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San Diego Startup Week

Hundreds of Entrepreneurs, Developers, Designers, Investors, Students, Community Leaders…

Join us October 23 - 27, 2023!

Thank you to our Event Sponsors!

Welcome to San Diego Startup Week!

Startup San Diego’s premier annual conference celebrating & convening the San Diego startup community! Enjoy content and experiences that will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, executives, and talent to connect, educate, and inspire the San Diego innovation ecosystem. Experiences featured include networking, mentorship, pitch competitions & tournament, startup expos, and more.

1500+ Attendees

Get connected with some of San Diego’s top entrepreneurs, founders, and business professionals!

Receptions & Startup Expos

Kick off & close San Diego Startup Week with keynote speakers and connect with local startups at the Startup Expos.

5 Days 5 Locations

This will be an all encompassing conferencing highlighting different spaces and resources for founders and entrepreneurs.

Pitch Competition & Tournament

Heavyweight startups will go head-to-head for one of the toughest pitch competitions in San Diego!

Mentorship & Networking

Connect with the best startups and community leaders. Network with the startup ecosystem and thrive.

Startup SD Convergence

Convergence night will focus on getting local talent connected to local startups. Enjoy mentorship sessions, keynotes, and more.

Carlsbad Village San Diego Startup Week

5 Days 5 Locations

Across the county – and border!  Tailored themes and curated speakers— check daily schedules for event start and end times.

Celebrating the Creative Coast

Monday, October 23rd Carlsbad Village

Celebrating the Creative Coast, our kick-off day takes place at New Arts Village, and in the surrounding street and businesses. The program features Expos Booths and speakers showcasing entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders in North County. Don’t miss our keynote, Fitness Brand Vuori’s Founder, Joe Kudla, talking about how he found inspiration and grew the company to what it is today.

Sponsored by

Borderless Business

Borderless Business

Tuesday, October 24th, ArkusNexus, Tijuana, B.C.

Meet us at the U.S. – Mexico Border! We’ll walk across the pedestrian bridge together to our bus transportation to the Arkus Nexus Campus where we’ll enjoy an afternoon of “Borderless Business” TED Talks and have the opportunity for Mentor Office Hours and evening Networking Reception.  Note: 3:00pm pick up at San Ysidro Border.

Sponsored by

Sip'n SaaS

Wednesday, October 25th, The LOT Liberty Station

Startup Week attendees are invited to the premiere social and networking event. The exclusive mid-week conference break is presented by Logic Boost Labs. Bring your business cards and startup stories to join old and new friends for hosted drinks & light bites.

LogicBoost Labs is an SD-based accelerator created by several former operators looking to do VC differently.

Sponsored by

Startup Day - From Early to Late Stage

Thursday, October 26th, San Diego State University

With workshops and speakers focusing on the early-stage and first time entrepreneurs, our day is hosted at the SDSU Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union and will feature our intercollegiate Lightweight Pitch Competition.  Our keynote, SDSU alumnus and three-time founder, Cody Barbo shares his entrepreneurial journey of launching and growing Trust & Will.

Sponsored by

San Diego Startup Week

Startup Resources & Pitch Competition

Friday, October 27th, Qualcomm

Our featured program will highlight resources for entrepreneurs in the growth stage at Qualcomm’s Irwin M Jacobs Lecture Hall, the state-of-the-art venue for our capstone events: the Heavyweight Pitch Competition, “Founders Fight Club,” and the annual Startup Awards, recognizing five of San Diego’s ecosystem champions. 

Sponsored by

San Diego Startup Week Featured Speakers

Younes Aatif

Younes Aatif

CEO at ArkusNexus

Cody Barbo

Cody Barbo

Founder and CEO at Trust & Will

Lisa Barnhouse

Lisa Barnhouse

Executive Director at Startup San Diego

Marc Barron

Marc Barron

Co-founder of Coursekey

Louis Black

Louis Black

Co-founder of South by Southwest (SXSW)

Sandra Carter

Sandra Carter

Founder at M2 Ingredients OM Mushrooms Superfood

Jim Cathey

Jim Cathey

Chief Commercial Officer of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Sashee Chandran

