ThursdayNights (Connecting the Innovation Community)

What ThursdayNights (Connecting the Innovation Community) does

ThursdayNights is a non-profit community organization, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, that curates and operates invite-only networking events for participants in the U.S. innovation economy. The organization convenes Private Equity Sponsors, Venture and Corporate Investors, and founders and executives of emerging growth and growth-stage companies at exclusive dining, sports, and entertainment venues across 14 U.S. cities including Austin, Dallas, LA, Miami, Napa, Nashville, New York, Park City, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C. Its core offerings are the Decision Makers Dinners (intimate curated dinners) and an event calendar of workshops, seminars, and social gatherings, both of which double as fundraising vehicles for charitable programs supporting at-risk youth (CARS, FirstStar, Boys & Girls Clubs); nearly $3 million has been raised and donated to these causes since 2007.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its core competency lies in event curation, member vetting, and venue relationships, with digital presence limited to a website and Instagram. Revenue is generated primarily through corporate sponsorships, with attendees accessing events by invitation or application. The operating model is intentionally lean — eight employees support activity across 14 markets — relying heavily on community referrals, sponsor co-funding, and the reputation of past events to fill future ones. No public funding rounds, M&A, or leadership changes are disclosed in the source data, and the entity appears to operate as an independent non-profit with no parent organization or subsidiaries.

Name

ThursdayNights (Connecting the Innovation Community)

Legal name

ThursdayNights

Website

https://thursdaynights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ThursdayNights is a non-profit that curates invite-only networking dinners and events for U.S. innovation economy participants (founders, executives, VCs, PE sponsors) across 14 cities, funding at-risk youth programs through sponsor-supported events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking Events & Community Curation

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAHAE

Gala Dinners & Fundraising Events (Nonprofit/CSR)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Corporate & Private Events (Galas, Product Launches)

SECONDARYMPAGAGAK

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• Invite-only events
• Executive networking dinners
• Innovation community
• Corporate event sponsorship
• Charity event curation

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: ThursdayNights generates revenue through corporate sponsorships. Companies and organizations sponsor events to gain access to the curated network of innovators, investors, and executives. The platform also raises funds for charitable causes through these events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ThursdayNights curates and convenes intimate, invite-only Decision Makers Dinners and a multi-city Event Calendar (workshops, seminars, and social gatherings) at exclusive dining, sports, and entertainment venues in 14 U.S. innovation hubs. Attendance and sponsorship are gated by invitation or application, targeting Private Equity Sponsors, Venture and Corporate Investors, and founders/executives of emerging growth and growth-stage companies. Each event is paired with fundraising for at-risk youth programs (CARS, FirstStar, Boys & Girls Clubs), with nearly $3 million raised collectively since 2007.

Product overview

ThursdayNights is a community event platform that curates and convenes visionary builders and investors in America's innovation economy through a series of intimate, invite-only events at exclusive venues. The core offerings include Decision Makers Dinners (networking events) and an Event Calendar (featuring workshops, seminars, and social gatherings). The company operates across multiple cities including Austin, Dallas, LA, Miami, Napa, Nashville, New York, Park City, San Diego, Santa Barbara, SF, Silicon Valley and Washington D.C. A key differentiator is the company's charitable focus, channeling proceeds to support at-risk youth through programs like CARS (College Access Readiness & Success) and FirstStar. Since 2007, the community and co-sponsors have raised and donated nearly $3 million to worthy causes serving at-risk youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decision Makers Dinners Intimate, invite-only networking dinners hosted at exclusive dining venues in 14 U.S. innovation hubs, bringing together curated groups of founders, executives, venture and corporate investors, and private equity sponsors to connect and raise money for at-risk youth charities.
• Event Calendar (Workshops, Seminars, and Social Gatherings) Monthly calendar of workshops, seminars, and social gatherings hosted across Austin, Dallas, LA, Miami, Napa, Nashville, New York, Park City, San Diego, Santa Barbara, SF, Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C., open to the ThursdayNights innovation community.
• Corporate Event Sponsorships Sponsorship packages offered to companies and organizations for ThursdayNights events and Decision Makers Dinners, granting brand visibility, deal sourcing access, and entry into the curated network of founders, investors, and executives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $3 million raised for at-risk youth since 2007

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CARS (College Access Readiness & Success)coreOthersThursdayNights partners with CARS to support pathways to post-secondary education for underserved high school students and their families through academic enrichment and college literacy programs.
• FirstStarcoreOthersThursdayNights supports FirstStar in providing high school youth in foster care with opportunities, tools, and support to transition to self-sufficiency through higher education or other viable pathways.
• Boys & Girls ClubscoreOthersThursdayNights partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs organization to enable young people, especially those who need support most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
• Erik Rannala / MuckerLabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuckerLabs, represented by Erik Rannala, participates in ThursdayNights events. MuckerLabs is a prominent player in LA's startup ecosystem and co-sponsors events, providing networking opportunities for the ThursdayNights community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Convene: Premium meeting and event venue operator hosting corporate conferences and networking events. Comparable in delivering curated in-person experiences, though positioned as a venue/services provider rather than a community curator.
• All Raise: Non-profit building community among women founders and venture investors through curated events and programs. Comparable non-profit model and founder/investor audience, though focused on a specific demographic niche.

Broad incumbents

• Web Summit: Large-scale technology conferences (Lisbon, Rio, Vancouver) serving founders, investors, and corporate attendees. Competes for tech sponsorship budgets and overlaps with ThursdayNights' PE/VC/corporate sponsor base.
• Dreamforce (Salesforce): Large annual corporate-hosted conference drawing enterprise and tech leaders. Competes for sponsor attention and overlapping executive audiences, though driven by a single host rather than a neutral community.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Global membership organization for CEOs offering curated peer networking events and forums. Comparable in the invite-only, peer-executive model, though much larger and dues-based rather than sponsorship-funded.
• South by Southwest (SXSW): Major annual convergence of technology, music, and film in Austin. Operates at vastly larger scale but draws on the same innovation-economy audience and sponsor ecosystem that ThursdayNights serves.
• TechCrunch (Disrupt / Events): Operates flagship tech conferences (Disrupt, Sessions) targeting the same founder/investor ecosystem. Differs in scale and open (vs. invite-only) format, but competes for the same sponsor dollars.

Direct peers

• Summit Series: Curated, invite-only gatherings of founders, investors, and cultural leaders (e.g., Summit at Sea, LA). Highly comparable to ThursdayNights in audience, exclusivity, and mission-driven framing, though at significantly larger scale.
• Founders Forum: Invite-only global community and event series for tech founders, investors, and executives. Closely comparable in format, audience (curated high-caliber attendees), and exclusivity positioning.

Others

• Mucker Capital (events / MuckerLabs community): LA-based venture firm actively participating in ThursdayNights events (per company data). Comparable as a co-sponsor and ecosystem convener in the same LA innovation community, though not a direct event-organization peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thursdaynights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ThursdayNights (Connecting the Innovation Community)