Mines | Entrepreneurship & Innovation Meetup

Please RSVP on our EventBrite page for this event!

Beck Venture Center Startup Forum: A Startup's Guide to AI
Ready or not, here AI comes! Join us at our first Startup Forum of 2026 to learn how you can futureproof yourself against a changing landscape as it moves from “tool” to “default operating system.” Learn from the Massive VC team — longtime founders, operators, and deep-tech investors — as they break down where AI is already reshaping industries, where the real commercial inflection points lie, and why the next decade will belong to companies that treat AI not as an add-on but as a foundational capability.

About Beck Venture Center's Startup Forum:
Startup Forum is a program series designed to empower entrepreneurs with essential knowledge and insights crucial for startup success. Each session within the series features a diverse lineup of industry experts and thought leaders who delve into a wide array of topics including accounting basics for Startups, discovering a winning B2B value proposition, venture capital insights, founder panels, and practical advice on capital fundraising. Beck Venture Center’s Startup Forum provides invaluable guidance and networking opportunities aimed at equipping founders and entrepreneurs with the tools and understanding needed to navigate the competitive startup landscape effectively.
The local startup community is the heartbeat of the Beck Venture Center, and we ensure plenty of time for networking at every startup forum event! Come network with us and enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks. We hope to see you there!

RSVP: https://oreconnect.mines.edu/Evolve/rsvp_boot?id=1598065

Description:
Hosted by the Evolve Entrepreneurship Club, this event brings together women and female-identifying individuals from across Denver’s community for an evening of connection, creativity, and celebration.

The night will feature three incredible guest speakers— a small-business founder, a career-driven leader, and a visionary entrepreneur— all sharing their journeys, lessons, and advice. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, network, and gain insight from women who’ve built meaningful careers and companies while overcoming the many hardships and challenges along the way. Between sessions, guests can enjoy light appetizers, explore local vendor showcases, and participate in a Murder Mystery networking activity. The evening will close with open networking, creating space for authentic connections and shared inspirations.

Whether you’re just interested in learning more or leading your fifth startup, join us for a night that celebrates the power of women supporting women in entrepreneurship!

Please RSVP on our EventBrite page for this event!

Beck Venture Center Startup Forum: Selling to the Government
While many founders focus on B2B or B2C as their primary markets, there’s another massive opportunity hiding in plain sight: the U.S. federal government. Join us at Startup Forum to hear from a panel of experts on the advantages of selling to the federal government — and how to break into this high-value market. Our moderator, David Leffler, will show you that the government is an entire – and valuable – market in and of itself. Join our panel of experts representing all sides of the national security market to hear from the perspectives of a startup founder, government contractor, and a federal acquisitions representative.
David Leffler’s background in the national security community is as vast as it is deep: he began his national security career in DC as a counterterrorism analyst for the Department of Homeland Security, earned a Master's degree in National Security Affairs, and has led a weapon of mass destruction response training program at the then-Department of Defense. He's currently a Marine Corps reservist; founded Passway Solutions to consult generalist investors about the national security sector; is a Defense Fellow at Marque Ventures; and volunteers as the Co-Lead of the Front Range chapter of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum (DEF).

About Beck Venture Center's Startup Forum:
Startup Forum is a program series designed to empower entrepreneurs with essential knowledge and insights crucial for startup success. Each session within the series features a diverse lineup of industry experts and thought leaders who delve into a wide array of topics including accounting basics for Startups, discovering a winning B2B value proposition, venture capital insights, founder panels, and practical advice on capital fundraising. Beck Venture Center’s Startup Forum provides invaluable guidance and networking opportunities aimed at equipping founders and entrepreneurs with the tools and understanding needed to navigate the competitive startup landscape effectively.
The local startup community is the heartbeat of the Beck Venture Center, and we ensure plenty of time for networking at every startup forum event! Come network with us and enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks. We hope to see you there!

Please RSVP on our EventBrite page for this event!

Beck Venture Center Startup Froum: Seth Levine, Partner @ Foundry VC
Join us for a conversation with longtime venture capitalist, Seth Levine, Partner at the marquee venture capital firm Foundry in Boulder, CO. Learn from Seth’s experience in the VC industry from co-founding Foundry in 2006 to today where the company has nearly $4 billion in assets under management. A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, Seth advises entrepreneurs and policymakers in the U.S. and globally — especially across markets in the Middle East and Africa — to help promote entrepreneurship and economic development.

About Beck Venture Center's Startup Forum:
Startup Forum is a program series designed to empower entrepreneurs with essential knowledge and insights crucial for startup success. Each session within the series features a diverse lineup of industry experts and thought leaders who delve into a wide array of topics including accounting basics for Startups, discovering a winning B2B value proposition, venture capital insights, founder panels, and practical advice on capital fundraising. Beck Venture Center’s Startup Forum provides invaluable guidance and networking opportunities aimed at equipping founders and entrepreneurs with the tools and understanding needed to navigate the competitive startup landscape effectively.
The local startup community is the heartbeat of the Beck Venture Center, and we ensure plenty of time for networking at every startup forum event! Come network with us and enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks. We hope to see you there!