StrictlyVC New York Returns September 10: Keith Rabois and Top VCs on AI, Sports Investing and Venture Economics

TL;DR

• StrictlyVC returns to New York's West Village on September 10 for an exclusive boutique evening event featuring top-tier VCs and founders including Keith Rabois, Deven Parekh, and Tristan Walker.
• The agenda will dive into the forces reshaping venture in 2026, from AI and venture economics to sports investing, community-building, and the intersection of tech and politics.
• Designed for high-signal networking, the intimate night will combine insider stage conversations with cocktails, food, and direct access to leading investors and founders.

A West Village Encore for Venture's Inner Circle

StrictlyVC is heading back to downtown Manhattan. On September 10, the boutique, interview-driven event series will take over an exclusive venue in New York's West Village for an evening of candid conversations, curated connections, and cocktails — bringing together some of the most influential names in venture capital, startups, and tech-adjacent industries.

Known for its salon-style format that trades sprawling conference halls for intimate, off-the-record energy, StrictlyVC has built a loyal following among founders and funders who want substance over spectacle. The New York edition continues that tradition, offering a single evening where the audience is as carefully curated as the lineup on stage.

The Headliners Taking the Stage

This year's New York roster brings together investors and operators who have shaped multiple eras of tech and are now navigating its next chapter.

Keith Rabois, Managing Director at Khosla Ventures and one of Silicon Valley's most outspoken dealmakers, will headline the evening. Rabois, known for his early bets at PayPal, LinkedIn, and Square and his sharp takes on startup building and tech policy, is expected to weigh in on the state of AI investing and the shifting venture power structure.

He'll be joined by Deven Parekh, Managing Director at Insight Partners, one of the largest global software investors, who brings a deep perspective on venture economics, growth-stage discipline, and what it takes to scale through volatile markets.

Also on the bill is Craig Shapiro, founder and Managing Partner at Collaborative Fund, a pioneer in mission-driven and consumer investing; Tristan Walker, founder and CEO of Walker & Company Brands and a leading voice on community-driven brand building; Brynn Putnam, founder of MIRROR (acquired by Lululemon) and a veteran at the intersection of fitness, tech, and consumer hardware; and Jason Levien, CEO and co-owner of D.C. United and a veteran sports investor and executive.

Together, the group spans enterprise and consumer, early-stage and growth, product and platform — a deliberate cross-section of where venture is placing its bets now.

Inside the Agenda: AI, Sports, Economics and Politics

While StrictlyVC is known for its free-flowing, interview-style conversations, this year's themes reflect the biggest questions facing the industry heading into the final quarter of 2026.

Artificial intelligence remains front and center, but the conversation has moved beyond hype to hard economics — how AI companies are actually monetizing, where defensibility lies, and which investors are separating real infrastructure from wrapper fatigue.

Sports investing will get its own spotlight, with Levien unpacking why top VCs and private equity firms are pouring billions into teams, leagues, and the tech stacks around them, from media rights to fan engagement platforms.

Other sessions will tackle the art of community-building in an era of algorithmic distribution, with Walker and Putnam sharing lessons on building durable consumer loyalty, and a frank look at venture economics itself — from fund math and DPI pressure to the evolving relationship between founders and their backers.

And in an election-adjacent year where tech and policy are more intertwined than ever, expect unfiltered discussion on how politics, regulation, and Silicon Valley's culture wars are influencing where capital flows and who gets to build.

More Than a Panel: Cocktails, Connections and Curation

What sets StrictlyVC apart isn't just who is on stage, but who is in the room. Attendance is intentionally limited to keep the evening boutique and conversational, drawing a mix of partners from top venture firms, breakout founders, and senior operators.

Between interviews, guests will have ample time for high-level networking over cocktails and food, with no expo floor or pitch chaos — just direct access to the people shaping the next wave of companies. For founders looking to meet their next lead investor and for VCs scouting their next breakout, the format is designed to make those introductions happen naturally.

Past StrictlyVC evenings in New York and San Francisco have sold out quickly, and organizers expect the West Village return to do the same given the strength of the lineup and the intimate venue.

What to Know Before You Go

The StrictlyVC evening event takes place on the evening of September 10 in New York's West Village. Doors will open for networking and drinks ahead of the on-stage programming, which will run throughout the evening.

Tickets are limited and sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with StrictlyVC offering advance purchase online. Given the boutique capacity and high-profile headliners, early booking is strongly recommended.

For New York's venture community, it will be one of the most concentrated gatherings of founders and funders this fall — a rare chance to hear unscripted insights from investors who rarely share a stage, all in one room.

AndroGuider Team

Articles written by the AndroGuider team. We try to make them thorough and informational while being easy to read.