2026 KEYNOTES AND BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Keynote
The Age of the Idea Person
We are entering the age of the idea person, where the distance between imagination and execution has never been shorter. This keynote explores how entrepreneurs can turn insight into action faster than ever before. Using examples from venture building, corporate innovation, and breakthrough ideas emerging in unexpected places — this session will show why innovation is no longer confined to traditional hubs.
Thursday, May 21 | 9:15am | Numerica PAC Theater
Keynote
Forecasting the Future: Building Amperon for a Changing Energy Market
Energy markets are changing fast, and the need for smarter, more reliable forecasting has never been greater. Learn how Amperon grew from a bold idea into a company helping utilities, energy companies, and market participants make better decisions in an increasingly complex world. Sean will share his founder’s perspective on spotting opportunity, learning from customers, building trust in a critical industry, and using innovation to solve real-world problems that affect all of us.
Following the keynote presentation, AEM Student Energy Managers will moderate a Fireside Chat with Sean to learn more about his entrepreneurial journey and the future of energy.
Early- Stage Investment Competition | Numerica PAC
Thursday, May 21 | 10:30am
Keynote
An Entrepreneur’s Journey
Ryan James, PhD, shares a practical perspective on the entrepreneurial journey. Drawing from real experiences building in healthcare, Ryan explores how taking action creates clarity, how defining a long-term vision shapes decisions, and how persistence is essential when facing setbacks.
Student Pitch Competition | Pybus Event Center
Wednesday, May 20 | 9:45am
Keynote
Scaling with Purpose: Building Beyond the Expected
Entrepreneurship often starts with a single opportunity, but lasting impact comes from what you build over time. Drawing from Edwin’s journey as an entrepreneur and the next-generation perspective Alex brings to the conversation, this fireside chat will explore what it means to grow beyond expectations, create opportunity for others, and carry entrepreneurial lessons forward.
Student Pitch Competition | Pybus Event Center
Wednesday, May 20 | 10:30am
Keynote
A Founding Story
Jerred Mace will give a behind-the-scenes look into the creation of OneCourt. Jerred will cover everything from concept to prototyping, team building, lucky breaks, failures, first revenue, investment, and growth. He will provide insights into some of his best decisions and what he would do differently.
Student Pitch Competition | Pybus Event Center
Wednesday, May 20 | 11:30am
Jerred will also provide an update during Lunch on Thursday, May 21.
Breakout Session
People, Pipeline, Place: Building Innovation-Ready Regions
What does it take to help ideas grow into companies and regions grow into places where innovation can thrive? This conversation explores how founder support, commercialization pathways, and regional infrastructure work together to create the conditions for innovation, how emerging regions make strategic choices with limited resources, and why collaboration across sectors matters. Designed for founders, investors, business leaders, and public partners, this session invites those who help shape what comes next to see the role they play in making growth possible.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 1
Thursday, May 21 | 1:30pm - 2:20pm
Breakout Session
Customer Discovery: Becoming Customer Focused
In the customer discovery workshop, founders will learn to understand part of what investors mean by “too early.” Evan and Kia will show founders how to identify what must be true for their idea to become a scalable, investable business. Using a Lean Canvas, founders learn to map their key assumptions and test them through customer interviews with actionable, "Mom-tested", question formats. This process shifts them from a product-first mindset to a customer-first approach grounded in real market evidence that can convince an investor that a founder has a business rather than a project.
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 2
Thursday, May 21 | 1:30pm - 2:20pm
Breakout Session
Startup Showcase: Meet Flywheel Semi-Finalist Companies
Get a fast-paced look at some of the promising startups in this year’s Flywheel pipeline. In this high-impact breakout session, Flywheel Semi-Finalists will take the stage to deliver quick, compelling pitches that spotlight bold ideas, strong founders, and what could be next. The session will include time for attendee questions, giving you a chance to hear directly from founders and learn more about the opportunities they are building.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 3
Thursday, May 21 | 1:30pm - 2:20pm
Breakout Session
Innovation Hiding in Plain Sight:
From Industrial Problems to Business Opportunity
What if some of the most interesting innovation opportunities are already around us? This conversation looks at how underused resources, rising operational pressures, and industrial inefficiencies can become the starting point for new business ideas, stronger partnerships, and long-term economic opportunity. Panelists will share real-world examples of how overlooked challenges can lead to new value, and what it takes to move those ideas from concept to implementation.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 1
Thursday, May 21 | 2:30pm - 3:20pm
Breakout Session
From Almost Out of Runway to First Revenue
Early-stage founders often hear about growth, fundraising, and traction, but less about what it takes to lead when the path is unclear and runway is ending. In this session, Anya Smith shares the practical and leadership shifts that helped her company move from pre-revenue uncertainty to first revenue. Attendees will gain insight into how to identify real value, make harder decisions sooner, and level up as leaders so they can guide their companies through uncertainty with more clarity, resilience, and focus.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 2
Thursday, May 21 | 2:30pm - 3:20pm
Breakout Session
What Makes a Startup Worth Building and Backing
There are easier ways to make money than startups and angel investing. So why do people choose this path? In this candid, experience-based session, two founders turned investors share how early-stage companies actually get built and backed. We will explore what investors really look for beyond the pitch, why most deals never happen, and how decisions are made under uncertainty. This will be a conversation, not a lecture, with audience discussion woven throughout.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 3
Thursday, May 21 | 2:30pm - 3:20pm
Breakout Session
Building the Future: Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing
There are easier ways to make money than startups and angel investing. So why do people choose this path? In this candid, experience-based session, two founders turned investors share how early-stage companies actually get built and backed. We will explore what investors really look for beyond the pitch, why most deals never happen, and how decisions are made under uncertainty. This will be a conversation, not a lecture, with audience discussion woven throughout.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 1
Thursday, May 21 | 3:30pm - 4:20pm
Breakout Session
Is My Startup Venture Fundable
A highly interactive workshop designed to help founders assess whether their idea-stage or existing company meets the criteria for venture investment. You’ll gain a clear understanding of what investors look for in venture-scale opportunities, along with direct feedback on how well your business fits that model, and actionable guidance on how to evolve your strategy if it doesn't yet align.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 2
Thursday, May 21 | 3:30pm - 4:20pm
Breakout Session
Beyond the Garage: Rethinking How Startups Get Built
Startups don’t all begin in a garage, and they don’t all need to start from scratch. Many founders overlook pathways that involve existing innovation, intellectual property, and commercialization systems because they seem too complex or too slow. In reality, these approaches can accelerate development and strengthen long-term advantage. This session challenges common myths that startups have to start from scratch, that IP is only a legal checkbox, and that a good idea alone is enough, offering a clearer view of how ideas move from discovery to real companies, and how founders can better leverage these often-underutilized paths.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Wenatchee Convention Center | Fountain Room 3
Thursday, May 21 | 3:30pm - 4:20pm
