Tech Talent Summit 2026
Where talent, capital, and community align to accelerate Arizona's venture economy.
2026 Summit Recap
See What Happened at Tech Talent Summit 2026
The Mission
Talent, Capital & Community: All in One Place
Tech Talent Summit 2026 + Startup Pavilion is where talent, capital, and community converge for a high-intention, high-energy day during Arizona Tech Week. With concurrent Talent and Capital tracks and the launch of our first-ever Startup Pavilion, this is where conversations turn into hires, partnerships, and funding.
The Experience
The Summit Experience
Tech Talent Summit 2026 is built on a simple belief: when the right people are intentionally connected, opportunity accelerates. Across four intentional experience zones, you'll find structured conversations, curated introductions, and high-signal environments designed to help you move forward — whether that means landing a role, hiring exceptional talent, meeting an aligned investor, forming a partnership, or gaining clarity on your next step.
Talent Track
Hiring. HR Leaders. AI & workforce conversations. People People's Party
Capital Track
VC insights. Fireside chat. Featured Pitches. Featured Engineers.
Startup Pavilion
NEWFree exhibit space. Software, Defense Innovation, Clean Energy, Health, Gaming, Sports. Curated Venture Pods.
Growth Village
A curated showcase of products and services supporting the whole entrepreneur — from marketing and finance to legal, dev, and founder wellness.
Featured Speakers
Featured Speakers
Our featured speakers represent the leaders shaping what's next — from scaling high-growth companies and deploying capital to architecting the future of AI, fintech, health innovation, and workforce transformation.
Daniela Santangelo
Co-Host, Founder of Freeway
Camille Campbell
Co-Host, Forbes 30 under 30
Sandra Watson
Pres. & CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority
Mayor Kate Gallego
City of Phoenix
John Schufeldt
Xcellerant Ventures
Jack Selby
Copper Sky Capital
Greg Economou
Player 15 Group
Colleen Schwab
AI & Operations Leader, AWS Amazon
Glenn Lurie
General Partner, Stormbreaker Ventures
Tim Wenzel
Ex-PayPal
Jessica Pacheco
Spark Angels
Marc Chesley
Ex-Paradox AI
Anita Grantham
PHX FWD
Aman Verjee
GP, Practical Venture Capital
Anthony Ferrara
Founder, Oxy
Chad Houston
Cognite
Liana Habicht
Founder, Recalibrate AI
Cassidy Gonzalez
Founder, People People Party
Brixton Gardner
Founder, People People Party
Ashok Santhanam
MD, Copper Sky Capital
Phil Castro
Founder, Kamp
Clate Mask
Founder, PHX FWD
Kathy Orellana
SVP of Public Affairs, KRN
In Their Words
Stories From the Summit
Past voices, real journeys. Hear how connection, courage, and community at the Tech Talent Summit shaped what came next.
Partner With Us
Partner for the Next Summit
This summit has concluded. Partnership opportunities for the upcoming International Tech Talent Summit are open — explore how Freeway connects talent, capital, and community.
Talent
Be in the room where Arizona's next wave of builders, operators, and technical leaders are deciding where to work.
Capital
Stand at the center of deal flow and back the founders shaping the region's next breakout companies.
Community
Activate the power of community by uniting public and private leaders in coordinated support of Arizona's innovation economy.
Partnership Opportunities
Packages start at $1,500 and include:
- Brand exposure across print, digital, and web
- Speaking opportunities
- Structured relationship-building moments
- Newsletter inclusion (4,500+ subscribers | 60% open rate | 8% CTR)
This is a curated room. Limited partner slots available.
Our Partners
Powered by the Ecosystem
The summit is powered by organizations that believe in the future of Arizona tech. Here's who's making it happen.
Talent Partners
Capital Partners
Community Partners
Global Partners