Sashee Chandran

Founder & CEO at Tea Drops

Brant Cooper

Brant Cooper

Founder & CEO of Moves the Needle

Carlos De La Mora

Carlos de la Mora

CEO at World Design Capitol 2024 San Diego/Tijuana

William Fulton

William Fulton

Visiting Policy Designer at UC San Diego Design Lab

Cheryl Goodman

Cheryl Goodman

Vice Chair of Startup San Diego and Founder of Findgood.tech

David Graham

David Graham

Chief Innovation Officer at the City of Carlsbad

Todd Harris

Todd Harris

Founder & CEO at Tyra Biosciences

D'ontra Hughes

D’ontra Hughes

Founder & CEO at Spare

Suman Kanuganti

Suman Kanuganti

Founder & CEO of Personal.AI

Ryan Kuder

Ryan Kuder

Managing Director of Techstars Anywhere

Joe Kudla

Founder and CEO of Vuori

Tiffany Norwood

Tiffany Norwood

Founder and CEO of Tribetan

Danielle Nuzzo

Danielle Nuzzo

Head of Comms at Trust & Will

Paul Orlando

Paul Orlando

Director of USC Incubator Program

Samantha Pantazopoulos

Samantha Pantazopoulos

Co-Founder & CEO of Vizer

Thania Quiroz

Thania Quiroz

Corporate Image Consultant at TipTop Image Consulting

Andres Reyes

Andres Reyes

Head of Studio at Boxels Studio

Bob Rief

Bob Rief

Executive Director at San Diego Sports Innovators

Adam Riggs

Adam Riggs

Head of Programs and Technology at Founders First Capital Partners

Paul Roben

Paul Roben

Associate Vice Chancellor, Innovation & Commercialization at UC San Diego

Diana Rodríguez Mendioléa

Diana Rodríguez Mendioléa

Executive Director at TipTop México

Angel Sanchez

Angel Sanchez

Founder at ArkusNexus

Nicholas Sandoval

Nicholas Sandoval

CEO at Create Purpose

Matt Sanford

Matt Sanford

Economic Development Manager, City of Carlsbad

Alo Sarv

Alo Sarv

Co-founder & CTO, SOCi Inc

Jennifer Schoeneck

Jennifer Schoeneck

Deputy Director of Economic Development, City of Escondido

Lena Skliarova Mordvinova

Lena Skliarova-Mordvinova

Co-founder & CTO at Good Face Project

Chris Staszak

Chris Staszak

President & CTO at LogicBoost Labs

Stanislav Synko

Stanislav Synko

Founder & CEO of Aleph One

Carmen True

Carmen True

Vice President of Channel Marketing, Sales Enablement and Ecosystem Development at Qualcomm

Ashley Van Zeeland, PhD, MBA

Ashley Van Zeeland, PhD, MBA

VP of Corporate and Business Development at Illumina

Albert Wang

Albert Wang

Sr. Investment Director, Qualcomm Ventures

Alex Waters

Alex Waters

Director of Economic Development and Innovation at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation

Caitlin Wege

Caitlin Wege

President of NuFund Venture Group

Jamar Williams

Founder & CEO of Promo Drone Inc

Sharon Zhang

Sharon Zhang

CTO at Personal.AI

San Diego Startup Week
San Diego Startup Week

Check Out the San Diego Startup Week Schedule

StartupSD Startup San Diego Icon

DAY ONE

Celebrating the Creative Coast

Monday, October 23rd

2 – 3 PM Registration & Expo Fair

3 – 7 PM Program

Carlsbad New Village Arts

2787 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Registration at  Deal Hurston New Village Arts Center

Exhibit Booths at Christiansen Way

Speed Mentoring at Pure Project

Location: New Village Arts Conrad Prebys Theater

Panelists

Todd HarrisTodd Harris, Founder & CEO at Tyra Biosciences

 

 

D’ontra HughesD’ontra Hughes, Founder & CEO at Spare

 

 

Sandra Carter

Sandra Carter, Founder at M2 Ingredients OM Mushrooms Superfood 

 

 

Sashee ChandranSashee Chandran, Founder & CEO at Tea Drops

 

 

Moderator:

Jennifer SchoeneckJennifer Schoeneck, Deputy Director of Economic Development, City of Escondido

Location: New Village Arts Conrad Prebys Theater

Panelists

Carlos De La MoraCarlos de la Mora, CEO at World Design Capitol 2024 San Diego/Tijuana

 

 

David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer at the City of Carlsbad

 

 

Paul OrlandoPaul Orlando, Director of USC Incubator Program

 

 

Moderator

Maisha Cobb, Startup San Diego Board member & Founder

Location: Carlsbad Village Theater

Speaker:

Louis BlackLouis Black, Co-founder of South by Southwest (SXSW)

Location: New Village Arts Theatre

Moderator

Bob RiefBob Rief, Executive Director at San Diego Sports Innovators

 

 

Panelists:

Brianna Showell

Brianna Showell, VP of Marketing at prAna

 

 

Ronan Galvin

Ronan Galvin, Co-Founder of Sunday golf

 

 

Mike MateyMike Matey , VP of Sales at Reef

Location: Carlsbad Village Movie Theater 

Keynote Speaker:

Joe KudlaJoe Kudla, Founder and CEO of Vuori

Opening Reception & Networking

Location: Christiansen Way

Opening Remarks:

Matt Sanford Matt Sanford, Economic Development Manager, City of Carlsbad

 

 

Book Launch

Location: New Village Arts

 

Stanislav SynkoSimple Custom Wild. The guide for non-technical entrepreneurs on how to build tech products by Stanislav Synko, Founder & CEO of Aleph One

 

 

Powered by:

Aleph One

StartupSD Startup San Diego Icon

DAY TWO

Borderless Business

Tuesday, October 24th

 3 – 8 PM

ArkusNexus, Tijuana, B.C. 

