There’s a lot happening this week for entrepreneurs and startup founders. We’ve curated a short list below focused on startup-relevant events. For the full rundown, check out this week’s Startup Digest and consider subscribing to get it every Monday morning.
Featured
1 Million Cups Sacramento at Monthly In-Person
Wed, June 17, 8:30 – 10 AM, Frequency Coworking in Rancho Cordova
Join the Sacramento startup community in-person for this special 1 Million Cups meetup featuring live founder presentations and audience feedback. This session includes ClearSky Solar of Northern California, a company helping homeowners and businesses improve solar performance through cleaning, maintenance, and recurring service plans. Read more.
Startup Happy Hour
Tue, June 23, 5 – 7 PM, Roseville Venture Lab in Roseville
Connect with founders, creators, and startup supporters from across the Sacramento region at this casual networking event. Meet new collaborators, exchange ideas, and take part in an informal AMA conversation with a guest from the local startup ecosystem. Read more.
This Week
Branding With AI (w/ The AI Collective)
Tue, June 16, 6 – 8:30 PM, in Rancho Cordova
Learn how to use AI to strengthen your brand positioning, messaging, content strategy, and market differentiation. This interactive session is designed for founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to build trust, attract the right customers, and create a stronger brand with the help of AI tools. Read more.
Claude Training Series: AI Made Simple for Small Business Owners
Wed, June 17, 6 – 8 PM, InnoGrove in Elk Grove
This hands-on workshop helps founders, consultants, and service professionals move beyond experimenting with AI and start building practical systems that save time. Participants will work alongside the instructor, Keith Ward, using Claude to create a professional bio they can immediately use for marketing, networking, or business development. Limited to 10 participants. Read more.
Cleantech Meetup: Intelligence on the Grid — How Much Smarter Does it Need to Be?
Thu, June 18, 5:30 – 8 PM, in Rancho Cordova
Join utility leaders, energy experts, investors, and entrepreneurs for a discussion on the future of the electric grid as AI, data centers, and growing energy demand reshape infrastructure needs. Explore opportunities and challenges in grid modernization, distributed energy resources, demand flexibility, and the evolving role of technology in the clean energy transition. Read more.
SacTech Social June 2026 Meetup
Thu, June 18, 6 – 9 PM, Hop Gardens in Sacramento
Connect with developers, technologists, founders, and other members of Sacramento’s tech community at this informal networking meetup. Whether you’re looking for collaborators, career opportunities, or conversations about technology and innovation, this event offers a welcoming space to build relationships across the local ecosystem. Read more.
Weekly Startup Reality Check with JDM and Cam
Fri, June 19, 12 – 1 PM, Online
Bring your toughest startup questions to this live AMA hosted by Traction Lab’s Cameron Law and Josh David Miller. Founders can get candid feedback on customer acquisition, value proposition testing, fundraising readiness, and other early-stage challenges in a practical, no-fluff discussion. Read more.
Plan Ahead
SBDC at Roseville Venture Lab: Starting Your Business
Mon, June 22, 12 – 1 PM, Roseville Venture Lab in Roseville
Thinking about launching a business? This workshop covers the foundational steps of getting started, including business formation, licenses and permits, bookkeeping, and other essential operational systems that can help new ventures start on solid footing. Read more.
Personal Branding for Career & Business Growth
Wed, June 24, 6 – 8 PM, HUMANBULB Innovation Center in Sacramento
Learn how to build a personal brand that strengthens your credibility, expands your network, and creates new career and business opportunities. Marketing and media expert Robert Mendoza will share practical strategies for increasing visibility, communicating your expertise, and standing out in a competitive marketplace. Read more.
The SBIR/STTR Playbook: A 3-Part Series
July 7–9, 12 – 1:30 PM, Online
This hands-on workshop series helps deep tech founders prepare to compete for SBIR/STTR funding from agencies including DOD, NIH, DOE, USDA, NSF, and NASA. Participants will learn how to identify the right funding opportunities, develop a competitive proposal strategy, and navigate the path from application to commercialization while building a practical roadmap for securing non-dilutive federal capital. RSVP for each session separately. Session 1 July 7, Session 2 July 8, Session 3 July 9.
Applications
Roseville Rising Food Founders
Apply by Jun 21
Apply for this 10-week program supporting food entrepreneurs ready to launch or scale. Open to restaurateurs, chefs, and food product founders, the program offers mentorship, practical tools, and a final pop-up showcase. No cost to participate. Read more.
Traction Lab: Investment Readiness Engine
Applications Open
Apply for this 9-month go-to-market acceleration program supporting Sacramento-area founders with B2B sales development, enterprise pilot strategy, investor readiness, and traction-building support. Led by Traction Lab in partnership with Right Box and the Carlsen Center, the program includes $20K in non-dilutive funding and culminates in a $100K SPV Investment Showcase. Read more.
UC Davis NSF I-Corps Customer Discovery Program
Applications due July 22
A short program for STEM founders to validate ideas through customer discovery and refine their value proposition. Read more.
GFN Office Hours – Apply for 1:1 Mentorship
Applications Open | Roseville + Sacramento
Apply for a free one-on-one session with a GFN Entrepreneur-in-Residence and get personalized feedback on your startup idea or business challenges. Sessions are held at the Roseville Venture Lab or Connect Labs at Aggie Square. Read more
Connect
Looking to connect with others? Join the StartupSac Community Facebook Group! Startup founders and those who support the growth of our startup community connect and exchange ideas in this private moderated group.
Resources
Check out the StartupSac Website for information on resources available to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Also check out the NorCal Entrepreneur Hub. From capital to connections and training to talent, find the resources you need to build your business in NorCal.
