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Monday, May 5
 

5:30pm PDT

Pre-Summit Happy Hour: Ecosystem leaders’ welcome
Monday May 5, 2025 5:30pm - 8:00pm PDT
Speakers
Monday May 5, 2025 5:30pm - 8:00pm PDT
Home2 Suites by Hilton Las Vegas I-215 Curve 8470 W. Sunset Road, Las Vegas, NV 89113
 
Tuesday, May 6
 

8:30am PDT

Summit Kickoff: Ecosystem breakfast with Mayor & locals
Tuesday May 6, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT
Speakers
avatar for Shaq Cruz

Shaq Cruz

Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development
avatar for Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence

Board Chair, Startup Champions Network
Mark Lawrence is the Board Chair of Startup Champions Network. Mark is currently the founder and managing partner of Inncuvate, a full-stack entrepreneurship-led economic development enterprise that specializes in creating purpose-built programs and places that create an environment that merges ideation, invention, incubation, commercialization, and collaboration into local innovation centers that transforms t... Read More →
avatar for Shelley Berkley

Shelley Berkley

Mayor, City of Las Vegas
Mayor Shelley Berkley was elected by the people of Las Vegas in November 2024. Prior to taking office as mayor, she served as senior vice president of the Touro University system. Before this, she held the positions of CEO and senior provost at Touro University Western Division for... Read More →
Tuesday May 6, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT
Black Fire Innovation 8400 W Sunset Rd Suite 400, Las Vegas, NV 89113

9:30am PDT

First Time Attendee Crash Course
Tuesday May 6, 2025 9:30am - 10:00am PDT
First time attending a Summit? Get your bearings, get connected, and learn about the Startup Champions Network. 
Speakers
avatar for Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence

Board Chair, Startup Champions Network
Mark Lawrence is the Board Chair of Startup Champions Network. Mark is currently the founder and managing partner of Inncuvate, a full-stack entrepreneurship-led economic development enterprise that specializes in creating purpose-built programs and places that create an environment that merges ideation, invention, incubation, commercialization, and collaboration into local innovation centers that transforms t... Read More →
Tuesday May 6, 2025 9:30am - 10:00am PDT
Black Fire Innovation 8400 W Sunset Rd Suite 400, Las Vegas, NV 89113

9:30am PDT

Tour of Black Fire Innovation Space
Tuesday May 6, 2025 9:30am - 10:00am PDT
The University of Las Vegas' Black Fire Innovation Center is a first-of-its-kind integrated resort and casino innovation lab that brings together student ingenuity, cutting-edge resources, and key strategic partners. Attendees will get to tour the testing facilities and learn more about the innovation happening within.
Tuesday May 6, 2025 9:30am - 10:00am PDT
Black Fire Innovation 8400 W Sunset Rd Suite 400, Las Vegas, NV 89113

10:00am PDT

Welcome to SCN Las Vegas
Tuesday May 6, 2025 10:00am - 10:30am PDT
Welcome to Las Vegas! Here's what you're about to see, experience, and learn with the Summit planning team and Summit hosts.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence

Board Chair, Startup Champions Network
Mark Lawrence is the Board Chair of Startup Champions Network. Mark is currently the founder and managing partner of Inncuvate, a full-stack entrepreneurship-led economic development enterprise that specializes in creating purpose-built programs and places that create an environment that merges ideation, invention, incubation, commercialization, and collaboration into local innovation centers that transforms t... Read More →
avatar for Shaq Cruz

Shaq Cruz

Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Tuesday May 6, 2025 10:00am - 10:30am PDT
Black Fire Innovation 8400 W Sunset Rd Suite 400, Las Vegas, NV 89113

11:00am PDT

Innovation Tour: Historic Westside
Tuesday May 6, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Hop on the bus and take a tour of the westside innovation landscape, where Nevada Partners will showcase how community supports helped spur economic growth in this historic region of the city.
Tuesday May 6, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

12:00pm PDT

Nevada Partners Lunch
Tuesday May 6, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
We're flipping the script to get you acquainted with the ecosystem, its strengths and challenges.

