North Texas is a big place, with plenty to do, see, hear, and watch. We scour the internet every week to find events and activities for you. As always, things may change at any time, so be sure to check the official website or registration page for the latest details. For ongoing events, click here.
Don’t miss anything: Get Dallas Innovates Every Day. And, if you know of a great event, tell us about it. Event details courtesy of organizers.
Monday, February 9
NTXIA Reverse Pitch & Mixer
Hosted by North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA)
Pegasus Park, 3000 Pegasus Park Dr., Dallas
4:30 to 7 p.m.
Get ready for the first NTXIA Reverse Pitch & Mixer – where public sector poses the challenge and innovators pitch live! The first NTXIA Reverse Pitch Competition (and celebration) will be held February 9th, 2026 at Pegasus Park! Applications to pitch are open through February 2nd. Selected startups will have the opportunity to present their solutions directly to public-sector leaders and ecosystem partners. The lightning pitches are intended to be short, impactful presentations from startups addressing real, clearly defined public-sector needs.
Beyond the pitches, the event is designed to bring together the smart cities and innovation ecosystem spanning North Texas. Attendees will have the opportunity to network across sectors, connect with peers facing similar challenges, and exchange ideas that can spark future partnerships. Space is limited, so RSVP early.
Tuesday, February 10
SPJ Roundtable at Square Tables
Hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists Fort Worth Chapter
Tap House 16, 3145 E. Broad St., Mansfield
7 p.m.
Dale Hansen will be the featured speaker on Feb. 10 for the Roundtable at Square Tables event in Mansfield. Dale was a legendary sports anchor and multiple Emmy winner. The event, which kicks off the Roundtable’s third year, is sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists Fort Worth chapter. All communicators are welcome. Free food and fun.
Wednesday, February 11
Y Texas 2026 Launch
Hosted by Y Texas
Communities Foundation of Texas, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane, Dallas
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join the most connected professional network in Texas as Y Texas spends 2026 touring the Lone Star State! On Feb 11th, 200 Texas executives will launch the first of (6) regional events showcasing the biggest opportunities ahead in 2026. Find out who is moving here, where the money is going, and where the deals are. VIPs get free access to all 2026 events, digital content and YTexas membership!
This event hosts a unique mix of presentations and discussion topics driving growth in Texas including: Financial markets, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, sports/hospitality/entertainment, power & energy, transportation and logistics, space, autonomy and more.
Thursday, February 19
Unicorns & Underdogs: High-Growth Founders Summit
Hosted by North Texas Angel Network & The DEC Network
CreateFW, 600 Bryan Ave., Suite 200, Fort Worth
6 to 8 p.m.
Unicorns & Underdogs: High-Growth Founder Summit brings together bold founders, operators, and investors for a high-impact day focused on scaling fast and building resilient companies. Hear real growth stories, gain actionable insights on fundraising and leadership, and connect with peers who are pushing boundaries—from scrappy underdogs to unicorn-level visionaries.
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Plug and Play Networking Coffee: Enterprise & AI
Hosted by Plug and Play McKinney
Plug and Play McKinney, 7300 State Highway 121, McKinney
8 to 9 a.m.
Come for a morning of innovation and networking with Plug and Play McKinney. This isn’t just another coffee meet-up — it’s THE place to connect, collaborate, and spark new opportunities across the startup and innovation ecosystem. Whether you’re a founder with bold ideas, an investor scouting the next big breakthrough, or a corporate leader looking to drive innovation — this event is for YOU. You can network with game-changers, exchange ideas with visionary founders, connect with investors & corporate partners, and fuel up with coffee & creativity.
Thursday, February 26
26th Annual Empty Bowls
Hosted by North Texas Food Bank
NTFB’s Perot Family Campus, 3677 Mapleshade Lane, Plano
6 to 9 p.m.
Presented by Kroger, Empty Bowls will feature tastings from leading local chefs, beverages, entertainment, a silent auction, and the opportunity to take home a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted bowl created by local artists.