Suchiate 13, Revolucion, 22015 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico

Sponsored by:

If you are crossing by foot with the Startup Week team, meet us in front of the Mcdonalds by the San Ysidro metro station. 

We will walk across the border around 3:00PM and a shuttle bus will take us directly to the ArkusNexus building.

Paid Parking Options:

  1. LAZ Parking: 714 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Diego, CA 92173
  2. Gateway parking: 701 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Diego, CA 92173
  3. Border Lot 1: 712 Rail Ct, San Diego, CA 92173

 

Note: If you are late, you can still come to the event, just take a taxi or Uber directly to the venue, it should cost around $5-8 USD or 80-100 Mexican pesos. 

Arrive at the ArkusNexus building, note that this Tijuana trip is an additional cost to the Startup Week ticket.

Make sure you purchase your TJ Day Pass ahead of time. This will cover the cost of the shuttle and food for the night. 

Opening remarks given by the ArkusNexus and Startup San Diego team.

 

Younes Aatif Younes Aatif, CEO at ArkusNexus

 

 

Lisa BarnhouseLisa Barnhouse, Executive Director at Startup San Diego

Hear from five successful Tijuana and San Diego startups collaborating and supporting each other’s growth. 

Learn from their nearshoring experience, scouting talent, challenges faced, and how early to late-stage startups can benefit in the binational region.

There will be a Q&A and a chance to network with speakers after. 

Speakers:

Thania QuirozThania Quiroz, Corporate Image Consultant at TipTop Image Consulting

 

 

Diana Rodríguez MendioléaDiana Rodríguez Mendioléa, Executive Director at TipTop México

 

 

Andres ReyesAndres Reyes, Head of Studio at Boxels Studio

 

 

Nicholas SandovalNicholas Sandoval, CEO at Create Purpose

 

 

Angel SanchezAngel Sanchez, Founder at ArkusNexus

 

Get a chance to ask speakers on their journey and gain insightful tips.

Break out into different groups hyper-focused on the subjects like marketing, finance, nearshoring, and more. All tied into how startups can benefit from the TJ/SD megaregion.

Close out the event with networking and tacos! 

The shuttle will pick us up at ArkusNexus and take us directly to the border crossing. 

Attendees may stay longer if they like but are responsible for themselves. 

StartupSD Startup San Diego Icon

DAY THREE

Sip’n SaaS

Wednesday, October 25th

5 – 8 PM

The LOT Liberty Station

2620 Truxtun Rd, San Diego, CA 92106

Sponsored by:

Arrive at The LOT in Liberty Station and check in at the front of the bar, space is limited.  

Opening remarks from the LogicBoost Labs and Startup San Diego team.

Chris StaszakChris Staszak, President & CTO at LogicBoost Labs 

 

 

Lisa BarnhouseLisa Barnhouse, Executive Director at Startup San Diego

We kick off the evening with an exhilarating lightning round! You’ll have just 15 seconds to introduce yourself, state what you need, and how you can contribute. It’s the perfect icebreaker to jumpstart those valuable conversations.

Connect with fellow software startup founders, industry experts, and like-minded individuals who share your passion for technology and innovation. Forge meaningful connections that can help propel your startup to new heights.

Hosted bar and light bites will be provided.

Closing remarks from the LogicBoost team.

StartupSD Startup San Diego Icon

DAY FOUR

Startup Day – Early Stage & First Time Entreprenuer

Thursday, October 26th

2 – 4 PM Registration & Pre-Event Mentor Madness
 
4 – 8 PM Program
 
8 – 10 PM After Party 
 

San Diego State University Aztec Union

6075 Aztec Circle Dr, San Diego, CA 92182

Sponsored by:

Registration: Entry Courtyard

Location: Montezuma Hall

Opening Remarks

Ryan KuderRyan Kuder, Managing Director of Techstars Anywhere

Location: Montezuma Hall

Speaker: Vidya

Location: Union Theater

Speaker

Alex WatersAlex Waters, Director of Economic Development and Innovation at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation

Location: Montezuma Hall

Speaker

Marc BarronMarc Barron, Co-founder of Coursekey

Location: Union Theater

Speaker

Brant CooperBrant Cooper, Founder & CEO of Moves the Needle

Location: Union Theater

Keynote Speaker

Cody BarboCody Barbo, Founder and CEO at Trust & Will

Location: Union Theater

Emcees:

Caitlin WegeCaitlin Wege, President of NuFund Venture Group

 

 

Ryan KuderRyan Kuder, Managing Director of Techstars Anywhere

Meet the Techstars San Diego Powered by SDSU Cohort!

