Register now for Launch Dayton Startup Week!
July 19, 2021
Tickets available for Dayton’s premier entrepreneurship conference
This free, annual, week-long, community-focused conference brings together the region’s thinkers, dreamers, doers, makers, entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“Speakers and workshops have been curated to celebrate the diversity of our startup community and to spur tangible progress for local businesses,” said Launch Dayton Startup Week organizer Audrey Ingram. “At Launch Dayton, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to determine their own economic prosperity. We hope Startup Week serves as a launching point for these young companies that will drive the economic future of the region.”
This year’s conference is made possible thanks to generous support from title sponsors Canary Consulting, Fifth Third Bank, Parallax Advanced Research and the Entrepreneurs’ Center.
- Who: Dayton’s startup founders, entrepreneurs, innovators, small business owners, business leaders, entrepreneurial resource providers, business-building experts, and more
- What: Launch Dayton Startup Week, the Dayton region’s premier entrepreneurship conference
- When: Sept. 13-16, 2021
- Where: All of this year’s sessions will be held in the historic Dayton Arcade complex, from the main stage, startup market and pitch competition in the Rotunda, to business workshops in The Hub, to industry-specific tracks in The Tank and an artists + creative entrepreneurs track in The Contemporary’s gallery space. (We’ll also be live-streaming sessions for those who prefer to attend virtually.)
- Why: to celebrate the diversity of Dayton’s entrepreneur community and to spur tangible growth for local businesses
Be Inspired:
Monday, Sept. 13 we’ll kick off at 8:30a with inspirational stories and how-to talks from founders offering advice that applies across industry lines, all told from our main stage in the historic Rotunda. Shop local businesses throughout the day at the Launch Dayton Startup Week Startup Market, hosted in partnership with Tae Winston, founder of the The Entrepreneurs’ Marketplace, Shoppe & Connection.
Stick around after the final keynote for a social hour, followed by the Launch Dayton Startup Week Early Risers Pitch Competition, where 10 local startups will compete for cash + prizes, starting at 6p.
Want to pitch & win up to $5K in cash + prizes? Apply here by Aug. 13.
Hear & network with:
- Mile Two founders Jeff Graley and Jorge Sanchez talk about growing from a four-man shop during the first Startup Week to landing a $15M government contract;
- Maximize the Money You Have — Financial guru Emerald Sparks & Arcani Coil Care founder Jerricha Hoskins will talk about getting out of the mindset that someone else will give you money to launch your business;
- A panel of business owners will discuss Doing Business in 2020 — we’ll talk about the challenges of the pandemic and rising hate crimes, as well as opportunities stemming from the recent push for racial justice;
- Marketing experts will debunk the most common marketing myths they hear from clients looking to launch or grow their business on a budget;
- Neurosurgeon turned entrepreneur & investor Dave Kirschman will share his story, from his entrepreneurial start in a college dorm room to his $90M X-spine Systems exit. His current company, Aerobiotix, produces an air filtration system for operating rooms.
- Nickole Ross, cofounder of the only minority-owned and Black woman-operated processing facility in Ohio’s burgeoning cannabis industry, will sit down with What’s The Biz founder Te’Jal Cartwright to talk about breaking into an industry that has disproportionately harmed her community.
Work On Your Business:
Tuesday through Thursday, dig deeper into your business with industry-specific tracks and get hands-on with various workshop opportunities. We’ll kick off after lunch and go until 8p to create more opportunities for aspiring founders to attend. Partners have curated a series of offerings for founders innovating in the areas of:
Tuesday, Sept. 14
- MedTech, curated by BioOhio;
- SaaS, curated by Technology First;
- Business 101 classes, curated by Parallax’s Early Risers Academy;
- Marketing workshops, curated by LMG
- Elevator pitch practice — in an actual elevator
Wednesday, Sept. 15
- Food/Bev/Retail/Consumer Products, curated by Downtown Dayton Partnership and the Arcade Kitchen Incubator;
- Artists + Creative Entrepreneurs, curated by Culture Works & hosted by The Contemporary Dayton;
- Scaleup workshops on value prop, financials and investment models, curated by the Entrepreneurs’ Center;
- A million-dollar women founders panel, curated by Aviatra Accelerators — Dayton
Thursday, Sept. 16
- Defense, curated by Parallax Advanced Research and sponsored by Infinite Management Solutions & Treble One Aerospace;
- Future Tech, curated by OhioX;
- Marketing workshops, curated by LMG
Join us in-person by entering the Dayton Arcade via The Hub Powered by PNC, at 31. S. Main Street, downtown Dayton. Park at the Reibold Garage on Fifth Street, or park at meters available around the building.
Prefer to attend virtually? Register now, and as the conference gets closer, we’ll send you a link to download the official Launch Dayton Startup Week app. The app, available on iOS, Android and the web, will allow you to personalize your schedule, attend sessions, connect with attendees, find resources, and win prizes.