50+ Startup Events in the Southeast
An informal list of Southeastern “hidden gem” networking/educational events and conferences for every entrepreneur, investor, and explorer.
By Beca Ramón
ALABAMA
July 6–13 in Birmingham: Birmingham Innovation Week
July 12 in Birmingham: IMerge
July 13 in Birmingham: Sloss Tech
Quarterly Statewide Awards hosted in Birmingham: Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition
FLORIDA
July 26 in Fort Lauderdale: SupX The Startup Expo
Fall 2018 in Miami: Unity & Inclusion Summit hosted by 500 Startups
September 24–28 in Orlando: Microsoft Ignite
January 23–24, 2019 in Tampa: Synapse Innovation Summit
January 31-February 1, 2019 in St. Petersburg: Florida Venture Forum
GEORGIA
Weekly in Atlanta (Fridays at 11:45am): Startup Chowdown @ Atlanta Tech Village (Average attendance at 270+ people for lunch | Tickets are just $10)
Weekly in Atlanta (Fridays at 1pm): Pitch Practice (FREE)
May 18–20 in Atlanta: Atlanta Startup Weekend
July 11 in Atlanta: Product Day — CREATE-X Startup Launch 2018 hosted by Georgia Tech’s Startup Launch
July 16–18 in Atlanta: 4th Annual Airport Innovation Forum
- July 17: Airport Shark Tank pitch competition (judges include Oaktree Capital and JetBlue Technology Ventures)
July 23–25 in Alpharetta: AgTech Conference of the South
August 14 in Atlanta: W.O.E. (Women Only Entrepreneurs)
September 2018: Atlanta Startup Battle
September 28 in Alpharetta: TiECON Atlanta
October 6 in Atlanta: Small Business Day
October 8–12 in Atlanta: Atlanta Cyber Week
October 15 in Atlanta: Techstars Atlanta Demo Day (in partnership with Cox Enterprises)
October 16–17 in Atlanta: 2018 Venture Atlanta Conference
April 11–13, 2019 in Columbus: Creative South
KENTUCKY
First Wednesday of each month in Louisville: Venture Connectors Monthly Luncheon Registration: $30–50
April 13–15 in Louisville: Startup Weekend Louisville
June 26 in Louisville: 2018 EnterpriseCorp Evening of Entrepreneurship
June 27 in Lexington: Lexington Entrepreneurship Day (LED)
July 11 in Louisville: Venture Connectors: Celebrating Entrepreneurship (SOLD OUT)
July 21 in Louisville: Startup Saturdays hosted by Startup Weekend Louisville 1804 Venture First
November 13 in Louisville: Vogt Awards & Demo Day
MISSISSIPPI
July 13–15 on the Choctaw Reservation: Hack The Future: Between the Earth and Sky
September 13 in Jackson: Mississippi Innovators Hall of Fame Awards Gala
November 13–14 in Jackson: 19th Annual Technology Innovation Conference
NORTH CAROLINA
April 12 in Chapel Hill: UNC Innovation Showcase
September 6–7 in Raleigh: Hopscotch Design Fest ($200 Early Bird Special)
September 12–13 in Raleigh: CED Tech Conference
October 15–16 in Raleigh: Startup Summit NC
Fall 2018 in Winston-Salem: Creative Startup Pitch Day (*Investors must reach out to get invited)
Fall 2018 (date TBA) in Durham: Duke Startup Challenge
December 2018 (date TBA) in Durham: Innovate Durham Demo Day
SOUTH CAROLINA
July 25 in Charleston: Startup Grind Annual Summer Party
September 8 in Greenville: The 1st Annual Entrepreneur Expo 2018
October 20 in Columbia: The Follow Up Summit 2018
April 24–26, 2019 in Charleston: DIG South Tech Conference
- DIG SOUTH Tech Conference connects leading global brands like Oracle, IBM and Salesforce to the top tech leaders and entrepreneurs in the South. We gather in gorgeous Charleston to make deals, share the latest digital trends and build relationships. Curated tracks include technology, business and marketing. Registration: $349 & up
TENNESSEE
May in Nashville, hosted annually: Nashville Entrepreneur Week
August 16 in Memphis: Upstart Demo Day hosted by StartCo
August 27–29 in Nashville: Health:Further hosted by Jumpstart Foundry
August 29–30 in Nashville: 36|86 hosted by Launch Tennessee
- 36|86 is the most efficient (and fun) way to get exposure to the best and brightest that the Southeastern entrepreneurial community has to offer. 36|86 has also partnered with Health:Further to offer a city-wide celebration of entrepreneurship across health, tech and music. Registration: $199 & up
September 25 in Knoxville: Innov865x Week’s Startup Day 2018
October 22–26 in Chattanooga: Startup Week Chattanooga
November 5–6 in Nashville: Distributed Health Conference
VIRGINIA
Monthly on the first Thursday in Richmond: Startup Virginia Socials
Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday/Thursday in Richmond: SVA Backstage Pass Startup Virginia
April 25 in Richmond: Virginia Venture Summit — Empathy in Entrepreneurship
September 24–28 in the Greater Washington, D.C. Region (including neighboring Virginia): DC Startup Week
WEST VIRGINIA
September 10 in Charleston: Women & Technology Conference Registration: $65–110
November 15 in Charleston: Coding & Cyber Summit
Annually in November (TBA 2018) in Wheeling: Techstars Startup Weekend West Virginia
Beca Ramón is a Venture Fellow with ModernCapital, a collective of creative thinkers from the private, public, and civic sectors shaping the modern economy. Want in? Say hello.
