On October 1, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. CDT, The Founders Arena will host Texas Venture Fest: North Texas 2026 at Kiln Dallas, located at 9850 N. Central Expressway, Suite 230. The event is the North Texas stop of Texas Venture Fest, a statewide innovation series that brings together more than 3,500 people across over 15 cities. Now in its third year, the North Texas gathering emphasizes connection over pitching, with no pitch competition. Founders, investors, business and civic leaders, universities, and ecosystem builders will meet at Kiln’s new Preston Hollow coworking space at The Hill.
The evening will include light refreshments, networking time, and remarks from a special guest, Michael Phillips, chief operating officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises. Phillips’ work with the Good Soil Movement focuses on access to capital, technology, and growth for entrepreneurs. The event also marks three years of building for The Founders Arena, which has worked with 36 companies across six cohorts, with companies headquartered in 11 U.S. states and 10 countries represented in its broader founder network. Hundreds of financial services visitors have come to North Texas to meet founders, leading to five exits and four companies that have relocated or are relocating to Texas.
One of those relocations will be visible at the event. Finliti, a Founders Arena cohort company, is moving from Toronto to North Texas. Founder Jennifer Schell will attend as she begins that move, giving guests a chance to hear her share why she chose Texas and North Texas, framed around the strength of the community. Pamela Cytron, chief executive officer of The Founders Arena, said, “Over the last three years, we’ve connected founders from across states and countries with people and opportunities here in Texas, and welcomed hundreds of financial services visitors to North Texas. We’ve seen five exits, and Finliti’s move from Toronto will be the fourth company relocation. I’m excited that people at Venture Fest can meet its founder and see one of those connections becoming real. The next chapter is about abundance. Ecosystem builders can work together to get a founder to the right customer, capital, expertise and resources at the right time. That’s how we build sustainable companies and lasting economic opportunity in Texas.”
The event falls during Texas Startup & Tech Week, September 28 through October 2. The sister signature gathering is the Texas Venture Gala & Forum at the Texas State Capitol, with an awards dinner in downtown Austin. Justin McKenzie, host of the Building Texas Show, said, “With 28% of Texans living in the North Texas region, I am excited to see the impact that VentureFest will have in the DFW/North Texas area.” The Founders Arena is also introducing the TFA Innovation Chamber, a separate commercial company connected to its ecosystem, designed to help founders, capital, cities, and partners find one another and turn introductions into commercial outcomes. Registration is open at luma.com/texas-venture-fest-north-texas-2026. Hosts and partners include The Founders Arena, Kiln Dallas, Texas Venture Alliance / Texas Venture Fest, and Myngly.
