Kingpins 2015

Insite is a great program that connects graduate students at leading universities to the startup community around them. It started in NYC and has been connecting graduate students at NYU and Columbia to the NYC startup community for well over a decade. It is now active in other startup communities around the US.

They raise money each year for their NYC programs with a bowling event called Kingpins. Startup companies and VC firms buy lanes and half lanes and the result is a fun night of eating, drinking, and bowling. The startups and VCs mingle with the Insite fellows and all sorts of good things happen.

This year’s event is Monday, April 13th, from 6pm to 9pm, at Chelsea Piers. Half lanes are $1000 and full lanes are $1800. If you are a VC firm and want to support the local community, Insite, and meet startups, you should buy a full lane. If you are a startup and want to drink beer with VCs, think about a half lane. If you are just a regular community member and want to joint the fun, you can buy a single ticket for $150.

The details and tickets are here.

#NYC#VC & Technology

Comments (Archived):

  1. JLM

    .This is a smart and clever thing to do. If I were in NYC, I would be bowling.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

    1. JimHirshfield

      Bowling? Don’t you have a real job?

      1. LE

        Bowling involves intermittent reinforcement just like being a comedian.

      2. JLM

        .Actually, I don’t. I am a struggling writer with no struggle.Bowling is actually kind of hard. I used to take my whole company bowling at Dart Bowl — which has the best damn enchiladas in all of Central Texas. That is a very powerful secret and one that I don’t even tell people I like in ATX.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

        1. LE

          This was on the news last night. Only in your state could things like this happen and could parents actually think it’s a good idea to do this:http://www.nbcnews.com/news…(Kids, young kids, getting trained to ride bulls)

          1. JLM

            .The kids start out on sheep not bulls.I can’t get too excited about it but you have to know that rural Texas is a whole different world.There are real cows and real cowboys and rodeos and fandangos and guns as tools. This is not the mechanical bull at Gilley’s.Half of Texas is urban and half is rural. It is a different world.Next time you’re down here, we — you and me — go ride a couple of bulls. “Looking for 8!”Eight seconds is the minimum graded ride and the bulls get graded for degree of difficulty every ride.BTW, I hope you’re not disrespecting Texas. We won’t have that.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

          2. LE

            The kids start out on sheep not bulls.They made that point. But the video portion showed what I would consider young kids on what was definitely not sheep.BTW, I hope you’re not disrespecting Texas. We won’t have that.Well maybe I should be clearer then. I think that any parent (in any state or country or planet) that encourages kids to do something dangerous like this is a moron. The idea is to protect your child (who has a non fully developed brain along with the parent apparently..).One father in the video stated something like “it’s not any more dangerous than motocross” as if that’s a justification for allowing his kid to do it.

          3. JLM

            .I actually agree with you. I wouldn’t let a kid of mine participate in either bull riding or motocross but I am going to have to put you on THAT list just for form.Now when you present your visa to get into Texas you’re going to be waterboarded. Not a bad idea just as a general practice. Good for one’s complexion.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

        2. JimHirshfield

          It all comes back to the food. Respect.

    2. LE

      Bowling? I want nothing to do with bowling. But the networking aspects definitely have potential. I have to figure out a way to get my daughter to go to this (so she can meet a nice guy)

      1. JimHirshfield

        First father ever that wished his daughter meets a guy in a bowling alley. Are you sure that’s how you want to use 1 of your 3 wishes?

        1. LE

          I don’t know about any 3 wishes rule therefore it doesn’t apply to me.By the way, definitely watch this on PBS (and tell Dad and Mom):Little White Lie (was also a Kickstarter)http://video.pbs.org/video/…http://www.littlewhitelieth…The full film is only on PBS until the end of the month.

          1. JimHirshfield

            Whoa. Looks interesting. Thanks.

          2. LE

            Yeah I will reserve my comments until you have seen it but there is more to this video than meets the eye or has been presented by the video. Btw, PBS only has it until the end of the month so watch it now if you can.

          3. JimHirshfield

            I have a real job. So I can’t watch it now. Maybe tonight. Thanks.

    3. Vineeth Kariappa

      As a VC, would you really fund a “startup” that wastes time n money on bowling instead of their product?

      1. Matt Zagaja

        I think you’ll find a preponderance of the people here at AVC are bullish on the value of participating in and building communities. One of the things I find really strange is the proposition that people make that if you are doing one thing that may not look like work, that it is detracting from doing actual work. If we were robots and not people, and our productivity curves were smooth, I suppose that could make sense. However we know that each hour of work we do is not equally productive or valuable (economists call this diminishing marginal utility). In fact we also know that spending too much time overworking yourself can have a negative impact on overall productivity. People need sleep, food, and to be social to be at their best.I’ve worked for (and even run) things that have involved long hours, stress, etc. and the thing I eventually learned is that people that are always “too busy” or “stressed out” are just usually poor at time management. The biggest improvement I ever made to my life was having things done before deadlines instead of at them.

  2. pointsnfigures

    great idea for community building. Chicago ought to steal it.

    1. JimHirshfield

      You should organize it.

      1. pointsnfigures

        i have a real job….will pass along the idea though.

        1. JimHirshfield

          Hahaha

          1. Jigdel

            You guys are on a roll today!

          2. karen_e

            They are just cray-cray. Pretty much every day.

  3. Seth M Phillips

    I’m an InSITE fellow in NYC. I love the program and Kingpins is a fun event. Thanks for the shout-out Fred!

  4. awaldstein

    Considering this…

  5. Kirsten Lambertsen

    I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again!I participated with the Danger Ladies contingent last year and can confirm, y’all, this is a good time in a neat venue with amazing people.

  6. SpeedNY

    Are these only limited to Tech companies and investors?

  7. Andrew

    Is Fred going this year?

    1. fredwilson

      I would have said so if I was. I will be in SF that week unfortunately

      1. Andrew

        Thanks for the quick response. I am sorry I won’t meet you there, but am still looking forward to the event! Enjoy SF.

  8. insitefellows

    we are open to suggestions.