Curriculum

An in-depth look at your day.

One day, 2 breakout rounds, 4 tracks, and the mainstage sessions that tie them together. Here is every block, who teaches it, and what you leave with.

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The day at a glance

8:45 AMVIP Check-InVIP only
9:30 AMThe Founder Boardroom, presented by Eide Bailly VIP only
10:00 AMPremium & GA Check-InPremium & GA
11:00 AM–12:15 PMOpening Mainstage
12:15–1:15 PMBreakout Round One
1:15–2:30 PMCatered Lunch + Lunch & Learn: “Financing the Grey Area” Lunch & Learn: Premium & VIP
2:30–3:30 PMBreakout Round Two
3:30–4:15 PMMainstage Panel: “Show Me the Exit”
4:15–5:00 PMFireside Chat
5:00–6:30 PMEvening Reception

9:30 AM · VIP only

The Founder Boardroom

A VIP-only morning session, before the day even starts.

Bring your top 2 business challenges and work through them at small tables, each led by an expert who's solved it before. Two rounds, small enough to actually talk.

Experts at the tables include

Seth LevineCo-founder & General Partner, Foundry
John CommonCEO, Wisteria Growth Partners

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Presented by

11:00 AM–12:15 PM · All tickets

Opening Mainstage

The day starts with a welcome from your hosts, then a fireside with Seth Levine (Foundry, GoodBread) and John Sebesta (University of Denver) on why profitable, growing businesses get passed over by both banks and venture capital, the objections founders hear, and how investors spot a winning company.

Co-founder & General Partner, Foundry

Seth Levine

Co-Founded a ~$4B Venture Firm and Wrote the Book on the Future of Business

Chair of Entrepreneurship, Daniels College of Business

John Sebesta

The curriculum

4 tracks. You pick 2.

Bring the question you are stuck on. Each track is built around the ones founders at your stage ask most.

Round 1 · 12:15 to 1:15 PM

Cash Poor, Equity Rich

Questions you will get answered

Which capital fits my business: debt, equity, grants, or revenue-based?
How much ownership should I give up, and when does it start to hurt?
How do I fund growth when I am profitable and the bank still says no?

You leave with: the funding options that fit your business, and what each one costs you in ownership.

Taught by

Jennifer Beck, Jihi · Cindy Willard, Impact Charitable · Liz Giorgi, Soona · Jamie Winkler, InBank

Moderated by Michael Bevis, Birch Road

Build the Machine

Presented by

Questions you will get answered

What do I hire first, and what do I outsource?
Which systems take me out of the bottleneck?
How do I build a sales process that runs without me in every deal?

You leave with: your next 3 hires or systems, in order.

Taught by

Paige Goss, Point Solutions · Makisha Boothe, Sistahbiz · Paul Owusu, Jurnee Club · Liz Dennett, Endolith

Moderated by Kate Bailey, Sensei Wellness Holdings

Round 2 · 2:30 to 3:30 PM

Brand Obsession

Questions you will get answered

Why would a customer choose you on purpose, and pay more for it?
Which content and channels actually drive sales for a brand my size?
How do I build a community before I can afford big ad budgets?

You leave with: a sharper brand story and the 1 or 2 channels worth your time.

Taught by

Pauleanna Reid, WritersBlok · Alyssa Chan-Evangelista, Inspired Media · Janet Hoang, Selfmade · Anna Zesbaugh, Corpse Reviver

Moderated by Richie Skye, Reach The Skye

Raise Ready

Questions you will get answered

Am I actually ready to raise, and from whom?
What do investors decide in the first 10 minutes of a pitch?
Which term sheet terms matter, and which can I let go?

You leave with: a pitch story investors can repeat and the terms to watch.

Taught by

Sumeet Shah, VHS Ventures · Shannon Flahive, Ensemble Ventures

Moderated by Ila B Corcoran, Sengo

Plus the mainstage: Show Me the Exit, and a closing fireside with Natalie Holloway.

Save my seat · from $125

1:15–2:30 PM · Lunch for all tickets · Lunch & Learn for Premium and VIP

Financing the Grey Area

Founders in cannabis, psychedelics, ketamine and alternative medicine, peptides and GLP-1, and women’s health all hit the same wall. The industry is legal, the demand is real, and the capital still does not come easy. This session digs into how founders in regulated and emerging categories actually raise, bank, and scale when the traditional playbook does not apply.

Lunch & Learn: Premium & VIP

What we’re coveringHide the topics

Cannabis & PsychedelicsBanking access, regulatory navigation, raising in a stigmatized category
Ketamine & Alternative MedicineScaling a clinical or wellness business outside conventional healthcare financing
Peptides & GLP-1Capital and compliance for a fast-moving, lightly regulated category
Women’s Health & Health TechClosing the funding gap in an underinvested sector

General Admission includes the catered lunch. Upgrade to Premium to add the Lunch & Learn. See tickets →

Co-Founder & CEO, Jihi

Jennifer Beck

Sold Her First Startup to a Public Company, Now Building Wellness Tech for Women

Moderator, Nurture

Kelly Campbell

3:30–4:15 PM · All tickets

Show Me the Exit

Presented by

What it really takes to sell a company: M&A, deal structure, and the founder psychology of letting go, from founders who have exited and the advisors who get deals done.

Co-Founder of the McBride Sisters and Investor

Robin McBride

20+ Years Building a Wine Empire, and a 5,000 Woman Network Behind It

Corporate & M&A Partner, Holland & Hart LLP

Paige Coriden

Newly Elected Partner Advising Founders Through the Full Business Lifecycle

Exited-Founder to Gallo

Jess Druey

Forbes 30 Under 30 Founder Who Made the Wine Aisle Less Intimidating

Integris Partners, M&A Broker

Ethan Furtek

Named One of Colorado's Top 5 Most Influential Young Professionals

4:15–5:00 PM · All tickets

Fireside Chat

The day closes with Natalie Holloway, Co-founder & CEO of Bala. She bootstrapped the fitness accessories company to $150M+ in sales.

Co-founder & CEO, Bala

Natalie Holloway

Bootstrapped Bala to $150M+ in sales

Getting between rooms

Breakouts run in Community Commons, a 3 minute walk from Sturm Hall. Colored balloons and student guides will point the way. Room assignments are still to come.

Location →Get directions →

The University of Denver campus, looking across the green toward the clock tower

Location

Sturm Hall

University of Denver · Denver, ColoradoSessions also in Community Commons2040 S Race St, Denver, CO 80210

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Photo by Mat Schramm

Need to know

Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Check-in: VIP 8:45 AM, Premium & GA 10:00 AM
Program: 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM, with the evening reception for every ticket ending at 6:30 PM
Where: Sturm Hall and Community Commons, University of Denver, 2040 S Race St, Denver, CO 80210. Breakouts are in Community Commons, a 3 minute walk from Sturm Hall.
Parking: Included with VIP. Everyone else can use the campus lot for $14 per day.
Transit: RTD light rail to the University of Denver station, a short walk from campus
Dress: Business casual
Format: In person only

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