Venture Pfest returns to Pflugerville with free resources

Every entrepreneur’s journey starts in a different place.

One person may be sketching out a business idea for the first time. Another may be preparing to launch a startup, or a founder may be looking for new ways to grow their company.

For one week this fall, those journeys will intersect in Pflugerville.

Returning Sept. 26 through Oct. 1, Venture Pfest 2026 will bring together local and regional entrepreneurs at every stage of business development for a free series of workshops, discussions, networking events and interactive learning experiences. 

Hosted by the Pflugerville Community Development Corp., the event will help entrepreneurs gain the tools and confidence needed to take their next steps.

What is Venture Pfest?

Venture Pfest’s growth mirrors the entrepreneurial journeys it celebrates. The event started as a local coffee meetup in 2023, where about 60 entrepreneurs and startup founders gathered to network and share ideas.

From there, organizers quickly realized the community wanted something more: practical guidance they could apply to their businesses, such as building websites, improving marketing efforts, and overcoming obstacles that often prevent a business from reaching its next stage of growth.

That feedback helped transform Venture Pfest into the immersive experience it is now. Venture Pfest 2025 expanded into five days of programming and attracted roughly 400 attendees.

Adam Maxon, marketing manager for the PCDC, said the response was so strong that attendees were calling their friends and colleagues, encouraging them to attend the event and take advantage.

“We’re offering all of these resources for free,” Maxon said. “We’re offering all these classes and all these discussions for free. Last year, people told us, ‘I’m actually learning something. I am getting a lot that I can take back and help my business grow.'”

What resources will be available at Venture Pfest 2026?

This year, the PCDC is expecting the festival turnout to surpass last year’s. The schedule curates 60 speakers in 39 sessions over five days, including keynote presentations, fireside chats, a Women’s Summit, hands-on training sessions, networking and more.

Maxon said the weeklong event is focused on execution rather than inspiration alone.

“We’re not just going to be talking at them,” Maxon said. “We’re going to be giving them useful information on their businesses.”

That philosophy begins with the first two days of Venture Pfest 2026, which are focused on turning business ideas into momentum. Experts in areas such as website building, marketing, artificial intelligence, online storefronts, LinkedIn advertising, business finance and more will be there to answer questions in classroom-style sessions designed to help entrepreneurs overcome specific obstacles.

The festival was designed with real feedback from local business owners, Maxon said.

“We asked attendees, ‘How can we help you grow to the next stage? What are the blockers? What are the concerns? What do you need help with?'” Maxon said.

The festival’s “Business in Action” programming shifts the focus toward real-world strategies and practical decision-making, and at the Women’s Summit, entrepreneurs will have the chance to connect with fellow female business owners, mentors and industry leaders who understand both the challenges and rewards of building a business.

What is the Venture Pfest Pitch Competition?

The week concludes with one of Venture Pfest’s most anticipated events: the Founders Showcase Pitch Competition. During the competition, up to 10 entrepreneurs will take the stage to present their businesses, ideas or growth strategies before a panel of judges and the Venture Pfest audience. 

Each participant will have five minutes to make their case, followed by questions from the judging panel. Audience members will also have the opportunity to meet participating founders and vote for a People’s Choice Award winner.

To inspire this year’s festival audience, last year’s pitch competition winner Joseph Fischer,  co-founder and CEO of Playmaker, will return to kick off the showcase by sharing how his business has grown since winning the competition.

Who are the speakers at Venture Pfest?

The festival’s well-rounded lineup of speakers offers different perspectives so attendees can find relevant advice, wherever they are in their own business journey.

“We wanted to bring in people who are at every stage to help talk about how they overcame challenges and went to the next stage,” Maxon said. “We wanted to bring CEOs. We wanted to bring startups. We wanted to bring everybody to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’ve been there. I’m there, and these are the things I’m doing, and these are the things that have been working.’”

Venture Pfest’s featured keynote speakers are: 

• Kathy Terry, co-founder of P. Terry’s Burger Stand and philanthropist who has launched additional ventures focused on community impact and charitable giving, will speak on Day 3, the Women’s Summit.

• Susan Davenport, president and CEO of Opportunity Austin, whose work focuses on business growth, regional competitiveness and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and companies throughout the Austin area, will deliver opening remarks for Day 3, the Women’s Summit.

• Janice Omadeke, a serial entrepreneur and the first Black woman in the U.S. to raise a million dollars in seed funding for her tech startup, The Mentor Method, will speak on Day 4.

• Marc Nathan, founder of T-Squared Agency and a longtime connector within Texas’ startup ecosystem, will speak on Day 5.

What networking opportunities does Venture Pfest offer?

Just as valuable as the information found at Venture Pfest are the connections attendees make with one another.

They will have opportunities to connect with entrepreneurs, industry experts, mentors, investors and community leaders. Those conversations often become just as valuable as the scheduled programming, helping attendees build relationships that continue long after the festival ends. 

The PCDC stays connected with participants, following up to continue supporting those local business owners. According to Maxon, several participants from last year’s event reported significant business growth after forming relationships through Venture Pfest.

Some attendees told organizers they had doubled their revenue through connections made at the event, while another business owner reported being booked out for two years.

“Not just the networking, they learned to work together to use each other’s resources to trade, to help promote their business and to help build their business,” Maxon said. 

Turn ideas into action

More than a conference, Venture Pfest helps the local community thrive by offering something valuable: practical advice from people who have done it before.

Attendees can leave each day with actionable strategies and a stronger support network to help them succeed long after the event concludes.

See the full Venture Pfest 2026 schedule and register for events at www.pflugervilleventurefest.com.

Find resources and learn more about the Pflugerville Community Development Corp. at www.pfdevelopment.com. 

A quick recap FAQ