Location: Aztec Lanes

Closing Remarks

Ryan KuderRyan Kuder, Managing Director of Techstars Anywhere

 

 

Sponsored by:

Techstars San Diego Powered By SDSU

 

StartupSD Startup San Diego Icon

DAY FIVE

Growth Stage & Beyond

Friday, October 27th

1 – 2 PM Registration & Expo Booths

2 – 7 PM Program

7 PM After Party

Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall

5775 Morehouse Dr, San Diego, CA 92121

Sponsored by:

Location: West Side of Hall Lobby

Location: Building N Auditorium

Kick-off Introduction

Cheryl GoodmanCheryl Goodman, Vice Chair of Startup San Diego and Founder of Findgood.tech

 

 

Qualcomm Speaker

Carmen TrueCarmen True, Vice President of Channel Marketing, Sales Enablement and Ecosystem Development at Qualcomm

Location: Building N Auditorium

Moderator

Cheryl Goodman Cheryl Goodman, Founder of FindGood.tech and Startup San Diego Board member

 

 

Panelists

Sharon ZhangSharon Zhang, CTO at Personal.AI

 

 

Lena Skliarova MordvinovaLena Skliarova-Mordvinova, Co-founder at Good Face Project

 

 

Ashley Van ZeelandAshley Van Zeeland, PhD, MBA, VP of Corporate and Business Development at Illumina

Location: Building N Auditorium

Speaker

William FultonWilliam Fulton, Visiting Policy Designer at UC San Diego Design Lab

 

Location: Building N Auditorium

Keynote Speakers:

Jim CatheyJim Cathey, Chief Commercial Officer of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. 

 

 

Tiffany NorwoodTiffany Norwood, Founder and CEO of Tribetan

Location: Building N Auditorium

Moderator:

Cheryl GoodmanCheryl Goodman, Vice Chair of Startup San Diego (Expert on AI/ESG.DEI; Former Exec. at Sony & Qualcomm)

 

 

Featured Speakers

 

Paul Roben Paul Roben, Associate Vice Chancellor, Innovation & Commercialization at UC San Diego 

 

 

ALBERT WANG Albert Wang, Senior Investment Director at Qualcomm Ventures

Location: Building N Auditorium

Emcee

Brant CooperBrant Cooper  Startup San Diego Board Member and CEO of Moves the Needle

Celebrate the end of this year’s Startup Week with a cocktail and light bites.

Location: Hall Lobby

Closing Remarks

Suman KanugantiSuman Kanuganti, Founder & CEO of Personal.AI

 

 

Andy WhiteAndy White, Startup Operations at Keshif Ventures, LLC

 

 

Sponsored by:

Personal.aiKeshif Ventures

Disclaimer: Events and times are subject to change, we encourage you check back often to be up to date!

Want to Exhibit Your Startup During Startup Week?

Expo your startup alongside San Diego’s best! Price includes two expo opportunities during the Startup Week kick-off and closing receptions: (1) Monday, October 23rd, and (2) Friday, October 27th.

What’s provided? A 5′ x 30″ table covered in black linen. Bring your branded items for your booth (e.g. signs, banners, swag, etc). We will be running on the Whova App again this year, so you’ll also be represented in the exhibitor section of the app for additional exposure and further digital engagement with conference attendees. Price includes one general admission ticket for you or a staff member to manage your booth. Power will not be provided.

Experiencing financial hardship or professional displacement?

Startup San Diego & the larger community want to support you in attending the conference! Please submit the below form for the opportunity to receive a sponsored ticket.

Thank You to Our 2023 Startup Week Sponsors!

Interested in Being a San Diego Startup Week Sponsor?

Get your brand in front of thousands of individuals within your market. With over 2,000+ attendees expected to attend, 5 days of tech-focused workshops and events. Become a San Diego Startup Week sponsor and support the startup community while elevating your brand.

Local organizations, programs, and resources helping SD founders and talent.

San Diego Startup Week is a weeklong program bringing together founders, investors, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in the innovation economy. People can learn from panelists, workshops, and mentorship one-on-ones, as well as participate in networking and happy hour events.

Want to get in front of thousands of people? Exhibit at San Diego Startup Week and present your product or service to individuals within your target audience.

Startup San Diego is dedicated to serving the community and making our events accessible to all. If you are experiencing financial hardship send us an email and we will be providing sponsored tickets on an at need basis. 

New Client Special Offer

20% Off

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