Rattan L. Khosa SeedCon: Beyond the Hype
Overview
The Rattan L. Khosa SeedCon is Chicago Booth’s flagship entrepreneurship and venture capital conference. Through keynote fireside chats, panel discussions, and various networking sessions, SeedCon provides opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and passionate members of the startup ecosystem to explore emerging industry themes and connect over shared ideas. With an impressive lineup of speakers, the conference extends beyond the campus and attracts a broad audience from the greater startup and investor community. Hosted by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in partnership with Chicago Booth’s Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital (EVC) student group, SeedCon is made possible thanks to a generous gift from Rattan L. Khosa, MBA ’79, as a part of the Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program.
Beyond the Hype
In today’s fast-paced world, success isn’t just about launching—it’s about enduring. Rattan L. Khosa SeedCon 2026 Beyond the Hype is designed to spark deeper conversations that move past surface-level observations—whether in AI, CPG, or other areas of innovation. This year, we bring together trailblazing entrepreneurs, insightful investors, and seasoned operators to delve into strategies for sustainable growth, robust unit economics, and business models that stand the test of time.
Keynote Speaker
Tom Elnick | Former Cofounder & Co-CEO, Tegus; Partner, Bancroft Capital Partners
Featured Panel Topics
Energy Transition: The Invisible Engine Powering the AI era
This session addresses the massive, escalating challenge of providing the energy and physical infrastructure required to sustain the current and future AI boom. From the dramatic increase in power consumption for training LLMs to the engineering hurdles of designing ultra-efficient, highly distributed data centers, the need for novel solutions is urgent. Can sustainability and scale co-exist in the age of AI compute?
Healthcare: Innovation to Adoption - Delivering Real Patient Outcomes
From AI-assisted diagnostics to digital therapeutics, healthcare innovation is moving faster than ever. This panel will explore how startups can navigate regulation, partnerships, and capital to drive meaningful change in patient outcomes. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to bridge cutting-edge innovation with real-world healthcare delivery.
Enterprise AI: Making AI *Actually* Work
Companies have wildly different AI readiness, and are stuck experimenting with pilots rather than actually deploying into production. This discussion brings together operators, founders, and investors who’ve seen what it takes to cross that chasm. We’ll dig into how enterprises are actually utilizing AI - what’s working, what isn’t, and where startups can find opportunity.
CPG: The Next Chapter of Chicago’s Consumer Renaissance
Chicago has long been a hub for consumer brands, from legacy brands to emerging startups reshaping how and what we buy. During this panel, we will learn what investors are looking for in the next wave of CPG startups and how founders are redefining what makes a great brand.
Global VC: Creating Lasting Value in Global Markets
This panel brings together investors and entrepreneurs around the world who look beyond surface-level trends to understand how regional context shapes innovation. We’ll explore how they assess local readiness and founder-market fit to identify durable, scalable opportunities.
Deep Tech: Turning Breakthroughs Into Sustainable Businesses
Deep tech isn’t built like typical startups: the science is harder, the timelines are longer, and the path from lab to market is rarely straightforward. In this panel, we will discuss how teams can turn frontier technologies into viable businesses in fields like quantum, AI, robotics, life sciences, and energy.
Workshops & Founder Presentations
Getting Started with Angel Investing
Led by Jason Heltzer, Managing Partner of Origin Ventures and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth, this beginner-friendly workshop demystifies how angel investing actually works - from sourcing early-stage deals to evaluating founders, risk, and involvement beyond capital. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of whether angel investing fits into their career and personal investing goals, and what next steps could look like.
The Founder’s Legal Toolkit: Incorporation, Equity, and More | Sponsored by Thompson Hine LLP
Built in Chicago Founder Demo Room + Networking
Watch founders give quick pitches and break out into a networking session.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Gold Level Sponsor
Silver Level Sponsor
In-Kind Sponsors
LMNT