LA Tech Week Swaps Booze for Wellness with Beach Workouts

LA Tech Week has embraced a fresh approach to networking by prioritizing wellness over traditional alcohol-fueled events. In a significant shift, yoga mats and cold plunges took the place of cheese plates and open bars during this year’s festivities. The focus on sobriety reflects a growing trend in the tech community, particularly in Los Angeles, which is renowned for its health-conscious lifestyle.

On a cloudy Monday morning in Santa Monica, nearly 100 tech professionals gathered for a group workout by the beach. This event, part of LA Tech Week, highlighted the commitment to well-being within the tech sector. Oliver Fitz-Gibbon, cofounder of Rally, a fitness network for investors and entrepreneurs, stated, “People in our community are high achievers wanting to focus on building great businesses, making good investments, being awesome at their job, and also being great parents. They don’t want to wake up the next day with a hangover.”

The week featured an array of wellness-focused activities, including a running and surfing club in Santa Monica, hiking in Brentwood, and even a “Puppies & Pilates” session in Beverly Hills. One invitation promised participants would leave with “new contacts, clear headspace, and maybe even a future foster pup.”

A standout event was the “Rejuvenation Mansion” in Bel Air, which offered cold plunges, sauna circuits, brain mapping, breathwork, and meditation tailored for those who “can’t afford to burn out—but can’t afford to slow down either.”

SoHa Zadeh, a software engineer and entrepreneur visiting from San Francisco, noted, “This is one of my favorite events during Tech Week because in tech, people network all the time, but here is a place to actually slow down. People are here to connect, but we are not talking about work.”

While wellness events dominated the agenda, traditional happy hours and parties remained accessible across the city. An exclusive after-party at Delilah, a popular club in West Hollywood, featured a pyramid of sparkling wine glasses, enticing those fortunate enough to gain entry. The invitation boldly proclaimed, “The time for work is over. The time for play is here,” alongside an emoji of a martini.

### LA’s Tech Scene Faces Challenges

LA Tech Week 2023 comes at a time when the local tech scene is navigating a significant transition. Following a surge in interest in 2022, when mega venture firm Andreessen Horowitz hosted the event, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Many investors now gravitate towards San Francisco, the current epicenter of artificial intelligence innovation, leaving LA’s tech community in a state of uncertainty.

Kahlil Lalji, cofounder and CEO of Natural, a startup focused on payments infrastructure for AI agents, expressed concern about the current climate. “All of the energy is suddenly in San Francisco, and it feels like it sucked all the energy out of Los Angeles,” he remarked. Lalji, who founded his previous startup in Santa Monica in 2021, noted that when he launched his new company this summer, investors questioned whether he would move to San Francisco. “They were implying that if we were not building in San Francisco, it would be a problem,” he explained.

Despite these challenges, local investors recognize the potential advantages of supporting companies in Los Angeles. Shamin Walsh, managing director of BAM Ventures, which was an early investor in Honey—a company acquired by PayPal for $4 billion—highlighted the relative affordability of valuations in LA compared to San Francisco. “We are very valuation-focused. It’s hard to have that strategy in San Francisco,” Walsh stated.

The appeal of LA’s lifestyle continues to attract talent. Walsh noted, “A lot of great founders, who have optionality, really like living here because of the lifestyle.” While LA may not lead in AI, it has a robust defense tech scene near the airport in El Segundo, exemplified by Anduril, a company that has reached a valuation of $30 billion.

In summary, LA Tech Week’s emphasis on wellness reflects a broader cultural shift within the tech community. While the local scene grapples with challenges, the commitment to health and innovation remains strong, positioning Los Angeles as a unique player in the ever-evolving tech landscape.