Founder Fest Austin
Event details
Startup/VC event meets brunch party with live DJ. AI-focused founder panels, seed investment investor panels, speed networking, and an elevated vibe-out. For seed and Series A stage founders, executives, and VCs.
Date: March 14, 2026
Location: 5012 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
What to expect
AI-Focused Panels: AI focused founder panels and capital raising insights unlocked
Investor Panel & Live Pitches: Investor panel & live pitches with feedback from investors
Hip Hop Speed Networking: Hip hop speed networking to maximize your connections
Who is this for
Who is this for: Seed & Series A Founders
Benefits: Seed and Series A stage founders and executives; Angels and VCs looking for hot deal flow; Tech execs who know how important networking is
Agenda
11:00 AM — Brunch with DJ with upgraded ticket holders. Private for upgraded ticket holders
12:00 PM — Main event starts
12:30 PM — Welcome remarks
12:45 - 1:45 PM — Founder panel with Cara Abbott, Jean Yang, Matt Gunnin, and Riana Lynn. AI, Scaling, Hiring Mistakes, Fundraising Hacks, etc with Q&A
1:45 - 2:15 PM — Fireside chat with James Smedley & Lova Kremer. Let's break down legal considerations for startups by a venture attorney along with growth hacking from a 7 figure marketing leader
2:15 - 3:00 PM — Investor panel with Paola Retes, Oksana Malysheva, and Sarah Romanko. Due diligence process, picking winners, multiples, etc
3:00 - 3:45 PM — 5 Startups pitch for 5 minutes to the VCs. 5 startups that are pre selected (you must indicate you wish to pitch on registration along with being chosen) will have 3 minutes on the mic and VC's will have 2 min of questions to follow
4:00 PM — Hip hop speed networking. We will play an old school hip hop song and every 5 minutes you will rotate to meet a different person when the song changes! Hip Hop Hurrayyy HoooOoO!
4:30 PM — DJ turns up music!
5:00 PM — Event ends
5:15 - 7:00 PM — VIP dinner after party. Private dinner for VIP upgraded ticket holders
Speakers
Cara Abbott — Founder & CEO at Betterleave. Founder & CEO at Betterleave, the leading family experience platform.
Jean Yang — Co-founder at Onit. Co-founder at Onit, a legal workflow and artificial intelligence software company.
Matt Gunnin — CEO at Vertical Labs. AI Entrepreneur and Founder of Vertical Labs, an AI agency building intelligent solutions.
Riana Lynn — Founder & CEO at Journey Foods. Entrepreneur, scientist, and founder of Journey Foods, bridging food science and AI. Named one of Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech.
Martin Martinez — Founding & Executive Director at Founder Institute Texas. Executive Director of Founders Institute Texas, helping entrepreneurs launch and scale their startups.
James Smedley — Managing Partner at Sigma Law Group. Let's break down legal considerations for startups by a venture attorney along with growth hacking from a 7 figure marketing leader
Lova Kremer — COO at Lightning Media. Let's break down legal considerations for startups by a venture attorney along with growth hacking from a 7 figure marketing leader
Paola Retes — VC at LiveOak Ventures. VC at LiveOak Ventures, focused on early-stage investments.
Oksana Malysheva — Managing Partner at Sputnik ATX. Managing Partner at Sputnik ATX, an Austin-based venture capital firm supporting early-stage startups.
Sarah Romanko — Associate at Geek Ventures. On the Investment Team at Geek Ventures, focused on deal sourcing and backing immigrant entrepreneurs.
