DC Startup & Tech Week

05/16/2026

We swapped coffee chats for walking conversations along the water today at the Wellness Walk. 🌿👟💻

Powered by DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) and DiscoverU Health, with community support from SWEAT DC
Tech Wellness Society and Zenjoy’s Women’s Health & Fitness Month meetup today brought together founders, clinicians, fitness professionals, health advocates, and creatives for an afternoon focused on wellness outside the usual workday routine.

The afternoon started with guided stretching and movement led by Victoria of Sweat DC, followed by attendees heading out on the waterfront trail at Hains Point.

Participants also heard women’s health tips and self-advocacy insights from Pamgrace Gachenge, MHCM of DiscoverU Health Women’s Health Team, while connecting with professionals working across healthcare, wellness, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Our leadership, Rachel and Darius, shared all the exciting opportunities to engage with our network and add value to the startup ecosystem. Remember to take a moment first and send Emails later.

Sign up for future events: https://luma.com/DCSTW

05/13/2026

Design isn't just how it looks. It's how it aligns. 🧩 Most startups treat design as a coat of paint applied at the end. But for founders, design is the strategic discipline that connects your vision to your product and your product to the market.

Join us virtually next week for DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) Workshop Wednesday ▶️ "Dot-Connecting Discipline: How Design Aligns Vision, Product, and Market"

📌 Wednesday, May 20th at 12 PM EDT

Here's what we'll cover:
🧩 Strategic Alignment: How to use design to connect vision, product decisions, and positioning
🧩 Sharpening Your Story: Frameworks to clarify your product direction and market fit
🧩 Honest Branding: Bringing your vision to the forefront with authenticity
🧩 Growth Efficiency: Avoiding the burn by getting the "why" right before the "how"

Javi Calderon helps startups figure out what they're building and why anyone should care. He blends strategy, UX design, and facilitation to help founders bring their vision to the forefront with honesty and authenticity.
Register now ▶️ https://luma.com/brqvw4e2

About this Event Early-stage startups often make the mistake of treating design as a "coat of paint" applied at the very end. In reality, design is the…

05/12/2026

You already have more marketing assets than you think. Join us virtually for DC Startup & Tech Week Workshop Wednesday, "Bootstrapping Your Marketing Strategy: How to Build Sustainable Systems for Long-Term Growth"

📌 Wednesday, June 17th at 12 PM EDT

Camille Galles, owner of Quintet Creative, works with purpose-driven organizations innovating in education, economic development, and healthcare. She is coming in with real tools and a roadmap to help you reach the right people without the burnout. RSVP @ DCSTW Luma.

05/12/2026

Join us next Wednesday, May 20th for a virtual Workshop Wednesday session! Register here ▶️ https://luma.com/brqvw4e2

We'll be exploring how design can serve as a strategic discipline to help founders connect the dots between their business, their brand, and the real needs, goals, and expectations of the people they serve across every touchpoint.

Hear from Javi, and if you're wondering how to make all the pieces fit together, this one is for you.

05/12/2026

Smile if you're THE BIRTHDAY 🎂 Happy Birthday to our fierce leader, Rachel Koretsky, Executive Director of DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week), and Founder & CEO of Upace.

Rachel has been passionate about shaping the next 10 years of innovation and entrepreneurship in the DMV and across the nation, and proving it belongs in the conversation alongside Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York.

She has worked alongside her team to bring together founders at every stage, investors from venture, philanthropic, and institutional funds, Fortune 500 and corporate partners, federal agencies and government officials, university and workforce leaders, and legal, policy, and financial professionals, all to the center of the DMV's high-growth startup and tech ecosystem. While making cross-industry connections, forging strategic partnerships, and identifying the right leaders across DC, Maryland, and Virginia to propel this work forward with insights and resources. From pitch competitions to keynotes, Rachel has been intentional about connecting founders and reminding them that they are not alone.

Happy Birthday, Rachel! 🎂🎉 wish Rachel happy birthday in the comments or share a moment where she supported you in your journey ⬇️⬇️⬇️

05/12/2026

We are excited to welcome Symone Husbands to the DC Startup & Tech Week team.

Symone is the founder of Intent Events and a true curator of culture. With an MBA and a background spanning the FBI and Deloitte, she brings precision and intentionality to every experience she creates. From coordinating the marketplace for the Black Women in Food Summit to hosting international groups across Panama and Indonesia, Symone does not just plan events, she cultivates moments that people carry with them long after they leave the room.

