Plan Your Week: The Ultimate Guide to DSW19

Dallas Startup Week is returning April 1-5, and we've got your full lean-back guide. From special events, to engaging panels, to interactive showcases, make sure you don't miss a thing.

Entrepreneurs and change-makers will gather for the fifth edition of Dallas Startup Week, powered by Capital One, when it returns April 1-5 to North Texas. Roughly 10,000 are expected to attend the free, five-day event put together by The Dallas Entrepreneur Center, along with more than 100 industry leaders and volunteers. A special event on Sunday—Disrupt Dallas—will get things going with insider tips, a happy hour, and special panels.

Throughout the week, Dallas Innovates will have it all covered.

For starters, you must register to participate in DSW19. Then, you can plan your week with our lean-back guide—the complete list of the who, what, where, and when of Dallas Startup Week 2019. From all the special events to engaging panels to interactive showcases, make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Pro-tip: Pick your favorite events, and use the Attendify app to build your own individual schedule and discover details

Did we miss anything? Send us a tip here.

And, make sure to follow our day-by-day coverage of Dallas Startup Week by signing up for our daily email newsletter. We’ll have daily recaps, photos, exclusive interviews, and insider tips every day of the week.


As always, event information is subject to change, so use the Attendify app to verify times and details.

Click here for the archived schedules for March 31 – April 3. 

Thursday, April 4, 2019

9 a.m.- 9:45 a.m.
Incubation, growth and launch – what start-ups can learn from a legacy of innovation
Social Good, Sponsored Content
Fidelity Labs, Fidelity Investments’ incubator for fintech start-ups, recently launched the successful Student Debt Program, enabling employers to provide a benefit for their employees to pay down student debt—one of the most crushing concerns of Americans today. In an engaging Q&A, Sterling Ingui, Head of Go To Market for Fidelity Labs, will review the process for developing the Student Debt Program and discuss how Fidelity Investments creates start-ups, lessons for North Texas start-ups and tips on how to work with large corporations.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage A
Speakers: Sterling Ingui

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Texas Today and Beyond
General Sessions
Texas currently ranks at the top or near the top of every state in the US for economic development but what does the future hold?
Location: Basecamp, 14th Floor, 2nd Stage
Speakers: Robert Allen

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
The Hotel Company Portal: A Fireside Chat with Dave Johnson
Fashion, Hospitality
Natalie White will interview entrepreneur Dave Johnson, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the largest hotel management company in the country.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage B
Speakers: Dave Johnson, Natalie White

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Largest VC Rounds in VR/AR
AR/VR, Emerging Technology
At the height of the Gartner hype cycle, VR/AR companies brought in multi million dollar investments before a product market fit was established. In this talk we’ll take a look at the largest VC rounds, acquisitions in the past few years and the recent shutdowns. Discuss if VR/AR is in a nuclear winter or has reached the Slope of Enlightenment on the Gartner Cycle.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage A
Speakers: Veena Somareddy

10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Fashionably Frank: A Candid Conversation on Entrepreneurship, Grit, and Success with Rachel Sipperley of Rent My Wardrobe
Fashion
This fireside chat with Rachel Sipperley, CEO and Founder of Rent My Wardrobe, will discuss the ups and downs, successes and failures, obstacles and triumphs of being a fashion tech entrepreneur. From self-funding to innovation to sacrificial strategies, Rachel gets candid and real on what life looks like after the entrepreneurial leap, and what lies in the near future for her inspirational brand.
Location: WeWork Thanksgiving Tower 1601 Elm St.
Speakers: Rachel Sipperley

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Art of Hello: How to be Remembered in the Age of Personal/Professional Branding
Marketing
As professionals we all deserve to be known for our achievements, and to be understood for our value proposition. Often called personal branding, the core is introducing yourself to people in a way that the listener understands the essence of your professional life. Once scripted and perfected, your branded introduction is a durable asset. It will serve as your networking introduction, as your LinkedIn profile summary, the opening to your bio, as the professional summary of your resume, and for internal meetings with new partners or executives.It is useful for emerging professionals, for senior leaders, for business owners, for those seeking positions on boards, and job seekers. A well-conceived professional brand introduction is the old-fashioned elevator pitch polished up to a professional level with a memorable impact. It differentiates you from others. So simple to recognize when done well, and so hard to make one your own. Paula provides a three-step method and a set of frameworks that results in you having a professional brand introduction of your own to use, that day.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage B
Speakers: Paula Calise

