Press Release
AUSTIN, March 4, 2023 -- Texas Venture Gala & Forum, the state’s inaugural high-powered, high-end gathering featuring the Texas investor and innovation community, today announced the preliminary speaker lineup for the event taking place this April 12 & 13, 2024 at the Fairmont Austin.
This first-of-its-kind experience, which will convene hundreds of investors and innovators, from already nearly 20 different cities from around the state, will talk venture capital, angel investing, investing in funds, and more. The new “Innovator” ticket accommodates for exited founders, and as well as venture-backed founders invited as special guests of their investors. Content spans topics from new Texan Dynamism and LP landscape, to investor value-add capacity building and corporates trailblazing in venture.
The agenda is live now, with a complete speaker list available soon. A sampling of confirmed speakers includes:
Office of Governor Greg Abbott; Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office, Executive Director, Adriana Cruz
Longest-Tenured NASA Administrator; Cold Canyon Founder, The Honorable Daniel S. Goldin
State of Texas Commission of Higher Education; Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board CEO, Commissioner Harrison Keller
Texas House of Representatives, Innovation & Technology Caucus Policy Committee Member, Representative Donna Howard
Texas Economic Development Corporation, President & CEO, Aaron Demerson
Texas Chamber of Commerce / Texas Association of Business, President & CEO, Glenn Hamer
High Net Worth & Family Office Annual Conferences, by DC Finance CEO, Denny Chared
The Family Office Association, Founder & CEO, Marc Sharpe
Tiger 21, Austin Chair, Michele Skelding
America’s Frontier Fund, President & COO, Jordan Blashek
Cart.com Chief Innovation Officer, Mike Svatek
Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs, Chair; Dynabrand Ventures, Founder, Carla McDonald
Silverton Partners Partner, Roger Chen
SputnikATX VC Managing Partner & CEO, Oksana Malysheva
GOOSE Capital, Board Member; Gow Media, CEO, David Gow
Moneta Ventures, Partner & Texas Leader, Aasim Hasan
Plug And Play, Director, Ehab Gabr
Softeq Ventures Managing General Partner, Chris Howard
Houston Angel Network Vice President, Mitra Miller
Central Texas Angel Network Executive Director, Katie Russel
Alamo Angel Network Executive Director, Juan Sebastian Garzon
Halliburton Labs, Executive Director, Scott Gale
Texas House of Representatives, Innovation & Technology Caucus Policy Committee Member, Representative Donna Howard said: “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 and CEO, Aaron Demerson said: “Innovation is synonymous with transformation, and Texas is the epitome of a state 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 Chamber of Commerce/Texas Association of Business, CEO, Glenn Hamer said: “This is the most important event for venture capitalists in Texas in 2024 and maybe in the state’s history. At TAB we’re committed to Texas being #1 in every area and we need a strong Texas Venture Alliance to reach the top. I commend CS’s vision and leadership for organizing this Gala.”
The Family Office Association, Chairman & Founder, Marc Sharpe said: “A great deal of capital in Texas is held privately by family offices and so The Family Office Association (“TFOA”) is very happy to support initiatives such as this that promote Texas as an important place for capital formation and investment.”
RevereVC, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer said: “We are excited to partner for the Texas Venture Gala & Forum. As a native Houstonian and proud alumni of The University of Texas, I must say that the Revere team and I could not be more excited to participate and contribute to the upcoming events. 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. With the recent rapid growth of the State's tech ecosystem, 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."
Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs Chair; and Dynabrand Ventures Founder & CEO, Carla McDonald said: “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.”
Halliburton Labs, Executive Director, Scott Gale said: “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.”
Texas Venture Gala & Forum, Organizer, CS Freeland said: "After having the largest venture-focused event in the country, the Texas Venture Crawl (now Texas Venture Fest), simultaneously in 10 cities, 16 venues, 40+ venture panelists, and nearly 3,000 Texans—we’re excited to host an invite-only, curated gathering for the Texas Venture Gala & Forum. This one big day shows off cohesion between investors, cities, universities, and really the entire ecosystem of startup support. We are particularly excited about the stellar guest list for the gala, while featuring high-caliber Texans earlier during the daytime programming at the Forum. It’s been an impressive community effort and a spectacular showcase of Texan leadership co-creating this first experience."
Early founding sponsors are Carta, Moneta Ventures, Sydecar, Builders & Backers, International Accelerator, IA Ventures, Frisco Economic Development Corporation, Akerman, Eisner Amper, and Banc of California, Fundingstack, Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, and Pearland Innovation Hub. Community partners include: Builders & Backers, Alamo Angels, as well as the investor and economic development networks of Founder Institute Texas, Tech Bloc, Executive Council Network, and Austin Technology Incubator. For more information on the event including available founding sponsorship opportunities please inquire using the contact information below.
ABOUT THE TEXAS VENTURE GALA & FORUM
The Texas Venture Gala & Forum is the state’s first gathering featuring thought leadership and high-powered networking from Texas investors and other key drivers of innovation. It’s also a time of recognition and celebration of the Lone Star State’s collaboration. Its mission is to amplify the statewide ecosystem of startup support, and will spur big ideas by connecting people and capital. Other sister signature events are the Texas Venture Fest, the biggest venture-focused experience in the country hosted simultaneously in 10 cities for nearly 3,000 Texans across the state. For more information about the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, please visit texasventuregala.com.
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