Been looking for your people in the DMV? Your next co-founder, investor, or client will all be in one place October 19–23.
DC Startup & Tech Week 2026 is official.
📅 Oct 19–23, 2026 | 📍 Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV)
We started our celebration of 10 years of disruption with a powerful fireside chat featuring Kelly Flanigan, President of Live Nation DC, and Vinoda Basnayake, CEO of Versus Equity.
“She went from being an intern at Live Nation to becoming its president, leading through the Clear Channel era, tech disruptions, the pandemic, and major mergers and acquisitions at the largest entertainment company in the world.”
What was your favorite part of the conversation?
📍 @reaganitcdc
#DCSTW25 #DCStartupWeek #10YearsOfInnovation #Leadership #LiveNation #Entrepreneurship #Growth
📸 @carnegie__@kevin.stephensonjr@alx.jpeg@bryant.works@sbvisionary
Day One of #DCSTW25 has been ELECTRIC! ⚡️
This morning we kicked off our 10th anniversary with Ted Leonsis and Tammy Haddad on leadership and legacy, Myra Norton on building ecosystems where innovators thrive, and Kaila Love bringing AI and hip hop together on our main stage.
Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes (DC Secretary of Labor) announced GAME-CHANGING workforce initiatives:
✨ 1st AI Apprenticeships in the Nation
✨ $100,000 in incentives for tech apprenticeships
✨ LAUNCHING NOW: $100,000 incentives for Startups!
This afternoon brought AI deep dives with Paul Allen (former CEO, Ancestry.com), healthcare and education panels, SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins on regulation, Seth Goldman's keynote, and our CPG competition winners!
Plus 30 CPG brands showcased and sessions ran across 4 floors covering everything from fundraising to climate tech to AI robotics.
Right now: Happy Hour on the rooftop! 🎉
Tomorrow: Martin Luther King Jr. Library for Day Two
FOUR MORE DAYS of incredible programming ahead!
Join us - link in bio!
Huge thanks to our Day 1 Headline Sponsor Johns Hopkins Ward Infinity and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center! 🙌
#DCSTW25 #dcstartupweek #dcstartupandtechweek #dmvstartup #dmvcommunity #StartupLife #dmventrepreneurs #Founders
📸📸 @carnegie__@kevin.stephensonjr@alx.jpeg@bryant.works
How often do you actually step away from your laptop during the day? Today’s DCSTW Wellness Walk was your reminder to do it more.
Powered by DC Startup & Tech Week and DiscoverU Health, with community support from Sweat DC, Tech Wellness Society, and ZenJoy, today’s Women’s Health & Fitness Month meetup turned an afternoon outside into the reset many of us needed instead of another Zoom call.
We swapped coffee chats for walking conversations along the water at Hains Point and started the afternoon with guided movement led by Sweat DC.
Stretch first. Emails later. 📧👟
Join us next Wednesday, May 20th, for a virtual Workshop Wednesday session, register on Luma.
Join us next Wednesday, May 20th for a virtual Workshop Wednesday session, register on Luma. he dots between their business, their brand, and the real needs, goals, and expectations of the people they serve across every touchpoint.
Hear from Javi, and if you're wondering how to make all the pieces fit together, this one is for you. #WorkshopWednesday #DMVStartups #FounderTools #Design #StartupEcosystem #DMVTech Darius
Smile if you're THE BIRTHDAY 🎂
Happy Birthday to our fierce leader, Rachel Koretsky (@rachkoretsky ), Director of DC Startup & Tech Week and Founder & CEO of @upaceapp .
Rachel has been passionate about shaping years of innovation and entrepreneurship in the DMV and proving it belongs in the conversation alongside Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York.
From pitch competitions to keynotes, she has been intentional about connecting founders, forging strategic partnerships, and reminding them that they are not alone.
Happy Birthday, Rachel! 🎉
Wish Rachel a happy birthday in the comments or share a moment where she supported you in your journey ⬇️⬇️⬇️
#HappyBirthday #DMVStartups #Innovation #Entrepreneurship
We’re stepping away from the screens and onto the trail! Join us for the DCSTW Wellness Walk on 5/15 — a midday movement experience for founders, clinicians, and health advocates.
What to expect:
✨ A grounding yoga reset by @sweatdc
✨ Scenic networking by the waterfront
✨ Meaningful conversations on self-advocacy & health
✨ Post-walk lunch vibes at The Wharf!
Wear PINK or TEAL and come move with us. Registration is free!
📍 Hains Point | 11:30 AM.
🔗 Link in bio to secure your spot!
#BuiltToThrive #DCStartups #WellnessWarrior #HainsPoint #WomensFitnessMonth
DC Startup & Tech Week is proud to recognize Aalliyeh Clinton, MSE, founder of Monneah's Engineered Materials and a former DCSTW speaker, as the winner of the Halcyon House Pitch Lab Competition at DCSTW25.
