The second annual Midcontinent Venture Capital Summit is coming to Bentonville on Thursday, May 9. Hosted by Cortado Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Oklahoma City, the event includes panel discussions with industry leaders from around the region and country.
Partnering with local Northwest Arkansas organizations Runway Group and Visit Bentonville and the nonprofit FUSE (Foundation for Unleashing the Startup Ecosystem), the summit will explore how the startup technology industry can thrive outside of the coastal regions of the nation.
“There’s a wealth of talent in the Midcontinent community, and we’re excited to reconvene the summit in the heart of the region, Bentonville, Arkansas,” said Cortado Ventures Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding. “We have a unique opportunity to innovate in the legacy industries that have historically dominated the Central U.S. regions, and holding the summit in Bentonville is a perfect opportunity to solidify the Midcontinent community, share opportunities and serve as a platform to further capitalize on this region’s talent and ideas.”
Speakers include Steuart Walton, co-founder of Runway Group, Katie Koch, CEO of TCW, and Jack Selby, Managing Director of Thiel Capital. There will be a keynote address from ultra-endurance athlete and health-transformation inspiration, Rich Roll, on the topic of resilience and discipline. For a full list of sessions and panelists, see this year’s summit schedule.
The event will draw hundreds of tech founders, business owners, innovators, government and business leaders and institutional, family office and private equity/venture capital investors, representing $250 billion.
The summit will focus on building the startup landscape outside of the traditional coastal activity hubs with discussions surrounding the achievements, challenges and opportunities of this domestic emerging market for tech innovation.
Midcon VC Summit will be held from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. tomorrow on the sixth floor of Ledger at 240 S. Main St. in Bentonville. A reception will be held from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
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