Physical AI Hackathon: From Idea to Factory #SFTechWeek

Monday, Oct 5

9:00am – 12:45pm

Hosted by

◔◟◔

:◗

❛ᴗ❛

38/150 spots left

A Physical AI Hackathon for Creators, Founders & Investors A rare SF Tech Week gathering where the diplomatic community, venture, culture, and hardware innovation meet in the same room — and everyone comes to build. Join special guests from San Francisco’s international community, a YC alum and serial entrepreneur, a hardware-focused investor, cultural leaders, artists, designers, technologists, and founders at Google Community Space for a hands-on morning of building, pitching, and unexpected connections. What happens when AI moves beyond the screen and into the objects, devices, and environments of everyday life? Bring one idea. Turn it into something a factory could actually build. With Vlight AI, participants can move from an idea toward product design, specifications, a bill of materials with real part numbers, and factory-ready development information — all in one morning. Everyone builds. Everyone pitches. Bring a laptop and one idea — a gadget, wearable, robot, home device, wellbeing product, creative tool, or something entirely new. No CAD. No engineering background. No technical co-founder required. Artists, designers, technologists, founders, investors, and creative thinkers are all welcome. SPECIAL GUESTS & COMMUNITY October 5 brings together an unusual cross-disciplinary room spanning international cultural exchange, entrepreneurship, investment, design, technology, and the arts. We are honored to welcome: Mrs. Eleanor Ketter Spouse of the Australian Consul-General in San Francisco Mrs. Kayci Bi Honorary Chair, One Culture Foundation Spouse of the Greek Consul-General in San Francisco The gathering will also include leaders and guests from the broader innovation ecosystem, including a YC alum and serial entrepreneur, the Executive Director of DrawBridge, and a hardware-focused venture investor. Rather than separating creative people, technologists, investors, and cultural leaders into different conversations, BUILD HUMAN FUTURES brings them into the same room around one question: What ideas are worth bringing into the physical world? BUILD HUMAN FUTURES This event is part of Human Futures Lab’s BUILD HUMAN FUTURES hackathon series. The series explores a new model for early-stage innovation: connecting creative talent with AI tools, technical resources, industry knowledge, manufacturing networks, mentors, and capital earlier in the journey from idea to reality. Participants will build and pitch their concepts during the morning, with feedback and connections from people working across entrepreneurship, investment, technology, culture, design, and manufacturing. Promising projects may continue through: Mentorship Prototyping exploration Manufacturing connections Human Futures Showcase opportunities Future Human Futures Lab programs and cohort opportunities Build something real — and discover which ideas are worth continuing. AGENDA 9:00–9:20 AM Arrival, check-in & networking 9:20–9:35 AM Welcome + BUILD HUMAN FUTURES introduction 9:35–11:10 AM Build your product Hands-on support throughout the room 11:10–11:40 AM 60-second pitches 11:40 AM–12:05 PM Voting, feedback & project selection 12:05–12:30 PM Networking & connections 12:30–12:45 PM Wrap-up WHAT TO BRING A laptop + one idea. Your idea could be a: Gadget Wearable Robot Wellbeing product Home device Creative technology Physical AI concept Or something we haven’t imagined yet No idea yet? We’ll have an Inspiration Library to help you get started. Every attendee receives 1,000 free Vlight credits to build with during the event. FOR INVESTORS, INDUSTRY & FUTURE JUDGES If you invest in or work across hardware, Physical AI, consumer technology, robotics, wellbeing, future living, product design, manufacturing, or the broader innovation ecosystem, we invite you to join the pitch round and meet ideas at their earliest stage. This is an opportunity to encounter creative founders and builders before the polished pitch deck, before the finished prototype, and sometimes before the idea has even been fully articulated. We are also currently inviting investors, founders, industry leaders, technologists, designers, and experienced builders to join us as judges and mentors for our October 7 and October 8 SF Tech Week hackathons, as well as future BUILD HUMAN FUTURES hackathons in collaboration with Plug and Play. If you would like to participate as a judge, mentor, investor, industry partner, or future collaborator, we would love to hear from you. Contact: ocf@oneculturefdn.org Help us identify promising ideas early — and help the strongest ones find a path forward. WHO SHOULD COME You do not need to be an engineer. Come if you are an: Artist curious about bringing an idea into the physical world Designer who wants to move beyond concept and visualization Founder exploring a new product or hardware direction Technologist or engineer interested in Physical AI and new forms of human-computer interaction Investor looking for unconventional ideas and emerging builders Industry or manufacturing professional interested in helping new products become real Creative thinker who simply has an idea worth testing PARTNERS ONE CULTURE FOUNDATION A U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing cultural diplomacy and international exchange through art, learning, wellbeing, and human-centered innovation. One Culture Foundation brings together artists, designers, cultural leaders, educators, international communities, technologists, and entrepreneurs to explore how creativity can contribute to a more human future. HUMAN FUTURES LAB An initiative of One Culture Foundation exploring how artists, designers, founders, technologists, industry, and manufacturing can work together to build new possibilities for human life in the AI era. Human Futures Lab creates spaces for ideas to move beyond conversation — toward experiments, prototypes, products, ventures, and real-world collaborations. VLIGHT AI An AI-powered product development platform designed to help people move from idea toward manufacturable product specifications. Users can develop product concepts, specifications, bills of materials, and manufacturing information while connecting into Vlight’s network of 200+ factories. GOOGLE COMMUNITY SPACE Google’s San Francisco community hub for mission-driven organizations to convene, collaborate, and create impact through workshops, meetings, and events. Other Events: OCT 1 — PRELAUNCH (https://partiful.com/e/2GEhWQVffvjrre9gIaRq) PHYSICAL AI FOR ANYONE: BRING YOUR IMPOSSIBLE IDEA Plug&play Guest Judge & Speaker Jenny Jiang Co-founder, HarvardXR Summit AI Product Lead, CVS Health OCT 7 & OCT 8 — BUILD HUMAN FUTURES (https://partiful.com/e/pjLaNDveIy2nwWgKcmGo) PHYSICAL AI BUILD SESSION Our final SF Tech Week session brings together another cross-disciplinary room of founders, designers, technologists, investors, YC alumni, industry leaders, and creative builders. Build and pitch new ideas, meet potential collaborators, and help identify projects worth continuing beyond Tech Week. --- This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com Free to attend. Part of #SFTechWeek.