March 6 – 8, 2026

A 54-hour innovation experience empowering women founders to build, launch, and accelerate new ideas.

Rev1 Ventures · 330 Rush Alley, Suite 100, Columbus OH
Friday 5PM – Sunday 8PM

Supporting women founders.

Weekend Schedule

Three days. One mission. Build something real.

5:00 PM

Check-in + Networking + Dinner

Lobby

Grazing table with artisan cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, crackers, breads, and house-made accompaniments.

6:00 PM

Welcome + Weekend Overview

Main Room

Led by Nomiki + Sponsors

7:00 PM

Ice Breaker + Pitch Fire

Main Room

Got an idea? You've got 60 seconds to pitch it! Strict time limit.

7:45 PM

Voting + Team Formation

Main Room

Vote for the best ideas (3 votes each, can't vote for your own) and form cross-functional teams.

8:30 PM

Kickoff Workshop: How to Win the Weekend

Main Room

With Tushar Kulkarni — plus a demo of VibeMellow

9:00 PM

Team Meetups + Wind Down

Get to know your team, share ideas, and define priorities before heading out.

10:00 PM

Venue Closes

8:00 AM

Breakfast + Check-in

Common Area

Artisanal breakfast buffet: pastries, mini avocado toast, sausage & cheese stromboli, Greek yogurt cups. GF & DF options available.

9:30 AM

Workshop: Customer Discovery & Validation

Main Room

Led by Nomiki Petrolla

10:30 AM

Team Working Session

Breakout Rooms

Mentors available for guidance.

12:00 PM

Lunch

Common Area

Deli sandwich boxes: Italian ham, ciabatta turkey, croissant chicken salad, ciabatta caprese. Includes chips, hummus, and cut veggies. GF & vegan options.

1:00 PM

Workshop: Building Your MVP

Main Room

Led by Will Matz

2:00 PM

Team Working Session

Breakout Rooms

Mentors available. Heads down building time!

5:00 PM

Dinner

American Southwest: mesquite chicken breasts, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, dessert. Vegan, GF & DF options available.

6:00 PM

Workshop: Fundraising

Common Area

Led by Tim Grace

7:00 PM

Team Working Session

Breakout Rooms

10:00 PM

Venue Closes

8:00 AM

Breakfast + Check-in

Common Area

Fusion breakfast buffet: muffins, bagels, fresh fruit, savory & sweet breakfast board. GF options available.

9:30 AM

Final Working Session

Breakout Rooms

Last stretch! Polish your product and prepare your pitch.

12:00 PM

Lunch

Common Area

Individually packaged charcuterie snackleboxes with allergen-safe options. GF crackers, DF cheese options.

1:00 PM

Workshop: Pitching

Main Room

Led by Amy Nelson

2:00 PM

Pitch Practice

Main Room

5 minutes per team — refine your delivery!

5:00 PM

Dinner

Build-your-own bowl station: grilled chicken, beef, or vegan protein with rice, beans, fresh toppings, salsas, and guacamole. All GF, DF & vegan options available.

6:00 PM

Final Pitches!

Main Room

Teams present to judges. This is your moment!

6:30 PM

Judging Deliberation

Breakout Room

7:00 PM

Awards + Closing Ceremony

Main Room

1st place wins the opportunity to pitch at the Techstars SWW Global Pitch Competition on May 13, 2026!

7:30 PM

Networking + Wrap-up

Common Area

Celebrate what you've built!

Workshops & Speakers

Learn from experienced founders, investors, and builders.

Tushar Kulkarni

Friday 8:30 PM

How to Win the Weekend

Tushar Kulkarni

BigKitty Labs

Kickoff workshop with a live demo of VibeMellow. Learn what it takes to make the most of your 54 hours.

Nomiki Petrolla

Saturday 9:30 AM

Customer Discovery & Validation

Nomiki Petrolla

Theanna

How to get out of the building, talk to real customers, and validate that you're solving a real problem.

