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Public Talks

Free! All Talks are at 518 Valencia (near 16th Street, one block from 16th Street BART) and begin at 7:30 pm  unless otherwise noted.


Our Public Talks are partly underwritten by the City Lights Foundation and Rainbow Grocery Cooperative.




 Download the Spring 2026 calendar as a pdf
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Archive of past talks

All our Talks have been integrated into our digital archive at Foundsf.org, and may be easier to access there.

Topic areas of our audio recordings of public talks going back to 2006:

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Photo by Chris Carlsson

Wed., May 27, 7:30pm

AI and Empire Building

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

We bring together several sharp critics of the hype machine that has long characterized the internet and our successive tech booms, currently blowing up in the AI bubble. Lost in the hand wringing over the more exaggerated claims of boosters and doomers is the ongoing reproduction of a colonial seizure of what should be our common wealth. This process has long historic roots and in some ways it is thanks to our amnesiac culture that the current crop of billionaire investors and tech bros have gotten away with doing it all again. Wendy Liu, Alex Hanna, Tamara Kneese, and Elizabeth Travelslight.

We welcome donations. Donate now!

Photo by Chris Carlsson

Wed., June 3, 7:30pm

Rewilding San Francisco

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

World Environment Day with its Global Call for Climate Action is June 5. Restoring nature reduces our climate impact while making our life-places more resilient to climate disruption. Join us for a panel discussion with community stewards caring for and rewilding San Francisco's public open spaces. Learn about current stewardship work and strategies for helping nature thrive in San Francisco so that San Franciscans can thrive in nature. Tom Radulovich, Peter Brastow, and others TBA.

We welcome donations. Donate now!