Sponsored by Legacy Sponsor: The City of Phoenix
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
In Partnership with Club Lumen and The Morning Rave™
Sponsored by Legacy Sponsor:
Arrive early to Venture Café Phoenix for your chance to connect with Christina Del Villar, GTM Architect & Revenue Strategist. Come gain insights on building a go-to-market strategy and revenue engine that scales without falling apart.
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
Arrive early for your chance to connect with Khandle Hedrick, Director of Innovation Programs & Community Engagement at the Better Business Buerea.. Learn how the BBB can help connect you with programs, partnerships, and resources you need to strengthen and grow your businesses.
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
Most women in business are sitting on the most powerful marketing asset they own and calling it a liability. The story they've been editing, softening and deciding isn't ""professional enough"" is the exact thing their ideal client needs to hear.
Mel C shows women entrepreneurs how the experience they've been most ashamed of builds the deepest trust, attracts the right clients and sets them apart in a crowded market.
Drawing from her own story and her work through Six Figure Chicks, she makes the case that strategically shared shame isn't vulnerability for vulnerability's sake. It's a business strategy.
Attendees walk away with:
How to identify the story moment that creates instant connection with their ideal client, why owning their full story positions them above any competitor, and how to turn that story into content and published work that markets for them long after they leave the room.
Sponsored by: Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, In Partnership with: Alimental Business
Celebrate the creativity, ambition, and innovation of women entrepreneurs in our community. This showcase features women founders who are building businesses, creating solutions, and turning their ideas into impact. Join us for an opportunity to connect, be inspired, and support the women shaping the future of business and innovation.
Tabels include:
Green Living Magazine
Luvion
Networking Arizona
Engineering Women
Purple Tiger Leadership
Adair Clinic & The Wellness Corner
HighDef Studio
Whether you're attending for the first time or looking to get more involved, this orientation is the perfect place to begin. Learn what Venture Café Phoenix is all about, discover the content and networking opportunities available each week, and explore how to make the most of your experience. We'll share tips for building meaningful connections, navigating the Thursday Gathering, engaging with the community, and finding the people, programs, and resources that can help you achieve your goals. Come ready to ask questions, meet fellow newcomers, and leave feeling confident about making Venture Café part of your innovation journey.
This highly interactive session will feature 10 attendees briefly explaining their situations. Michael will ask key questions, then explain what their next step should be and why. Everyone in the room will benefit as the variety of recommendations are given.
Join Bianca Fabbo, founder of Prata Health, for an engaging conversation on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the future of healthcare. Driven by a passion to improve health outcomes through technology, Bianca is building solutions that address critical gaps in healthcare while creating more accessible, personalized, and proactive experiences for patients. Her work demonstrates how mission-driven entrepreneurship can tackle complex challenges and create meaningful impact at scale.
This fireside chat explores the intersection of healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurship, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of building a startup in one of the world's most important industries. Bianca will share lessons learned from identifying unmet needs, developing innovative health solutions, securing stakeholder buy-in, and navigating the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Whether you're a founder, healthcare professional, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, you'll gain valuable insights into building purpose-driven companies that improve lives while driving innovation and lasting impact.
Women influence the majority of purchasing decisions, drive innovation across industries, and are building profitable companies at record rates, yet they remain significantly underrepresented among those who control investment capital. What changes when more women have a seat at the cap table? In this conversation, we'll dive into how we got here and explore how increasing women's participation in investing can reshape the flow of capital, expand the types of ideas that get funded, and create a more inclusive and dynamic innovation economy. Because who writes the checks doesn't just determine who succeeds, it shapes what the future looks like.
In Partnership with The Jane Project
Forbes Shannon, founder of Join Extraordinary, for an engaging conversation about entrepreneurship, community, storytelling, and the power of meaningful connections. Forbes is one of Venture Café Phoenix’s founding community members and served as an emcee during its early years, helping shape the welcoming energy and sense of belonging that continue to define our gatherings today.
Through Join Extraordinary, Forbes has created a platform dedicated to elevating remarkable people, ideas, and stories. Now, he is generously donating the use of the Join Extraordinary platform to support the Venture Café Phoenix Podcast, helping us amplify the voices of local founders, innovators, and community leaders.
This fireside chat will explore Forbes’ entrepreneurial journey, his experience helping build the Venture Café Phoenix community, and his vision for using storytelling to create connection and impact. Attendees will gain insights into building community-driven ventures, developing an authentic platform, and using media to help extraordinary people and ideas reach a wider audience.