Will Matz

Saturday 1:00 PM

Building Your MVP

Will Matz

SuperFan

From idea to prototype — learn how to build a minimum viable product that demonstrates your vision.

Tim Grace

Saturday 6:00 PM

Fundraising

Tim Grace

Techstars

What investors look for, how to approach fundraising, and what makes a startup investable.

Amy Nelson

Sunday 1:00 PM

Pitching

Amy Nelson

The Riveter

Craft a compelling pitch that tells your story, communicates your value, and wins over judges.

Builder Toolkit & Perks

Your sponsors are hooking you up. Use these tools and discounts all weekend.

$99 credit

AI-powered platform for women founders to build, launch, and grow. Clear milestones, community, and progress tracking.

How to redeem: Register at theanna.io and apply code Techstars
Free build access

Full-stack AI development platform. Build web apps using natural language with real code.

  • Fri/Sat: Free account with standard access
  • Sunday: 24hr free build access to high-end AI models
  • $100 in Anthropic API credits
  • $250 in Stripe fee credits
$300 credit

Build web and mobile apps on Google Cloud Platform. Credits take 2-5 working days for approval.

How to redeem: Register at cloud.google.com/free

Use Google Trends + Market Finder to test demand for your product.

Zivo

Discounted course

AI Essentials — a 2-hour self-paced online course designed for non-technical backgrounds. Available until March 8.

How to redeem: Visit learnwithzivo.com, choose AI Essentials Course, use code TSWOMEN2026
30K points + $5K AWS

30,000 points after spending $1,000 on Brex card, $5,000 AWS Credits, $150K in SaaS discounts, and Empower essential for free.

How to redeem: Open an account at brex.com/solutions/startups
10% off + free HR

10% off the first 12 months on all Deel SaaS products. Deel HR (enterprise-grade HRIS) is free. Hiring, payroll, and compliance all-in-one.

Not technical? No problem.

Your vision matters more than your stack. These tools are here to serve you — not the other way around. If a tool is slowing you down, put it away. Your best tool this weekend is your team and your voice.

1
Learn

Get AI-ready with Zivo

→
2
Strategize

Plan your startup with Theanna

→
3
Build

Ship your MVP with Lovable

Need to Know

Everything you need to have a great weekend.

Venue

Rev1 Ventures
330 Rush Alley, Suite 100
Columbus, OH 43215

Launchpad Event Space + 7 breakout rooms for teams.

What to Bring

  • Laptop + charger
  • Notepad & pen
  • Comfortable clothing
  • Water bottle
  • Headphones (optional)
  • An open mindset!

Code of Conduct

This is a safe, respectful space. Treat everyone with kindness and act professionally. Report any concerns at saysomething.techstars.com

Judging Criteria

  1. Validation — Did you talk to customers? Are you solving a real problem?
  2. Execution & Design — Do you have an MVP or prototype? Is it usable?
  3. Business Model — How will this become a successful business? Is your idea unique?

Pitch FAQ

  • Can I pitch something I've started? No, but well-researched ideas are welcome.
  • Can I pitch two ideas? No, pick your favorite.
  • What if my idea isn't selected? Join another team — it's not about the idea!
  • Can I work on an unselected idea? Only if you have 3+ team members.

Team Formation Tips

  • Build diverse teams: technical, business, creative, domain expert
  • No one is CEO — everyone wears many hats
  • 65% of startup failures are due to team issues
  • Don't leave Friday without: a team, a workspace, defined roles

What Winners Receive

  • Annual membership to Theanna
  • An interview with Techstars Columbus
  • Chance to pitch at the Techstars SWW Global Pitch Competition — May 13, 2026 (Virtual)

1st place winners from 40+ cities worldwide submit their final pitch applications post-event. The top 10 are selected for the global stage.

Our Sponsors

Supporting women founders.

Venue Partner

Event Sponsors

Builder Sponsors

Global Sponsors