Events

Hosted by CONNECTpreneur and Refraction, The Big Idea CONNECTpreneur Holiday and Pitch Extravaganza will be the best business networking event of the Season.

Come out and CELEBRATE innovation, get INSPIRED, and MAKE DEALS at this fun, high-energy evening of entrepreneurship and early stage investing!

Featuring incomparable CEO and Investor Networking, plus 10 promising early stage companies!

Full house of investors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, CXOs, and business leaders!

This will be our 50th consecutive SOLD OUT in-person event with over 11,000 attendees over the last 11 years.

Over 70% of previous attendees surveyed say that CONNECTpreneur is the “Number One” tech and investor event in the Mid-Atlantic region.

This UNIQUE EVENT is like NONE OTHER in our region, because of the high quality of our attendees, speakers and presenters. The networking is unprecedented!

Program Highlights:

– The region’s top business leaders, CEOs & Founders, private investors, angels & VCs

– ROCKET PITCH SHOWCASE of promising Emerging tech companies

– 20+ EXHIBITORS including leading VC firms and angel groups, as well as presenting companies and sponsors

– Heavy NETWORKING sessions

– Music provided by the Hally Shoenberg Trio, one of the nation’s top jazz ensembles

– Appetizers, beer and wine, and other refreshments

– After Party celebration with desserts and refreshments after the main event

CONNECTpreneur is a bi-monthly networking mashup, which has been attended by over 12,000 business leaders over the past 11 years.

All attendees MUST BE pre-registered due to venue capacity. Attendance is capped at 400 attendees. We expect another SOLD OUT crowd, so there will be NO on-site registration.

For more information on previous CONNECTpreneur events, presenters, speakers, etc. or to download program books from our previous events, please visit our website at connectpreneur.org.

Please “Like” us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Connectpreneur

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @connectpreneur

And visit our Website at connectpreneur.org

For info on SPONSORSHIP, please email us at sponsors@opus8.com

If you want to be considered as a PRESENTER/EXHIBITOR, please email srallison@opus8.com

DATE: Tuesday, December 13, 2022

AGENDA:

5:00 – 6:30 pm – REGISTRATION / NETWORKING – Valo Park Atrium

6:30 – 6:45 pm – WELCOME REMARKS – Valo Park Auditorium

TIEN WONG, Founder and Host, CONNECTpreneur

ESTHER LEE, CEO, REFRACTION

VICTOR HOSKINS, President and CEO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority

JULIE COONS, CEO, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce

JENNIFER TAYLOR, CEO, Northern Virginia Technology Council

6:45 – 7:45 pm – COMPANY SHOWCASE / ROCKET PITCH – Valo Park Auditorium

(Presenters will be announced on December 7)

Companies will be introduced by:

ANTHONY MILLIN, Founder and Chair, NEXT, Powered by Shulman Rogers; Venture Partner, Third Sphere

LING ZHANG, Managing Director, FORVIS

7:45 – 8:45 pm – EXPO AND NETWORKING – Valo Park Atrium

Wine & Cheese Reception in the Atrium featuring the music of the Halley Shoenberg Trio

8:45 – 1030pm – AFTER PARTY – Refraction, 8th Floor