Lofty Angels Summit 2026
Angel Curious, Active Investor, Founder-Turned-Angel, VC, or Startup Community Builder?
Join us for the 2nd annual Lofty Angels Summit, a full-day gathering for people who want to learn how early-stage investing really works, meet thoughtful investors and high-potential founders, and help build a more fertile startup funding ecosystem.
The summit is designed for angel-curious professionals, experienced angels, VCs, founders, founders-turned-angels (FTAs), operators, and members of the broader startup community who care about founders, capital, and Chicago’s startup future.
Hosted by Lofty Ventures at Bank of America’s downtown Chicago building.
A Bigger, Sharper 2026 Summit
The 2026 Lofty Angels Summit is a major upgrade from our inaugural summit in 2025.
We are returning to Bank of America’s gorgeous downtown Chicago building, but this year we are moving into the ballroom, with sweeping city views, more than triple the capacity, a curated summit showcase, rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights, a blind box activation, premium giveaways, next-level swag bags, and a rooftop party to close the day.
Expect serious people, useful content, candid conversations, strong opinions, a room full of givers, and Lofty-style hacking serendipity.
Why Attend?
If you are angel curious, you will learn what to know before writing your first check.
If you are already an angel, you will sharpen your judgment, compare notes with other investors, and meet new founders and elite co-investors.
If you are a VC, you will connect with founder-friendly angels, operators, founders, and Chicago’s broader early-stage ecosystem.
If you are a founder or future FTA, you will learn how small checks can turn more founders into first-check angels sooner.
If you care about Chicago startups, you will join a high-energy day about capital, civic leadership, founder support, and the future of the city’s startup economy.
Speaker & Session Highlights
This year’s speaker lineup brings together experienced angels, VCs, founders, operators, professors, lawyers, bankers, civic leaders, and community builders who have collectively built, backed, advised, financed, and supported hundreds of startups.
Highlights include:
Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX and Fanatics Collectibles and founder of ghostwrite, on culture, collectibles, marketplaces, scarcity, and human behavior
Tom Sosnoff on risk, conviction, company-building, investing, and what it takes to create outsized outcomes
Chris Yeh, Reid Hoffman’s co-author and longtime collaborator, and Amanda Lannert on how great investors think
A Founders-Turned-Angels panel on why founders should consider learning to invest before they exit
A civic conversation with mayoral candidates on envisioning a more founder-friendly Chicago
Practical sessions on Angel 101, dealflow, market trends, legal, tax, accounting, planning, and how to write checks more thoughtfully
Five rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights from prior Lofty Syndicate deals
Agenda
10:00 - 11:00 – Check-In, Light Breakfast & Summit Showcase
11:00 - 11:15 – Why We’re Here: Building the Next Generation of Angels
Speakers: Jamie Paul and Chris Deutsch
11:15 - 12:00 – Investing in Culture: Markets, Collectibles & Human Behavior with Josh Luber
Speaker: Josh Luber
12:00 - 12:15 – Angel 101: What to Know Before Your First Check
Speaker: Chris Deutsch
12:15 - 12:30 – Five Lofty Founders to Watch
Speakers: Lofty portfolio founders
12:30 - 1:30 – Lunch + Summit Showcase
1:00 - 1:30 – Blind Box Break with Josh Luber + Lofty Prize Drop
Speakers: Josh Luber and Chris Deutsch
1:30 - 2:10 – How Great Investors Think: A Conversation with Chris Yeh & Amanda Lannert
Speakers: Chris Yeh and Amanda Lannert
2:10 - 2:35 – Dealflow: How Angels Find Great Opportunities
Speakers: Fred Hoch, Brian Crump, Adela Cepeda, Michael Sachaj, and Christian McKenzie
2:35 - 2:50 – Angel Weather Report: What’s Hot, What’s Cold & What’s Next
Speaker: Jeff Eschbach
2:50 - 3:00 – Break & Summit Showcase
3:00 - 3:25 – The Angel Investor Operating Manual
Speakers: Mike Gamson, Joshua Klein, Kristi Dula-Ferguson, Ira Weiss, and Tom Tyndorf
3:25 - 3:50 – Founders-Turned-Angels: Why Founders Should Start Investing Earlier
Speakers: Claudia Romo Edelman, Matt Singley, Arnav Dalmia, Milan Harris, and Rehman Merali
3:50 - 4:20 – Envisioning a More Founder-Friendly Chicago
Speakers: Michael Fassnacht, Susana Mendoza, Joe Holberg, and others
4:20 - 4:50 – Building, Betting & Winning Big with Tom Sosnoff
Speakers: Tom Sosnoff and Christopher Deutsch
4:50 - 5:00 – Closing Remarks: From Learning to Investing to Toasting!
