TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Interactive Roundtable Lineup

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: A Preview of Interactive Sessions

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is rapidly approaching, with just under four days remaining until the event commences. The three-day conference promises a wealth of interactive experiences, all taking place at Moscone West in San Francisco.

Roundtable discussions will once again be a key feature, facilitating vibrant exchanges guided by leading founders, investors, and industry operators. These sessions provide a unique opportunity for direct engagement with experts and fellow attendees within intimate, small-group environments.

Exclusive Savings and Roundtable Participation

Attendees are encouraged to secure their tickets promptly to benefit from substantial savings. Registration now allows you to save up to $444 on your conference pass.

Furthermore, a 60% discount on guest tickets is currently available. However, these discounted rates are only valid until Disrupt officially begins on October 27.

Explore the Roundtable Session Lineup

A comprehensive schedule of roundtable sessions is available, distributed across three dedicated rooms throughout Disrupt 2025.

Detailed information regarding each session, including profiles of the prominent individuals leading the discussions, can be found on the Disrupt agenda page.

Image Credits:TechCrunch

Don't miss the chance to participate in these valuable discussions and network with industry leaders.

The Complete Disrupt 2025 Roundtable Agenda

Future of Construction: The Role of AI and Data in the Field and the Office

Austin Yount, partner, Brick & Mortar Ventures

Artificial intelligence and data analytics are optimizing processes both on construction sites and within office environments. This session will explore where investors anticipate the most significant opportunities for innovation within this historically traditional industry.

From Data to Disruption: Redesigning Startup & VC Ecosystems

Brit Fitzpatrick, data and impact, All Raise

Data-driven insights offer a pathway to reshape startup and venture capital ecosystems. This discussion will focus on fostering greater equity, expanding opportunities, and maximizing impact through informed decision-making.

Real Economy Automation: Vertical Software and Vertical AI

Caroline Broder, partner, Base10 Partners

The next wave of innovation lies in vertical AI and specialized software solutions. Founders will gain insights into prioritizing development efforts within this rapidly expanding space.

Leading a Series A Round in 2025 and Sustaining Momentum

Gabriel Kra, managing director, Prelude Ventures

Securing Series A funding in the current environment requires strategic planning. This session provides practical guidance on navigating the fundraising process and maintaining growth post-investment.

How to Train Your Model: Taming AI Agents Without Breaking Them

Kyla Guru, head of model cyber safety, Anthropic

Maintaining the power and safety of AI agents is paramount. Kyla Guru, a leader in model safety at Anthropic, will share best practices for ensuring alignment and reliability in advanced AI systems.

An encore presentation is scheduled. Check the agenda for specific dates and times.

Future of Space Economy in the Low Earth Orbit

Abhi Kumar, lecturer, investor, and adviser, UC Berkeley

The commercialization of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) presents significant opportunities for startups and investors. This discussion will examine the implications of this emerging market.

An encore presentation is scheduled. Check the agenda for specific dates and times.

The Future of Banking and Fintech: The AI Wave

Nnamdi Okike, co-founder and managing partner, 645 Ventures

AI is fundamentally changing the landscape of financial technology. This session will analyze where startups can establish a competitive advantage and the risks investors are closely monitoring.

The Winning Formula: Turning Your Business into a Trusted, Scalable Community to Drive Growth

Tasneem Amina, co-founder and president, and Justine Palefsky, co-founder and CEO, Kindred

Cultivating trust and building a strong community are essential for scalable growth. The Kindred co-founders will share valuable lessons from their experience in creating a rapidly expanding, community-driven business.

An encore presentation is scheduled. Check the agenda for specific dates and times.

AI Evaluation 101: Addressing Challenges to Real-World AI Applications

Rohit Patel, director, Meta Superintelligence Labs

Successfully evaluating and deploying AI at scale requires careful consideration. Rohit Patel will discuss strategies for ensuring safe and effective AI implementation.

Scaling Search and AI for Millions: Lessons from Reddit Search

Rachel Miller, product manager, Reddit

Reddit’s experience in scaling Search and Machine Learning systems for a global audience offers valuable insights. This conversation will explore balancing relevance, safety, and bias mitigation.

An encore presentation is scheduled. Check the agenda for specific dates and times.

IPO Success: Charting the Course from Private to Public

Charly Kevers, CFO, Carta; and Daniel Tay, managing director, Global Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley

Navigating the transition from a private to a public company requires meticulous planning. This session will provide insights into the key steps for a successful IPO.

Building in the Line of Fire: What It Takes to Win in Public Sector AI

Ross Fubini, founder and managing partner, XYZ Venture Capital; and Ben Van Roo, co-founder and CEO, Legion Intelligence

The adoption of AI within the public sector presents unique challenges and opportunities. This discussion will explore the implications for startups and government procurement processes.

