Reno Startup Week returns for its fourth year, connecting local entrepreneurs

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Thousands of entrepreneurs, founders, and small-business owners are gathering across the Biggest Little City this week for the fourth annual Reno Startup Week.

Running now through Oct. 2, the free, week-long community event offers more than 80 sessions, networking events, and keynote presentations designed to help local startups scale and thrive.

Founded shortly after the pandemic, the event was created to reconnect local founders in person and support them with free business education and local resources.

“Most people don’t know this, but most jobs in our communities are actually provided by small businesses,” said Candi Block, director of entrepreneurial development at EDAWN (Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada). “The more small businesses we have, the more jobs there are, the more diversity we have in our economy.”

This year’s programming places a strong emphasis on practical artificial intelligence. Keynote speaker Dr. Chui Cepeda kicked off the week by teaching founders how to move beyond basic prompting into orchestrating AI agents, alongside hands-on workshops aimed at helping business owners navigate the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

“Sometimes it’s just overwhelming to know which tools to start with,” Block said. “When everything is at your fingertips, that can be a blessing and a curse. We want to help founders make sense of that noise, and also when not to use it — like when to maintain your brand voice.”

For local founders, the connections forged during the week have proven vital. Austin Boer, co-founder of “Sleke”, a company that builds distraction-free minimal phones using repurposed devices and custom operating software, attended the first Startup Week four years ago with little more than an idea.

“Reno is small enough to where I probably know 70 to 80% of the people in the ecosystem,” Boer said. “Those people will recommend you and bring you to the other 20 or 30% and connect you with who you really need. Having access and connections is crucial for being able to build a company.”

The week’s lineup includes daily morning sessions, evening networking mixers, and headline events:

The event is free and open to the public, with title sponsorship provided by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). You can still register on-site to be apart of the event. Morning coffee and networking run daily from 8 to 9 a.m., followed by sessions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-in registration is welcome, and a full schedule of events is available at renostartupweek.com.

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