AGENDA
8:30am to 7:00pm
Interviews, panels, pitches, demos, lunch…
and a happy hour to cap it all off.
Full Schedule
8:30 am
Registration & Coffee
Main Hall & Ballroom
Come, gather, enjoy coffee and light breakfast bites
9:00 am
Opening Remarks
Ballroom
Joe Colopy (the GrepBeat Godfather) kicks off the day
9:15 am
Building Robots While The Rest Chase Software
Ballroom
While tech chases software, Andrew Ashur has been deploying robots across job sites. Fresh off a $20M Series B, Andrew shares his experience solving labor problems with AI and robotics.
With Andrew Ashur, Founder & CEO of Lucid Bots · Moderated by Chris Halligan, Co-Founder of Good Human Partners
10:15 am
(concurrent sessions)
The Founder Brand Playbook
Breakout Room 2
In today's startup landscape, attention is a competitive advantage. Founders who build visibility raise faster, hire better, and create momentum long before traditional marketing kicks in. This panel unites operators with different experiences to explore how a founder’s brand translates into real business outcomes.
Panelists: Runbin Dong (Scale Social), Jessica Mitsch Homes (Vaco), Ricci Wolman (Written Word Media) · Moderator: Abha Bowers (CED)
Startup Bazaar
Breakout Room 1
Explore demos from some of North Carolina’s most exciting tech startups. Meet the founders behind the products, see what they’re building up close, and connect with other attendees.
11:00 am
Pitch Session I
Ballroom
Five NC founders take the stage, present their startups, and field live Q&A from our investor-judge panel. One finalist advances to the end-of-day audience vote on the $5K overall winner.
Startups: Beam Dynamics, NavAlytix, Shuttlebee, Solvrays, Utilyst
Judges: Leah Townsend (Cofounders Capital) & Jan Davis (RTP Angel Fund)
12:00 pm
Birds of a Feather Lunch
Main Hall & Ballroom
Grab your lunch and pick a table by topic. This year's range runs from fundraising tactics to the eternal debate of Humans vs. Machines. Sit with people you don't already know.
1:00 pm
Pitch Session II
Ballroom
Five NC founders take the stage, present their startups, and field live Q&A from our investor-judge panel. One finalist advances to the end-of-day audience vote on the $5K overall winner.
Startups: Beakpoint, Fixxr, PROTECT3D, Tesslate, Voice Back
Judges: Jenn Summe (Primordial Ventures) & Zakiya Alta Lee (Idea Fund Partners)
2:00 pm
From Building Big to Starting Fresh
Ballroom
What does it actually look like to build something big, walk away, and start over with a blank page — and everything you learned? A candid conversation about startup leverage, how AI is reshaping how companies are built and run, and what founders should be paying attention to right now.
With Erkang Zheng, Founder & CEO of Ariso · Moderated by Allison Wood, DaVinci Education
(concurrent sessions)
State of Venture Fundraising: Founder Perspective
Breakout Room 2
On paper, venture funding is rebounding. For many founders, the reality looks different: fewer checks, longer timelines, and capital flowing to a smaller group of companies. Three founders share candid takes on what's actually changed, what investors are looking for right now, and how they're adapting.
Panelists: Lucy Shores Kosturko (Social Cascade), Robin Cowie (Skillmaker AI), Alex Smereczniak (Franzy) · Moderated by Anna Tharrington (Hutchison LLC)
2:45 pm
Startup Bazaar
Breakout Room 1
Explore demos from some of North Carolina’s most exciting tech startups. Meet the founders behind the products, see what they’re building up close, and connect with other attendees.
3:30 pm
Pitch Session III
Ballroom
Five NC founders take the stage, present their startups, and field live Q&A from our investor-judge panel. One finalist advances to the end-of-day audience vote on the $5K overall winner.
Startups: ARtx, Franzy, GreySun Technologies, Rozie Synopsis, Swik AI
Judges: Abby Phillips (Wolfpack Investor Network) & Nikin Shah (Front Porch Venture Partners)
4:30 pm
Winner Reveal & Closing Remarks
Ballroom
The audience picks our pitch competition winner and the Team GrepBeat wraps up the program.
5:00 pm
Post-Palooza Happy Hour
Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub
Have a drink, network a bit more, and unwind!