🌴 The LA Grind: Week of March 23rd

Upcoming events, venture deals, LA opportunities, and more in Los Angeles this week.

Author

Justin Gordon
March 23, 2026

👋 I’m Justin. I run The LA Grind and The SF Grind and scout for Headline.

Happy Monday! After hosting a couple of events for The SF Grind last week, I’m back in LA. A big focus of mine this year in LA is growing The LA Grind Club. I’ve written about it a little, but I’m going to start to share more from our members.

Here’s what Pablo Fernandez, Founder of Big Rentals, a digital equipment rental platform that raised a $2.8M seed round in 2025, had to say about the club:

“The LA Grind Club is genuinely one of the best communities I've found in LA. Between the poker nights, hikes, and coffee meetups, it doesn't feel like networking; it feels like you're just spending time with people you genuinely like. Everyone in the room is always willing to go above and beyond, and I always leave feeling more energized and ready to take on the world."

Let’s get to it.

Monthly members-only events, priority RSVPs, and discounted tickets are just a few of the perks of becoming an LA Grind Club member. We host events like basketball, poker nights, coffee meetups, and more every month.

Join 75+ founders, operators, and investors gathering weekly to build real relationships in LA (And have a lot of fun doing it).

Upcoming Events

⭐️ Featured Event ⭐️

Want your event featured here with a longer blurb? Sign up here.

🌴 Upcoming Events I’m Hosting 🌴  

🗓️ March 24: Pre-Seed to Series A Founder Dinner. Westside. 6 - 8:30 pm.

🗓️ March 31: LA Startup Community Walk & $2 Burgers Happy Hour. Manhattan Beach. 4 - 6:30 pm.

🗓️ April 3: Members Poker Night. Hollywood. 6 - 11 pm.

🗓️ April 25: Members Potluck Dinner. Hollywood. 6 - 10 pm.

🗓️ May 9: Startup Community Hike. Hollywood. 8 - 9:30 am.

🗓️ May 29: The LA Grind One-Year Party. Hollywood. 6 - 11:30 pm.

👋 This Week 👋 

🗓️ March 26: Facility Tour: Vast Space. Long Beach. 12:15 - 1:15 pm.

🗓️ March 26: LA Local Hub: Shakers Spring Mixer. Playa Del Rey. 4 - 7 pm.

🗓️ March 26: LA Tech Spring Soiree. Santa Monica. 6 - 8 pm.

Talk Shop Media is an LA-based tech PR agency that helps brands at any stage break through the noise and earn the coverage that actually moves the needle. From emerging startups to established names, they build and execute media strategies that get you in front of the right people, press, influencers, and beyond. If you're ready to turn your story into momentum, let's talk: talkshopmedia.com 

Marc Hankin of HPL Law advises inventors and high-growth teams on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and licensing. Before your next fundraise, launch, or M&A chat, know where you stand by talking with Marc, who you can reach at [email protected]. Marc can often be found at startup events in LA and has been one of the biggest supporters of The LA Grind since its inception!

Top 5 LA Startup Jobs

Founding Software Engineer @ HABIT Robotics

Graphic & Web Designer @ Splash Inc.

Investment Opportunity

Know a founder or investor in Los Angeles who is raising capital or searching for a co-founder? Reply to this email with more details that I could share in this newsletter for 9,500+ founders, investors, and operators.

Understood Care, an AI-native patient advocacy platform helping Medicare patients navigate the healthcare system, raised $8.4M in pre-seed and seed funding led by Rethink Education, Zeal Capital Partners, and 1984 Ventures.

Arc, a maritime electric vessel company founded by SpaceX alumni, raised a $50M Series C led by Eclipse, a16z, and Menlo Ventures.

Meadow Memorials, a software-enabled funeral planning platform founded by former Stripe exec Sam Gerstenzang, raised a $9M Series A led by Lachy Groom and Haystack.

Talino, a global fintech foundry building cross-border payments infrastructure connecting the U.S. with emerging markets, raised a $7.5M Series A led by Chemonics International.

PADO AI, an AI orchestration software company for mid-market colocation data centers, raised a $6M Seed led by NovaWave Capital.

Send any fundraising news for LA-based companies or funds, including your own, to [email protected].

Featured Location

Laurel Grill. An upscale restaurant bringing American comfort food and a sleek mid-century vibe to The Culver Steps.

Fun Events

See you next week,

Justin

P.S. Want to connect?

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