[Founder Application] Early-Stage Venture Summit, Powered by FLF & Welcome Reception (May 6-7, 2026)

​Embarc Collective’s Early Stage Venture Summit, Powered by FLF, is an annual two-day event connecting early-stage tech founders with pre-seed, seed, and angel investors.

​​Join us from May 6-7 for an incredible summit that will feature presentations from founders of select Embarc Collective member companies, offering firsthand insight into innovative startups and emerging opportunities. The summit will also include a welcome reception and a full day of interactive sessions with high-value networking opportunities. Designed to elevate both startup and investment strategies, this summit creates meaningful connections between founders and investors, shaping Florida’s early-stage ecosystem.

​The Early Stage Venture Summit, Powered by Florida Funders, is designed for founders who are actively building and preparing to raise. This event is a strong fit if you are:

• ​Making less than $1M in ARR

• ​Working full-time on your startup

• ​Preparing to raise a Pre-Seed or Seed round in the near future

​Welcome Reception

​Join us for networking and light bites at Small Giant from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM after Day 1 of the Summit!

​​What do Founders walk away with

​​Strategies to refine their product, build teams, and gain a deeper understanding of what Investors look for when evaluating startup opportunities.

Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants can expect to hear from us as decisions are made. The final application deadline is Monday, April 27, at 12:00 PM.

​May 6 Agenda

1:00 PM - 1:20 PM - Open doors + Networking

​1:20 PM - 1:30 PM - Opening Remarks Tim Holcomb, Embarc Collective

​1:30 PM - 1:40 PM - Sponsor Remarks Saxon Baum, FLF

​1:40 PM - 2:30 PM - The State of Early-Stage Venture: Navigating a New Fundraising Reality - Josh Pherigo, Principal Researcher of Market Insights, Silicon Valley Bank

​2:30 PM - 2:40 PM - 10 Min Break

​2:45 PM - 2:50 PM - Opening Notes on Presentations, Tom O'Neil (Emcee)

​2:50 PM - 3:50 PM- Founder Presentations

​2:50 - 3:05 - REHQ - Augie Schmidt, (Rachel Ferm, FLF)

​3:05 - 3:20 - COI Energy, SaLisa Berrien, (Junior Gaspard, Fulcrum Equity Partners)

​3:20 - 3:35 - BiaTech - Nathaniel Hartwig, (Rachel Ferm, FLF)

​3:35 - 3:50 - Compass Health - Rafael Fernandes, (New World Angels)

​3:50 PM - 4:00 PM - 10 Min Break

​4:00 PM - 4:50 PM - Founder Mindset - Tony DiBenedetto, Founder, Think Big for Kids and Executive Chairman, Appspace

​5:00 PM - 7:00 PM - Welcome Reception @ Small Giant

​7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - VIP Dinner @ Boulon

May 7 Agenda

​8:00 AM - 8:30 AM - Doors Open & Networking

​8:30 AM - 8:40 AM - Sponsor Remarks, Saxon Baum, Managing Partner,  FLF

​8:40AM - 9:00 AM - Opening Remarks - Alex Kelly, Secretary, Florida Commerce

​9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Session 1 - Raising Early-Stage Capital (Ryan Schneider, Strategy Coach at Embarc Collective and Founder of Thrive25)

​10:00 AM - 10:10 AM - 10 Min Break

​10:10 AM - 11:00 AM - Session 2 - What Early-Stage Investors Look for

​Moderator/Panelist - Saxon Baum, Managing Partner, FLF

​Rachel Feinman - Senior Vice President, Innovation, Ventures, and Digital Solutions, TGH Ventures

​Monique Villa - Managing Partner, Daytrip Ventures

​Ken Hall - Partner, Deepwork Capital

​11:00 AM - 11:50 AM - Session 3 - Solving Real Problems: Mastering Customer Discovery & Customer Obsession (Kate Heath, Executive Advisor + Brand & Marketing Strategy Coach at Embarc Collective)

​11:50 AM - 1:10 PM - Lunch + Office Hours

​1:10 PM - 1:15 PM - Delta Remarks + Ticket Giveaway

​1:15 PM - 2:05 PM - Session 4 - Talent Roadmapping for Fundraising Founders (Kailah Matyas, Talent Strategy Coach at Embarc Collective and Managing Partner at K & Co Talent)

​2:05 PM - 2:55 PM - Session 5 - Hacking Your Sales Pipeline: Innovative GTM Techniques for 2026 (Jess Schultz, Co-Founder & CEO, Amplify Group)

​2:55 PM- 3:05 PM - 10 Min Break

​3:05 PM - 3:55 PM - Session 6 - Pricing Your Product for Early Traction (Kristen Koenig, B2B Sales Strategy Coach at Embarc Collective)

​3:55 PM - 4:45 PM - Session 7 - Financing Your Venture Beyond Traditional Fundraising

​Elizabeth Nelson - Director, High Tech Corridor, USF

​Scott Chamberlin - Managing Director, VC Relationships, Customers Bank

​Moderator - Zach Brodsky, Senior Associate of Investments, FLF

​4:45 PM - 5:00 PM - Closing Remarks + Networking Tim Holcomb, Embarc Collective

​5:00 PM - End Program