The eighth annual DC Startup Week approaches, and with over 150 events on the docket, DC Inno wants to help you set the agenda with highlights of some can't miss moments.
The theme of this year’s DC Startup week, scheduled for Oct. 16-20, is "being bold, making bold decisions, making bold moves,” said Rachel Koretsky, the director of DC Startup week and co-chair of the coalition of startup founders that run the event.
Koretsky is the founder of Upace, an application that helps recreation centers engage and retain members with data analytics on occupancy and usage patterns, and provides management tools for staff and customers like room reservations and scheduling. When she started her company in 2014, it was building community through events that helped her through the challenging times, she said. She’s been a part of DC Startup week since it began in 2016.
“I strongly believe that the community aspect of being a founder is crucial to help you not be one of the statistics that fails,” Koretsky said. “Having those people and their resources behind you is gonna make all the difference.”
You can check out the full DC Startup Week schedule here. And if you haven't registered you can do that here.
This is a quick rundown of events and panels DC Inno believes will help founders make the best bold decisions for their business and build the community necessary to succeed.
Monday, Oct. 17
From Disruptive to Mainstream: A Blueprint to Building Purposeful Startups that Change Industries with Serial Entrepreneur Seth Goldman
10:30 to 11:00 a.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW
Seth Goldman speaks on his startup journey from Honest Tea to Eat The Change and illustrates how purpose driven startups can create huge traction.
Founder Lunch and Networking
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the National Union Building, 918 F St. NW
This feels like a no-brainer to mention, but check out the founders networking lunch because you never know where a connection could take you.
Why Entrepreneurs Need to Understand the Investment Portfolio Mindset of Angel and Venture Capital Investors
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the National Union Building
This panel breaks down how angel and venture capitalists analyze their investment opportunities, according to Tommy White, senior professorial lecturer at the Kogod School of Business at American University.
Building a Team that Scales: Lessons, Challenges and Opportunities from $0 to $10M
4:55 to 5:30 p.m. at the National Union Building
This panel of founders and executives discuss behind-the-scenes stories of success and failure in hiring, and how to build — and mold — a team that can scale. The panel features Cameron Hardesty, CEO & Founder of Poppy and former Head of Merchandising at UrbanStems, Ajay Kori, Co-Founder, former CEO and Chairman of UrbanStems, Tessa Wolf, first employee and former CMO of Framebridge, Claudia Naim-Burt, COO & Co-Founder of Keep Company, and former executive at Framebridge, and Jasmine Jones, CEO & Founder of Cherry Blossom Intimates and Myya.
Tuesday, Oct. 17
How to Build a Niche AI Startup and Cut Through the Noise
11:25 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. at the National Union Building
This panel covers how you can identify unique opportunities in AI, build a promising product and stand out among others in this popular sector. Panelists include FIN Digital CEO Marcus Finley, CoNote Cofounder and CTO Nisha Iyer, IndyGeneUS AI Founder and CEO Yusuf Henriques, and Mentor and Advisor Debra Cancro.
Deploying Capital Efficiently: What to do After a Successful Raise
2:30 to 3:10 p.m. at the National Union Building
Founders and investors discuss what happens after the raise is done and illustrate the best ways to use that runway to grow the business. The panel includes Chris Osaka, founder and CEO of hospitality real estate company Tomu Inc.; James Chapman, founder and CEO of event tech company Plain Sight; Nick Duafala, principal at K Street Capital; and Tahira Dosani, managing partner of ResilienceVC.
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Equity Crowdfunding a Venture Capital Alternative
10:00 to 11 a.m. at Expansive Coworking, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW
The state of venture capital is not the most favorable to founders these days, amid high interest rates, stubborn inflation and some high-profile busts like Silicon Valley Bank. Gary Skulnik, founder and CEO of solar energy company Neighborhood Sun, and Paul Jossey, principal attorney at Jossey PLLC, will discuss how regulation crowdfunding can be an answer for those seeking capital, in a conversation moderated by Lawrence Bard, partner at Next, a startup practice group for Potomac-based law firm Shulman Rogers.
Thursday, Oct. 19
Doing It All: How Female Founders and Funders Juggle Startups, Funding, and Family
3:30 to 4:10 p.m. at International Square Conference Center, 1875 Eye St. NW
Angel Livas, founder and CEO of ALIVE Podcast Network, Kalsoom Lakhani, Co-founder & General Partner at i2i Ventures, Cameron Hardesty, founder and ceo of Poppy Flowers, and Samantha Saperstein, who leads the Women on the Move Center of Excellence at JPMorgan Chase & Co., share how they balance running a business, motherhood and more in this panel.
Friday, Oct. 20
What is Success for Early Stage Founders raising in Today’s Market?
11:40 to 12:20 p.m. at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW
Tracy Chadwell, founding Partner of 1843 Capital, Mike Grubbs, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Potomac Angel Capital, and Nicole Paolozzi, founder and CEO of homecare startup OndeCare discuss what success looks like relative to past performance for startups raising capital in the current venture economy.
DCSW23 Early & Growth Stage Pitch Competition
1:30 to 2:15 p.m. at the National Building Museum
Some of the top startups and founders in the area compete on two tracks for funding that could help them scale to the next stage.
