Founder Fest Chicago
Event details
Founder Fest Chicago brings Seed and Series A founders, operators, and investors together during Chicago Tech Week for AI infrastructure panels, VC insights, live startup pitches, and a happy hour at Three Cities Social Wicker Park.
Date: July 21, 2026
Location: 1643 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
By the Numbers
500+ Founders Expected · 95% Satisfaction Rate · 3 Days of Impact · $50M+ Raised by Attendees
About the Event
Founder Fest Chicago brings Seed and Series A founders, operators, and investors together during Chicago Tech Week for AI infrastructure panels, VC insights, live startup pitches, and a happy hour at Three Cities Social Wicker Park.
Why Attend?
Founder-First Room: Meet operators, builders, and investors in a format designed for useful conversations.
Practical Panels: Hear direct, tactical conversations around legal, fundraising, AI, hiring, and scaling.
Premium Access: Upgrade paths create room for deeper dinners, VIP experiences, and longer-form discussion.
Who Is This For
For: Founders looking for high-signal peer conversations; Startup leaders working through fundraising, hiring, AI, or scaling decisions; Operators who value curated networking over anonymous conference rooms
Not for: People looking for a passive conference experience; Vendors showing up only to pitch the room
What to Expect
Chicago Tech Week room: A concentrated room of high-signal founders, operators, and investors already in Chicago for Tech Week.
AI infrastructure panels: Direct conversations on AI infrastructure, automations, and risks founders need to understand before scaling.
Live startup pitches: Five startups pitch live before the room, followed by a happy hour at Three Cities Social and VIP dinner.
Agenda
2:00 PM — Networking
2:30 PM — Intros
3:30 PM — Hip hop speed networking
4:00 PM — Founder Panel with Jason Barsema, Thru Shivakumar, and Ricky Regalado
4:45 PM — VC Panel
5:30 PM — 5 pitches to the VC panel with live feedback
6:00 PM — Open networking & office hours
6:30 PM — VIP dinner @ Big Star
The Venue
Three Cities Social Wicker Park
1643 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Three Cities Social Wicker Park — Chicago, IL.
Tickets
GA — $124. Includes Access to full event, Networking, Live pitches, Open seating, Open bar
MVP — $239. Includes Includes everything from GA, Front row seating for discussions, Guaranteed pitching, Skip the line at the bar, VIP section access, Onsite office hours with selected speakers, $500 in Kamp Cash
VIP — $438. Includes Includes everything from MVP, Customized content shooting on site, Free investor deck analysis by Kami our AI bot, Private VIP dinner after the main event with speakers and VIPs, $1,000 in Kamp Cash