For Those Building, Funding, or Joining Startups

MLT20 National Conference has officially ended. If you are interested in hiring or are a VC investor or LP, learn more about our Startup Careers Network or connect with us at: startuppathways@mlt.org

OVERVIEW

What To Expect

Lunch

A shared meal designed for conversation and connection. Attendees come together over lunch to connect with peers, startups, and speakers in an informal, approachable setting. It’s a space to exchange ideas, spark new conversations, and build relationships.

Networking

Engage, explore, and expand your network. Structured and informal networking moments throughout the day allow attendees to meet startups, speakers, and experts, fostering meaningful connections and collaboration in a dynamic, interactive environment.

Sessions

Insights, innovation, and inspiration in every talk. 3 curated sessions feature startups and expert speakers, sharing trends, ideas, and practical advice. Attendees gain knowledge while discovering opportunities for collaboration and connection.

Day 1 Experience (May 14)

  • Our most in-demand session brings together leading investors and builders to break down:

    • Where AI is creating the fastest growth opportunities

    • How startups are outpacing incumbents

    • What it actually takes to get in the game today

10:45 - 12:00 PM

Aaron Holiday
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of 645 Ventures; MLT Alum

Emily Man
Partner of Primary Venture Partners

Ben Sun
Co-Founder, Partner & Co-CIO of Primary Venture Partners

Brad Svrluga
Cofounder & Managing Partner of Primary Venture Partners

Toni Oloko
Co-Ceo & Co-Founder, Dandy

3:30 - 4:45 PM

  • Building a career in the startup ecosystem often looks much different than in a more traditional corporate environment. Startup careers tend to be less linear and highly based on relationships and reputation. Success rarely comes from a single bold leap, it’s built through a series of strategic moves and relationships that compound over time. 

    Executive leaders from high-growth companies share how they built credibility, relationships, and opportunity across multiple startup roles and companies.Whether you’re exploring your first move into startups or planning your next leadership step, this session provides a practical roadmap for entering, moving, and succeeding within the startup space.

    You’ll leave with:

    • Strategies for transitioning from corporate roles into startups

    • Insight into how reputation capital drives advancement in venture-backed environments

    • Tools for identifying the right startup opportunities for your career stage

Lisa Lewin
Senior Advisor, Primary Ventures; CEO & Corporate Board Member

Nate Stewart
CEO, Materialize; MLT Alum

Shani Taylor
VP, Customer Experience & Solutions, Figma; MLT Alum

Roniesha Copeland
VP of Sales, Vercel; MLT Alum

4:45 - 5:30 PM

Startup Showcase

This is where real connections are made.

  • Hear directly from high-growth startups pitching why you should join them

  • Get an inside look at product, culture, and hiring needs

  • Build direct relationships with founders and hiring team

5:00 - 6:30 PM

Startup Alley at Golden Hour (Networking Reception)

This is not your average networking reception – this is where conversations turn into opportunities.

After the Startup Showcase, attendees can further connect with startup companies and other Conference attendees in our Startup Alley: a dedicated space in our networking reception (“Golden Hour”) to discover opportunities emerging across AI, fintech, and enterprise and build relationships that can lead to roles, advisory opportunities, or your next venture.

Day 2 Experience (May 15)

  • Most generational wealth is built via ownership, not employment. This session explores several practical pathways for generating wealth via ownership, including real estate, angel investing, acquiring businesses, and developing other income-generating assets.

    Leaders who have built an ownership portfolio share how they evaluated risk, structured their first moves, and expanded their long-term upside.

    You’ll leave with:

    • A clearer understanding of different ownership pathways

    • Insight into how others have built their ownership portfolios

    • Practical next steps for building equity, income diversification, and autonomy

12:00 - 1:15 PM

Mitchell Harris
CEO & Owner, Vertex Communication Group

  • Starting a venture requires vision, risk, flexibility, and great execution. Experienced entrepreneurs will share lessons from their entrepreneurial journeys that will inform and inspire others who want to capture ownership upside. They’ll share candid experiences and advice about how they navigated the personal, professional, and financial risks, tradeoffs, and opportunities they faced and how they managed the unexpected (or expected) challenges along the way.

    You’ll leave with:

    • An understanding of how entrepreneurs managed the risks, tradeoffs, opportunities, and challenges associated with entrepreneurship

    • Practical advice for making the leap to an entrepreneurial endeavor

1:30 - 2:45 PM

Brandon Williams Jones
Founder & CEO, Gravy Wealth

David R. Jones
Founder & CEO, CastleOak Securities

Ray Chery
President & CEO, Monsam Portable Sinks

Laneisha Roberts
CEO, ReviewTailor

  • What will shape the future of work and who will shape it? This closing plenary explores how technology, policy, and innovation are redefining economic opportunity, and what leaders must do now to stay ahead. Leave with a clearer point of view and a call to action for the role you can play in building what comes next.

3:30 - 4:45 PM

Bill Helman
Advisory Partner, Greylock

Preet Bharara
Former United States Attorney, Southern District of New York

Roland Fryer
Founding Partner at Equal Opportunity Ventures