CASCADE SF
Cascade SF is a San Francisco-based experience design community organization that runs free events, workshops, and mentoring programs for product designers, supported by corporate sponsorships from major tech companies and operating as a chapter under Design Career Network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CASCADE SF does
Cascade SF is an experience design community organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It operates as the San Francisco chapter of Design Career Network, a parent brand hosting educational design events globally. The organization serves product designers, product managers, content designers, UX writers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and students through three core event formats: UXNight talks featuring industry leaders from top tech companies on topics including AI, VR, AR, and blockchain; hands-on workshops covering UX research, prototyping, type design, and color theory; and Mentor Night sessions providing one-on-one portfolio reviews and career guidance from 100+ mentors drawn from companies such as Meta, Salesforce, Google, LinkedIn, and Adobe. The community has grown to 10,000+ members with over 200 events hosted since inception. The organization is led by founder and producer Andi Galpern.
The technology stack is minimal and community-oriented: Cascade SF relies on Meetup as the primary event coordination and RSVP platform and operates a YouTube channel under the Design Career Network brand for educational video content. There is no proprietary software product, no API, and no AI/ML system in development. The business model is sponsorship-driven, with corporate sponsors—Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Eventbrite, Intuit, and LinkedIn are disclosed—paying to access the Bay Area design community for employer branding and design talent recruitment. Events are free to attendees; no public pricing exists, and no paid product or subscription tier is offered. No external venture capital or private equity funding is disclosed; the organization appears bootstrapped and founder-controlled, with a parent-subsidiary relationship to Design Career Network providing global brand reach.
CASCADE SF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CASCADE SF
- Legal name
- Cascade SF
- Website
- https://cascadesf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cascade SF is a San Francisco-based experience design community organization that runs free events, workshops, and mentoring programs for product designers, supported by corporate sponsorships from major tech companies and operating as a chapter under Design Career Network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CASCADE SF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design Community Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alumni Career Networking & Mentorship Programs (EDALAOAL)
Keywords
Where CASCADE SF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CASCADE SF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsors pay to gain access to San Francisco's engaged design community, showcase brand at high-impact events, and demonstrate commitment to growing the design industry. Sponsors include Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Eventbrite, Intuit, and LinkedIn.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
CASCADE SF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cascade SF is a San Francisco-based experience design community organization that hosts UXNight talks, hands-on workshops, Mentor Night one-on-one mentoring sessions, and multi-session conferences for product designers and related professionals. The organization connects its 10,000+ member design community with industry leaders from top tech companies (Meta, Google, Salesforce, Adobe) for career guidance, portfolio reviews, and networking opportunities, operating as the San Francisco chapter of Design Career Network.
Product overview
Cascade SF is an experience design organization that operates a community platform connecting San Francisco designers through educational events and mentoring services. The organization offers three core event formats: UXNight talks featuring industry leaders from top tech companies (Meta, Google, Salesforce, etc.) covering cutting-edge topics like AI, VR, AR, and blockchain; hands-on Workshops for skill development in UX research, prototyping, and design techniques; and Mentor Night programs providing one-on-one career guidance and portfolio reviews with professionals from leading tech companies. The company is part of the Design Career Network, a parent brand hosting educational events globally and providing mentor access to aspiring and practicing designers in technology. The community has grown to 10,000+ members with over 200 events hosted since 2013.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use CASCADE SF
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CASCADE SF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CASCADE SF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- MicrosoftminorSponsor of Cascade SF events, gaining visibility among San Francisco's engaged design community of 10,000+ UX professionals.
- GoogleminorSponsor of Cascade SF events, gaining brand visibility and access to design talent pool in the Bay Area.
- AdobeminorSponsor of Cascade SF events, connecting with design professionals through event visibility and community engagement.
- EventbriteminorSponsor partner supporting Cascade SF event infrastructure and ticketing.
- IntuitminorSponsor of Cascade SF events, gaining access to design community for recruiting and employer branding.
- LinkedInminorSponsor partner supporting Cascade SF events and connecting with design professionals.
- Design Career NetworkcoreParent brand of Cascade SF, hosting educational events around the globe and providing mentor access to aspiring and practicing designers in technology. Cascade SF is the San Francisco chapter operating under this umbrella brand with shared YouTube content channel.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CASCADE SF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AIGA: The professional association for design, AIGA runs local chapters, events, and programming for designers — directly comparable to Cascade SF's community-led, sponsor-supported model for engaging working designers.
- IxDA (Interaction Design Association): A global community and conference organization for interaction designers, operating local events and mentorship-style programming similar to Cascade SF's UXNight and Mentor Night formats.
- ADPList: An online mentorship platform connecting designers with mentors from leading tech companies — directly comparable to Cascade SF's mentor program, but with global, digital-native reach.
- Design Buddies: A large online design community (originating in Slack) that hosts events and mentoring for designers across geographies, competing for the same career-development attention Cascade SF serves in-person.
- Ladies that UX: A global design community running local meetups, mentoring, and events — comparable community-led GTM motion with a focus on design career growth and peer networking.
- Designer Hangout: A digital community for product designers that pairs peer support with mentor access — closely aligned with Cascade SF's mentorship and career-advancement value proposition.
- Creative Mornings: A global speaker and community series for creative professionals hosted in chapters worldwide — closely parallel to Cascade SF's in-person, sponsor-supported event format targeting the creative community.
Broad incumbents
- General Assembly: A larger, established education provider offering design courses and bootcamps with corporate partnerships — broader in scope than Cascade SF but competes for the same designer upskilling and sponsor attention.
Emerging players
- Designlab: An online design education and mentorship provider pairing learners with working designers — overlaps with Cascade SF's mentorship and skill-development offering in a digital delivery format.
Others
- Figma Community: A platform-hosted community where designers share work, learn, and network — adjacent to Cascade SF as a community surface for the same designer persona, though embedded in a product rather than an independent organization.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
CASCADE SF social profiles
Digital presenceCASCADE SF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CASCADE SF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CASCADE SF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CASCADE SF M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CASCADE SF
What does CASCADE SF do?
Cascade SF is a San Francisco-based experience design community organization that hosts UXNight talks, hands-on workshops, Mentor Night one-on-one mentoring sessions, and multi-session conferences for product designers and related professionals. The organization connects its 10,000+ member design community with industry leaders from top tech companies (Meta, Google, Salesforce, Adobe) for career guidance, portfolio reviews, and networking opportunities, operating as the San Francisco chapter of Design Career Network.
Is CASCADE SF a public or private company?
CASCADE SF is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CASCADE SF founded?
CASCADE SF was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CASCADE SF based?
CASCADE SF is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does CASCADE SF make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship Revenue.
Who are CASCADE SF's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AIGA, IxDA (Interaction Design Association), ADPList, Design Buddies, Ladies that UX, Designer Hangout and Creative Mornings. General Assembly is listed as a broad incumbent. Designlab is listed as an emerging player. Figma Community is listed as an others.
Does CASCADE SF have an API?
No public API is recorded for CASCADE SF.
What industry is CASCADE SF in?
CASCADE SF's product category is Design Community Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAOAL, Alumni Career Networking & Mentorship Programs.