About
On Deck is a dinner series and evolving community of world class entrepreneurs who are openly—or secretly—about to start their next thing. Currently, the community includes successful repeat founders, EIRs at top-tier VC firms, and great designers and developers at companies like Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb, and more.
On Deck emerged out of a need for prospective founders to have a safe space to talk about their ideas and desire to start a company (or join another company), freely and confidentially. So much goes into successfully launching a company, and we wanted to create a thoughtfully curated community that truly supports the growth of entrepreneurs and their startups.
Since the first dinner in San Francisco in early 2016, we’ve expanded to 24 cities around the world, hosted over 3,000 people, and have seen 40+ companies founded and $80M+ raised by people who met at On Deck events.
Testimonials
“The first steps in a founder's journey are often the hardest. Erik moves fast to identify and validate ideas, and then deliver concrete tools to help companies do the hard work of building something from nothing. I didn't just get $100,000 in angel funding - I got many multiples of that value from the On Deck network.”
Tammy Sun
CEO of Carrot
“A single hour at one of their carefully crafted tables of great people yielded advisors, friends and $100k+ in my convertible note round.”
Ryan Leslie
CEO of Superphone
“Through On Deck dinners I’ve met investors, hires, and, had fantastic conversations with fascinating people.”
Jonathan Swanson
Founder of Thumbtack
“On Deck brings world class entrepreneurs together. We're excited to support these events and meet potential YC founders through it.”
Michael Seibel
CEO of Y Combinator
Frequently Asked Question
What if my company finds out?
First, your name will be completely confidential and there will be a strict off the record policy. And don’t worry: A few great founders/investors will be attending dinners as "advisors," so if you get caught, you can just say you’re there to "advise.” We'll cover for you
What does it cost?
On Deck dinners and ‘happy hours’ events are mostly free to join, due to the generosity of our event partners. Some events, particularly in newer cities may ask you to contribute to covering costs. On Deck itself does not make a profit on event attendance (or membership at all).
What if I want to join a company instead of start one?
This is the perfect place to meet people looking to hire, both for small and big companies.
Can I host On Deck in my city?
Drop us a line via team@beondeck.co
What’s the goal of On Deck?
The goal is to help amazing operators in the “On Deck” phase find the following:
Sounding boards — people to brainstorm with and bounce ideas around with
Co-founders
First hires
Investors
Startup tools and resources
Exclusive advice from top-tier investors and entrepreneurs
Other companies to join (if that’s potentially what you’re looking for)
Where is it located?
In-person events are currently being hosted across the United States: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Boulder. We’ve also gone international with active communities in London, New Delhi, and Tel Aviv. We’re intentionally keeping each community small to create tight-knit groups of founders and ensure confidentiality.
Previous Event Partners
On Deck functions on the generosity of our event partners, who volunteer their office space, help cover costs such as food and drinks, and refer us top talent. Interested in being an event partner? Drop us a line via team@beondeck.co!
