Texas Venture Gala & Forum 2026
May 26th & 27th | Texas State Capitol | JW Marriott
Innovation As Statecraft: Join the annual meeting spotlighting the innovation ecosystem
Announcing the 2026 Annual Meeting Theme:
Innovation As Statecraft
Join the statewide innovation ecosystem’s annual meeting at the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, reconvening Texans from across 20+ cities. Hosted at the Texas State Capitol & JW Marriott in one truly Texas-sized moment, these sister signature experiences host hundreds of speakers, guests, and recognized Texans including: venture capitalists, allocators, limited partners, emerging managers, incubators, accelerators, angel networks, universities, family offices, elected & appointed officials, successful & emerging startup CEOs, and industry partners.
With featured briefings, post-session speaker access, focused networking, private roundtables, and open mingling during the Gala, there are plenty of ways to connect with your peers and industry leaders. We also recognize Great Texan Leadership annually with an evening awards & dinner. The "Texas Crystal Boot Awards" & the "Texans Choice Awards" honor the: Texas Investor of the Year, Texas Innovator of the Year, Texas Venture Fest of the Year… and in honor of the announcement for the new Gala theme of “Innovation As Statecraft”, we introduce the Texas Statecraft Leader of the Year honoring government leaders supporting innovation.
More about our themes and awards here.
TEXAN INNOVATION AS STATECRAFT
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 2026
The State of Texas Wealth
Showcasing Texas’ growing affluence, The Great Wealth Transfer, alternative asset trends, WealthTech, and what founders & investors should know and leverage. Continued conversation will follow in a smaller gathering.
State of Texas Startups & Venture Capital
The most recent report sharing information about the lay-of-the-land for Texas startups, how our state ranks across the country, and investors’ predictions, opportunities, and goals.
State of Innovation at the City, State, & Federal Government
From the hyperlocal view to the national scale, discussion feature a variety of approaches to remove red tape, protect creators, and celebrate entrepreneurship— from mayors, legislators, lobbyists, government agencies, and more.
The State of Texas’ Middle Power Cities
Leaders from Texas's fast emerging cities share their growing influence where innovation. became an undeniable force. Opportunity to network with ecosystem leaders will follow.
State of Texas’ Top Industries
Panels covering the most powerful sectors in our state from the heads of industry organizations and those who build & back their disruption. A short time afterward is allocated to meet the panelists.
Texas Headlines: A Spotlight On Innovators & Investors
Hear from those who make the news and break the news including: launched initiatives, raised funds, the new Texas capital of capital, themed innovation towns, and more.
More agenda details updated soon.
Make Possible Thanks To Our 2026 Major Partners
Speaker Highlights From 2025 & 2024
In Their Words
President of the United States, Donald J Trump, in a Message From the White House
“I send my warmest greetings to all the incredible investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders gathered for the Second Annual Texas Venture Gala and Forum… I congratulate you on your tremendous work and send my best wishes for a wonderful event. May God bless you, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.” Full message here.
Presidential Cabinet Member & Administrator the of Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler
"I had the privilege of speaking at the Texas Venture Gala & Forum about how the SBA is strengthening partnerships with investors to expand access to capital. Through programs like SBIC, we’re helping more entrepreneurs scale their business and drive innovation." Full message here.
Longest Tenured NASA Administrator, & Founder of Cold Canyon, The Honorable Daniel S. Goldin
“In hard pursuits, there's no halfway-in-between. Either we're going to be a society that advances American technology or we're not! This is about more than investment dollars and policy. It's about collective SPIRIT! Thank you to my new friend CS Freeland for inviting me to keynote the inaugural Texas Venture Gala & Forum this April. So many people came together in the spirit of American technology in one of the most critical regions of the country for deep tech - Texas. I had the honor of being interviewed by the brilliant Jordan Blashek, President & COO of America’s Frontier Fund.”
Unites States Senator, & U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Technology Chairman, Ted Cruz
“There’s no better place in the country to build and grow a business than Texas. I’m honored to be invited to speak at the Texas Venture Gala & Forum. I look forward to celebrating the hard work of Texas entrepreneurs and continuing the conversation on how we can ensure Texas remains the innovation powerhouse that it is.”
Office of the Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Executive Director, Adriana Cruz
"… I was honored to speak at the reception for the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, by the Texas Venture Alliance, at Texas Association of Business office. Thanks for our hosts Texas Economic Development Corporation and TAB. Honored to meet some of the leadership from the US Small Business Administration who were in town for the event." Full message here.
Texas House of Representatives, Innovation & Technology Caucus Policy Committee Member, Representative Donna Howard
“I'm pleased to join this event with a focus on education and information to further technology industry innovation, growth, and competitiveness here in Texas. This sector has already strengthened our state’s economy, and I'm excited see how this industry will continue to play a significant role in the future of our state.”