Aalliyeh is a Material Science Engineer, entrepreneur, and STEM advocate from Baltimore, Maryland building sustainable PPE for STEM professionals. She has raised over $70K in non-dilutive funding, developed a patent-pending material, and been recognized as a RealLIST Startup in Baltimore and featured on a Times Square Billboard.
Congratulations, Aalliyeh. We cannot wait to see what comes next.
#DCSTW #DCStartupTechWeek #PitchCompetition
Congratulations to DCSTW’s very own Darius Clair, Director of Programs and Community, on being named a RealLIST Connectors DC 2026 honoree by @technical_ly 🎉
RealLIST Connectors DC 2026 recognizes the people behind the scenes opening doors, creating momentum, and driving progress within the innovation community. ✍🏼
@kaelacoverstech
We also want to thank the incredible people in our ecosystem who have poured into DCSTW this year: 🔹 Nina Archie, Innovator-Connector 🔹 Hadeel Al-Tashi, SHRM 🔹 Wa’il Ashshowwaf, Unstuck Labs 🔹 Haley Bryant, Hustle Fund 🔹 Adalbert De La Cruz, Vibe Connect 🔹 Jennifer S. Ives, The JSI Group 🔹 Rob Link, eWaste Warriors 🔹 Sandra Moscoso, The Upskilling Labs 🔹 Elif Nisa Polat, humanbeyondtech 🔹 Danielle Vogel, American University
Comment below to congratulate the honorees ⬇️ #RealLISTConnectors #DCStartupTechWeek #DCSTW26 #DMVTech #TechCommunity
It’s FRRRIIIIDDDAAAYYYYYYY!
Whether you are a founder navigating the startup grind, a clinician dedicated to the health of others, or an advocate passionate about wellness, this one is for you.
Join @dcstartupweek and @iamhealthypodcast Pamgrace Gachenge, MHCM of DiscoverU Health on Friday, May 15th, for a curated mid-day movement experience through the heart of DC. We are stepping away from the screens and onto the trail to prove that professional growth and personal wellness are not mutually exclusive.
📌 Friday, May 15th | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Here is what to expect:
👟 Curated Networking: Engage in a high-level net-walk designed to break the isolation of the clinic and the home office. Connect with fellow female founders, investors, OBGYNs, and health advocates in an organic, low-pressure environment.
👟 Expert-Led Wellness: Kick off with The Reset by Sweat DC, a 10-minute guided light stretch and mini yoga flow to ground us before we hit the path.
👟 Collaborative Momentum: Experience a 50-minute guided walk powered by TechWalk DMV and Tech Wellness Society.
👟 Community and Color: We are wearing Teal or Pink to represent Women’s Fitness Month, vitality, and stress relief.
📌 Where: Hains Point / East Potomac Park | 1100 Ohio Dr. SW 📌 Cost: Free (Registration Required) After the walk, the group wraps up near The Wharf for a healthy lunch or post-walk coffee with your new connections.
Powered by DCSTW and DiscoverU Health with support from @sweatdc , @techwellnesssociety , and @drinkzenjoy . 👟 No slides or pitches, just movement. Secure your spot ▶️ /jctgxtha ( link in the bio )
#DCSTW #BuiltToThrive #WomensFitnessMonth #TechWellness #DCFounders
You have been asking and blowing up our DMs so here it is.
Speaker applications for DC Startup & Tech Week 2026 are officially open for Year 11 (October 19–23, 2026).
Host a workshop, present, join a panel, or curate a conversation in front of thousands of founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders across AI, climate, GovTech, health tech, social impact, and more.
Know a must-have voice? Tag them below.
Link in bio to apply 📌
#DCSTW26 #DCStartupTechWeek #ThoughtLeadership
“As a founder, you have to take care of your mind and your body. They are the engine that allows us to pursue our dreams and build incredible things,” said Javi Calderon.
“Between client meetings, investor conversations, and partner alignments, it has been a sprint,” said Augusto Cangahuala, Community member, Principal at Cynuria, Co-founder of Nuralia, who also attended the walk!
Our DC Startup & Tech Week community showed up for the inaugural Tech Wellness Walk hosted by @techwellnesssociety partnering with @bmaweb3 at Theodore Roosevelt Island. It looked like founders and operators talking while walking, without screens, which changed how people engaged. 🌱🌱
Our team member Javi Calderon represented DCSTW on the ground, sharing: “Reconnecting with familiar faces in a completely relaxed environment. Meeting new founders and innovators. Starting the weekend with movement instead of just looking at another screen,”.
📷Augusto Cangahuala founder, Nuralia (@cynuriallc ) #DCSTW #TechWellnessWalk #DCStartupWeek #DMVTech FounderCommunity
