Innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth often start with a single serendipitous connection. Studies of the world’s most successful innovation ecosystems show that founders and CEOs connect for at least 30 minutes a day. Yet here in Phoenix, five years ago, it was closer to 30 minutes a month. Venture Café was launched to change that: to increase the frequency of meaningful touchpoints and create the conditions where ideas, collaborations, and ventures can flourish.
Join us to experience the power of connection firsthand. Hear from Nathan Plummer, Co-Executive Director of Venture Café Global, about future growth plans and the global network, and explore opportunities to engage with our Mentorship Network, your chance to spend 30 minutes one-on-one with a mentor or a mentee and fuel the next stage of your growth.
This LEGO® Serious Play® workshop is designed for business leaders seeking innovative decision-making approaches through hands-on building and storytelling. The neuroscience-based method combines analytical thinking with intuition, using 3D models and metaphors to help participants discover authentic solutions during pivotal organizational moments. You'll build models representing your challenges, share stories through your creations, and connect with fellow participants in new ways. This immersive experience unlocks innovation and hidden insights by tapping into knowledge you didn't know you had. No special skills required—just bring curiosity and experience how simple bricks can unlock extraordinary ideas through serious fun.
AI feels like intelligence, but whether it sharpens or dulls your thinking depends on how you use it. This session explores how convenience-driven tools can quietly weaken cognition, using examples like GPS, automation, and AI-assisted thinking. We’ll break down concepts like stress hormesis, context-setting, and cognitive partnership to show why struggle still matters. You’ll leave with practical strategies to use AI as a thinking amplifier, not a mental crutch, so it actually makes you smarter over time.
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 Paul Valach, Prompt Enginneer expert to construct prompts that generate the information you are looking for. Come to this meeting logged in to your favorite LLM (Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) ready to go! 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 Alex Koupal, the Event Director of Venture Cafe Phoenix and Owner of Alimental Business a Business Growth Consulting group, during 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.
Welcome to Startup Finance 101. In this session we will cover financial projections and modeling. We will go over the assumptions you are making, why those assumptions are important, and validate them so that you are confident in the numbers you are presenting.
The Venture Café Phoenix Mentorship Network returns to the main stage to celebrate the graduation of its first cohort of mentors and mentees.
This session highlights the real impact of mentorship, from early wins to honest challenges, and the relationships that made it all meaningful. Hear from mentee Rylan Cordorniz as they share insights from their experience and the value of guidance, accountability, and community.
As we look ahead, this program is just the beginning. With a vision to grow beyond Phoenix and expand globally, we’re continuing to build alongside partners like Cynthia Pierce.
Powered by Resolution Resource Group, the Mentorship Network is open and growing. If you're ready to mentor or be mentored, this is your moment to get involved.
What do a forgotten stack of papers in a photocopier and a third visit to an innovation community have in common?
They both reveal something powerful about how innovation actually happens.
In this session, Nathan Plummer, Co-Executive Director of the Venture Café Global Institute explores the hidden forces that drive innovation - from chance encounters and incremental breakthroughs to the role of trust.
Nathan will reveal the origins of Venture Café and what its founding story reveals about how innovation communities form and grow. He’ll also expand on the current state of the global Venture Café network, and what this means for Phoenix to be part of a growing worldwide community connecting innovators.
In Partnership with AZCollab
Innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth often start with a single serendipitous connection. Studies of the world’s most successful innovation ecosystems show that founders and CEOs connect for at least 30 minutes a day. Yet here in Phoenix, five years ago, it was closer to 30 minutes a month. Venture Café was launched to change that: to increase the frequency of meaningful touchpoints and create the conditions where ideas, collaborations, and ventures can flourish.
Join us to experience the power of connection firsthand. Hear from Nathan Plummer, Co-Executive Director of Venture Café Global, about future growth plans and the global network, and explore opportunities to engage with our Mentorship Network, your chance to spend 30 minutes one-on-one with a mentor or a mentee and fuel the next stage of your growth.
This LEGO® Serious Play® workshop is designed for business leaders seeking innovative decision-making approaches through hands-on building and storytelling. The neuroscience-based method combines analytical thinking with intuition, using 3D models and metaphors to help participants discover authentic solutions during pivotal organizational moments. You'll build models representing your challenges, share stories through your creations, and connect with fellow participants in new ways. This immersive experience unlocks innovation and hidden insights by tapping into knowledge you didn't know you had. No special skills required—just bring curiosity and experience how simple bricks can unlock extraordinary ideas through serious fun.
AI feels like intelligence, but whether it sharpens or dulls your thinking depends on how you use it. This session explores how convenience-driven tools can quietly weaken cognition, using examples like GPS, automation, and AI-assisted thinking. We’ll break down concepts like stress hormesis, context-setting, and cognitive partnership to show why struggle still matters. You’ll leave with practical strategies to use AI as a thinking amplifier, not a mental crutch, so it actually makes you smarter over time.
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 Paul Valach, Prompt Enginneer expert to construct prompts that generate the information you are looking for. Come to this meeting logged in to your favorite LLM (Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) ready to go! 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 Alex Koupal, the Event Director of Venture Cafe Phoenix and Owner of Alimental Business a Business Growth Consulting group, during 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.
Welcome to Startup Finance 101. In this session we will cover financial projections and modeling. We will go over the assumptions you are making, why those assumptions are important, and validate them so that you are confident in the numbers you are presenting.
The Venture Café Phoenix Mentorship Network returns to the main stage to celebrate the graduation of its first cohort of mentors and mentees.
This session highlights the real impact of mentorship, from early wins to honest challenges, and the relationships that made it all meaningful. Hear from mentee Rylan Cordorniz as they share insights from their experience and the value of guidance, accountability, and community.
As we look ahead, this program is just the beginning. With a vision to grow beyond Phoenix and expand globally, we’re continuing to build alongside partners like Cynthia Pierce.
Powered by Resolution Resource Group, the Mentorship Network is open and growing. If you're ready to mentor or be mentored, this is your moment to get involved.
What do a forgotten stack of papers in a photocopier and a third visit to an innovation community have in common?
They both reveal something powerful about how innovation actually happens.
In this session, Nathan Plummer, Co-Executive Director of the Venture Café Global Institute explores the hidden forces that drive innovation - from chance encounters and incremental breakthroughs to the role of trust.
Nathan will reveal the origins of Venture Café and what its founding story reveals about how innovation communities form and grow. He’ll also expand on the current state of the global Venture Café network, and what this means for Phoenix to be part of a growing worldwide community connecting innovators.
In Partnership with AZCollab