PWN California Insight Tour
A Lens to the Future
San Francisco Bay Area
Monday, 16 June – Saturday, 21 June, 2025
Monday 16 June
4:00pm
Meet @ The Battery Private Members’ Club
Enjoy a magnificent historic walk around San Francisco’s waterfront district to orient yourself and meet the rest of the PWN member group on our Insight Tour. We will explore some of the past of this unique city from the original Spanish Mission to the Gold Rush, vast public works programs like the Golden Gate Bridge and the tech revolution that the area is now famous for since the 1990s.
6:00pm
Welcome Dinner @ The Battery
Get to know your fellow travellers, and meet our special guests from the Silicon Valley tech scene.
With Michael and Xochi Birch, Founders and Owners, The Battery
Tuesday 17 June
9:00am - 12:00pm
Stanford University Experience
Stanford University is famous for its exceptional academic programs, ground breaking research and influential role in the development of Silicon Valley. Its strong entrepreneurial spirit, distinguished alumni and commitment to innovation and societal impact make it one of the world's most prestigious and impactful institutions.
Alumni and faculty have founded or co-founded major companies like Google, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, Netflix, Instagram, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, and Snapchat. In addition, Stanford boasts numerous Nobel laureates, Turing Award winners, MacArthur Fellows, astronauts, politicians and business leaders among its alumni and faculty.
We will take a guided tour of the campus before meeting Stanford Professors and students working on ground-breaking programs including:
Technology and National Security – The Gordian Knot Center visit
Long Term Investing with Dr Ashby Monk
12:30pm - 2:00pm
Lunch and Visit to Playground VC
“We invest somewhere between improbable and impossible”
Playground is exactly that ... a playground of Deep Tech innovation with many of the companies working onsite with the investment firm. It’s a great place to visit and see some of the technologies being developed up close. Hosted by Playground partners, we will have lunch at their cafeteria.
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Silicon Valley Ecosystem: An Innovation Cluster
In this Insight session, we create the Silicon Valley eco-system in miniature and meet some of the leading players.
Learn how the Bay Area consistently leads global innovation trends
Explore three areas of innovation and growth - AI, Blockchain and Enterprise Tech
Meet and hear legendary Venture Capital GP’s and CEO’s from three companies (AI, Enterprise Tech, Blockchain) speak about their investment strategies and opportunities.
Hosted by:
Matthew Le Merle, Managing Partner & CEO, Blockchain Coinvestors
Forming a company in California: Pillsbury Host (Riaz Karamali, Partner)
Artificial Technology: NEA (Speaker TBD, GP) - Qurrent (Colin Wiel, CEO)
Blockchain/Crypto: BCAP (Bart Stephens, GP) - Bitwise (Hunter Horsley, Founder/CEO)
Enterprise Technology: Salus (Richard GP name) - Packsmith (Ben Wunderman CEO)
6:00pm
Free Evening
Wednesday 18 June
11:30am - 2:00pm
San Francisco - Future of the City
San Francisco has been through many waves of growth driven by the Gold Rush, farming and agriculture, shipping and trade. Followed on in the 20th century with the massive boom in technology led by Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. Since the pandemic, the city has been through tough times and is now feeling like it is amid yet another reinvention of itself. With self-driving taxis now in operation across the city and the AI boom well underway, what comes next and is San Francisco still a good place for Australasians to do business?
Hosted by the Bay Area Council, and including Aus/NZ accelerator segment:
Abby Raisz, Chief of Research, Bay Area Economic Forum
What is so special about the San Francisco Bay Area?
Jim Wunderman, President, Bay Area Council
What challenges need to be addressed?
Real Estate, the CBDC and space issues
Homelessness & Safety
Business Climate
What comes next and is SF still the best place for Australasian HQs in the USA?
Linda Jenkinson, Founder, LevelUp and Chairman Vast, Straker, Vinyl and others
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Accelerator Programs
We will visit and be hosted by:
Pr Bronson, IndieBio
Calvin Cupini, Activate
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Dinner with Matthew and Alison Le Merle at their home in Tiburon overlooking San Francisco Bay.
Thursday 19 June
Heading North and the Napa Valley
We will focus on some extraordinary experiences and discussions around family succession and legacy. We will take in an exploratory visit to the Marine Mammal Center on the way to the Napa Valley. We will be hosted by some of the area’s oldest and finest wine-making families.
9:00am
Depart The Battery
9:45am
The Marine Mammal Center Visit
Napa Valley Wineries
We will spend the afternoon in the Napa Valley exploring all it has to offer in terms of exceptional cuisine and fine wine. During the afternoon we will hear from families about how they have handled succession, and how they have handled intergenerational transitions over time.
Free evening
Friday 20 June
9:00am - 12:00pm
Philanthropy Innovation Roundtable
Hosted at our home base, The Battery, we hear from leading San Francisco based philanthropists about their journeys and some of the most exciting projects they are working on now. This session will provide the unique opportunity for PWN InsightTour participants to share their own philanthropy journeys and ambitions, learning together as a group.
Hosted by:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Lunch with Battery Powered
Battery Powered is the philanthropy entity of The Battery. Members of The Battery include many of the Bay Area’s “tech crowd”, including entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists and family offices. We delve into their latest philanthropy initiatives and hear from our PWN members about theirs. We will sharing ideas and make connections across the Pacific.
With:
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Closing Dinner
Saturday 21 June
9:00am
Wrap Up and Brunch
Share insights and experiences of the week with your fellow PWN Members and Insight Tour participants.
11:00am
Close of San Francisco leg of our Insight Tour
The above is the preliminary program for San Francisco, which is subject to change.
Unlock a Life Changing Experience and Connections
The PWN California Insight Tour provides unparalleled access to some of the most forward-thinking institutions, influential families, entrepreneurs and dynamic thought leaders in the world. With carefully curated sessions, private discussions, and visits to unique locations such as Stanford University, Disney and Napa Valley wineries, this Insight Tour offers inspiration and connection tailored for PWN members.
Places are strictly limited to 25 participants. Please reserve your places early (without obligation) to avoid disappointment.