Valley entrepreneurs have a chance to meet up, learn from experts and swap stories at this year’s Phoenix Startup Week, taking place both in person and virtually starting on April 25.
Five days of speakers, panel discussions and happy hours start next week from Monday through Friday at the 850 PBC building at 850 N. 5th St. in downtown Phoenix.
Phoenix Startup Week is organized by an all-volunteer group including Kate Rogers Sieker, head of this year’s efforts.
“We think very hard and intentionally about who we bring on as speakers and how we can support the ecosystem to grow and to connect, so that we can further excel," she said. "Phoenix Startup Week has really become like a premier event for the state in this way.”
This year’s speakers include founders and executives from Trainual, List Perfectly, WebPT, Tesis Labs, Virtuous Software, Atlis Motors, Botco and more talking about raising funding, building brands, hiring and growing in specific industries.
Last year the event was completely virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this year the event will be hybrid, with all in-person events streaming online for remote audiences. The space at 850 PBC has room for about 60 to 80 people to attend.
“We probably will always have a hybrid event going forward because of accessibility,” Sieker said. “Having it in person in one spot doesn't allow for the realities of the modern workforce and obviously busy entrepreneurs.”
Ensuring the event is accessible to everyone is an essential organizing principle, Sieker said. The virtual option makes it easier for working parents, busy founders and out-of-towners to listen to events, plus there are free, open-to-the-public happy hours each evening in the Valley.
Siekers said they are anticipating 900 people to attend this year, counting both in-person and virtual attendees.
An all-week virtual pass costs $50, while in-person tickets cost $20 per day. In-person tickets are sold by individual day, so attendees can purchase a single ticket for a single day, or chose multiple tickets for multiple days of access. Click here for more information.
Separately, the new global startup meetup group Venture Café Phoenix that opened inside the 850 PBC building earlier this month will host its next event on April 21.