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Founders Academy: Strategy & Planning Tools For Startups
General Sessions, RSVP Required
Startups are taught to “move fast and break things” but that doesn’t mean time spent planning and setting strategy is a waste. A totally out of control startup will eventually crash and burn. The key is to impose just the right amount of discipline to keep the machine moving at warp speed but without spinning out of control.This supplement to the quarterly Founders Academy boot camp focuses on strategy and planning tools that are appropriate for startups. The topics covered include the following:

  • Evolutionary Paths to Startup Greatness
  • Tools for Planning
  • Tools for Focus & Priority
  • Growth & Scalability
  • Tools for Assessing Progress
  • Establishing a Management System

Location: Capital Factory + The DEC, Minecraft
Speakers: Gordon Daugherty

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Blockchain Killed the Legal Star: How Blockchain Is Affecting The Legal Industry
Blockchain, Emerging Technology, Legal
Blockchain technology and smart contracts have the potential to disrupt the legal industry. This session will explore the future of the legal industry and the role blockchain will play.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage B
Speakers: Cole Davis, “E. Aaron Cartwright III, Esq.”, Lacey Shrum, Ronald Smith

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Power Forward: Corporate Community Transformance
Social Good
Community-focused banks are partnering with entrepreneurs to move cities forward in unique ways.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage A
Speakers: Alfreda Norman, Denise Mason, Dora Zapata, Michelle Thomas

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Perspectives on Coworking Spaces from Newbies to Veterans
Real Estate
Location: SPACES, 1919 McKinney Ave
Speakers: Airion Watkins-Clark, Gustavo Hinojosa, Jared Merves

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Content Marketing Interactive Workshop
Gaming & Esports
Location: The DEC West End

11 a.m. – 11:40
IBM Blockchain Platform 2.0
Blockchain
This session will explore the next generation of the IBM Blockchain Platform, which provides users with ultimate deployment flexibility, scalability & control over network components. Realize the promise of decentralization with a blockchain platform that not only allows users to deploy networks across multiple infrastructures, but also fosters consortium growth.
Location: Capital Factory + The DEC
Speakers: Paige Krieger

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Employee Experience: How data is driving the location and functionality of the workplace
Real Estate
A presentation and demonstration showcasing how data is being used to transform the workplace into a tool for employee recruitment and retention.
Location: WeWork Thanksgiving Tower 1601 Elm St.
Speakers: Keith Perske

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Connected Lifestyle is here….Are you WITH your Connected Customers?
Marketing
By now, we all know that the digital revolution is in full swing. New engagement technologies can unlock tremendous value, for your business and for those you serve. But are you ready to be WITH it? Do you have the mindset to truly transform your processes and experiences? And if not, what is the right mindset? What technologies are a “must have” and what experiences will garner deep loyalty? And how do all of your digital experiences fit together into a cohesive ecosystem that exceed the ever-changing wants and expectations of your customers? At the intersection of business and the connected user’s goals lies opportunity. We call this intersection the Connected Lifestyle and those companies that embrace it will thrive while others will be left behind. The digital experiences that your company creates are already being compared to the likes of Starbucks, Uber, Netflix, and Facebook, among others. These brands are your competition whether you realize it or not. This is the new normal. For Connected Consumers (or employees) digital experiences are as important if not more so than the product or service your company makes or sells. And they expect these experiences to be seamless across all digital touchpoints from websites, to apps, to voice skills, chat bots, virtual reality, augmented reality, and beyond.Join Calvin Carter, Founder & CEO of Dallas-based Bottle Rocket, as he highlights his experience building an award-winning experience-based technology company in North Texas. Bottle Rocket is leading many of the world’s most distinguished brands head on into The Connected Lifestyle using a philosophy we call Withness. He will take a deeper dive into The Connected Lifestyle and share how companies can overcome the challenges that they will face as they move toward success in this turbulent, and ever-changing world of technology.
Location: Basecamp, 14th Floor, Main Stage
Speakers: Calvin Carter

