Technical.ly Builders Conference 2025

The Technical.ly Builders Conference is an annual two-day conference focused on local ecosystem building and the storytelling that supports it.

Hosted by the country’s leading ecosystem storytelling news organization, Builders brings together entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders and those that support local entrepreneurial and tech-led economic and workforce development strategies.

Our tracks include Founder Fishbowls, in which early-stage entrepreneurs exchange best practices; lightning talks highlighting entrepreneurial ecosystems and workshops; and sessions on storytelling strategies that support entrepreneurship, workforce and other elements of local economic mobility, growth and opportunity.

Year-round, Technical.ly CEO and founder Chris Wink shares a weekly Builders newsletter and regular Linkedin Live series on these same topics. Entrepreneurship and technology-led economic development is changing, and the Technical.ly Builders Conference is a destination to understand and exchange how, with others who are doing the work.

Event Schedule – Day One- Ecosystem Storytelling

Science History Institute: 315 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

8:30 AM – Coffee & Breakfast

9:30 AM – Opening Session: The Science and Strategy of Storytelling - Chris Wink, Technical.ly

9:45 AM – Discussion: The State of Ecosystem Storytelling

• Chris Wink, Technical.ly
• Amit Singh, NearStar Fusion
• Vanessa Z Chan, University of Penn, Vice-Dean Innovation & Entrepreneurship

10:15 AM – BREAK

10:30 AM – MORNING SESSIONS

Ecosystem Building is a Job Now: Organizing, Connecting & Storytelling

• Michael Binko, Startup America
• Ashli Sims, Build in Tulsa
• Tammi Thomas, TEDCO

AI Tool Basics: Hands-on Workshop – Bring Your Laptop!

• Jason Perry, PerryLabs
• Chris Frew, BioBuzz

Remote vs. Hybrid for Startups: Recruiting & Ecosystem Engagement

• Raymond Magee, BloomCatch
• Jake Stein, CommonPaper
• Dan Winston, BalancedWork

11:30 AM – LATE MORNING SESSIONS

Ecosystem Storytelling is about People, not just Places

• Jon Birdsong, SoDo Atlanta
• Lakey Boyd, Greater Baltimore Committee
• Jason Bannon, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

The Other Approach to Government Efficiency

• Eliza Pollack Erickson, Director of Permit, License & Certification (PLC) Innovation, Office of Gov. Shapiro
• Max Gigle, Deputy Director of Digital Product, Connecticut Department of Administrative Services

Honing Your Pitch: For Sales, Investors & Employees

• Ben Bartolome, JPMC
• Barry Wright, Highwire Improv
• Naza Shelley, CARPEDM

12:00 PM – LUNCH BREAK

12:00pm - Ecosystem Storytelling Lunch Workshop

1:00 PM - AFTERNOON SESSIONS

Innovation is Everywhere: Storytelling Strategies for Emerging Markets

• Archna Sahay
• Tim VanReken, Headwater Tech Hub
• Lakey Boyd, Greater Baltimore Committee
• Kwame Awuah-Offei, Missouri S&T

AI Tools for Storytelling: For Places, Companies & Brands

• Alanah Davis, City of Baltimore
• Rohini Manyam Seshasayee, The Climate Reality Project
• Tim Kulp, Mind Over Machines

Early Stage Sales & Marketing: Finding Product-Market Fit

• Bartosz Lipiński, Cube Group Inc.
• Naza Shelley, CARPEDM
• Ben Christensen, Cambium

2:00 PM – MID-AFTERNOON SESSIONS

Ecosystem Storytelling: Establishing Standards for a Community of Practice

• Danya Henninger, Technically
• Anika Horn, Social Ventures
• Stef Monge, Silicon Prairie News

AI Tools for Entrepreneurs & Early-Stage Teams

• Stephen Babcock, Intake Media
• Dell Gines, IEDC
• Ashwin Jaiprakash, Eazy

Legal Trouble: Avoiding Common Startup Pitfalls

• Anthony Millin, NEXT by Shulman Rogers
• Matthew Hayes, Unmanned Propulsion Development

3:00 PM – LATE AFTERNOON SESSIONS

Digital Equity: How Storytelling Can Make Innovation More Accessible

• Christina Reed, The Pitch Place
• Naomi Winston, The Creative Representation Empire
• Micky Wolf, Dent Education

Workshop: How to Work with Independent Creators

• Calan Wilson
• TaTa Sherise
• Pop Pop Bruce Johnson (Alex Peay)

VC Roundtables: Telling Your Story to Investors

• Rob Brown, MVP Capital
• Ryan Bednar, Orange Collective
• Al Cornish, Gener8tor

4:00 PM – CLOSING SESSIONS

What Happens to DEI Strategies Now?

• Kyle Samuels, Creative Talent Endeavors

What Does Real-World AI Regulation Look Like?

• Gerald Kierce, Trustible AI
• PA State Rep Nelson J. Napoleon

M&A or IPO: What is Your Company’s Destination?

• Mike Ravenscroft, Maryland Momentum Fund
• Alexis Grant, They Got Acquired

4:30 - 7:00 PM – Outdoor Reception & Networking

Event Schedule – Day Two- Economic Mobility

Comcast Technology Center: 1800 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

8:30am: Coffee & Arrival

9:30am: Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:40am: Philly Tech Week Remarks

9:50am: How entrepreneurship, technology and innovation affect economic mobility

10:00am: Discussion: Case Studies on Entrepreneurship Access

10:30am: Break

10:45am: Discussion: Case Studies on Tech Workforce Access on Economic Mobility

11:30am: Special Guest and Discussion

For those traveling or looking to book overnight accommodations, we have reserved a block of rooms for a discounted rate at the posh Notary Hotel (21 N Juniper St.), which is in between our two venues, by Philadelphia City Hall.

You'll receive the booking link with your Conference Ticket confirmation email.