SCN Las Vegas 2025

We talk a lot about building better startup ecosystems—but too often, those conversations happen without the founders themselves in the room. In this opening session, we flip the script.

What does the ecosystem look like from the founder’s side of the table? What do they wish had existed when they started? What helped—or hurt—their momentum?

Facilitated by Ryan Rubio, Principal at Zero Labs, this founder panel features early-stage Las Vegas entrepreneurs building at the heart of industries like hospitality, gaming, and entertainment—plus the infrastructure needed to transform them. With candor and insight, they’ll unpack how the support systems around them have shown up, fallen short, and evolved along the way.

Together, we’ll explore:

• What founders wish ecosystem builders had known when they were just getting started
• The tension between broad support and targeted, effective resources
• Why access to capital and deep industry connections still remain barriers—and how to fix that
• How founders view programs, partnerships, and local institutions as they navigate growth

This session grounds the summit in the lived experience of the people our work is meant to serve. It challenges us to listen deeply, reflect honestly, and build better—with founders, not just for them.

What would our neighborhoods look like if we had centered community voices from the start? What partnerships would we prioritize? What projects would we pursue — or abandon — if we truly understood the long-term impact on local people and place?

Hosted by Heather Brown at Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, this session continues the “If We Ran It Back” theme, shifting the lens from founders to community-rooted development. Our panel brings together visionary leaders working at the intersection of history, policy, academia, and on-the-ground development.

Together, they'll explore what it takes to build community projects that aren’t just well-intentioned — but deeply effective. This conversation will unpack real case studies, missed opportunities, and bold ideas for how we can align people, place, and power in future development strategies.

Ecosystems don’t thrive on ambition alone — they grow through alignment, shared vision, and the power of collaboration across institutions, sectors, and communities. But what happens when the pieces don’t quite connect? If we could do it all over again, how would we work differently — together?
In the final session of our “If We Ran It Back” series, we turn our focus to placebuilders — the leaders shaping policy, programs, and partnerships at the regional level. Hosted by Shawna Wells, Legacy Specialist and Founder of 7Gen Legacy, this conversation will explore how we might reimagine collaboration to better support founders, elevate community priorities, and foster entrepreneurial success with intention.
Together, they’ll unpack the question: If we knew then what we know now — how could we have partnered better, moved faster, and built smarter to uplift entrepreneurs and communities alike?