legal profession. Organizers Max Krueger is the founder of Backland Labs, an AI studio that helps organizations apply artificial intelligence to complex business workflows. A self-taught AI engineer and former startup CTO, Max has led engineering teams, built production AI systems, and advised Fortune 500 companies. He also runs a growing AI community in San Diego, bringing together practitioners to share knowledge and explore practical uses of AI. Julian Bryant is a San Diego attorney and software developer who uses AI in his own legal practice every day. A Georgetown Law graduate, Cooley alum, and former startup founder with a decade of app development behind him, he brings a rare blend of legal and technical fluency to the question of what AI can actually do for lawyers. Julian is also the Lead Organizer of Startup Weekend San Diego.