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2026-11-18 · 19:00:00 · Chicago
Joy District
112 W Hubbard St, 60654
Hosted by Ascent Valley at Joy District, this Chicago pitch night connects startup founders with investors, operators, and potential hires across all industry sectors.
Connect with Chicago’s startup community at an in-person networking event for founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and technology professionals. Hosted by Ascent Valley, this event brings together people building, funding, hiring for, and growing startups. Features include interactive networking, startup and investor connections, talent and hiring connections, and startup pitch opportunities.
Founder brief
Who should attend
Founders seeking investment, hiring talent, or wanting stage time to pitch will benefit most from attending. The sector-agnostic environment also suits early-stage entrepreneurs looking to establish local contacts and technology professionals exploring roles at growing companies.
What happens
Check-in begins at 6:45 PM, leading directly into an hour-long interactive networking session at 7:20 PM. After a brief twenty-minute break for informal chats, selected founders take the floor for a pitch competition from 8:50 PM to 9:30 PM, followed by open networking until 10:00 PM.
Who's in the room
Attendees comprise local entrepreneurs, angel and venture investors, and technology professionals interested in building or joining early-stage companies. Representatives from host community Ascent Valley will be present to help facilitate connections across Chicago's broader tech ecosystem.
How to prepare
Bring a clear, concise verbal summary of your startup that explains your core problem and target market within sixty seconds. Founders planning to pitch should rehearse their traction points thoroughly and prepare concrete asks for both investors and prospective hires.
Organizer: Ascent Valley
At a glance
- Tickets
- $13.39 - $52.24
- Sectors
- Agnostic
Agenda
- 6:45 PM – 7:20 PM · Check-in and arrival
- 7:20 PM – 8:20 PM · Interactive networking session
- 8:20 PM – 8:40 PM · Break and informal conversations
- 8:50 PM – 9:30 PM · Startup pitch session
- 9:30 PM – 10:00 PM · Open networking
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