This summer at Venture Café Phoenix, we’re inviting you to go on a journey with us, into the real, unfiltered stories of entrepreneurship.
Launching June 25th and running weekly through September 3rd, our Founder Journeys Summer Series will feature a different founder from our community each week in an intimate fireside chat format, moderated by the Venture Café Phoenix team.
Together, we’ll explore how they got started, the challenges they’ve faced, where they found funding, and what they’re building next. But beyond the startup story, we’ll go deeper, into the role community has played in shaping their path.
We’ll ask founders how engaging with Venture Café has impacted their journey, where they are today because of those connections, and what support has mattered most along the way. And just as importantly, we’ll explore how they want to give back, how they can support the broader ecosystem as it continues to grow.
This series is designed to be a two-way conversation between founders and community: learning from those building in real time, and strengthening the network that helps them (and all of us) move forward together.
Sponsored by: Extraordinary Network
AI has changed what it means to have a startup idea. If you can describe a customer's problem, you can build the solution in minutes with something people can click, test, and react to. This session is for founders, operators, creators, and domain experts who have been sitting on software ideas because they “aren’t technical". Attendees will leave knowing how to turn an idea into a prototype using Google's AI Tools.
Sponsored by: Huijia Health Tehnololgy Co.
Powered by: Serpico AI Learning Center, Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Alimental Business
Arrive early to Venture Café Phoenix for your chance to connect with Krystina Whalen, UX/UI Designer. Come gain insights on how to avoid AI slop by learning best DIY practices and when to hire a designer.
Mentor Hours meetings begin at 4:30pm and run in 15-minute slots
Please note: Mentor Hours are first come first served and must be done on-site at the event. A sign-up sheet will be located at the room where the mentor is stationed, so be sure to stop by early to secure your spot.
Arrive early to Venture Café Phoenix for your chance to connect with Steph Vrona, Founder of HighDef Studio. Come gain insights on how to use AI to wipe out the manual busywork in your marketing & operations, like market research, prospecting, cleaning up your contacts, drafting outreach, & turning messy notes into something usable.
Mentor Hours meetings begin at 4:30pm and run in 15-minute slots
Please note: Mentor Hours are first come first served and must be done on-site at the event. A sign-up sheet will be located at the room where the mentor is stationed, so be sure to stop by early to secure your spot.
In partnership with Resolution Resource Group
Join Adrijana Kekic, Founder and CEO of Futurome, for a conversation on the future of personalized health, precision medicine, and what it means to design longer, healthier, more intentional lives. With a background spanning pharmacogenomics, clinical research, and innovation in multi-omics and systems biology, Adrijana brings a unique perspective on how science and technology are reshaping the way we understand human biology and aging.
This fireside chat explores the shift from reactive healthcare to proactive, data-driven longevity, where advances in genomics, biomarkers, and personalized interventions are enabling entirely new approaches to prevention, performance, and well-being. From her work at the intersection of clinical medicine and innovation to founding Futurome, Adrijana shares insights from building tools and systems designed to help individuals optimize health at the cellular level.
Join Christian Omar Lopez for a candid conversation on healing, consciousness, and building purpose-driven work at the intersection of ancient wisdom, modern wellness, and human transformation. This fireside chat explores the personal journey behind becoming a medical shaman and guiding individuals through practices designed to support emotional healing, spiritual growth, and holistic well-being.
Hear the lessons learned, life experiences, and philosophies that shaped a path centered on connection, mindfulness, and alternative approaches to healing. Through his work with founders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing leaders, Christian has witnessed the hidden pressures, burnout, and search for meaning that often exist behind success, and how practices rooted in mindfulness, presence, and self-awareness can help people lead and build more intentionally.
From navigating personal transformation to creating spaces for deeper self-awareness and community, this conversation offers an inside look at what it takes to build a mission-driven practice focused on helping people reconnect with themselves, strengthen resilience, and live with greater intention.
Krystina is an AI-forward UX and digital product designer working across apps, web apps, and websites. She uses AI to move fast on exploration and iteration, then dives hands on into the details so her work stays intentional and human. Her background in psychology and philosophy shapes her understanding of how and why people interact with platforms the way they do. Come discuss how to get more out of the AI tools you're already using, spot AI slop, and determine when DIY is enough and when to bring in an expert.
