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build and connect.
Day 1: Kickoff in the D
MTW starts off with a BANG at the newly renovated Michigan Central in Detroit, with tons of activity all day long!
- 9AM - 1PM: Fueling Female Founders (Panel+Brunch+Networking Soiree)
- 1PM - 4PM: Panels & Firesides including Dr. Freada Kapor
- 3PM - 4:30PM: AI Pitch Competition & Expert Panel
- 4PM - 5PM: Meet-ups from regions & seeking co-founders
- 5PM - 7PM: Kickoff Party @ Michigan Central Train Station
Day 2: Investing Extravaganza
Day 2 is the biggest and best day to lean into investor-founder connections that will springboard startup growth.
- 9AM - Noon: Mayor Welcome, Billion $ Businesses, Scaling in Michigan
- Afternoon: UnDemo Day Founder/Investor Pitches @ Ford Field
- 1PM - 4PM: Bootstrapping, Developing Engineering Chops, Newlab
- 4-5ish PM: Meet-ups on industry and stage
- 5PM - 6:30PM: Rooftop Happiness & Happy Hour
Day 3: Impact Day
Day 3 highlights both business growth and a commitment to our places across the state, our people, and the planet we live in.
- 9AM - Noon: Black Founder Brunch, Supercharge State Ecosystem
- 1PM - 4PM: VC Landscape, Saving Hearts&Lives, What Terms to Accept
- 3PM - 4:30PM: $120K MFF Venture Together Competition
- 4-5ish PM: Meet-ups on industry and stage
- 5PM - 7PM: Encore Reception
Day 4: College Day
Day 4 is for the present and future - students from all over Michigan working together building, showcasing, and sparking our future innovation.
- 9AM - Noon: Inspiring MI Founder Success & Hackathon Kickoff
- 1PM - 2:30PM: 10-college Student Pitch Competition
- 1PM - 2:30PM: Outdoor Tech Competition & Tech Showcase
- 3PM - 4:30PM: Student Hackathon Finals
- 4-5ish PM: Man v Machine - can AI outdo humans?
Everyday: Founder Pitch Competitions
Each day during MTW, Michigan-based founders can pitch for prizes and on-stage recognition. We will have a themed pitch competition for high-growth businesses, judged by local and national investors.
- Aug. 28 - pitch rules and applications listed here
- Sep. 15 - pitch applications are due
- Sep. 24 - last day for finalists to be notified
- Oct. 1-4 - different pitch competition each day!
Everyday: Partner & Affiliate Events
Your MTW ticket covers the core conference and all activities at Michigan Central on Oct. 1-4 from 9am-5pm. Our partners will also hold off-site events each evening around the D that we'll list here.
- Product & Art Exhibitions
- Happy Hours & Bar Nights
- Movie Premieres & Community Connections
- Co-Founder Meet-ups & Invited Dinners
