Masters of Scale Summit

October 7-9, 2025 | San Francisco

About

Masters of Scale Summit

Masters of Scale Summit is the premier event for forward-thinking leaders seeking fresh ideas, challenging perspectives, and genuine human connection. Attendance at the live event is by invitation and application only. Speakers and guests join for the entire event, immersed in an environment designed to cultivate innovation, acceleration, and co-elevation.

We convene in San Francisco on October 7-9, 2025 at The Presidio Theatre, a beautifully restored art deco treasure nestled in the campus-like Presidio park, with sweeping views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s unlike any other gathering of the year. Applications are now open!

Masters of Scale

Our mission at Masters of Scale is to democratize entrepreneurship through world-class media, insights, and events.

Masters of Scale launched in 2017 as a podcast hosted by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and investor at Greylock. In each episode, listeners hear candid conversations with iconic business leaders about how companies scale from zero to a gazillion and inspire innovative, counterintuitive approaches to growth.  Unlike any other business podcast, it blends storytelling, strategy, and surprising insights.

Today, Masters of Scale has grown into a global platform with over 100 million podcast downloads, a best-selling book, and multiple spin-off series, including Rapid Response, hosted by Bob Safian (former Editor of Fast Company), and the newly launched Pioneers of AI, hosted by AI visionary Dr. Rana el Kaliouby. Everything we create serves our global community of founders, funders, and leaders looking to innovate at scale (65% of our podcast listeners identify as CEOs or C-Suite).

Masters of Scale Summit brings together our community of fast-scaling founders, funders, and leaders to learn from each other, collaborate and co-elevate along the journey to scale.

Venue Information

Presidio Theatre

99 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129

Masters of Scale Summit will be held at the Presidio Theatre Performing Arts Center.

FAQ

Application

  • Attendance at Summit is by application and invitation only. There are two paths through which you may be accepted as a Masters of Scale Summit attendee: 

    Path 1: General Applicants – Individuals who represent unicorn companies ($1B+ valuation), fast-scaling startups, public companies, investment firms, nonprofits, or cultural organizations. The cost to attend Masters of Scale Summit as a General Applicant is $7,500. 

    We will review your application and notify you via email of the decision.

    Note: A limited fund is available to support nonprofit and impact-driven organizations. If this sounds like you, please proceed with the general application and register your interest in financial support on the next page.

    Path 2: Early Stage Founders – Diverse, disruptive first-time founders of fast-scaling start-ups (<$20M funding). If accepted, you will receive complimentary registration for Summit and be invited to participate in two days of supplemental programming (on October 6th and 7th) tailored specifically for your group. This cohort’s registration and accommodation fees are generously supported by our premier brand partner, Capital One Business.

    Apply now!

  • The cost for in-person attendance is $7,500 USD. All attendees are responsible for their own lodging and travel expenses unless you are accepted as part of the Early Stage Founder cohort. For Early Stage Founders, registration and accommodation fees are covered by our premier brand partner, Capital One Business.

  • Masters of Scale Summit is committed to supporting exceptional leaders driving innovation and social change. To make attendance more accessible, we offer a limited number of discounted tickets for those who need financial assistance. If cost is a barrier, you can indicate your request for assistance directly in the application form.

  • The Masters of Scale Summit scholarship fund will support a limited number of impact-driven leaders by covering the cost of their attendance at Summit. If you’d like to contribute to this fund, we’d be grateful to steward your generosity in service of this community. Please contact Taylor Branch (taylor@waitwhat.com) for more information about how to contribute.

General

  • Masters of Scale Summit is the premier event for forward-thinking leaders seeking fresh ideas, challenging perspectives, and genuine human connection. Unlike any gathering in the business world or beyond, Summit provides a platform for industry titans to share unexpected insights and hard-won wisdom, while also creating space for spontaneous, career-altering interactions between attendees.

  • Masters of Scale Summit will take place from October 7–9, 2025. Attendees should block their calendars for the evening of October 7th, and for the entirety of October 8 and 9 to experience two full days of session programming.

  • Masters of Scale takes place in San Francisco, California at The Presidio Theatre (99 Moraga Ave, San Francisco CA 94129). The theatre is a beautifully restored art deco treasure nestled in the campus-like Presidio Park, with sweeping views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

  • Masters of Scale Summit audience is thoughtfully curated, with 800 individuals hand-selected to attend in person in accordance with a very specific thesis. This deliberate curation ensures an exceptional caliber of attendees in the room, as well as a dynamic combination of backgrounds and perspectives. Masters of Scale Summit is designed for curious, forward-thinking leaders at the helm of today’s most innovative businesses and nonprofits. The majority of on-site attendees are entrepreneurs, founders, and C-suite executives.

  • All sessions at Summit will be delivered in English, with local language subtitles available for those tuning into the livestream.

  • We understand that sometimes plans need adjusting. If you’re unable to attend Summit after purchasing your ticket, you’ll have the option to either:

    Roll your ticket over to Summit 2026 

    OR

    You can refer a colleague for a potential ticket transfer. Since Summit is by invitation and application only, all referrals must be submitted to our curation team for review. If your colleague is approved, Masters of Scale will process a ticket transfer.

Contact Us

  • To suggest a speaker for the 2025 stage program, please complete the short form here.

Watch Summit 2024

Subscribe to the Masters of Scale YouTube channel to view select videos from the Summit stage

To hear new podcast episodes based on conversations from the Summit stage, subscribe to the following shows in your favorite podcast player:
Rapid Response, Masters of Scale, and Pioneers of AI.

The premier event for fast-scaling leaders.