Dallas Startup Week Slated for August with 5 days, 100+ Events, and 200+ Speakers » Dallas Innovates

Left to right: Bill Chinn, Lisa Tran, Simon Mak, and Sanjiv Yajnik

Do you have a pitch for a product you’re certain can change the world (or at least a small part of it)? Are you working on a side hustle or taking your small business to the next level? Or maybe you’re a corporate intrapreneur ready to engage in the innovation ecosystem?

If your vigorous nods have turned into how-do-I-know-what-to-do-next? head shakes, then mark your calendar for Dallas Startup Week, powered by Capital One. The five-day event is scheduled for August 7 through August 11 both virtually and in person at SMU’s Cox School of Business.

“The 2021 Dallas Startup Week was very successful as our first hybrid conference,” said Bill Chinn, CEO of The DEC Network, which is hosting the event, in a statement. “We’re honored to continue our partnership with Capital One, which continues to be a leader in supporting entrepreneurs and innovation in North Texas. We look forward to what’s in store for 2022.”

5 Days, 100+ Events, 200+ Speakers

Billed as “5 Days, 100+ Events, 200+ Speakers,” this marks the eighth year for Dallas Startup Week, which is North Texas’ largest event focused on driving entrepreneurial success, economic impact, and innovation.

For five days, experts will inform and engage participants on topics that include how to market your business, how to obtain seed money, and how to leverage corporate relationships. In addition, networking possibilities will abound, offering both budding and seasoned entrepreneurs opportunities to meet and exchange ideas.

In addition, the three summits below, targeting specific groups, will be held at the DEC Network-hosted conference:

Disrupt Dallas. Through speakers, discussions, networking, expert education and programming, this will celebrate entrepreneurs of color and help them support and grow their businesses. It will take place in person at SMU.

Women of Innovation. This daylong slate of seminars and speakers will recognize and advance women leaders who have the courage and passion to transform their ideas and ambitions into realities. Change makers across all markets and industries will provide women with greater insight and knowledge into trends and possibilities of the future. The event will be held in person at SMU and online.

Corporate Startup Innovation. Leveraging and uniting the breadth and diversity of DFW’s corporations and dynamic startup ecosystem, this will feature DFW’s best and brightest innovators. They’ll share how their companies are shaping the future, resulting in new ideas, business models, investment trends, connections, and opportunities.

As if that isn’t enough of a full slate, the week will also include the Official Launch Party at Startup Alley. There, local owners can showcase their businesses in an expo hall format. Information on how business owners can apply for a spot at Startup Alley will be made available closer to the event.

A welcome from The Hilltop

“We believe the intersection of business, education, and the startup community in Dallas is integral in bringing together innovative leaders from various sectors, thus enabling a powerful partnership to support the growth and success of the startup community,” said Lisa Tran, SMU Cox Managing Director of Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships.

“We’re proud to play a key role in this effort, and we look forward to bringing the Dallas startup community together on The Hilltop for another successful Dallas Startup Week,” Tran added in the statement.

Tran says Professor Simon Mak, executive director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Cox School of Business and a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will play a critical role once again at Dallas Startup Week to ensure that education is embedded in the week’s program.

‘Creating a lasting impact in our own backyard’

Sanjiv Yajnik, President, Financial Services at Capital One, looks forward to the impact this year’s startup week can bring.

“Through our partnership with The DEC Network, Capital One is proud to support the local entrepreneurs and small businesses that are creating a lasting impact in our own backyard,” Yajnik said in the statement. “When we work together as a business community, we have the power to unleash greater economic and cultural prosperity for all.”