With the help of our partners, we'll explore ecosystem building from the perspective of:
- Founders: if you knew then what you know now, how could we have crafted the ecosystem better for your success?
- Community projects: how could we have better facilitated community & economic development?
 - Collaborative support agents: if we knew then what we know now, how could collaborators better encourage and support ecosystem actors or have better worked together to foster entrepreneurial success regionally?
Speakers
avatar for Melvin Valentine

Melvin Valentine

STEM Director, Nevada Partners
avatar for Paul Roberson II

Paul Roberson II

CEO, FLO Technology Inc
As a serial entrepreneur, I have a passion for turning disruptive ideas into reality.As the Founder and CEO of FLO Technology Inc., my team and I are launching FLO Unleashed, a groundbreaking 360º athletic performance training system that redefines resistance training. With an MBA... Read More →
avatar for Heather Brown

Heather Brown

Senior Vice President, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA)
Heather Brown is the Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development at LVGEA, where she plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation and economic growth in the Greater Las Vegas area. Alongside her leadership at LVGEA, she is also the President and Co-Founder of StartUp Vegas... Read More →
Tuesday May 6, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Nevada Partners 690 W Lake Mead Blvd, North Las Vegas, NV 89030, USA

1:00pm PDT

If We Ran It Back: Building Our Ecosystem with 20/20 Vision
Tuesday May 6, 2025 1:00pm - 4:30pm PDT
We'll continue exploring the ecosystem by flipping the script and ask "if you knew then what you know now..." from the perspective of:
- Founders: If you knew then what you know now, how could we have crafted the ecosystem better for your success?
- Community projects: How could we have better facilitated community & economic development?
Speakers
avatar for Heather Brown

Heather Brown

Senior Vice President, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA)
Heather Brown is the Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development at LVGEA, where she plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation and economic growth in the Greater Las Vegas area. Alongside her leadership at LVGEA, she is also the President and Co-Founder of StartUp Vegas... Read More →
Tuesday May 6, 2025 1:00pm - 4:30pm PDT
Nevada Partners 690 W Lake Mead Blvd, North Las Vegas, NV 89030, USA

4:30pm PDT

Innovation Tour of the Strip
Tuesday May 6, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
We're headed to the strip for a kickoff party, but first, we want to show you around! 
Tuesday May 6, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT

5:30pm PDT

Kick off Party: On the Strip
Tuesday May 6, 2025 5:30pm - 7:00pm PDT
Time to party and connect! The Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development is bringing ecosystem builders from the state together to connect with attendees.

A bus will come at 7:30pm & 9:30pm to pickup guests and take them back to the hotel.
Tuesday May 6, 2025 5:30pm - 7:00pm PDT
 
Wednesday, May 7
 

8:30am PDT

Breakfast + Networking
Wednesday May 7, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am PDT
Wednesday May 7, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am PDT

10:30am PDT

Las Vegas resource forum
Wednesday May 7, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Wednesday May 7, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

11:00am PDT

InterCultural Unity workshop
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
Explore what it means to create belonging.  
Speakers
avatar for Paulo Gregory

Paulo Gregory

Inventor / Founder, Cohado / Black Butterfly Network
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT

12:30pm PDT

Lunch
Wednesday May 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm PDT
Wednesday May 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm PDT

1:00pm PDT

Red Rocks Canyon tour
Wednesday May 7, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada's first National Conservation Area.  Red Rock Canyon is located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159. In marked contrast to a town geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock offers enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas, nature observing and visitor center with indoor and outdoor exhibits as well as a book store.
In 1990, special legislation supported by the Nevada congressional delegation, changed the status of the Red Rock Recreation Lands to a National Conservation Area, the seventh to be designated nationally. This legislation provides the funding to protect and improve the area. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is enjoyed by the local population as well as visitors from the United States and many foreign countries

Wednesday May 7, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm PDT

3:30pm PDT

Reverse Engineering Resilience: Rethinking Institutional Infrastructure for Founders
Wednesday May 7, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
What if we could redesign our regional economic strategies knowing what we know now? In this dynamic panel, we’ll flip the script on traditional models of institutional support for startups and small businesses. Join leaders from across the country as they reflect on how universities, government agencies, and innovation hubs have historically supported founders—and how those systems could evolve to better serve diverse entrepreneurial communities.