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Capital One Business Bankers
Capital & Funding, Sponsored Content
Come to the Innovation Lounge every day for free banking advice from Capital One bankers.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Innovation Lounge

12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
The Business of Show Business: The Business of Film Financing
Arts, Music, and Entertainment, Capital & Funding, Sponsored Content
Location: Basecamp, 14th Floor, 2nd Stage
Speakers: Johnathan Brownlee

12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
DFW: Global IoT / Smart City Hub
Cybersecurity, Emerging Technology
The Metroplex is steadily working to position itself as a thought leader in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart City space. With regional efforts like the Smart City integrations in Dallas’ West End, to local Security Summits and meetups and the DEC’s newly announced Innov8te Accelerator gaining momentum, DFW’s profile is on the rise. Listen to subject matter experts from enterprise, academia, and government discuss ongoing progress, new initiatives, and opportunities to get involved in this effort to put Dallas on the map for IoT and Smart Cities Innovation.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage A

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Can People Be Trained to Be Hospitable?
Hospitality
For people who Train/Educate/Manage in the Hospitality Industry.
Location: WeWork Thanksgiving Tower 1601 Elm St.
Speakers: Cary Broussard, Diane Meisenhelter, Gretta Brooks, Lisa Welch

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Why Your Marketing Strategy Isn’t Working?
Marketing
Accurately measuring the return on your marketing efforts can be a struggle for any company big or small. Often times company’s are so quick to take action that they inhibit their ability to effectively monitor the impact of those efforts for the sake of speed. Join us as I lay out the foundational framework that is applicable to any startup or established business when it comes to implementing a digital strategy.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage B
Speakers: Marty Martinez

1 p.m. – 1:40 p.m.
Adding Trust and Value to Data
Blockchain
Factom helps enterprises around the world make their data tamper resistant. This delivers value in terms of detecting and reducing costs associated with audit and fraud. The vision is that one day all data will, by default, become tamper resistant resulting in far less friction for all types of data exchanges and interactions.
Location: Capital Factory + The DEC
Speakers: Jay Smith

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Tech Titans Innovation Showcase Panel
RSVP Required
Please register, space is limited.
Location: You will receive location information when registration is confirmed.

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Philosophy as a Business
Social Good
Location: CENTRL, 750 N St Paul St, Suite 200

1:50 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Building an Enterprise-Grade Network for Decentralized Applications.
Blockchain
Distributed ledger technology offers hope for creating a more secure digital online future as it brings transparency and accountability to an otherwise unprotected medium. What pieces need to be created and how must they work together? This talk looks at who and what must come together to build a global decentralized network with strong governance.
Location: Capital Factory + The DEC
Speakers: Mance Harmon

2 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Pitching 101: For Brands, Sponsorships, Influencers and Press
Fashion
In this keynote presentation, PR pro Erica Anderson will discuss the fundamentals of pitching to brands, for sponsors, to influencers and to press. She will detail the ins and outs of a great pitch, how to get a good response from the pitch, and other elements for the art of the pitch, such as cold pitches and telephone pitches.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage B
Speakers: Erica Hicks Anderson

2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Careers In Gaming, Esports & Entertainment
Gaming & Esports
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage A

2:40 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Analytics on Food Trust Blockchain
Blockchain
IBM Blockchain, built on Hyperledger Fabric, is recognized as the leading blockchain for business as a service. Many IBM Partners, across industries, are building trusted business networks which are revolutionizing their industry processes. The food supply industry has partnered with IBM Blockchain to create the IBM Food Trust. This solution addresses the complexities of the food supply chain in areas such as food safety, reducing waste, food freshness and sustainability. Come hear how businesses are benefiting by partnering with IBM in various ways around IBM Blockchain and IBM Food Trust.
Location: Capital Factory + The DEC
Speakers: Dennis Gerson Ph.D

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Business Plans and Who to Hire
General Sessions
Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to own your own company? Have you ever worked with someone that you thought was a terrible employee? Merrilee Kick, CEO & Founder of BuzzBallz Southern Champion explains some of the things to look for in FINDING TALENT. She also discusses what ELEMENTS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN and creative ways to get FINANCING to start your business.
Location: Basecamp, 14th Floor, Main Stage
Speakers: Merrilee Kick

