CED - Center for Entrepreneurial Development

GCVI Summit
2026-03-17 - 2026-03-19

Future Food-Tech
2026-03-19 - 2026-03-20

FFVC March Madness Open House
2026-03-19 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)

All Things AI
2026-03-23 - 2026-03-24 | The Carolina Theatre, 309 W Morgan St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States

Transform
2026-03-23 - 2026-03-25

Strength in Numbers Mixer (RSVP Required)
2026-03-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Pine and Poplar, 307 S Roxboro St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
We’re excited to see our Strength in Numbers members at Venture Connect! We’ll be kicking off the summit with an invite-only Strength in Numbers Mixer on Monday, March 23th, the afternoon before Venture Connect begins. The private gathering is your chance to build connections with fellow female-identifying founders, operators, investors, and key ecosystem partners in a more intimate setting before the rest of the conference.
A special thank you to our Impact Investors – 4LV and Hutchison PLLC.

Our Event Sponsors – Customers Bank, Pappas Capital, and RSM US

How do you get your invite? By purchasing your Venture Connect ticket! Register Here.

RevUp Capital & Capacity Capital's Founder & Investor Happy Hour
2026-03-23 16:00 - 18:00 | The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge, 119 Orange St 3rd Floor, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
​Join Pilot, Melissa Withers of RevUp Capital, and Jonathan Bragdon of Capacity Capital for a casual happy hour bringing together founders and investors in town for Venture Connect.
Please note RSVP is required: https://luma.com/tyonl1ib

Kickoff Party
2026-03-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Bay 7, 324 Blackwell St #700, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Join us as we officially kick off Venture Connect 2026 with an evening designed to energize, connect, and celebrate the entrepreneurial community.
Thank you to our sponsors Baker Donelson and Xyzagen for this event!

How do you get your invite? By purchasing your Venture Connect ticket! Register Here.

Venture Connect 2026
2026-03-24 - 2026-03-25 | DPAC, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Join CED for Venture Connect 2026, the leading conference in the Southeast for scaling startups. Spotlight on: Next-Gen Hardware & Deep Tech, Software Innovation, Human Health: Biotech, Tools & Therapeutics, and Science for a Healthier Planet.

Pendominium
2026-03-24 - 2026-03-26 | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States

Doors Open | Registration, Check-In & Breakfast
2026-03-24 07:30 - 08:30 | DPAC Floor 1 Lobby, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Kick off your VC26 experience with registration and a light continental breakfast. Connect with fellow attendees over coffee, fuel up for an inspiring day ahead, and get ready to dive into the conversations that will shape the future of the Triangle’s innovation ecosystem. Doors open early—see you there!

Special thanks to our Breakfast Sponsor, Bilan Stribling at Edward Jones.

Partnering & Investor Meetings
2026-03-24 07:30 - 16:30 | DPAC Floor 3 Lobby, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Looking to accelerate your business growth? Bookable meeting spaces are available for one-on-one conversations with investors, partners, and key ecosystem resources. Whether you’re seeking capital, strategic guidance, or industry connections, this is your chance to forge valuable relationships that drive your startup forward. Schedule your meetings and make every moment count!

Sponsor Connection
2026-03-24 07:30 - 16:30 | DPAC Floor 2 Lobby, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Spend time connecting with our Venture Connect sponsors! Visit their booths, learn about their work, and explore ways to collaborate and build meaningful relationships.

Opening Session | Dematerialization and Rematerialization
2026-03-24 08:30 - 09:45 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Venture Connect 2026 opens with a bold framing of the venture landscape amid sweeping technological and societal change. Robert Tercek, co-founder of The Futurists Network and Nura Studios AI, explores the defining force of the 21st century: dematerialization—the ongoing shift of physical products, infrastructure, and entire industries into software. For more than three decades, software has reshaped manufacturing, logistics, retail, media, telecommunications, transportation, banking, and finance.
Now, we are entering the next phase: rematerialization. Powered by artificial intelligence, computational biology, and synthetic biology, physical systems and resources can be redesigned and re-engineered into entirely new configurations. Machine intelligence is accelerating value creation, unlocking new business models, and challenging conventional assumptions about how companies are built and scaled. From AI-driven enterprises to programmable biology, these twin forces will redefine both software services and life sciences—reshaping the very foundation of venture investment.
Building on these opening insights, Tercek is joined on stage by Chloë Domergue, Principal and Practice Leader in Human Capital at Deloitte, for a forward-looking conversation about what future organizations will require to succeed. As technology transforms how value is created, fundamental questions emerge: How many people does a startup truly need? What roles will matter most? How will human capital strategies evolve in an era defined by intelligent systems? Together, they will explore how founders and investors must rethink talent, structure, and scale for the next generation of high-growth companies.

Presentation Session | Human Health — Biotech & Medtech
2026-03-24 10:00 - 10:50 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
From ENT care to oncology, the companies in this session are redefining how medicine is practiced, delivered, and experienced. Whether through novel device engineering, AI-powered diagnostics, or breakthrough therapeutics, these innovators are tackling some of healthcare’s most persistent challenges.
Thank you, Wyrick Robbins, for sponsoring this event.

Presentation Session | Early-Stage Technology Companies
2026-03-24 10:00 - 10:50, 2026-03-24 14:20 - 15:10 | DPAC President’s Club, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
In addition to the DPAC Stage presentations, Venture Connect features a dynamic lightning round where emerging technology companies present rapid-fire pitches.