Tickets
Comp (Pre-seed) — Free. (Approval Required - 100 seats). Benefits: Access to panels, networking, DJ + Brunch; Hip hop speed networking; Cash bar; Regular seating
GA — $99. (General Admission). Benefits: Access to panels, networking and DJ; 2 drink tickets; Hip hop speed networking; Cash bar; Regular seating
MVP — $238. (Limited availability). Benefits: Exclusive first hour with VIPs & brunch food; Open bar for the whole event; Guaranteed pitching spot (if you desire); Hip hop speed networking in VIP section with VIPs; Front-row seating; VIP section access; $500 credits for future events
VIP — $439. (Exclusive experience). Benefits: Exclusive first hour with VIPs & brunch food; Open bar for the whole event; Guaranteed pitching spot (if you desire); Hip hop speed networking in VIP section with VIPs; Front-row seating; VIP section access; $1,000 credits for future events; After party dinner with speakers & VIPs (5:15-7pm)
By the numbers
$24M+ Helped raise over $24M in capital at our events
8,500+ Founders and investors who attended
22+ Cities hosted globally
1,000 Testimonials from happy founders
Testimonials
“Kamp is like no other startup/investor event - combining top notch education, opportunity and fun vibes. I am always super impressed by what Phil and the team put together...if you are a founder or investor, get to Kamp!” — Wayne Chang, Serial Founder & Super Angel Investor, Crashlytics
“Events by Kamp simply cuts through a lot of the noise often encountered in this space by having top tier founders and funders, and gives us a very fun space to make meaningful connections.” — Tiya Gordon, Co-founder, Its Electric
“Kamp owns the category of startup and business events, period. There are other business events and then there is Kamp!” — Marco Benitez, Founder & CEO, Rook
“As an investor who's attended countless startup events, Kamp's events are some of the best out there. Phil does an exceptional job of curating high-caliber panelists and fostering an intimate environment full of learning and networking opportunities for founders. I always look forward to attending Kamp's events and highly recommend them to anyone in the startup world.” — Max Reiff, VC, IDC Ventures
“I can't speak highly enough about Phil Castro, the Kamp team, and the first-class events they produce. The attendees are always top-shelf, and the speakers are incredibly insightful. What Phil has created in such a short period of time is truly impressive - I love witnessing their insane growth first hand.” — Bo Megginson, Managing Partner, Gold Coast Ventures
“I went into Kamp a bit skeptical but came out of it completely convinced. The content was excellent, the presenters were great and the program was well run. We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time and the networking was also a big added value, not to mention it was fun. Whether this is your first time as a Founder or you've done it before, I highly recommend a day at Kamp.” — Ben Harrison, CEO, Fresh Picks
“Kamp is always a great experience. The co-speakers at the last event made for interesting conversation, the crowd was upbeat and curious, and the organization was A+. Phil and the Kamp team really go out of the way to make the speakers and founders feel welcome and appreciated. Thanks for all that you do for the startup/investor community.” — Lucy Guo, Co-founder, Passes
“Phil and the Kamp team put together the best event I ever been to in Boston in 2022. He did it again 4 months later when I visited NYC and I started to see the trend. Kamp is an unstoppable force that levels up with their event experiences around the globe. The best in the game.” — Evan Jackson, Co-founder, Intus Care
“Kamp organizes the best startup and vc events in the game. I was super impressed with their speaker rotation, founder curation and overall vibes they produced. If you are a new or seasoned founder, you need to get to Kamp!” — Beau Wangtrakuldee, Founder, AmorSui
“If you want the best event experiences of your life, buy your ticket to Kamp. I did and was blown away by the value I got back within a few hours. I am talking $200K clients, new friends, golden nuggets of wisdom dropped and an overall great time!” — Yosh Rozen, CEO, PartRunner
“Very impressed by Kamp to bring together impactful speakers and curate events for entrepreneurs where meaningful connections can be unlocked. VC's talk and we all confirm, Kamp is the real deal.” — Adele Jamal, Managing Partner, Milemark Capital
“If you're considering attending a future Kamp event, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's more than just an event – it's a collaborative community designed to push the boundaries of you and your startup.” — Razvan Capota, CEO, Beyond
“Kamp doesn't just host events; they create environments with the right people at the right time in the right location to create these amazing synergies within the tech ecosystem and beyond. They produce magic.” — Adam Grant, Venture Investor