Texas Economic Development Corporation, President & CEO, Aaron Demerson
“Innovation is synonymous with transformation, and Texas is the epitome of a states that continually transforms itself to be a leading innovator. From advanced manufacturing and semiconductors to aerospace, biotech and energy, Texas leads the nation in industries that contribute to the daily lives of all Americans. Add in our business-friendly environment, it’s no secret this is why more CEOs are choosing Texas to relocate or expand their business.”
Texas State Representative & Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee Vice Chair, Salman Bhojani
“I’m thrilled to join fellow entrepreneurs and executives at the Texas Venture Gala & Forum to discuss how we can keep Texas business friendly and the economy growing. It’s an honor to be included among so many innovators and thought leaders at this one-of-a-kind gathering of our state’s most influential champions of business.”
Texas Association of Business, President & CEO, Glenn Hamer
“This is the most important event for venture capitalists in Texas in 2024 and maybe in the state’s history. At the Texas Association of Business (the state chamber) we’re committed to Texas being #1 in every area and we need strong cohesion across our expansive state to reach the top. I commend CS’s leadership for founding this Gala.”
Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs Chair; and Dynabrand Ventures Founder & CEO, Carla McDonald
“Austin’s rise as an innovation hub has been meteoric, and we can go still higher if we unleash the full potential of our women entrepreneurs. Their empowerment will play a key role in elevating our city to unprecedented heights of economic prosperity and inclusive growth.”
RevereVC, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Chris Shen
“We are excited to partner for the Texas Venture Gala & Forum. As a native Houstonian I couldn’t be more excited to participate and contribute. Revere works with global allocators, investors and portfolio managers, many of whom have long known about the dynamism, pro-business and innovation environment of Texas. We believe that Texas is a must-visit and CS's events are a must-attend for investors looking to diversify and expand their alternatives investment portfolio."
The Family Office Association, Chairman & Founder, Marc Sharpe
“I'm pleased to join this event with a focus on education and information to further technology industry innovation, growth, and competitiveness here in Texas. This sector has already strengthened our state’s economy, and I'm excited see how this industry will continue to play a significant role in the future of our state.”
Halliburton Labs, Executive Director, Scott Gale
“The skillsets and capital required to deliver the future of energy faster are right here in Texas. Halliburton Labs is based at Halliburton’s global headquarters in Texas, and we support more than 30 portfolio companies worldwide with several of them operating in Houston. Our start-ups are tackling the world’s most pressing energy challenges. We empower these new energy pioneers so they can scale more quickly to revolutionize the world.”
A LOOK BACK: FOUNDING THE TEXAS VENTURE GALA & FORUM 2024
“No other ecosystem of entrepreneur support acts like us. It’s impressive, the level of cohesion inside what is the biggest state in size & stature of our country. We are all founders today. Thank you founding speakers, founding sponsors, founding guests, and founding volunteers...”
—2024 Founding Gala Speech from CS Freeland, Texas Venture Alliance Executive Director, and Texas Venture Newsletter Editor-In-Chief at the Austin Fairmont Hotel (View 2024 Recap here)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TEXAS VENTURE GALA & FORUM 2025
Although this wasn’t the inaugural year, it was one of many “firsts”. One of the most unique moments was the attention our gathering received from the highest levels of the U.S. government, a first for our statewide innovation community, and at the time, any organization in Texas: We received a message from the President of the United States congratulating the Gala, as well as featured a Presidential Cabinet Member (the Administrator of the SBA), and a US Senator keynote.
We also had our first-ever statewide innovation resolution: I asked the most popular rising star State Representatives to kickoff the Gala, and he surprised and generously offered us and delivered an official proclamation to our Gala guests recognizing our innovation.
I’m excited to say this was also an unprecedented moment gathering the top organizations in the business community: the Texas Governor's Office, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, SBA Executive Leadership, Texas Economic Development Corporation, and Texas Association of Business all together… who have never been featured at the same gathering.
The Texas Venture Showcase (“the Showcase of Showcases”), was also a great convening and first feature of truly statewide innovation, with branded gala tables celebrating our Texas Venture Fest partners’ cohorts, pitch winners, demo days, and other award-winning Texas startups.
And finally my dream come true and to show my appreciation of the building: We convened investors and innovators from across our great state for the first time, at what is the most historic and powerful building in our state, the Texas State Capitol. I asked our sponsor, US Lege, for their help to host several private tours, for what we now call the Texas Venture Day, or our community’s day at the Capitol. View the entire 2025 Recap here.
—Texas Venture Gala & Forum Organizer, CS Freeland