TekTrek
Build the future.
From East to West, and back.
This summer.
[For Your Eyes only]
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Cohort 1
Welcome aboard.
We're excited to welcome you into the first cohort of student founders heading to San Francisco this summer.
You stood out because you are choosing to build. You've already shown the initiative, technical ability, and seriousness we're looking for.
This summer will move quickly. You'll be living and working alongside other builders, meeting founders and operators, and spending most of your time building.
Come ready to work. Bring your idea, your questions, and the urgency to make real progress.
We're looking forward to having you with us.
Before you arrive
Three things to do, now.
1. Code of Conduct
1. Code of Conduct
Read it. It sets the terms for how we live and work together this summer.
Read it. It sets the terms for how we live and work together this summer.
2. Intake form
2. Intake form
Fill it out if you haven't already. We need this to get you set up.
Fill it out if you haven't already. We need this to get you set up.
Housing
Two places to land.
The B & B (Builder & Ballerina)
The B & B (Builder & Ballerina)
Around 30 of us will live at our basecamp in Pacific Heights. Teams will be prioritised.
(Previously inhabited by the SF ballet)
Around 30 of us will live at our basecamp in Pacific Heights. Teams will be prioritised.
(Previously inhabited by the SF ballet)
University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
TekTrek / The B & B
TekTrek / University of San Francisco
Workspace
The Workspace.
A 12,000 sq ft purpose-built workspace in the heart of the Presidio. Bright, modular, and built for the kind of work you're here to do.
A 12,000 sq ft purpose-built workspace in the heart of the Presidio. Bright, modular, and built for the kind of work you're here to do.
12,000+ sq ft of bright, modular event and coworking space
12,000+ sq ft of bright, modular event and coworking space
Purpose-built for AI, blockchain, and frontier innovation
Purpose-built for AI, blockchain, and frontier innovation
A/V, fast wifi, desktops, snacks & drinks — everything you need to focus on your project.
A/V, fast wifi, desktops, snacks & drinks — everything you need to focus on your project.
TekTrek / The Builder Lab
Field Trips
Where we'll take you.
Nine trips across the summer — frontier labs, the Bay's deepest archives, and a few resets in nature.
OpenAI / HQ
Industry
NVIDIA / HQ
Industry
Google / Bayview
Industry
LiquidAI / SF
Industry
Computer History Museum
History
Salesforce Tower
Culture
The Interval / Long Now
Culture
Muir Woods
Nature
Alchemy Springs
Wellness
Calendar
What you're walking into.
Three phases over the summer, plus a network of events that extend into the fall. We're still building this out — expect more dates to land.
Three phases over the summer, plus a network of events that extend into the fall. We're still building this out — expect more dates to land.
The summer in three phases
The summer in three phases
Orient
June 8 — July 5
June 8 — July 5
Arrive, settle, and start building. Mentors come through, field trips begin.
Arrive, settle, and start building. Mentors come through, field trips begin.
Sprint
July 6 — July 17
July 6 — July 17
A heads-down sprint with tight feedback loops, ending in a demo day.
A heads-down sprint with tight feedback loops, ending in a demo day.
Evolve
July 20 — August 9
July 20 — August 9
Refine the product, sharpen the pitch, prepare for what's next.
Refine the product, sharpen the pitch, prepare for what's next.
Confirmed dates
Confirmed dates
May 27
IIA AI Showcase & Celebration of Builders — WHOOP HQ, MA
IIA AI Showcase & Celebration of Builders — WHOOP HQ, MA
June 8
Kick Off — everyone at SFU, The B & B opens a few days later
Kick Off — everyone at SFU, The B & B opens a few days later
June 11
Kickoff Dinner — Erik Brynjolfsson's home, Stanford, CA
Kickoff Dinner — Erik Brynjolfsson's home, Stanford, CA
June 26
Dinner — Atiq Raza's home (former President & COO, AMD), Palo Alto, CA
Dinner — Atiq Raza's home (former President & COO, AMD), Palo Alto, CA
August 13
Closing Gathering — Martha's Vineyard, MA
Closing Gathering — Martha's Vineyard, MA
August 13
Liquid AI Gathering
Liquid AI Gathering
Sep 14 — 15
IIA AI Summit — Google Bayview Campus, CA
IIA AI Summit — Google Bayview Campus, CA
October 17
MIT AI Event — MIT Computer Museum, MA
MIT AI Event — MIT Computer Museum, MA
November 5
Founders Forum, NYC
Founders Forum, NYC
TBD
TekTrek Conference at Princeton
TekTrek Conference at Princeton
January 19 — 20 2027
IIA AI Summit — Davos
IIA AI Summit — Davos
Q & A
Things you're probably wondering.
Will I have a workstation at the office?
Will I have a workstation at the office?
Yes. The dedicated workspace at the Presidio will be equipped with monitors, whiteboards, and shared sprint infrastructure. Per-desk setup is being scoped.
Yes. The dedicated workspace at the Presidio will be equipped with monitors, whiteboards, and shared sprint infrastructure. Per-desk setup is being scoped.
Will the program provide a local GPU workstation?
Will the program provide a local GPU workstation?
Case-by-case. Heavy ML workloads should plan to run on cloud credits rather than local rigs. NVIDIA conversation in progress.
Case-by-case. Heavy ML workloads should plan to run on cloud credits rather than local rigs. NVIDIA conversation in progress.
Will there be GPU compute and API credits?
Will there be GPU compute and API credits?
Yes. In conversation with multiple providers — including Anthropic — on GPU compute, API access, and tokens. Provider mix and per-team allocation TBC.
Yes. In conversation with multiple providers — including Anthropic — on GPU compute, API access, and tokens. Provider mix and per-team allocation TBC.
