About this Event
Founder/Fest is the ’s signature gathering for startup founders across the region.
Designed as a relaxed, social experience, Founder/Fest brings founders together to connect, trade stories, and step out of the day-to-day grind of building a company. It blends meaningful conversation with a party-like atmosphere, creating space for honest reflections on what it really takes to build, scale, and sometimes lose a business.
There are no formal panels or pitches. Just real conversations, shared experiences, food, drinks, and time with people who understand the founder journey.
Founder/Fest is where Midwest founders come together to reconnect, recharge, and celebrate the work they’re doing—together.
Our Speaker Lineup:
- Ivan Rahman of
- Jorge Reyna of
- Stephen Pounds of
- Anu Hoysniemi of
Many thanks to our sponsors for making Founder/Fest free & open to all founders:
- - Pilot provides outsourced finance and operations support for startups, including bookkeeping, tax, CFO, and COO services. We help early-stage companies scale from Pre-Seed to Series C with accurate financials, operational discipline, and investor-ready insights.
Agenda
🕑: 06:00 PM
Guest Arrival & Networking
🕑: 06:45 PM
Welcome & Sponsor Remarks
🕑: 07:00 PM
Founder Features: Real Founder Stories
🕑: 08:00 PM
Even More Networking
🕑: 09:00 PM
Program Conclusion
Event venue & nearby stays
Penrod, 219 North Milwaukee Street, Milwaukee, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.