At DCSTW, our mission is to connect founders, innovators, investors, community and government leaders, and tech talent to the resources and opportunities they are seeking, driving collaboration and economic growth across the DMV. Symone brings that energy to everything she does and we are thrilled to have her on the team. Welcome, Symone!

05/12/2026

Happening this week ▶️ https://luma.com/jctgxtha

📌 Friday, May 15th | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | Hains Point / East Potomac Park | 1100 Ohio Dr. SW | Free (Registration Required)

Whether you are a founder navigating the startup grind, a clinician dedicated to the health of others, or an advocate passionate about wellness, this one is for you.

Join DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) and Pamgrace Gachenge, MHCM of DiscoverU Health on Friday, May 15th, for a curated mid-day movement experience through the heart of DC. We are stepping away from the screens and onto the trail to prove that professional growth and personal wellness are not mutually exclusive.

📌 Friday, May 15th | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Here is what to expect:

👟 Curated Networking: Engage in a high-level net-walk designed to break the isolation of the clinic and the home office. Connect with fellow female founders, investors, OBGYNs, and health advocates in an organic, low-pressure environment.
👟 Expert-Led Wellness: Kick off with The Reset by Sweat DC, a 10-minute guided light stretch and mini yoga flow to ground us before we hit the path.
👟 Collaborative Momentum: Experience a 50-minute guided walk powered by TechWalk DMV and Tech Wellness Society.
👟 Community and Color: We are wearing Teal or Pink to represent Women's Fitness Month, vitality, and stress relief.

📌 Where: Hains Point / East Potomac Park | 1100 Ohio Dr. SW 📌 Cost: Free (Registration Required) After the walk, the group wraps up near The Wharf for a healthy lunch or post-walk coffee with your new connections.

Powered by DCSTW and DiscoverU Health with support from Sweat DC, TechWalk DMV, Tech Wellness Society, and Zenjoy. 👟 No slides or pitches, just movement. Secure your spot ▶️ https://luma.com/jctgxtha

05/11/2026

Don't forget to register. 🧩

Next Wednesday, May 20th at 12 PM EDT we're going live with DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) Workshop Wednesday ▶️ "Dot-Connecting Discipline: How Design Aligns Vision, Product, and Market"

Javi Calderon helps startups figure out what they're building and why anyone should care. He blends strategy, UX design, and facilitation to help founders bring their vision to the forefront with honesty and authenticity.

Register now ▶️ https://luma.com/brqvw4e2

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About this Event Early-stage startups often make the mistake of treating design as a "coat of paint" applied at the very end. In reality, design is the…

05/11/2026

We are excited to welcome Kaelin Brittin to the DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) Organizing Team. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Kaelin is a sports and entertainment attorney and co-founder of ArenaDocs, an AI-powered platform built to streamline contract drafting and negotiation for in-house legal teams. She brings deep experience from her time as Associate Counsel for the Washington Commanders and as an attorney at Kramer Levin, where she handled high-volume sponsorship, media, and vendor agreements.

At DCSTW, our mission is to connect founders, innovators, investors, community and government leaders, and tech talent to the resources and opportunities they are seeking, driving collaboration and economic growth across the DMV. Kaelin embodies exactly that intersection of law, tech, and entrepreneurship and we could not be more excited to have her in the room.

Welcome to the team, Kaelin!

05/11/2026

One of our own is doing something different and we are here for it.

DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) (DCSTW) CPG Track Co-Lead Colin Campbell debuted a prototype of Donutball at the 2025 Startup Showcase and Resource Expo at International Square and it was a hit. Since then, he has leveled it up to a fully injection-molded game with telescoping poles and launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring it to the world. 🍩

Donutball is a throwing and catching yard game built for every kind of gathering, from tailgates and BBQs to beach days and family picnics. Think Co****le, Spikeball, and Beer Pong combined into something entirely its own.

The campaign launched April 21st, runs for 30 days, and the first 100 supporters get a full set for around $89.99 with optional add-ons, shipping starting in June.

If you cannot pre-order, share this with someone who would love it because every bit of support counts. Support the campaign ▶️ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/donutballgame/donutball-throwing-and-catching-yard-beach-kitchen-pool-game

Throw a ball, sink a ball, catch a ball. Drink in your hand & dive in the sand! Indoors & Outdoors: Tailgates, BBQs, & Kitchen Parties!