Midwest House Austin 2026
📍 Austin, Texas • SXSW
Three days at the intersection of entrepreneurship, capital, and regional competitiveness. Join us for programming spanning innovation, investment, and the future of the Midwest economy.
Our Venues
Two Premier Austin Locations
Midwest House Austin takes place across two iconic Austin venues, each offering unique programming and networking opportunities.
Texas Bankers Building
203 W 10th St, Austin, TX 78701
Historic downtown venue featuring keynotes, panels, pitch competitions, and capital sessions. The centerpiece of our daytime programming with multiple session rooms and networking spaces.
Main Stage
Breakout Rooms
VIP Lounge
Networking Space
Inn Cahoots
217 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
Authentic Texas honky-tonk on East 6th Street. Our venue featuring live music, networking happy hours, multiple stages, and the official Midwest House celebrations.
Garden Stage
Roof Top
Austin Garden
Live Music
Programming
Three Days of Innovation
Click each day to explore the full schedule of sessions, panels, and networking events.
Day 1: IEDC Centennial & Funded House
Thursday, March 12, 2026+
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Startups are the Economic Development Strategy w/ the IEDC
Featuring Zach Barker, IEDC; Robert Pieroni, Gener8tor; Freddy Hutt, WSU Tech; Arlynn Dailey, MSU College of Human Medicine; Taylor Eubanks, Midwest House
Texas Bankers Building
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
IEDC Centennial Spotlight: The Next 100 Years of Economic Development
Featuring Dr Dell Gines, IEDC & Victor Hwang, Right to Start
Texas Bankers Building
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Funded House VC Reverse Pitch
Venture capitalists pitch their investment thesis and portfolio strategies to Midwest founders in this innovative reverse pitch format.
Texas Bankers Building
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Global Innovation Kick-Off Party
Launch celebration for the Global Innovation Embassy initiative with live music, networking, and welcome reception for all attendees.
Texas Bankers Building
Day 2: Midwest House at Inn Cahoots
Friday, March 13, 2026+
📍 Multiple stages today - check each event for location details:
Garden Stage
Roof Top
Austin Garden
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Cool Ass Midwest Food Fair w/ Here Here Market
Taste the best of Midwest cuisine with regional food vendors, local makers, and culinary innovations from across the heartland.
Austin Garden
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Midwest Creative Tech Meet-Up w/ 2112
Connect with designers, artists, musicians, and creative entrepreneurs from across the region. Casual networking and collaboration sessions.
Roof Top
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Midwest Indie Film
Featuring Jo Jensen, MovieGoer; Stephen McGee, Resurgo Detroit; Kate Milligan, 1 Girl Revolution
Roof Top
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
The Business of Belonging: From Pop-Up to Powerhouse
Featuring Disha Gulati, Here Here Market; Billy Zureikat, Tripping Billy Z's; Anthony Ivy, Uncle May's Produce; Palita Sriratana, Pink Salt
Garden Stage
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
The Informed Cart: How Data Is Changing Purchase Decisions At The Grocery Store
Featuring Rachel Stinebaugh, Supply Change Capital; Jaime Wells, Senior Group Product Manager for H-E-B Digital; Disha Gulati, Here Here Market
Garden Stage
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Yes, Chef: Building Community through Food
Chef Cliff Rome in conversation with Chef CJ Jacobson, moderated by Nirali Shah, Obama Foundation
Garden Stage
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Where We've Been & Where We're Going: AI, Music, & the Future
Featuring Helen Todd, Creativity Squared; Brendan Steinhauser, Alliance for Secure AI Action; Andrea (Dre) Wallace, Opnr; Geoff Cubbit, Strm Music
Roof Top
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Amplifying Our Community Impact
Featuring Ghian Foreman, Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative and Alice McLean, Obama Foundation
Garden Stage
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
The Power of Sports Leadership
Featuring Joe Kennedy, Obama Foundation & Stefen Welsh, Detroit Pistons
Garden Stage
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Hope has a Home: Spotlighting The Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side
Featuring Joshua Harris, Obama Foundation and Caroline Dettman, World Business Chicago
Garden Stage
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Good Chaos & Chicago: Where Vibrancy Is More Than A Vibe. It's A Growth Strategy.
Featuring Himal Agarwal, Good Chaos; Kenya Merritt, Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago; Caroline Dettman, World Business Chicago
Garden Stage
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
"Made for Y'all" Welcome Reception
Brought to you by World Business Chicago and the Obama Foundation
Austin Garden
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Heated Rivalry 313 Day Party - Detroit vs Chicago
Featuring DJ Heather (Chicago) & DJ Holographic (Detroit)
Inn Cahoots
Day 3: Future Midwest Day
Saturday, March 14, 2026+
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Sports Tech & Venture Brunch w/ Plain Sight
Intimate brunch discussion exploring the intersection of sports, technology, and venture capital with Plain Sight and industry leaders.
Garden Stage
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Home Field Advantage: Why Cities Invest in Sports Infrastructure
Joe Kennedy, Obama Foundation "Home Court" | Nate Engel, Chicago Fire FC | Cate McMahon, Chicago Stars | Moderated by Abin Kuriakose, World Business Chicago
Garden Stage
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
The World's Game: Community, Technology, and the Future of Soccer
Featuring Ariana Vargas, Populous & Diego Silva, former World Cup Winner & founder of Striver
Garden Stage
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Freshwater > Seawater: How the Midwest Is Winning the Blue Economy
Alaina Harkness, Current | Michelle Carr, Evergreen Climate Innovations | Samantha Schwartz, Gener8tor's CleanTech Accelerator | Moderated by Ella McCann, Executives Club of Chicago
Garden Stage
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Meeting in the Middle - The Importance of Coastal Connectivity
Ben Marchionna, Michigan Economic Development Corporation | Lindsay Greene, Brooklyn Navy Yard | Justin Kosmides, Bloom
Garden Stage
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
TechRise Chicago Emerging Tech Pitch Competition
Final pitch competition featuring Chicago's most promising emerging technology startups. Live judging, audience voting, and prizes.
Garden Stage
Featured Speakers
Speaker Announcements Coming Soon
We're finalizing our incredible lineup of founders, funders, policymakers, and ecosystem builders from across the region and beyond. Check back soon for speaker announcements!
Our Partners
Thank You to Our Sponsors
These organizations make Midwest House Austin possible. Click each tier to view sponsors.
Anchor Partners
+
World Business Chicago
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Lightship Foundation
Grand Rapids Smart Zone
Network Partners
+
International Economic Development Council
Obama Foundation
Community Partners
+
Spin Travel
Midwest Versus The Rest
HereHere Market
Ecomap
Song United
Start Garden
Funded House
Opnr
Program Partners
+
Alliance for Secure AI
The Academy
TechRise by P33
Join Us in Austin
Three days of programming, networking, and celebration. Register now to secure your spot at Midwest House Austin 2026.