This summer at Venture Café Phoenix, we’re inviting you to go on a journey with us, into the real, unfiltered stories of entrepreneurship.
Launching June 25th and running weekly through September 3rd, our Founder Journeys Summer Series will feature a different founder from our community each week in an intimate fireside chat format, moderated by the Venture Café Phoenix team.
Together, we’ll explore how they got started, the challenges they’ve faced, where they found funding, and what they’re building next. But beyond the startup story, we’ll go deeper, into the role community has played in shaping their path.
We’ll ask founders how engaging with Venture Café has impacted their journey, where they are today because of those connections, and what support has mattered most along the way. And just as importantly, we’ll explore how they want to give back, how they can support the broader ecosystem as it continues to grow.
This series is designed to be a two-way conversation between founders and community: learning from those building in real time, and strengthening the network that helps them (and all of us) move forward together.
Sponsored by: Extraordinary Network
AI has changed what it means to have a startup idea. If you can describe a customer's problem, you can build the solution in minutes with something people can click, test, and react to. This session is for founders, operators, creators, and domain experts who have been sitting on software ideas because they “aren’t technical". Attendees will leave knowing how to turn an idea into a prototype using Google's AI Tools.
Sponsored by: Huijia Health Tehnololgy Co.
Powered by: Serpico AI Learning Center, Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Alimental Business
Arrive early to Venture Café Phoenix for your chance to connect with Krystina Whalen, UX/UI Designer. Come gain insights on how to avoid AI slop by learning best DIY practices and when to hire a designer.
Mentor Hours meetings begin at 4:30pm and run in 15-minute slots
Please note: Mentor Hours are first come first served and must be done on-site at the event. A sign-up sheet will be located at the room where the mentor is stationed, so be sure to stop by early to secure your spot.
Arrive early to Venture Café Phoenix for your chance to connect with Steph Vrona, Founder of HighDef Studio. Come gain insights on how to use AI to wipe out the manual busywork in your marketing & operations, like market research, prospecting, cleaning up your contacts, drafting outreach, & turning messy notes into something usable.
Mentor Hours meetings begin at 4:30pm and run in 15-minute slots
Please note: Mentor Hours are first come first served and must be done on-site at the event. A sign-up sheet will be located at the room where the mentor is stationed, so be sure to stop by early to secure your spot.
In partnership with Resolution Resource Group
Join Adrijana Kekic, Founder and CEO of Futurome, for a conversation on the future of personalized health, precision medicine, and what it means to design longer, healthier, more intentional lives. With a background spanning pharmacogenomics, clinical research, and innovation in multi-omics and systems biology, Adrijana brings a unique perspective on how science and technology are reshaping the way we understand human biology and aging.
This fireside chat explores the shift from reactive healthcare to proactive, data-driven longevity, where advances in genomics, biomarkers, and personalized interventions are enabling entirely new approaches to prevention, performance, and well-being. From her work at the intersection of clinical medicine and innovation to founding Futurome, Adrijana shares insights from building tools and systems designed to help individuals optimize health at the cellular level.
Join Christian Omar Lopez for a candid conversation on healing, consciousness, and building purpose-driven work at the intersection of ancient wisdom, modern wellness, and human transformation. This fireside chat explores the personal journey behind becoming a medical shaman and guiding individuals through practices designed to support emotional healing, spiritual growth, and holistic well-being.
Hear the lessons learned, life experiences, and philosophies that shaped a path centered on connection, mindfulness, and alternative approaches to healing. Through his work with founders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing leaders, Christian has witnessed the hidden pressures, burnout, and search for meaning that often exist behind success, and how practices rooted in mindfulness, presence, and self-awareness can help people lead and build more intentionally.
From navigating personal transformation to creating spaces for deeper self-awareness and community, this conversation offers an inside look at what it takes to build a mission-driven practice focused on helping people reconnect with themselves, strengthen resilience, and live with greater intention.
Krystina is an AI-forward UX and digital product designer working across apps, web apps, and websites. She uses AI to move fast on exploration and iteration, then dives hands on into the details so her work stays intentional and human. Her background in psychology and philosophy shapes her understanding of how and why people interact with platforms the way they do. Come discuss how to get more out of the AI tools you're already using, spot AI slop, and determine when DIY is enough and when to bring in an expert.