This conversation invites you to view community and economic development through an institutional infrastructure lens. From funding flows and success metrics to partnerships and policy, we'll explore what we might do differently if given the chance to start again. Together, let’s reverse engineer the future of ecosystem design—one that’s more inclusive, adaptive, and aligned with founder realities
Speakers
avatar for Julie Heath

Julie Heath

Executive Director,, IU Innovates
avatar for Zach Miles

Zach Miles

UNLV Research Foundation, Director
avatar for Paul Corson

Paul Corson

Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, The University of Texas at Arlington
Wednesday May 7, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Woven 201 Las Vegas Blvd S Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89101

4:30pm PDT

Roses & Thorns
Wednesday May 7, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Roses & Thorns is a staple at every Startup Champions Network Summit: A safe space to talk about what drives us, what keeps us up at night, and why we do it anyway.  
Wednesday May 7, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Woven 201 Las Vegas Blvd S Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89101

6:30pm PDT

Pitch Mayhem national competition
Wednesday May 7, 2025 6:30pm - 8:00pm PDT
Speakers
avatar for Rohan Brown

Rohan Brown

Founder + Host, Pitch Mayhem
Rohan Brown is an experienced entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and strategic operator with a background spanning finance, education, and early-stage startup development. With an MBA in Finance and a B.A. in Mass Communication from La Salle University, Rohan blends analytical insight... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for Pitch Mayhem

Pitch Mayhem

Pitch Mayhem is a sponsor of the SCN Summit because it aligns perfectly with our mission to build a vibrant and dynamic startup ecosystem. The SCN Summit brings together thought leaders, investors, founders, and ecosystem builders, making it an ideal platform for Pitch Mayhem to engage... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 6:30pm - 8:00pm PDT
 
Thursday, May 8
 

8:30am PDT

Breakfast + Networking
Thursday May 8, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT
Thursday May 8, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT

9:00am PDT

Tour option 1: Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders
Thursday May 8, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am PDT
TBA
Thursday May 8, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am PDT
TBA

9:00am PDT

Tour option 2: MGM High Rollers Aviation Hangar
Thursday May 8, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am PDT
TBA
Thursday May 8, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am PDT
TBA

9:00am PDT

Ecosystem Health Workshop
Thursday May 8, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am PDT
TBA
The interactive session is designed to equip ecosystem builders with the foundational tools to strengthen and measure the success of your ecosystem. We’ll start by ensuring every ecosystem in the room has clarity on mission, vision, and metrics—because you can’t build what you can’t define. From there, we’ll map out the essential elements of a strong ecosystem:
  • Startups & Founders – The heartbeat of any ecosystem
  • Knowledgeable Community – The support network that fuels growth
  • Financial Elements – Funding, investment, and sustainability
  • Structure – Spaces, talent, and policy that shape success
  • Connecting Activities – The glue that brings it all together

Through interactive exercises and collaborative discussions, you’ll uncover how to measure and enhance each element, leading to real-time insights and idea-sharing across ecosystems. Finally, we’ll dive into storytelling strategies to effectively communicate what’s happening in your ecosystem and inspire action.

This session has limited spots! Please indicate whether you would like to attend, or do the alternative ecosystem tours when you purchase your summit ticket.
Speakers
avatar for Tom Chapman

Tom Chapman

Founder, Chapman and Company
Tom Chapman has worked with hundreds of startups - including roles as a founder, funder, early executive, and sales person. He is regarded as one of the leading entrepreneurial ecosystem leaders in the world, with particular expertise in measuring and creating metrics for entrepreneurial... Read More →
Sponsors
avatar for EcoMap

EcoMap

We proudly sponsor each SCN summit because ecosystem builders are our tribe. SCN summits have a magical quality to them, where you connect with others who understand the work that you do and why you do it, all while truly getting to know the host community in an authentic manner... Read More →
Thursday May 8, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am PDT
TBA

12:00pm PDT

Lunch
Thursday May 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
TBA
Thursday May 8, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
TBA

1:00pm PDT

Meet Us Where We Are
Thursday May 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
TBA
Thursday May 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
TBA

2:00pm PDT

Investor Forum
Thursday May 8, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
TBA
Thursday May 8, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
TBA

3:00pm PDT

Veterans Resource Forum
Thursday May 8, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
TBA
Showcasing unique challenges and creative collaborative solutions for focused community groups
Thursday May 8, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
TBA

5:00pm PDT

Closing Party
Thursday May 8, 2025 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Thursday May 8, 2025 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Tony Hseih's Downtown Container Park 707 Fremont Street Las Vegas, NV 89101
 
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