Calendar: Not-to-Miss Events for Innovators in Dallas-Fort Worth

Here are our editors' picks. Plus, you'll find selections to "save the date."

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.


 

Tuesday, March 10

WEB: Be in the Know Breakfast

Hosted by Women Empowering Business (WEB) 
Rudy’s Country Store & BBQ, 9828 Dallas Pkwy., Frisco
8 to 9:30 a.m.

Visitors play a powerful role in shaping Frisco’s economy—and understanding that impact can help your business grow. Join Women Empowering Business (WEB) for Be in the Know, a dynamic breakfast session designed to give women business owners and leaders insider insight into the organization that champions tourism and drives local economic success.

Hear from Cori Powers, Visit Frisco’s Director of Marketing & Communications, as she shares how visitor engagement fuels small business growth, what’s ahead for Frisco, and how you can position your business to benefit from these opportunities. This is your chance to network with like-minded women, gain valuable perspective, and walk away informed, inspired, and better connected to the community that supports your success.

Learn more here.


Thursday, March 12

State of Infrastructure

Hosted by the Dallas Regional Chamber and presented by Jacobs 
EBJ Union Station 400 S. Houston, Dallas
noon to 1:30 p.m.

At the DRC’s State of Infrastructure, presented by Jacobs, regional leaders and industry experts will convene for a focused discussion on the infrastructure required to support the growing economy. In addition to a keynote address focused on Texas’ water infrastructure from State Sen. Charles Perry (District 28), this year’s program will feature a panel examining the evolution of energy and technology infrastructure to meet increasing demand. Panelists include Dan Diorio, Vice President, State Policy, Data Center Coalition; Dr. Wei-Jen Lee of UT Arlington’s Energy Systems Research Center; and Chad Seely, SVP Regulatory Policy & General Cousel; ERCOT.

Learn more here. 


Thursday, March 19

HerGenius Pitch Competition

Hosted by Impact Ventures
Ervay Theatre, 1707 S. Ervay St., Dallas
5:30 p.m.

Join Impact Ventures and cheer on three amazing women entrepreneurs as they take the stage to pitch their businesses for a chance to win $10,000.

Expect:
-Networking with founders and community members.
-Honoring an up-and-coming high school entrepreneur with the EmpowHER award.
-Shopping from women-owned vendors.
-A fun, energetic evening full of inspiration and connection.

Learn more here.


Thursday, March 26

Unicorns & Underdogs: High-Growth Founders Summit

Hosted by The DEC Network
CreateFW, 600 Bryan Ave., #220, Fort Worth
6 to 8:30 p.m.

Unicorns & Underdogs: High-Growth Founder Summit brings together bold founders, operators, and investors for a dynamic day dedicated to scaling smarter, moving faster, and building companies that last. From scrappy underdogs to unicorn-level visionaries, this summit spotlights real growth stories — the wins, the pivots, the hard lessons — and delivers actionable insights on fundraising, leadership, and sustainable scale.

Expect candid conversations, practical takeaways, and powerful connections with peers who are pushing boundaries and redefining what’s possible.

Learn more here.


Saturday, March 28

2026 Junior Achievement of Dallas Business Hall of Fame

Hosted by Junior Achievement of Dallas 
Omni Dallas Hotel, 555 S. Lamar, Dallas
6 to 10 p.m.

The 2026 Junior Achievement of Dallas Business Hall of Fame will be held at the Omni Dallas Hotel on Saturday, March 28, 2026. This event will support the mission of Junior Achievement of Dallas and help impact the lives of North Texas youth. Business icons who exemplify the spirit of giving back through their companies and in the community will be honored. By recognizing their accomplishments, we ensure their legacy will inspire and shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Learn more 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
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday

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.

Learn more here.


Thursday, April 9

North Texas Capital Access Convening

Hosted by The DEC Network
CreateFW, 600 Bryan Ave., #220, Fort Worth
noon to 2 p.m.

The North Texas Capital Access Convening brings together entrepreneurs, lenders, and ecosystem leaders for one powerful goal: expanding access to capital across North Texas.

This dynamic, panel-style conversation features rotating voices from across the capital stack — including a Capital Access Advocate, CDFI Partner, Trusted Connector, Entrepreneur, and Moderator — offering real-world insights into what it takes to move funding from conversation to connection.

Whether you’re a founder seeking capital, a lender looking to deploy it, or a partner supporting the ecosystem, this convening is designed to spark meaningful relationships, practical insight, and actionable pathways to funding.

Learn more here.


Friday, April 10

Quaint Quant Conference

Sponsored by Agora Data, SMU Cox School of Business, Fancy Quant
SMU Cox School of Business, Dallas
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Quaint Quant Conference—the South’s only dedicated quantitative finance event—returns on Friday, April 10, 2026, hosted at the SMU Cox School of Business in Dallas. Now in its fourth year, the conference continues its mission to unite leading quantitative finance professionals, academics, and students to explore the innovations shaping financial markets and the future of data‑driven strategy.

The conference offers an intentionally casual environment designed for meaningful, high-value engagement. Attendees participate in deep-dive presentations, applied discussions, and career-focused sessions. The event builds on the momentum of the 2025 conference, which featured distinguished speakers from institutions including Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, KeyBank, JP Morgan Chase, Google, and H2O.ai.

Learn more here.


Monday, April 20 through Wednesday, April 22

E-Capital Summit

Hosted by Earthx
Hilton Anatole, Dallas
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

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. 

You must request an invitation to attend.

Learn more here.


Tuesday, April 21

The Sentinel Defense Forum at SMU: The Business of Aerospace, Defense & National Security

Hosted by SMU Cox School of Business
SMU Cox Collins Executive Education Center, 3150 Brinkley, Dallas
5:30 to 8 p.m.

The SMU Cox School of Business and Lyle School of Engineering invite you to attend the inaugural Sentinel Defense Forum. The event convenes leaders from industry, finance, investment, academia and the non-profit sector to discuss trends and opportunities in aerospace, defense and national security. Two panel discussions will be featured, one on the State of Aerospace & Defense Today and one on Startups and Success Stories in Aerospace and Defense.

The event is free, but registration is required.

Learn more here.


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
Various times and locations

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.

Learn more here.

SAVE THE DATE


 

Tuesday, September 29 through Thursday, October  1

AURP International Conference

Hosted by AURP
Pegasus Park, Dallas
Save the date

AURP is proud to convene its 2026 International Conference at Pegasus Park—one of the nation’s most dynamic, mission-driven innovation districts and a powerful example of how place-based strategy accelerates impact.

Hosted in Dallas, Texas, this year’s conference will bring together AURP members and global innovation leaders for executive-level dialogue, high-value networking, and curated learning experiences. From strategic plenaries and collaborative working sessions to behind-the-scenes tours of Pegasus Park and engagement with the region’s thriving life sciences community, the program will highlight how intentional investment, cross-sector partnerships, and research park leadership drive sustainable growth and long-term competitiveness.

Pegasus Park stands at the forefront of advancing new industries—particularly in life sciences—while strengthening community outcomes. Together with AURP’s mission to foster innovation, commercialization, and vibrant knowledge communities, the 2026 conference will showcase Dallas as a model for forward-looking ecosystem development.

Learn more here.

ONGOING

 


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. 

Learn more here.

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