For the third consecutive year, The Founders Arena will bring the North Texas stop of Texas Venture Fest to Dallas, hosting Texas Venture Fest: North Texas 2026 on Thursday, October 1, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. CDT at Kiln Dallas. The event will take place at Kiln's new Preston Hollow coworking space at The Hill, 9850 N. Central Expressway, Suite 230. Unlike traditional startup gatherings, this evening is built around connection rather than a pitch stage, with no pitching or pitch competition. Founders, investors, business and civic leaders, universities, and ecosystem builders will gather for light refreshments, networking, and remarks from a special guest, Michael Phillips, chief operating officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises.
The event's significance extends beyond a single evening. It marks three years of The Founders Arena's work in Texas, during which it has supported 36 companies across six cohorts, with companies headquartered in 11 U.S. states and 10 countries represented in its broader founder network. That work has led to five exits and four companies that have relocated or are relocating to Texas. One of those relocations will be visible at the event: Finliti, a Founders Arena cohort company, is moving from Toronto to North Texas. Founder Jennifer Schell will attend as she begins that move, giving guests a chance to hear her share why she chose Texas and North Texas, framed around the strength of the community. Pamela Cytron, chief executive officer of The Founders Arena, said, "Over the last three years, we've connected founders from across states and countries with people and opportunities here in Texas, and welcomed hundreds of financial services visitors to North Texas. We've seen five exits, and Finliti's move from Toronto will be the fourth company relocation. I'm excited that people at Venture Fest can meet its founder and see one of those connections becoming real. The next chapter is about abundance. Ecosystem builders can work together to get a founder to the right customer, capital, expertise and resources at the right time. That's how we build sustainable companies and lasting economic opportunity in Texas."
The timing of the event is notable, as it falls during Texas Startup & Tech Week, September 28 through October 2. The sister signature gathering is the Texas Venture Gala & Forum at the Texas State Capitol, with an awards dinner in downtown Austin. The Fest has grown rapidly since its inception in 2022 as the Austin Venture Crawl, expanding to more than 15 cities and over 3,500 participants. In 2025, it convened 3,500 Texans across 25 venues and featured nearly 100 panelists. This year, in addition to creating the statewide innovation store, the Fest became part of a statewide innovation week, the Texas Startup & Tech Week. The Founders Arena is also introducing the TFA Innovation Chamber, a separate commercial company connected to its ecosystem, designed to help founders, capital, cities, and partners find one another and turn those introductions into commercial outcomes. Justin McKenzie, host of the Building Texas Show, said, "With 28% of Texans living in the North Texas region, I am excited to see the impact that VentureFest will have in the DFW/North Texas area." Registration is open for those interested in attending.