What about Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor subscriptions?
What about Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor subscriptions?
Yes — at least one Max-tier subscription of your choice per student.
Yes — at least one Max-tier subscription of your choice per student.
What if I run out of credits mid-summer?
What if I run out of credits mid-summer?
There will be a top-up process, scaled to how many credits we secure across partners.
There will be a top-up process, scaled to how many credits we secure across partners.
Can I buy hardware for my project?
Can I buy hardware for my project?
Yes, within reason. Smaller items come out of the $5K stipend. Larger asks — robotics parts, wearables, dev phones, test devices — should be flagged in intake and we'll reach out. If you haven't heard from us, contact John or Theo.
Yes, within reason. Smaller items come out of the $5K stipend. Larger asks — robotics parts, wearables, dev phones, test devices — should be flagged in intake and we'll reach out. If you haven't heard from us, contact John or Theo.
What are the rooms like?
What are the rooms like?
28 beds across the Pacific Heights house, fully refit before move-in: new beds and mattresses (no bunks), desks, blackout blinds, mechanical locks, storage. Mix of singles and shared.
USF housing is apartment-style — roughly 3-bed apartments with single and double rooms plus common areas, occupied only by TekTrek cohort members.
28 beds across the Pacific Heights house, fully refit before move-in: new beds and mattresses (no bunks), desks, blackout blinds, mechanical locks, storage. Mix of singles and shared.
USF housing is apartment-style — roughly 3-bed apartments with single and double rooms plus common areas, occupied only by TekTrek cohort members.
Can I request a single room or a specific roommate?
Can I request a single room or a specific roommate?
Sleep and rooming preferences are collected separately in the rooming intake. Medical and serious sleep needs are prioritized; not every single-room request can be granted.
Sleep and rooming preferences are collected separately in the rooming intake. Medical and serious sleep needs are prioritized; not every single-room request can be granted.
Blackout curtains and quiet hours?
Blackout curtains and quiet hours?
Blackout blinds in every bedroom. Quiet hours set with the cohort in week one.
Blackout blinds in every bedroom. Quiet hours set with the cohort in week one.
Are meals provided?
Are meals provided?
Yes. In conversation with several chefs now. Stocked pantries, founder dinners, and a self-serve commissary in the kitchen — snacks, protein, fresh fruit, espresso.
Yes. In conversation with several chefs now. Stocked pantries, founder dinners, and a self-serve commissary in the kitchen — snacks, protein, fresh fruit, espresso.
Dietary restrictions?
Dietary restrictions?
Flag in intake — communicated to the chef and house program manager.
Flag in intake — communicated to the chef and house program manager.
Is there a gym?
Is there a gym?
Looking at putting a small gym in the garden of the Pacific Heights house. Cohort members at USF can also use the USF gym.
Looking at putting a small gym in the garden of the Pacific Heights house. Cohort members at USF can also use the USF gym.
How do I get around?
How do I get around?
Charter buses for company visits and scheduled programming. Pacific Heights is walkable and transit-accessible for most SF destinations. Rental bikes available across the city.
Charter buses for company visits and scheduled programming. Pacific Heights is walkable and transit-accessible for most SF destinations. Rental bikes available across the city.
Flights to SF?
Flights to SF?
Covered round-trip — see the flight reimbursement form for details.
Covered round-trip — see the flight reimbursement form for details.
How much is the stipend?
How much is the stipend?
$5,000 for the summer. Total per-student support is around $20K including housing, meals, travel, and infrastructure.
$5,000 for the summer. Total per-student support is around $20K including housing, meals, travel, and infrastructure.
When is the $5k stipend paid?
When is the $5k stipend paid?
Once the residency has officiialy started.
Does TekTrek take equity or IP?
Does TekTrek take equity or IP?
No. No equity, no IP assignment, no license, no option.
No. No equity, no IP assignment, no license, no option.
Do funders get first look?
Do funders get first look?
No. Founding backers receive recognition but no structural rights or preferential access.
No. Founding backers receive recognition but no structural rights or preferential access.
The Cohort
Your Fellow Builders
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
Team 5
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Solo Founders
The Founders
The Origin
TekTrek was conceived at John Werner’s Imagination in Action (IIA) Davos 2026 event following a private meeting between Eric Schmidt, Dave Blundin, Daniela Rus, and Erik Brynjolfsson.
The founding team came together around a simple conviction: the best student builders from the northeast need to be in San Francisco this summer, building, with access to the people who’ve done it before.
TekTrek was conceived at John Werner’s Imagination in Action (IIA) Davos 2026 event following a private meeting between Eric Schmidt, Dave Blundin, Daniela Rus, and Erik Brynjolfsson.
The founding team came together around a simple conviction: the best student builders from the northeast need to be in San Francisco this summer, building, with access to the people who’ve done it before.
The Team
The people behind it.
The team running the program day-to-day. Each of us owns a different slice of what makes the summer work.
The team running the program day-to-day. Each of us owns a different slice of what makes the summer work.
For specific questions, reach out to John Werner (jwerner@mit.edu) or Theo Ehrmann (theo@ehrmann.haus).
For specific questions, reach out to John Werner (jwerner@mit.edu) or Theo Ehrmann (theo@ehrmann.haus).
Who Should Apply?
The people you'll sit across from. Off-the-record. Small-room.
You'll have access to intimate sessions with some of the most consequential builders and operators in Silicon Valley — curated by Imagination in Action, the team behind world leading AI convenings at MIT, Silicon Valley, Davos, and beyond.
Some of the people we have curated in the past:
You'll have access to intimate sessions with some of the most consequential builders and operators in Silicon Valley.
Curated by Imagination in Action, the team behind world leading AI convenings at MIT, Silicon Valley, Davos, and beyond.
