All Building Growth on Two Fronts at an LA Founder Event
March 17, 20264 min read
SapientPro hosted The Power of Connections in Los Angeles on March 3, led by Maryna Slyzhuk, our Regional Director for the US market, with Galit Fuller, founder of The Connection Company, as a co-organizer and speaker. The program paired Galit’s relationship-first approach with Maryna’s view on smart technical solutions that remove repetitive work. Attendees walked away with a practical way to build real connections, plus concrete automation examples, including SDS file management and report generation, that showed how small teams can reclaim time and focus on what helps a business move forward.
Why This Was Not a Typical Networking Night
Maryna framed the night around one outcome. Give founders ideas they can put to work immediately, where relationships and technology support the same goal – business growth. Galit’s segment emphasized curiosity, shared interests, and being helpful, instead of chasing quick wins. Maryna’s segment picked up the same thread from an operations angle, using automation and clearer data to cut repetitive tasks and reduce second guessing. Together, the talks reinforced a single point. When founders listen first and build with intent, both their networks and their systems start producing better outcomes.
An Audience Drawn from Across Industries
The guest list reflected how Los Angeles builds companies in the real world, across fields that rarely share a table. The room brought together startup founders and business owners alongside attorneys, real estate agents, marketing specialists, and artists. Maryna noted that the early minutes felt reserved, then shifted quickly once people started introducing themselves and naming what they were working on. Conversations became animated, with attendees swapping ideas, comparing notes across industries, and finding unexpected points of overlap. The through line was consistent. People were looking for practical progress, supported by relationships they actually want to maintain, and backed by systems that reduce daily friction rather than adding another layer to manage.
Quality Over Quantity, With a Method Behind It
Galit brought a clear and practical philosophy that resonated because it replaces networking theater with a repeatable practice. The point is not volume. It is depth. Instead of scanning a room for prospects, founders were encouraged to lead with curiosity, find genuine common ground, and show up ready to be useful, through a resource, an introduction, or practical support. She also shared a thoughtful follow-up method. Rather than sending a generic “great to meet you” message, attendees were encouraged to follow up with something useful tied to the conversation, such as a relevant article, podcast, or e-book. That small shift makes the follow-up more memorable and helps new relationships continue with purpose.
That posture mirrors how we work at SapientPro. We start by understanding what matters, clarify the real need, then act with intent. During the networking portion, the room moved in that direction quickly, with conversations that carried beyond polite small talk and into concrete follow-ups.
The energy was electric. We were surrounded by amazing professionals from a variety of fields, all eager to connect, exchange ideas, and grow together. The positive feedback truly warmed our hearts and confirmed what we believe. Meaningful connections have the power to transform.
Galit Fuller
The Systems Side of Growth That Maryna Brought In
Our segment stayed close to the daily friction founders recognize immediately, repetitive tasks, unclear workflows, and data that still does not give a clean answer. The examples made it tangible. With ProductRoom, attendees were genuinely surprised that a single platform can manage thousands of SDS files arriving in different languages and formats from multiple manufacturers. Centralized data means product information can be found in seconds, instead of being hunted across folders and inboxes. A second example, a compliance reporting platform, sparked the same response. Several people had not realized report generation can be automated, leaving teams with a quick review step rather than manual completion. For small teams, saving 30 to 60 minutes per person per day adds up fast.
In my day-to-day work, I use AI in very practical ways. I use Claude for quick research and idea exploration, and Perplexity when I need to work through long documents or build a stronger understanding of a complex topic. Depending on the task, I also use Gemini for meeting notes, Notion AI to organize my work, and Grammarly to write emails more clearly and quickly. That personal experience shapes how I talk about AI with founders. I have seen how much time and mental effort the right tools can save when they are used with a clear purpose. That is why I wanted attendees to leave not just with general inspiration, but with ideas they could apply right away. When you reduce repeat work and remove guesswork from decision-making, running a business becomes much more manageable.
Maryna Slyzhuk
Voices
The event also made one point especially clear. Business owners are not only curious about AI, they are looking for realistic ways to use it in daily work. For many of them, the event helped connect broad interest in new tools with more concrete operational questions.
Thank you for creating a very welcoming and positive environment. I found the information you provided particularly helpful and potentially applicable in my work.
Garen Gevorgyan
I enjoyed that the event was a conversational format. Your presentation inspired me to start using even more AI in my daily workflows. Looking forward to keeping in touch.
Jason Lee
Thank you for hosting such a great event. I really enjoyed being there and connecting with everyone. The networking and conversations were definitely the most valuable part.
Dramel Hampton
The Conversation Continues
Maryna is already preparing the next Beverly Hills event for small and mid-sized businesses on April 1. Guest speaker Roman Vashkevych will bring a perspective especially relevant to companies thinking about how they present themselves in the market. Drawing on his work in video production and brand content, he will speak about visual storytelling, audience attention, and the role AI can play in modern creative work. Registration details and venue information will be shared separately.
Build on What Started Here
The best part of The Power of Connections was how naturally the two themes fit together. Growth comes from relationships you can build on, and from systems that stop stealing time in the background. If your team is feeling the strain of manual admin, scattered information, or report work that always takes longer than it should, we can help you get specific fast.
Reach out to SapientPro with a few lines about what you are building, what keeps repeating, and where decisions slow down. We will review your current process and infrastructure, then share a short set of technical options you can act on.
Photography by Keturah Bishop.
