Newark Tech Summit 2026
NNEWARK TECH SUMMIT 2026
Where founders, technology, capital, and big ideas come together.
🔥 500+ PEOPLE. STARTUPS. INVESTORS. BIG IDEAS. ONE ROOM.
Newark Tech Week kicks off on Monday, October 12 with the Newark Tech Summit — an afternoon built for the people creating what’s next.
We’re bringing together 500+ founders, investors, technologists, corporate leaders, creatives, students, and ecosystem builders to connect, exchange ideas, discover emerging companies, and experience the energy of New Jersey’s growing innovation ecosystem.
Some of the most exciting companies, technologies, and talent are being built right here in New Jersey — and we’re putting that momentum on one stage.
Expect founder conversations. Emerging technology. Startup showcases. Big ideas. New connections. And a room filled with people you should probably know.
And this is only Day One of Newark Tech Week.
⚡ WHAT TO EXPECT
🎤 THE 90-SECOND PITCH — WIN UP TO $500
Think you can make the room believe in your startup in 90 seconds?
Watch emerging founders take the stage and give the audience their best 90-second pitch.
No 20-minute deck. No long presentation.
Just 90 seconds to tell us what they’re building, why it matters, and why people should pay attention.
Then, the audience decides who wins.
🏆 90 seconds. Big ideas. Up to $500 on the line.
🚀 STARTUP ALLEY
Meet the founders behind emerging companies, discover new products and technologies, and see firsthand what’s being built across New Jersey and beyond.
Explore innovations from The Hadley Broadcasting Company, Stacked Up Academy, Plain Sight, Rightview, Quarks Advantage, STEAManiacs, Scriptify, MARCo Solutions, and Verdept.
Plus, connect with PSE&G, who will also be tabling at the Summit!
Looking for your next investment? Partnership? Customer? Collaborator? Or just something you’ve never seen before?
Start here.
🤝 500+ PEOPLE. ONE ROOM.
Founders. Investors. Technologists. Corporate leaders. Creatives. Students. Ecosystem builders.
And hopefully, you.
We’re building in plenty of time to actually connect because some of the most important conversations at the Summit won’t happen onstage.
They’ll happen when you meet the person sitting next to you.
⚡ THE SUMMIT AGENDA & SPEAKER LINEUP
2:00 PM | WELCOME + OPENING REMARKS
We’re officially kicking off Newark Tech Week 2026!
Join us as we welcome founders, innovators, investors, and community leaders for an afternoon celebrating New Jersey’s growing technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
2:20 PM | WHY NEW JERSEY? BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INNOVATION
Why are founders choosing New Jersey, and what does it actually take to build and scale a company here?
We're going beyond the usual talking points to explore access to capital, customers, talent, regional opportunities, and the challenges entrepreneurs face when building in the Garden State.
Moderator:
Justin Murray — Plug and Play NJ
Panelists:
Camron Brown — Counter Finance | Northern New Jersey
Lynn Raynault — CEO & Co-Founder, Financial Wellness Labs | Central New Jersey
Russ Abdrakhmanov — Founding Leader, neKey | Southern New Jersey
Three regions. Three perspectives. One conversation about what New Jersey needs to become a stronger place for founders to build.
3:00 PM | CONNECTION BREAK
Your assignment: meet someone you didn't walk in with.
Find a founder, introduce yourself to an investor, connect with someone outside your industry, or discover your next collaboration.
3:15 PM | FEATURED KEYNOTE: DUPÉ O. AJAYI
Technology Starts With How We Experience the World
Featuring Dupé O. Ajayi — AI Engagement & Governance Strategist and Cambridge Ethical AI Alumna
AI is transforming how we work, build, and interact with the world. But as technology advances, who gets to shape it? Who benefits? And who gets left behind?
Join Dupé O. Ajayi for a thought-provoking keynote exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, humanity, inclusion, and accountability.
This isn't just a conversation about what AI can do.
It's about who we're building it for, who gets a voice in its future, and why technology should work for people—not the other way around.
3:45 PM | STARTUP ALLEY EXPERIENCE
Meet the builders. Discover the products. Experience the innovation.
Get to know the founders behind emerging companies working across AI, healthcare, education, media, robotics, and more.
Connect directly with the people building what's next, discover potential partnerships, and explore technologies that could change how we live and work.
4:05 PM | THE FUTURE CURRENCY OF WORK
Is the traditional degree still enough? What happens when AI changes entry-level jobs? And what skills will actually matter five years from now?
Artificial intelligence is transforming the workforce, but are our education systems, employers, and career pathways keeping up?
Join leaders from human resources, education, and workforce development for a candid conversation about the changing value of skills, emerging career opportunities, and how people can prepare for a future that's already unfolding.
Moderator:
Camille Smith — Founder & CEO, STEM So(ul)cial
Panelists:
Nadira M.A. Byles — Senior HR Consultant, Justworks
Leo Gordon — VP for Career & Technical Education High Schools, United Federation of Teachers
Kassina Legend — National Career and Alumni Manager, The Knowledge House
The future of work isn't just about technology. It's about people, opportunity, and what it takes to stay competitive.
4:45 PM | A WORLD RUN ON TECH
Technology isn't just something we hold in our hands. It's changing how we experience the world around us.
From accessing legal services and discovering local businesses to strengthening communities and improving how cities function, technology is becoming embedded in everyday life.
But are we solving real problems or simply building more technology?
This conversation brings together leaders working at the intersection of innovation, business, and community impact to explore how emerging technologies move from ideas to real-world solutions.
Moderator:
Tish Johnson-Jones — Executive Director, GreenLight Fund Greater Newark
Panelists:
Kameron Buckner — Founder, Social Docket (LegalTech)
Anthony Edwards Jr. — CTO, Imedview Inc. & Co-Founder/CEO, EatOkra (FoodTech)
Solomon Steplight — CEO, Newark Alliance (CivicTech)
The question isn't just what technology can do. It's what actually changes for the people using it.
5:25 PM | THE 90-SECOND FOUNDER CHALLENGE
POWERED BY COUNTER
90 seconds. One stage. Big ideas. Up to $500 in prizes.
Watch founders take the stage to pitch their companies, share the problems they're solving, and make their case for why their innovations deserve attention.
Meet the participating startups:
Muna — AI-powered healthcare assistance
Boomer Technology Group — Technology connecting government and community services
Quarks Advantage — Physical reasoning intelligence and next-generation computing
1st Street Partnerships — Responsible AI adoption
OpenShop — Technology simplifying business permitting and regulations
ChainPoints — Smarter travel booking with credit card points
electr0motiv — Technology supporting electric vehicle conversions
CHRP Communications — Offline, encrypted communication technology
No lengthy presentations. No complicated decks.
Just founders, their ideas, and 90 seconds to win the room.
5:55 PM | CLOSING + WHAT'S NEXT
The Summit may be ending.
Newark Tech Week is just getting started.
📍 EVENT DETAILS
Monday, October 12, 2026
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall
15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ
Doors Open: 1:30 PM
Summit Programming: 2:00–6:00 PM
🎟️ FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
🔥 THIS IS DAY ONE.
The Newark Tech Summit opens Newark Tech Week 2026, six days of technology, entrepreneurship, creativity, culture, and connection happening across the City of Newark from October 12–17.
Come to discover what's being built.
Come to meet someone you should know.
Come to find your next collaborator, investor, founder, customer, opportunity, or idea.
Come ready to connect.
Come curious. Leave connected.