Founders Playbook: Building, Tokenization & Regulation

If Hack Night is about writing code, Founder Playbook is about building the company around the code.
This panel-driven event brings together Detroit founders, builders, investors, and policy leaders to talk honestly about what it takes to launch and scale a startup in Michigan in 2026.
We focus on real founder decisions, practical tradeoffs, and Michigan-specific opportunities — not theory.
What We’ll Cover

• Turning an MVP into a product people actually use
• Finding and retaining early users
• Funding pathways: grants, pilots, angels, venture, Web3 programs
• Regulatory and compliance considerations for early-stage companies
• Hiring engineers and early operators in Michigan
• Using Detroit as a pilot market and launch city

Attendees will leave with a realistic, Detroit-centered playbook for taking the next step after “it works.”

Agenda
5:30 – 6:15 PM
Networking · Food & drinks · Meet founders, builders, and ecosystem partners
6:15 – 6:20 PM
Welcome + Detroit ecosystem updates
Why Build → Scale matters right now
6:20 – 7:20 PM
Founder Playbook Panel
MVP → traction → funding → regulation → hiring → scaling across Michigan
7:20 – 8:30 PM
Open networking + media capture
Founder interviews for the Michigan Innovation Map

Who Should Attend

• Startup founders (Web2, Web3, AI, fintech, emerging tech)
• Builders and early operators
• Investors, grant programs, accelerators
• Policy, compliance, and ecosystem leaders
• Anyone building a company in Michigan

Why This Event Matters
Detroit is not just a place to build — it’s a place to launch, test, and scale.
Founder Playbook creates a welcoming space for founders to connect, learn, and build relationships with the people and organizations that help startups grow.

Sponsors
This event is supported by partners committed to innovation, entrepreneurship, and Detroit’s startup ecosystem.
Sponsorship opportunities are available.