Startup Week 2022 schedule drops

July 26, 2022

We’re so excited to release the full schedule for this year’s Launch Dayton Startup Week presented by Fifth Third Bank conference!

Launch Dayton Startup Week is the Dayton, Ohio entrepreneur community’s largest event, drawing roughly 1,000 attendees annually to celebrate, inspire and equip the Dayton region’s startup founders & business owners.

This year’s lineup features 50+ speakers across 60+ sessions, ranging from inspirational fireside chats with founders sharing stories of failure and success to hands-on workshops that will enable you to dig in and work on your business and leave with something tangible you can implement the next day.

Build your own personal conference agenda — once you register for the conference, you’ll get an invite to customize your personal schedule on Sched.

Everyone is welcome at Launch Dayton Startup Week

All experiences are welcome at Startup Week — whether a seasoned entrepreneur or new to the community, there is space to jump in.

The organizing team is committed to hosting a conference that is representative of the community we serve. Last year, main stage speakers were 50 percent women and 50 percent people of color. This year, we are working to meet those ratios across all conference stages.

We’re also mixing the schedule back up — rather than themed tracks by day, we hope that any business owner can find a relevant session whatever day they’re able to attend.

It’s so hard to choose only a few sessions to highlight, but here are a few that we’re excited for:

  • Untapped: Navigating Dayton’s Best-Kept Secrets for Entrepreneurs (Sept. 13, 9a) — Kick off your conference experience with the first-ever screening of the new film “Untapped: Navigating Dayton’s Best-Kept Secrets for Entrepreneurs.” This short documentary follows shares the stories of half dozen Dayton entrepreneurs as they connect with the region’s resources — most of which are free, and all of which are at Startup Week to connect with you and help you move your business forward!
  • Building the Killer Brownie Brand (Sept 13, 10a) — The Killer Brownie® Company grew out of Dorothy Lane Market, a local retail grocery business that Chimene Mayne Ross’s grandfather founded in 1948. The company began making a “killer brownie” in their bakeries in the late 1980’s. Killer Brownie® is now a fully independent wholesale company of true brownie specialists. In this talk, Entrepreneur Center advisor and serial startup founder Katie Hill will sit down with Chimene to talk about her story, how she built Killer Brownie® into the brand it is today, and her top piece of advice for new business owners looking to grow their own brands.
  • Focus over Balance: Raising $500K During a Pandemic(Sept. 14, 9a) It’s no easy feat to raise half a million dollars — even less so amid a global pandemic — but Inphlu founder Josh Reid made it happen. In this session, the Black tech founder will talk about how to prioritize your end goals and get comfortable being uncomfortable.
  • Investing in Under-Represented Founders (Sept. 14, 10a) — A panel of investors will discuss the state of venture and other investment capital for underrepresented founders (minorities, women and veterans) and the barriers that exist today. Then they’ll offer practical advice you can take with you to open doors and succeed once you’re in the room. The session will include 45 minutes of moderated discussion, and then we’ll open to the floor for questions.
  • Bringing Sci-Fi to Life in Dayton, Ohio (Sept 14, 2p) — Flying cars, human-like robots, food production in space — it sounds like science fiction, but these industries are developing right here in Ohio. Hear from folks in the field who can offer a big picture view of what to expect in these new markets and learn how your startup can get a piece of the pie.
  • Hiring in a Post-Pandemic World (Sept 15, 10a) — Hiring has recently been one of the biggest challenges for businesses. The way in which employers utilize online applicant tracking systems (ATS) or job sites make a difference in the success of their hiring strategy. Bryan will speak about utilizing his company’s 937 Get Hired applicant tracking system along with Indeed, the #1 job site in the world. He will describe proven strategies for increasing reach, the number of applicants applying to your open jobs, and ultimately making the right hire.
  • Bouncing Back: Your Recipe For Success (Sept 15, 1p) — VETERAN. ENTREPRENEUR. MOM. MOTIVATOR. The journey of entrepreneurship is a marathon, Charlynda Scales writes on her website. In this session, hosted by What’s the Biz founder Te’Jal Cartwright, Charlynda will share her story and talk about how she bounced back from failure — and so can you.

Get Involved

Want to sponsor this year’s conference? Reach out to [email protected].

Can’t afford a formal sponsorship, but still want to support? This year, we’re launching two donation-based tickets, in addition to our always-free attendee ticket.

Pay It Forward: Community Supporter ticket buyers can donate any amount to be recognized as an individual community supporter. Community supporters’ names will be listed on the conference website. If tickets are purchased by Aug. 31, names will also be listed on conference signage in the Rotunda.

Pay It Forward: Business Supporter ticket buyers can donate a minimum of $100 to have their business name listed. Business supporters will also be listed on the website, and if tickets are purchased by Aug. 31, listed on conference signage in the Rotunda.

Apply to be a vendor in this year’s Startup Market! We have a dozen spots each day, and we’re looking for folks with cool products under $30.

Pitch your business! Apply here for the annual Launch Dayton Startup Week Pitch Competition. Our tech category, sponsored by Entrepreneurs’ Center, will receive a $10K award that includes cash & services. Our main street winner will take home up to $5K in cash.

Thank you!

In addition to support from presenting sponsor Fifth Third Bank, this conference is also made possible by our platinum sponsors, Parallax Advanced Research, Entrepreneurs’ Center and Canary Consulting. This year’s event will be fully in-person and will be held in the historic Dayton Arcade and The Hub. We couldn’t do it without their generous support!