Speakers: Arnav Chaphalkar, Chris Deutsch, and Claudia Romo Edelman
5:00 - 5:30 – Startup Showcase + Rooftop Transition
5:30 - 7:30 – Lofty Summer Rooftop Party with Sotol Romo + Com Truise
Full Session Descriptions, Speaker Bios, FAQ & More at: loftyangels.com
Speakers
Adela Cepeda - Founder & Chair @ Angeles Investors
Arnav Chaphalkar - Lofty Fellow & Rising Junior @ Adlai Stevenson High School
Paul Couston - Co-founder & CEO @ WearTAK
Brian Crump - Founding Partner & Principal @ Chicago Early Growth Ventures
Arnav Dalmia - CEO @ Infinity Projects
Chris Deutsch - Founder @ Lofty Ventures
Kristi Dula-Ferguson - Deputy Director @ Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Jeff Eschbach - Founding Partner & Principal @ Chicago Early Growth Ventures
Michael Fassnacht - Chief Growth Officer & President, Chicagoland @ Clayco
Mike Gamson - Co-founder & Managing Partner @ Permanent Capital Partners
Milan Harris - Founder & CEO @ Loot Labs
Fred Hoch - Founder & General Partner @ TechNexus Venture Collaborative
Joe Holberg - Democratic Candidate for Mayor of Chicago
Joshua Klein - Partner @ Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg
Amanda Lannert - CEO @ Jellyvision
Josh Luber - Founder @ ghostwrite
Christian McKenzie - Vice President @ Lofty Ventures
Susana Mendoza - Illinois Comptroller @ State of Illinois
Rehman Merali - Co-founder & CEO @ teaBOT
Jamie Paul - SVP, Technology Banker @ Bank of America
Claudia Romo Edelman - Founder & CEO @ Sotol Romo
Michael Sachaj - Partner @ HPA
Matt Singley - Founder & CEO @ ReloShare
Tom Sosnoff - CEO @ LossDog
Tom Tyndorf - Managing Director & Private Wealth Advisor @ Merrill Lynch
Ira Weiss - General Partner @ Hyde Park Venture Partners
Chris Yeh - Founding Partner @ Blitzscaling Ventures
Tom Zhang - Founder & CEO @ Zenblen
ATTN FOUNDERS: Apply For 70% Off Discount
We are excited to welcome qualifying post-Seed founders who would like to attend the summit to learn about angel investing.
A central goal of Lofty Angels is to help more founders learn angel investing earlier in their careers. We believe founders can become uniquely valuable first-check angels, especially when they start learning and writing small checks before they exit.
This discount is for founders attending to learn, not to solicit attendees for investment.
Sound like you? Apply for the 70% founder discount here.
What To Expect At The Summit
We will provide a light breakfast at check-in, boxed lunches, snacks, drinks, and plenty of time to meet the founders, partners, angels, and community builders in the room.
Expect a summit showcase, rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights, Lofty giveaways, and swag bags worth sticking around for.
Come dressed however you would like. This is startup investing, so you will see everything from jeans to suits.
Lofty Summer Rooftop Party with Sotol Romo + Com Truise
After the summit, join us upstairs from 5:30 to 7:30 for the 4th annual Lofty Summer Rooftop Party in the building’s indoor/outdoor space overlooking the Chicago River and the Loop skyline.
We will cap off the day with a Sotol Romo tasting for 21+ guests, a private DJ set from recording artist Com Truise, and an epic Lofty-style celebration with founders, angels, partners, and friends of Lofty.
NOTE: To attend the rooftop party, please select the Summit + Party ticket when registering. The summit runs from 10AM to 5PM and the party runs from 5:30PM to 7:30PM. Both are in the same building. There is no additional cost for the party, but capacity is limited and we need an accurate count.
Thank You To Our Partners
Thank you to all of Lofty’s partners, and especially our Lead Partners Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP, for helping power this event and Lofty’s broader founder and angel programming.
About Lofty Ventures
Lofty Ventures is building a compounding flywheel for Chicago’s next generation of founders and angels by investing early, bringing together a highly curated community, and helping founders become angels sooner.
Operating as a family office, investor syndicate, angel platform, and startup community, Lofty combines capital, relationships, and education to drive stronger outcomes over time.
Across its direct investments and syndicate, Lofty has invested $5M+ at the earliest stages in over 100 companies and 180 founders, with 80% based in Chicago and 65% led by underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Lofty Angels, its free community, helps members learn early-stage investing and access curated co-investment opportunities.
Learn more at loftyventures.com, loftyangels.com, loftycamp.com, and loftycity.org.
About Bank of America Global Commercial Banking
In the fast-moving Tech industry, one thing is constant — innovation wins. Bank of America’s dedicated Transformative Technology Group is by your side with the resources, solutions and vision to give you an advantage in the marketplace.
Drawing on our global connections and networks, we help clients achieve their objectives.
Learn more here.
About Bank of America Private Bank
At Bank of America Private Bank, our trust and investment management relationship with you is supported by the strongest standard of integrity, trust and accountability—the Fiduciary Standard - which requires us to act solely in your best interests.
Whether we’re managing your portfolio, serving as trustee or administering an estate, our focus is tailored to what best meets your individual objectives.
About Merrill Private Wealth
Growing and navigating wealth isn't a straight line. There are complexities and opportunities at every turn.
That's why your Merrill team serves as mission control for your wealth, offering the highest level of execution and world-class intellectual capital to help keep you moving forward through every pivotal moment.
As the investment and wealth management division of Bank of America Corporation, Merrill services the comprehensive needs of high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses.
To learn more about a Chicago-based team with extensive experience working with entrepreneurs, click here.