demodayLA is a partnership between John Diep (founder of Schmoozd) and Zach Sekar (founder of StartupCoil), two of LA’s top event producers known for curating unique networking and startup-focused events. Together, they bring their expertise and a combined audience of 100,000 email subscribers, creating a powerful platform to showcase innovative startups and connect entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, and industry leaders.
John Diep
John kicked off Schmoozd in 2009, right as the LA tech scene was beginning to boom. Shortly after, he teamed up with Howard Marks (co-founder of ACTIVISION) to launch StartEngine, a startup accelerator that stood alongside early competitors like Mucker and Science. As Managing Director at StartEngine, John oversaw nearly 50 startups, guiding them through funding, scaling, and mentorship. His efforts helped launch major successes like ZipRecruiter (Ian Siegel), JoinHoney (Ryan Hudson/George Ruan), and many others. John’s passion for empowering startups has left a lasting mark on the LA tech landscape.
Zach Sekar
Zach has been an active member of the LA startup community since 2012. He is the founder of StartupCoil, a community for entrepreneurs to connect and learn from each other through events and workshops. Zach also works as a consultant for startups, providing expertise in fundraising, marketing strategies, and growth hacking.
Together, John and Zach bring their passion for supporting entrepreneurial growth to demodayLA and are committed to making it a premier event for startups in Los Angeles. With their combined experience and connections within the industry, they are dedicated to making demodayLA a success for both startups and attendees alike.