Presentation Session | Software Innovation
2026-03-24 11:05 - 12:00 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
This session showcases software companies using artificial intelligence, automation, and modern cloud platforms to solve real-world problems across healthcare, construction, education, finance, and beyond. What unites them is a commitment to replacing inefficiency with intelligence — and delivering measurable impact to the people and organizations they serve.
Thank you to our sponsors, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP and Centri Business Consulting.

Presentation Session | Early-Stage Life Science Companies
2026-03-24 11:05 - 12:00 | DPAC President’s Club, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
In addition to the DPAC Stage presentations, Venture Connect features a dynamic lightning round where emerging life science companies present rapid-fire pitches.

Biotech Investor Lunch
2026-03-24 12:00 - 13:00 | NanaSteak, 345 Blackwell St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
We are excited to host an invite-only Biotech Investor Lunch during Venture Connect. This is a unique opportunity to network with fellow biotech investors over lunch and engage in insightful conversations.
Thank you to Seward & Kissel & Dean Dorton for sponsoring this lunch!

Lunch Break | Connect & Recharge
2026-03-24 12:00 - 13:00 | DPAC Floor 2 Lobby, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Take a break, grab a bite, and connect organically with fellow attendees. This unscripted, unstructured lunch is your time to step outside, spark new conversations, and build relationships in a relaxed setting. Whether you’re diving into a deep discussion or simply recharging for the afternoon sessions, this is your opportunity to network, unwind, and fuel up for what’s next.

Presentation Session | Science for a Healthier Planet
2026-03-24 13:15 - 14:05 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
The companies in this session are confronting some of the most pressing environmental and agricultural challenges of our time. From climate-resilient crops to next-generation water treatment and sustainable seafood, these innovators are using science to build a more resilient and sustainable world.

From Scale to Sale: Building Leverage Before You Need It
2026-03-24 13:15 - 14:05 | DPAC President’s Club, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Transaction readiness isn’t a last-minute sprint—it’s the result of disciplined decisions made years earlier. In this session, Tyson Nargassans, CED Founder in Residence and CEO of Slope Software, shares hard-won lessons on how to structure your company so you can move quickly, command stronger valuations, and stay in control when investors or acquirers come calling. Learn what sophisticated buyers look for, where founders unintentionally invite retrades or lose leverage, and what you can implement now to avoid painful surprises later.

Is Your Board Keeping You Up at Night?
2026-03-24 13:30 - 15:00 | NanaSteak, 345 Blackwell St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
At their best, Boards can be a founder’s most valuable asset, providing the right level of accountability, invaluable strategic advice, and connections that lead directly to new knowledge, revenue, or talent. But at their worst, Boards can create distraction and overhead, apply unhealthy pressure, or even become an impediment to the company’s success. In this interactive workshop, Mitch Heath, former COO and Co-founder of Teamworks, will do a deep dive on how founders can make the most of their advisor relationships and how management and board members alike can best optimize Board dynamics.

Presentation Session | Next-Gen Hardware & Deep Tech
2026-03-24 14:20 - 15:10 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
The companies in this session are operating at the frontier of what hardware and deep technology can do. From advanced robotics and satellite systems to novel materials and semiconductor architecture, these innovators are building the physical and computational infrastructure of tomorrow.

Tech Investor Panel
2026-03-24 15:25 - 16:10 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Join a respected panel of growth-stage investors (moderated by Peter Franconi of Fulcrum Equity Partners) as they discuss relevant topics ranging from the capital raising environment to the prevalence of AI in software business models.

Early Exits & Transaction Ready
2026-03-24 15:25 - 16:15 | DPAC President’s Club, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Given the long roadmaps, most life science companies are going to exit well before revenue and some exit much earlier than originally planned. How did these opportunities unfold? How did you prepare? What do you wish you had done differently? Join us for an exciting fireside chat with exited founders sharing insights from their journeys.
Hosts will include: Kelli Luginbuhl, Leah Townsend, & Giles Shih.

Fireside Chat | Supercharge GTM in the Modern AI Landscape
2026-03-24 16:25 - 17:10 | DPAC Stage, 123 William V Bill Bell Wy, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Go to market execution is where most startups stall, and AI is changing how the best teams solve it. Kelly Breslin Wright, former President and COO of Gong and CRO of Tableau, joins Susan Cook, former CEO of Zaloni and CEO of DAS42, for a candid conversation on building high performing GTM engines. They will share practical lessons on hiring, ICP clarity, messaging, and using AI to move faster without losing focus, plus what founders often get wrong when trying to scale revenue.

GrepBeat's Venture Connect After-Party
2026-03-24 17:00 - 19:00 | Private: Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, 280 S Mangum St #100, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Join GrepBeat as they hoist a glass to celebrate Venture Connect and the Triangle’s entrepreneurial spirit. Connect, unwind, and spark new ideas!
RSVP required to attend: https://donorbox.org/events/914612/steps/choose_tickets

Presenting Founders' Reception
2026-03-24 17:30 - 19:00 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Presenting founders are invited to join us for an exclusive reception at the end of VC26 Day 1. We hope to see you there!
Thank you, Bank of America and Canopy, for sponsoring this event.