Sponsored by Legacy Sponsor: The City of Phoenix
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
In Partnership with Club Lumen and The Morning Rave™
Sponsored by Legacy Sponsor:
Arrive early to Venture Café Phoenix for your chance to connect with Christina Del Villar, GTM Architect & Revenue Strategist. Come gain insights on building a go-to-market strategy and revenue engine that scales without falling apart.
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
Arrive early for your chance to connect with Khandle Hedrick, Director of Innovation Programs & Community Engagement at the Better Business Buerea.. Learn how the BBB can help connect you with programs, partnerships, and resources you need to strengthen and grow your businesses.
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
Most women in business are sitting on the most powerful marketing asset they own and calling it a liability. The story they've been editing, softening and deciding isn't ""professional enough"" is the exact thing their ideal client needs to hear.
Mel C shows women entrepreneurs how the experience they've been most ashamed of builds the deepest trust, attracts the right clients and sets them apart in a crowded market.
Drawing from her own story and her work through Six Figure Chicks, she makes the case that strategically shared shame isn't vulnerability for vulnerability's sake. It's a business strategy.
Attendees walk away with:
How to identify the story moment that creates instant connection with their ideal client, why owning their full story positions them above any competitor, and how to turn that story into content and published work that markets for them long after they leave the room.
Sponsored by: Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, In Partnership with: Alimental Business
Celebrate the creativity, ambition, and innovation of women entrepreneurs in our community. This showcase features women founders who are building businesses, creating solutions, and turning their ideas into impact. Join us for an opportunity to connect, be inspired, and support the women shaping the future of business and innovation.
Tabels include:
Green Living Magazine
Luvion
Networking Arizona
Engineering Women
Purple Tiger Leadership
Adair Clinic & The Wellness Corner
HighDef Studio
Whether you're attending for the first time or looking to get more involved, this orientation is the perfect place to begin. Learn what Venture Café Phoenix is all about, discover the content and networking opportunities available each week, and explore how to make the most of your experience. We'll share tips for building meaningful connections, navigating the Thursday Gathering, engaging with the community, and finding the people, programs, and resources that can help you achieve your goals. Come ready to ask questions, meet fellow newcomers, and leave feeling confident about making Venture Café part of your innovation journey.
This highly interactive session will feature 10 attendees briefly explaining their situations. Michael will ask key questions, then explain what their next step should be and why. Everyone in the room will benefit as the variety of recommendations are given.
Join Bianca Fabbo, founder of Prata Health, for an engaging conversation on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the future of healthcare. Driven by a passion to improve health outcomes through technology, Bianca is building solutions that address critical gaps in healthcare while creating more accessible, personalized, and proactive experiences for patients. Her work demonstrates how mission-driven entrepreneurship can tackle complex challenges and create meaningful impact at scale.
This fireside chat explores the intersection of healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurship, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of building a startup in one of the world's most important industries. Bianca will share lessons learned from identifying unmet needs, developing innovative health solutions, securing stakeholder buy-in, and navigating the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Whether you're a founder, healthcare professional, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, you'll gain valuable insights into building purpose-driven companies that improve lives while driving innovation and lasting impact.
Women influence the majority of purchasing decisions, drive innovation across industries, and are building profitable companies at record rates, yet they remain significantly underrepresented among those who control investment capital. What changes when more women have a seat at the cap table? In this conversation, we'll dive into how we got here and explore how increasing women's participation in investing can reshape the flow of capital, expand the types of ideas that get funded, and create a more inclusive and dynamic innovation economy. Because who writes the checks doesn't just determine who succeeds, it shapes what the future looks like.
In Partnership with The Jane Project
Forbes Shannon, founder of Join Extraordinary, for an engaging conversation about entrepreneurship, community, storytelling, and the power of meaningful connections. Forbes is one of Venture Café Phoenix’s founding community members and served as an emcee during its early years, helping shape the welcoming energy and sense of belonging that continue to define our gatherings today.
Through Join Extraordinary, Forbes has created a platform dedicated to elevating remarkable people, ideas, and stories. Now, he is generously donating the use of the Join Extraordinary platform to support the Venture Café Phoenix Podcast, helping us amplify the voices of local founders, innovators, and community leaders.
This fireside chat will explore Forbes’ entrepreneurial journey, his experience helping build the Venture Café Phoenix community, and his vision for using storytelling to create connection and impact. Attendees will gain insights into building community-driven ventures, developing an authentic platform, and using media to help extraordinary people and ideas reach a wider audience.