About Us
Our Story
Tech + Startups Community began as a small gathering in Miami in August 2023, bringing together innovators, founders, and tech enthusiasts. What started as a local meetup quickly evolved into a global movement spanning 22 cities across 7 countries worldwide. Our mission? To connect top startups, tech professionals, and investors to foster innovation and collaboration across borders. By creating accessible, engaging, and affordable events, we’ve become the go-to network for those shaping the future of technology.
Our Vision
We envision a world where tech ecosystems thrive in every corner of the globe, fueled by collaboration, shared knowledge, and opportunities accessible to everyone.
What We Do
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Events: Monthly meetups in cities like NYC, SF, LA, and more, plus an annual conference that gathers top minds from across the tech world.
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Media: Podcasts featuring VCs and founders, and weekly newsletters sent to 10,000+ subscribers.
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Community: A network of passionate leaders driving change and innovation in their local startup scenes.
Meet Our Team

Denis Hiller
Founder & CEO
Denis Hiller is a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record of scaling tech startups. He played a key role in building Hotspot Shield, securing a $52M investment from Goldman Sachs before its $295M exit to WndrCo. He also co-founded Uloop, raising $1.5M from Gannett, and helped bring ZenCentiv, an enterprise SaaS startup, to market.
Beyond tech, Denis collaborated with industry leaders like Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia, fueling his passion for community-building. He founded the Tech + Startups Community, which has grown from a grassroots initiative in Miami to a global network of 10,000+ members across 22 cities in 7 countries, fostering innovation and meaningful connections.

Gozel Akeyeva
Co-Founder
Gozel has extensive experience in international trading, marketing, consulting, and financial management. In addition to co-founding the Tech + Startups Community, she serves as a Petrochemical Consultant for the Caspian Region at H.J. Baker & Bro., LLC and Oxbow. She is also the Founder of Akeros GmbH and previously worked as a Project Director at CIFAL Group, overseeing the organization of the State Oil and Gas Congress of Turkmenistan (OGT-2018).
Additionally, she has been involved in various private and government projects across the oil and gas, petrochemical, textile, and finance sectors.
City Leaders
A dynamic group of community builders who represent our 22 cities, from Miami to Dubai. They ensure every event reflects the unique character of local startup ecosystem.
A huge thank you for supporting this Startup Community Disleve Kanku M.S - Boston, Oliver Moreno - Atlanta, Inga Broerman - Washigton DC, Mandy Zaransky-Hurst - Chicago, Aram Vartanian - Zurich, Luis Woite - London, Carlos Mendez Tafur - Bogota, Igor Hiller - Los Angeles, J B - Orlando, Tony Bai - New York, Gozel Akeyeva - Miami, Kevin Rubio - Chicago, Huseyin Altinisik - Raleigh, William King II - Frankfurt, Allaberdi Akeyev - Ashgabat and many more!
Our Growing Team
We’re expanding! Meet the marketing experts, content creators, and organizers working behind the scenes to bring our vision to life.

Inna Dubrovina
Head of Communications
Inna has over a decade of experience in public relations and communications. She has served as an Information Officer at UNFPA and led PR efforts for top Kazakhstani banks, including Eurasian Bank and Bank CenterCredit, as Head of PR. As Communications Manager at CIFAL Group, she oversaw the promotion of the State Oil and Gas Congress of Turkmenistan (OGT-2018), a major industry event.
She was also involved in a few government and private projects, providing communications and translation services.
Inga Broerman
Strategic Advisor
Growth Marketing Strategist | Revenue-driven CMO | Demand Builder | Sales Partner
Inga Broerman is a seasoned growth marketing leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategy and execution for startups and early-stage companies. As Vice President of Marketing at BluLogix, she leads innovative initiatives for the industry's only intelligent subscription billing provider, transforming data into revenue in the digital economy. Her expertise spans SaaS, technology, IoT, and analytics, with a focus on demand generation, sales enablement, and branding to accelerate growth and enhance customer retention.
A Founding Member of Chief, a network dedicated to empowering senior women leaders, Inga is passionate about impactful leadership and driving meaningful change. She excels at building high-performing teams, fostering strategic partnerships, and executing marketing roadmaps that deliver sustainable growth and exceptional ROI.
Arjun Dev Arora
Advisor
Managing Partner at Format One
Arjun is the Founder of Format One, advising funds, startups, LPs, and Fortune 100 companies on strategy, GTM, product, monetization, and fundraising. An active investor, he has backed early-stage companies like Lyft, RapidAPI, Branch, Flexport, Notion, and Virta Health.
Previously, he was In Residence at Expa, a Partner at 500 Startups—where he invested and helped raise capital—and the Founder & CEO of ReTargeter, acquired in 2015. He also held roles at Yahoo! and Jefferies Broadview.
Beyond startups, Arjun served as Chairman of the Saint Francis Foundation, managing a $100M+ fund. He has spoken globally on entrepreneurship and has been recognized by the White House, United Nations, and Global Summit for Entrepreneurship for his contributions to innovation and values-driven leadership.
Timeline
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August 2023: The first meetup in Miami sparks the creation of a thriving local community.
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January 2024: Expansion begins with new chapters in NYC, SF, and beyond.
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May 2025: First annual Tech + Startups Community Conference, featuring prominent VCs and founders.
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Future: Continued growth into more cities, expanding our podcast reach, and launching new ways to support startups.
Why Join Us?
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Be Inspired: Hear from industry leaders at our events and on our podcast.
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Make Connections: Build meaningful relationships with fellow founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts.
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Access Opportunities: Find your next co-founder, investor, or career move within our network.


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