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Less is More: How to Make Your Funding Go Further with Market Focus
Capital & Funding
When going up against larger competitors, the temptation is to try to measure up, but the best strategy may be to pull back. Startups shouldn’t be too quick to forfeit the advantages of being small, namely the ability to thrive in smaller sub-markets. Small companies can “cheat” efficiencies of scale by defining their target market narrowly enough that they are the leader. In this session, Kate will share lessons learned from Mainsail’s portfolio of bootstrapped software companies on how focus can make every dollar go further, and tricks for assessing whether you’re focused enough.
Location: WeWork Thanksgiving Tower 1601 Elm St.
Speakers: Kate Hopkins

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Get Sponsored: Working with Brands (Dallas Interactive Partnership)
Arts, Music, and Entertainment
Location: Fat Bear Networking at 211 N. Ervay

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Artificial Intelligence Project Examples & Technology Trends of the Future
AI, Emerging Technology
This presentation will provide an overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as examples of various projects across different industries, user engagement types and technology for deeper insights. In addition, we will provide a perspective on technology of the future.
Location: Basecamp, 13th Floor, Stage B
Speakers: Romelia Flores

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Your Best Ideas: Should You Patent Them or Keep Them as Trade Secrets?
Legal
At some point, all entrepreneurs have to decide how to protect their ideas and whether to patent them or to keep them as trade secrets. We will discuss the difference between patents and trade secrets, what factors influence the decision, and how some of the big companies, such as Apple, Tesla, and Google have approached the patent v. trade secrets decision.
Location: CENTRL, 750 N St Paul St, Suite 200
Speakers: Jason Blackstone, Leiza Dolghih

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Dallas Universities & Blockchain
Blockchain
Location: Capital Factory + The DEC
Speakers: Cijoy Olickal, James Scott, Michael Lewellen, Simon Mack

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Removing Barriers: Transforming Social Determinants of Health in our Communities
Healthcare, RSVP Required
Food deserts affect millions of Americans. These are areas where getting fresh, nutritious and affordable foods is difficult. The health care industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of incorporating non-traditional approaches in our local communities. Learn how health care organizations are evolving to impact the social determinants of health.
Location: C1 Innovation Labs 603 Munger Ave Dallas, TX 75202

4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Capital & Funding Happy Hour
Capital & Funding
Location: WeWork Tech WIldcatters
Speakers: Ricky Tejapaibul

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Founders Live
Special Events
Founders Live is an unforgettable happy hour competition sweeping the world where up to five handpicked companies take the hot seat, with only 99 seconds to pitch their company and describe their value proposition in front of an eager audience. After the pitches and audience Q&A, the crowd will vote on a winner who will not only receive an award, but recognition from the crowd and also the opportunity to talk more about their product or service. So bring your friends and coworkers, grab some food and drink, get to know your local entrepreneurs and vote for what you think will be the next big thing…built in Dallas.
Location: Basecamp, 14th Floor, 2nd Stage

4:20 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Building Banking Solutions with Blockchain
Blockchain
Location: Capital Factory + The DEC

6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Community Party
Special Events
Location: Four Corners Brewery

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Dallas Startup Week x Rent My Wardrobe App Launch Party
Fashion
Rent My Wardrobe is launching a brand new app in Dallas and wants to celebrate with you! Together with Kameron Westcott, join in to mix and mingle with your favorite Real Housewives of Dallas, fashion influencers and more during this Dallas Startup Week fashion track party!
Location: Circo, 2619 McKinney Ave #120, Dallas, TX 75204
Speakers: Rachel Sipperley

 

Friday, April 5

7:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Check-In & Networking Breakfast
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano

9:15 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Scaling without Stagnating
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, Speaker Series
How can corporations stay on the bleeding edge of recognizing and integrating entrepreneurial talent within their organization? What does success look like once the relationship has been established.
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Scott Emmons Tarek Hoteit, Sterling Ingui, Charles Lass, Sean Minter, Dalia Powers

10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Kara Swisher: Bringing The Future Forward
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, General Sessions, Keynotes
Our renowned speaker Kara Swisher illuminates the importance of innovators—large and small—working together for our collective prosperity.
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Kara Swisher

