UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) Network has decided to postpone this event to August 2020 due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re going to change Dallas Startup Week to have content that is going to be relevant to, frankly, to try and answer by the end of August,” says Bill Chinn, DEC Network CEO. “The speakers have been amazing, and they have really stayed with us. So, with a few exceptions, we have the same speaker lineup, we always do.” Content in August may touch on companies restructuring and how to approach logistics surrounding government aid. For now, the DEC Network will be providing content to help entrepreneurs navigate business decisions during COVID-19 on their website.
Four of Texas’ most successful women entrepreneurs will headline the second annual Women of Innovation Summit this April in Dallas. The summit is part of Dallas Startup Week–a six-day event that aims to encourage local entrepreneurs through day-long summits, inspiring keynotes, and over 100 specialized sessions.
Following reports last year naming Texas the best state in the nation for women entrepreneurs, Dallas Entrepreneur Center (The DEC Network) is continuing its history of supporting them by hosting the summit for its second year.
Sponsored by Thomson Reuters at Dallas Startup Week and Capital One, the free event will take place on April 29 at Gilley’s Dallas. Last year, the summit drew roughly 700 people. Event leadership expects an even larger crowd this year.
“We want this to be a day of networking and empowerment for women entrepreneurs to take their dreams and plans to the next level,” said Women of Innovation lead Dresden Goldberg in a release.
During the summit, Joni Carswell, the CEO and president of Texan By Nature—a nonprofit that former first lady Laura Bush founded to combine business and conservation efforts—will elaborate on how women are leading innovation in Dallas-Fort Worth. Amber Venz Box, founder of the retail brand and influencer platforms LikeToKnow and rewardStyle, will offer advice on building a brand. Kendra Scott, whose Austin-based eponymous jewelry company is now valued at one billion dollars, will deliver the closing keynote.
“We wanted to have a variety of entrepreneurs so that [the speakers weren’t] addressing one customer focus,” says Goldberg. “We’re focusing on all of the key elements of that business model canvas and then giving real, actionable advice — with a healthy dose of inspiration, of course.”
The summit also will feature several sessions centered around launching or growing a brand and includes topics such as financial management and ROIs, selecting metrics, customer segmentation, and ensuring your company has the right value proposition.
Opportunity to meet fellow fledgling business owners or learn from more established entrepreneurs also abounds.
“I don’t think [the women entrepreneurs in attendance] would be able to meet 700 other women in one location who are all in similar places,” Goldberg says. “The networking opportunity is incredible.”
Click here to register for the event.