Berkeley Connect: Experience the World’s #1 Startup Ecosystem

Siwen Deng, co-founder and chief scientific officer, Evergreen Saponins; and Keith McAleer, chief marketing officer, UC Berkeley Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology

Discover the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship – a comprehensive, journey-based approach to learning. A live pitch from a UC Berkeley SCET-founded company will also be showcased.

Why Trust Before Capital

Mabel Chan, founder and CEO, Superconnected; and Ella Shukho, flagship accelerator program manager, Global Investment Team, 500 Global

Trust and generosity are foundational to strong venture capital partnerships. Founders and investors will explore the importance of these qualities in building lasting relationships.

Prototyping, Tuning & Scaling GenAI Applications with Open Models

Aishwarya Srinivasan, head of AI developer relations, Fireworks AI

This session will be an open forum for builders to discuss successes and challenges in creating generative AI applications powered by open-source models.

From Inception to Enterprise: Selling AI Agents That Scale

Allison Baum Gates, general partner, SemperVirens Venture Capital

Founders will receive guidance on refining their go-to-market strategies, identifying ideal customers, and building scalable enterprise sales organizations.

Relentless Progress: Building Products That Never Stall

Papi Menon, VP and chief product officer, Outshift by Cisco

Papi Menon will share strategies for fostering “relentless progress” – balancing speed with discipline, encouraging innovation, and maintaining team motivation.

Community IS the Product

Brian Hamacheck, CTO, Gargi Kand, co-founder and CPO, and Nick Khonaysser, CEO, Vently

The future of consumer experiences is centered around hyper-local connection and belonging. This session will explore how personalization, proximity, and social features are driving connection at scale.

Physical AI: Designing, Funding, and Scaling the Future

Kahini Shah, partner, Obvious Ventures

This session will delve into the advancements and ongoing challenges of physical AI, including data limitations, deployment costs, and unpredictable environments.

Investor Insights

Brian Sparkes, CEO, Silicon Valley Venture, and host, Silicon Valley Impact; and Itamar Novick, founder and general partner, Recursive Ventures

Gain insight into the minds of venture capitalists. These experts will reveal how they evaluate opportunities, make investment decisions, and identify promising founders.

The Invisible AI Revolution

Brad Cordova, founder and CPTO, and Benjamin Kwon, CEO, SuperAI

Agentic workflows are disrupting industries often overlooked by investors. This session will uncover the hidden impact of this revolution on balance sheets.

Turning Global Talent into Startup Founders at Scale

Alice Bentinck, co-founder and CEO, Entrepreneurs First

Entrepreneurs First demonstrates how to successfully transform global talent into startup founders at scale, repeatedly connecting strangers to form co-founding teams.

Building AI-Ready Data Infrastructure with a Lean Team

Michel Tricot, co-founder and CEO, Airbyte

Michel Tricot will lead a discussion on how early-stage startups can overcome data readiness challenges and build robust AI infrastructure.

Your EQ Is Your AI

Alex Malebranche, head of startups and venture capital, Cloudflare

Prioritizing mental health is crucial for entrepreneurial success. This session will explore how emotional intelligence contributes to effectiveness, innovation, and sustainability.

Tim Cook Has More Followers Than Apple — Why Founders Need to Be on Camera

Hanieh Sigari, CEO, EllieMD; and Uptin Saiidi, founder and creator, UP10Media

Audiences in 2025 want to connect with founders directly. Learn how to leverage video to build trust, increase visibility, and drive business growth.

From Tokens to Turbines: The New Economics of AI

Caleb Appleton, partner, Bison Ventures

AI is reshaping the startup playbook for commercialization. This conversation will explore how funding, go-to-market strategies, and defensibility are evolving.

Consumer AI and Gen Z Tech

Piyush Shah, co-founder, InMobi

Explore how Generation Z is shaping the future of consumer AI. Industry leaders will discuss emerging trends, adoption patterns, and unique interactions with AI technologies.

Beyond the Model: Building the Infrastructure of Intelligence

Ben Braverman, co-founder and managing partner, Saga Ventures

Founders will learn how to capitalize on opportunities in the “second-order AI” era – where infrastructure, workflows, and intelligence systems drive scalable, defensible startups.

How Smart Brands Are Winning with Creator-Led Videos

Uptin Saiidi, founder and creator, and Peter Sleiman, creative director UP10Media

Uptin will demonstrate how founders and companies can create engaging videos without large budgets or complex setups, fostering a creator mindset.

Engage in Focused Discussions at Exclusive Disrupt Roundtables

Participation in these highly selective roundtable discussions is exclusively available to attendees of TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. All access levels – with the exception of the Expo+ Pass – provide complete entry to these engaging, interactive sessions.

Register now to secure savings of up to $444, and take advantage of an additional 60% discount on a second pass before ticket prices increase on October 27.

Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images