⊹ A spark of Genius ⊹
Circe's spell book of ideas, people, and opportunities, curated to enchant your week
⊹ THE CIRCE BRIEF
The heat is rising in SF, and we are not sure if it is spring creeping in, or from the startup energy reaching a boiling point.
A recent Intuit Quickbooks survey found that 33% of U.S adults plan to start a business in 2026, a 94% jump from last year.
Whether that comes from overstimulation, ambition, or simply being tired of the old career playbook: AI is both pushing and pulling this shift.
It is pushing the traditional corporate path to the curb. Tens of thousands of tech workers have already been affected by layoffs this year, and the corporate world no longer feels like the safety net it once did. For many, it is starting to feel less like a ladder and more like a waiting game.
At the same time, the line between a side hustle and career move is getting blurrier. Nearly half of people with side hustles are staying in their jobs, but they are already eyeing the exit. They are spending an average of 19.5 hours a month on their side hustle, earning around $2,083 a month in the process.
Translation: the side hustle is not so side anymore. It may be your next move.
And then there is the pull. The rise in entrepreneurship is not just from job insecurity. It is also about a lower barrier to entry. Founders can now research, write, design, automate, and launch faster than ever before.
AI is lowering the barrier, job security is shakier, more people are building, and Circe is the network turning that shift into action.
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⊹ CIRCE DEALFLOW
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Arena Diagnostics [MedTech]
Raising: Pre-Seed
Kidney reflux testing is niche, but badly underserved. The current gold-standard test involves a catheter, X-ray imaging, and contrast dye, and still fails to catch many intermittent cases. Arena Diagnostics, founded by Andrea McDonald is changing that with the first at-home, noninvasive test for kidney reflux.
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Bloomi [Retail Health]
Raising: Seed II
Bloomi is the future of intimate wellness. The sexologist- led brand is bringing clean, plant based intimacy essentials and inclusive education to a space long overdue for it. Founded by Rebecca Alvarez, Bloomi is already sold at our go-to’s like Amazon, CVS, Target, and Free People.
⊹ TALENT MOVES
⊹ CIRCE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Analyst @ Berkeley Skydeck Fund
Grace is an Analyst at Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, where she works across investing, operations, data, and community to support a portfolio of 300+ companies. She helps build the systems, processes, and relationships that support SkyDeck’s founders, investors, advisors, and broader ecosystem.
Grace graduated from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business in 2024 and was actively involved in entrepreneurship, including participating in SkyDeck’s incubator as a founder. She also previously worked as an audit intern at PwC, where she developed a foundation in finance and business operations.
Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, rock climbing, and spending time by the beach.
⟡ EVENTS
APRIL 9 | Hosted by Circe, AIX Ventures, and The Tech Bros
A full stack AI creation platform that allows users to generate interactive 3D worlds from text using a suite of generative tools.
MAY 8 | Hosted by Circe
We’re trading pitch decks for deep breaths and Slack pings for moving meditation. Join Circe at Vuori on Union Street for an intimate evening of movement, breath work, and reflection!
APRIL 12 | Youth and AI Innovation Summit (YAIS)
A hands-on event for students ages 8–18 to explore AI, technology, and entrepreneurship through projects, demos, and competitions.
See Our Entire Calendar of Events Here.
.⊹ OFFICE HOURS ⊹
Anna Gurney
Circe, Berkeley MBA/MPH, Chief of Staff @ Aura Finance
Topics: Early stage investing, Women’s Health, HealthTech, VC ecosystem, and building founder networks.
⊹ BOOK TIME
Isa D’Elia
Circe, Berkeley MBA, Bizdev and GTM @ Kenley (YC ‘24)
Topics: Applied AI, HR Tech, 0→1 product strategy, and building systems that help teams move faster.
⊹ BOOK TIME
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⟡ Want your company, job openings, or your brand featured in next week’s spark? ⟡
Busy, right? That’s the life of being a woman! There’s always so much happening and life moves far too fast, but we can’t forget to recognize how awesome you are make sure you’re always in the loop!
We are so excited about allll the things we’ve got going on—and coming up. We hope you’ll be the biggest part of it!
Thank you for joining us in this journey of creation and empowerment.