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Do Shows Sell Clothes
Fashion

This panel will explore the effects that technology, influencers, and digital mechanisms have had on the fashion industry. Specifically, do traditional fashion shows still have the same effect as they did once before or are they merely entertainment? Are designers better off launching collections strictly via social media or online OR do pop-ups and trunk shows fare better and prove more profitable than fashion shows? The panel will also address whether New York Fashion Week has lost its overall appeal and how emerging and independent designers can successfully access their target audiences through alternative mediums.
Location: Serendipity Labs
Speakers: Daniel Mofor, Lisa Petty, Ruby Bhandari, Venny Etienne

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Intercollegiate Esports Tournament
Gaming & Esports
UT Arlington, UT Dallas, SMU, Texas Wesleyan and UNT face off in Overwatch.
Location: Mavs Gaming Center

11:10 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.
The Intersection of Corporate, Arts and Entrepreneurship
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, Speaker Series
How Corporations can accelerate innovation by connecting the dots between organizations. Capital One shares their vision of driving success and momentum thru innovation, economic and community impact though partnership
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Johnathan Brownlee, Kim Noltemy, Sanjiv Yajnik

12:25 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.
Partnerships In Practice
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, General Sessions
What happens after Founders and corporates find their dream partnership. We’ll speak to the startups that have navigated the waters of big business, as well as the corporations who have successfully integrated them in!
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Beth Comenat, Chris Harkness, Michelle Lemmons-Poscente, Puon Penn, Steve Gilman, Vishy Gopalakrishnan

1:55 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
The Startup Inside the Establishment: Building an Innovation Mindset in Unexpected Places
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, General Sessions
Establishing a culture of true innovation, creativity and fluidity may come natural to a startup—but is uniquely challenging within an established, legacy corporate enterprise. Especially in corporations where “established” equates to 100 years of heritage or half a million employees. Russell Bertwell shares two connected stories of organizations where the game is changing, where startup mentality and innovation culture are growing inside an unexpected industry…and within Accenture itself. Together, we’ll explore the evolution that corporate enterprises are making to shift from a focus on stability and procedure to one on fluidity and innovation.
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Russell Bertwell

1:55 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Mastering the Relationship
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, General Sessions
When corporations and startups try to work together, both often conclude that the other is hard to work with – and it’s true. This session shines some light on the most common issues corporations encounter while working with startups and covers some tips, tricks and best practices to help foster a healthy relationship that yields mutual benefit.
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Gordon Daugherty

2:20 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
Reducing The Noise
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, General Sessions
A Corporate Venture Capitalist’s take on reducing the noise and double clicking on the most important success factors for startups and corporate relationships to focus on.
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: John Bjornson

2:20 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
Breaking In And Spreading Out
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, Speaker Series
Texas-based Wearable AI Startup Founder shares lessons learned from breaking in to national and global enterprises via pilot engagement and spreading out via global and national roll-outs.
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Abe Minkara, Chris Todd

2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
When Disruption Strikes
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, Speaker Series
As companies scale, the innovation flame becomes more challenging to spark. Innovation Directors from across our great city expound upon the work their doing to ignite change within their respective industries.

Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Ray Bajaj, MVP technology, Head of the Garage, Capital One; Summer Wright-Collins, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas; Scott Lovejoy, TopGolf; Paul Puopolo, DFW Airport; Marisa Bertha, 7–11

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Corporate Startup Innovation Summit, Speaker Series
Location: Capital One Conference Center, Plano
Speakers: Sanjiv Yajnik

4 p.m. -5  p.m.
Disrupting Fashion Retail: Navigating Consumer Trends & Innovation for Success
Fashion
This session will explore the theory that “retail is dying” and “people just aren’t excited about shopping anymore.” With many shopping destinations closing and more consumers purchasing digitally, many are left confused as to where fashion retail lies. Come hear from area experts and founders as they discuss consumer buying habits, trends, and the creative/innovative strategies it takes to be successful in fashion retail today.
Location: Serendipity Labs
Speakers: Leah Frazier, Matt Alexander, Nicole Pokorny Foster, Victoria Snee

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