Proceeds from Empty Bowls directly support the North Texas Food Bank’s hunger relief programs at a time when need remains high. Texas continues to rank first nationally in the number of people facing hunger, with nearly 744,000 individuals across NTFB’s 12-county service area unsure where their next meal will come from. Roughly one-third of those impacted are children.
Wednesday, March 4 through Thursday, March 5
Texas ACG Capital Connection
Hosted by TAAC
The Star in Frisco
8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. to noon Thursday
Early bird pricing ends on December 15, so now is the time to secure your spot at the Texas ACG Capital Connection (TACC). For more than two decades, TACC has been the premier meeting place where capital, opportunity, and leadership converge—powering the deals and relationships that drive the middle market. Recognized as the most significant private equity and debt capital event in Texas and the South, TACC is also among the largest ACG Capital Connections in the nation.
Each year, TACC brings together 100+ leading private equity and mezzanine firms, representing more than $100 billion in capital available for investment. The result is a high-impact environment designed to help businesses scale, sponsors deploy capital, and advisors transform insights into action. More than a conference, TACC is a catalyst—creating an exceptional platform for networking and deal flow across the full spectrum of middle-market leaders. Attendees include merger and acquisition professionals, intermediaries, business owners, executives, and the service providers who support growth at every stage.
Annually, TACC welcomes approximately 1,200 attendees from across the country, making it a must-attend event for anyone focused on accelerating growth, creating value, and celebrating success in the middle market.
Thursday, March 5
Dallas Physical AI Forum: Robots, AI Agents, Superhuman and beyond
Presented by Physical AI Builders
Davidson Auditorium, UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management
3 to 7 p.m.
Dallas is about to become ground zero for the next industrial explosion!
Join Physical AI Builders for the electrifying launch of embodied AI in Texas — an exclusive, high-octane gathering in the iconic Davidson Auditorium at UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management.
They’ll roll out the red carpet for their advisory committee members, powerhouse partners, visionary founders, elite investors, and the boldest builders redefining reality with physical AI, autonomous robots, intelligent agents, cobots, humanoid systems, and superhuman manufacturing.
This isn’t just an event — it’s the spark that lights the fuse for trillions in Physical AI transformation across North America. Expect mind-bending demos of AI agents orchestrating factories, robots building sustainable cities, and embodied intelligence powering the next era of infrastructure, PropTech, and supply chains.
Two high-impact parallel tracks — Workshop (deep executive dives, hands-on innovation sessions) and Showcase (live pitches, live robot/agent demos, breakthrough solutions) — with shared networking breaks, collaboration lounges, and deal-making zones to forge game-changing partnerships.
This Forum is your exclusive warm-up and insider preview for the blockbuster F50 Dallas Physical AI Summit on June 9 at UT Dallas — 500+ attendees, 200+ key decision-makers including guests from Silicon Valley, Texas, Mexico, and global hubs, diving deep into the trillion-dollar frontiers of Physical AI, robotics, infrastructure, manufacturing, data centers, PropTech, and cross-border innovation.
If you’d like to be considered to speak or pitch, apply here.
Monday, March 30 through Tuesday, March 31
Convergence AI Dallas: Where Artificial Intelligence and Business Meet
Hosted by the Dallas Regional Chamber
Irving Convention Center, Irving
Save the date
Early bird registration for Convergence AI Dallas 2026 is now open! Entering its third year, Convergence AI is one of the largest business gatherings dedicated to AI in the Dallas–Fort Worth region. Here’s what’s on deck:
- Keynotes by leading AI experts from Fortune 1000 companies
- Convergence Labs, presented by Slalom – Hands-on learning with top AI leaders
- 2026 Dallas Innovates AI 75 Reception – Honoring DFW’s AI visionaries
- Startup Alley – Showcasing DFW’s AI startups
Just like in 2025, more than 700 leaders, from trailblazing entrepreneurs to top-tier executives, will dive into in-depth discussions and insights on the latest trends and innovations in AI.
