Connect

Mental health, leadership, and resilience are all shaped by the moments when pressure meets purpose. Connect is proud to help amplify this important conversation featuring Kennedy Wesley of San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, Anne Marbarger, former professional soccer player and Executive Director of Here Forward , and Zach Wheatley of Slalom. Together, they’ll explore how mental health evolves across life and career stages, what helps us navigate pressure and change, and how small moments of connection can create meaningful waves of impact. 📅 Tuesday, May 12 ⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM 📍 The Venue at La Jolla Square RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4uhqe2E

💰 Funding News Friday: $32.55M Raised San Diego’s innovation ecosystem continues to move forward. Between February 13-27, local companies collectively raised $32.55M, with activity spanning tech and life sciences. Congratulations to the companies, Browser Bets and VST BIO. Explore all recent raises: https://lnkd.in/g454eRJR

The National Biotechnology Conference (NBC) is less than two weeks away! Our friends at American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) | aapscomms bring NBC to San Diego from May 11-14. This year’s conference will convene leading scientists and industry experts for timely conversations on new modalities, emerging technologies, and novel strategies shaping the future of biotherapeutic development. Secure your registration and join the conversation ➡️ https://bit.ly/4cGDh6k

Battle of the Bio\Tech Bands is heading to the West on Thursday, May 7, 2026, bringing together high-energy bands made up of biotech, life science, and tech professionals for a live musical battle for charity at Belly Up Tavern. It’s networking, rock n’ roll, and community impact, all in one night. Learn more and buy tickets: https://bit.ly/4sVD59p

If you've worked at a San Diego startup in the last decade, you've probably been in a room Connect put together. Connect is the 40-year-old nonprofit that builds the connective tissue of San Diego's innovation economy. Capital introductions, advisor matchmaking, and programs like the annual Cool Companies cohort that gets venture-ready startups in front of national VCs. Tech and life sciences both. In 2025, companies in the Connect orbit raised $580M. 355 startups participated in their programs. This month, they brought on Marshall Fritz as Director of Tech and Defense to lead innovation and capital pathways at the intersection of those two sectors. And they're hiring two more. 2 open SD roles: - Head of Partnerships & Growth - Marketing & Events Coordinator - All open roles: https://lnkd.in/gxZT32b2 40 years in, Connect is the rare nonprofit where the seat actually shapes the city. If you've spent time in the SD startup ecosystem and want to put your fingerprints on what comes next, this is one of the few jobs that lets you. Shared in this week's Career Coyote Newsletter. DM me if you'd like the link to join the pack. Let's help good people find great San Diego teams.

📣 Connect is spotlighting ReefHaven Ventures, an emerging early-stage fund at the intersection of health innovation, AI, and robotics. Led by UC San Diego alum Garrett Smith, and Nick Mourlas, ReefHaven brings founder, operator, and investor experience to support companies navigating the complex path from seed stage to scale. Their recent investment in KatoMed, a UC San Diego-rooted surgical navigation company, reflects the kind of clinically grounded, technically differentiated innovation gaining momentum across our region. As San Diego continues to grow, funds like ReefHaven add critical strength to the ecosystem by helping founders access the capital, guidance, and relationships needed to build enduring companies. Read the full press release ▶️ https://bit.ly/3OVJiEp

💼 We’re Hiring Connect is growing our team and looking for two mission-driven professionals to help strengthen San Diego’s innovation ecosystem. Accepting Applications: Marketing & Events Coordinator A creative, highly organized, execution-focused role supporting Connect’s brand, digital presence, communications, and events. Head of Partnerships & Growth A relationship-driven leadership role focused on growing Connect’s external revenue engine, deepening partner and sponsor relationships, and building the stewardship systems that support long-term impact. These are unique opportunities to help advance Connect’s mission, strengthen pathways into the region’s innovation economy, and provide a platform for the people, companies, and ideas shaping what’s next. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/gxZT32b2

Listen to the latest episode of The Connect Current, host James Zanewicz, JD, LLM, RTTP sits down with Garrett Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Reef Haven Ventures, and Nick Mourlas, Investment Partner at Reef Haven Ventures. The episode explores how Reef Haven evaluates early-stage opportunities, what stands out in a first pitch, what gives investors confidence in a founding team, and how entrepreneurs can better position themselves for that first investment conversation. Listen to the latest episode at https://lnkd.in/gJ8YvDDn.

San Diego’s innovation ecosystem is at its best when we come together around big, human challenges. That’s why Connect is proud to support our friends at Curebound and help amplify Concert for Cures, happening Friday, May 15 at Petco Park, featuring P!NK. This benefit concert fuels Curebound’s mission to mobilize San Diego and accelerate cancer cures in our lifetime. Buy tickets here: https://bit.ly/3OH6J4r Discount Code for 10% Off: 10PART

On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, Connect is bringing founders, investors, executives, and ecosystem leaders together at Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas for our 2026 Summer Social, an afternoon built for fresh conversations, new connections, and a closer look at what’s next. This year’s gathering will spotlight the Class of 2026 Cool Companies, giving guests the chance to meet some of the region’s most promising startups and experience their work up close. Add in locally curated food, great drinks, and one of North County’s most beautiful settings, and you’ve got a signature Connect event designed to celebrate the momentum behind San Diego’s innovation economy. Register today: https://lnkd.in/g6ixwBqk