Founder Launched Networking Group for Bay Area Startups
The 12 Scrappy Founders community began offering paid memberships in early summer 2026.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Startups
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Founder Alena Beliauskaya built a network for over 600 Bay Area founders that prioritizes personal connection over transactional business pitches. The community, which officially launched its paid membership tier in early summer 2026, focuses on shared activities like pickleball and hiking.
Why it matters
The group offers a non-traditional alternative to formal industry mixers for seed through Series B founders. By fostering friendships rather than just professional leads, the organization seeks to address the social isolation often felt by early-stage entrepreneurs.
The network generates over $10,000 in monthly revenue, yielding a monthly profit of $2,000 to $3,000. It currently serves 600 total founders, with 20 individuals paying either $99 per month for general access or $3,000 annually for core membership.
The players
Alena Beliauskaya
The founder who moved to San Francisco and established the 12 Scrappy Founders networking community.
Red Bull
The energy drink brand that maintains a sponsorship partnership with the startup network.
The details
Members of 12 Scrappy Founders interact through a private Slack channel and organize various outings ranging from Tahoe camping trips to local dirt biking and poker games. Participation in the paid membership tier is strictly limited to founders at the seed, Series A, or Series B stages of development. The group maintains a sponsorship deal with Red Bull to support its operations.
Timeline
March 2025: Alena Beliauskaya moved to San Francisco.
Early summer 2026: The founder launched paid membership tiers.
Across the Bay
This venture follows the documented trend of community-led founder networks that prioritize social bonds over traditional, lecture-based startup conferences. It represents a departure from the transactional industry mixers that have historically defined the Bay Area business landscape.
Founders at the seed, Series A, or Series B stage can apply for membership to participate in local gatherings and outdoor outings. If you join, you will be invited to events like pickleball and poker sessions designed to build peer support outside of the office.
The takeaway
The group proves that even in a competitive tech hub, professional networks thrive most when built around genuine friendship rather than networking metrics. If you are an early-stage founder, consider tracking how informal community engagement impacts your long-term burnout and peer support network.
Further reading
For more on the local entrepreneurial landscape, visit our Startups section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by International Business Times UK.
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