Monday, April 20 through Wednesday, April 22
E-Capital Summit
Hosted by Earthx
Hilton Anatole, Dallas
Save the date
As part of the Earthx2026 Congress of Conferences, the annual E-Capital Summit is an invitation-only sustainability-focused investment and industry innovation summit that has convened, inspired, and catalyzed action from more than 3,200 of the country’s and world’s leading investors, innovators, dealmakers, industry, and broader innovation & investment ecosystem professionals from over 40 states and 25 countries (including active participation from more than 570 leading investors and more than 630 emerging innovators).
The 2026 E-Capital Summit will continue to build on momentum of the past nine Summits and will continue to focus on catalyzing action and meaningful connections.The Summit is expected to convene ~400 attendees comprised of: 1/3 investors (~50% family offices/HNWIs), 1/3 innovators (both early-stage and growth-stage companies), and the remaining 1/3 will represent corporate & industry leaders, policymakers, incubators & accelerators, and others in the broader innovation & investment ecosystem. The invitation-only audience will continue to be diverse and high-quality: 50% of attendees will come from outside Texas, nearly half of attendees will be growth-stage focused, more than half of attendees will be new and personally invited by the EarthX team based on hundreds of meetings and personal outreach. Speakers and sponsors will be announced in the coming months.
Thursday, April 23 through Thursday, April 30
20th Anniversary Dallas International Film Festival
Hosted by DIFF
Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Victory Park, Texas Theatre, Virgin Hotels Dallas, and more venues TBA
Save the date
Roll out the red carpet for the 20th Anniversary Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) April 23-30.
Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Victory Park, located near American Airlines Center at 2365 Victory Park Lane, returns as the host venue. Additional screenings and events will be held at the historic Texas Theatre and the artful Virgin Hotels Dallas, returning for the fourth year as the Premier Sponsor of the Festival, along with other world-class Dallas destinations to be announced.
New this year will be the first-ever DIFF Industry Conference, presented in collaboration with Dallas Film Commission. The conference will feature panels on filmmaking, television production, and how to thrive in an ever-changing industry.
The Dallas International Film Festival will feature more than 125 film screenings, panels, Q&As with filmmakers and actors, nightly Red Carpets, live screenplay table reads, awards, and other events and activations where filmmakers, screenwriters, film industry leaders, celebrities, sponsors, and audiences come together to experience and discuss film. Films are curated from submissions received by filmmakers from 100+ countries worldwide, across Texas, and the United States, and include narrative features, documentaries, and short films of all genres from studios and independent filmmakers.
Through May 2026
Frontiers of Flight: Bessie Coleman
Hosted by Frontiers of Flight Museum
6911 Lemmon Ave., Dallas
Tickets are timed entry.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum’s new exhibit is a high-flying tribute to aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman and her groundbreaking achievements. Guests can follow her journey through an immersive digital experience, see her beloved plane suspended from the museum’s hangar, and take home books, dolls, and other keepsakes to support scholarships for girls from South Dallas.
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R E A D N E X T
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The hybrid event in August will take place in person at SMU and virtually. The seventh annual Dallas Startup Week powered by Capital One is Dallas-Fort Worth's largest event focused on driving entrepreneurial success, economic impact, and innovation in the region.
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You'll find deadlines coming up for a new accelerator program; and many more opportunities.
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You’ve found Dallas Innovates’ archive of news briefs from July to September 2021.
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Nonprofit BUiLT is hosting the event to highlight the success and possibilities of Black tech talent in the region. “There is no talent pipeline problem,” says Peter Beasley, co-founder of the Blacks United in Leading Technology International. “Black tech talent is widely available, especially in North Texas.”
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With Dallas ranked as one of the top cities in America for tech pros, UT Dallas and Fullstack have launched four skills training bootcamps focused on coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, and DevOps. The online bootcamps begin in November with tuition at $11,995 each.
