Calling all innovators, entrepreneurs, and business scalers big and small—one of the biggest events of the year in the local ecosystem is almost here.

The DEC Network’s flagship event—Dallas Startup Week, powered by Capital One—kicks off next month, beginning August 7 and running through August 11, both virtually and in person at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.

Lisa Tran

“We believe the intersection of business, education, and the startup community in Dallas is integral in bringing together innovative leaders from various sectors, thus enabling a powerful partnership to support the growth and success of the startup community,” said Lisa Tran, SMU Cox Managing Director of Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, in a statement.

5 Days, 100+ Events, 200+ Speakers

Billed as “5 Days, 100+ Events, 200+ Speakers,” this marks the eighth year for Dallas Startup Week, North Texas’ largest event focused on driving entrepreneurial success, economic impact, and innovation.

This year’s DEC Network-hosted festivities include three summits, each targeted at specific groups. In anticipation, The DEC has unveiled its lineup for one of those three: the Women of Innovation Summit.

Women of Innovation summit

The theme? Renew, Rethink, Renegotiate and Reinvent.

2022 Dallas Startup Week
Women of Innovation Summit
August 10
Register now

Slated for August 10 at SMU, the Women of Innovation summit, presented by Strategic Innovation and powered by Toyota Financial Services, will be a day-long slate of seminars and speakers. The summit will recognize, encourage, and advance women leaders who have the courage and passion to transform their ideas and ambitions into reality.

Featuring a dynamic group of leading visionaries, Women of Innovation will celebrate, inspire, and connect change-makers across markets and industries to provide all women in business with greater insights and knowledge into the trends and possibilities of the future.

Here’s a look at the Women of Innovation schedule and speaker list: 

9:00 a.m. HER Texas Networking + Coffee

Tiffany Pham

10:00 a.m. Women of Innovation opening keynote
Tiffany Pham, founder, mogul

Nia-Tayler Clark

11:00 a.m. Rethink: Lightning Talk
Don’t Let Your Past Punk You
Nia-Tayler Clark, Founder + CEO

11:30 a.m. WEDallas Mini Masterclass
with Andrella Thomas

Sarah Allen-Preston

12:30 p.m. Renegotiate: Lightning Talk
Sarah Allen-Preston, founder, afloat

Tashara Parker

1:00 p.m. Reinvent: Lightning Talk
Emmy award-winning journalist Tashara Parker talks about speaking up and being loud about your ambitions, goals, and expectations. Parker share how to tell your story and create content that will engage, inspire and spark a movement.

From left: Jasmin Brand, Bessy Martinez, Christina Olivarez, Heather Gregory, and Lagina R. Harris

1:30 p.m. How to Build a [email protected]$$ Community
Building Community, Sharing Space, Sisterhood in 2022
Panel: Austin Latinas Unidas’ Bessy Martinez, Hustle + Socialize’s Christina Olivarez, Stoke’s Heather Gregory, and The US Space’s Lagina R. Harris
Moderator: Jasmin Brand, director of innovation at Frisco Economic Development Corporation and founder of Her Texas

2:30 p.m. In-person podcast: The Plug Effect LIVE

Anne Chow

3:00 p.m. Women of Innovation closing keynote
Anne Chow, CEO, AT&T Business 

Countdown to Dallas Startup Week

The DEC will unveil the lineups of its Disrupt and Corporate Startup Innovation summits later in the month, as well as highlights of this year’s tracks. 

Disrupt Dallas: Through speakers, discussions, networking, expert education, and programming, this will celebrate entrepreneurs of color and help them support and grow their businesses. It will take place in person at SMU.

Corporate Startup Innovation: Leveraging and uniting the breadth and diversity of DFW’s corporations and dynamic startup ecosystem, this will feature DFW’s best and brightest innovators. They’ll share how their companies are shaping the future, resulting in new ideas, business models, investment trends, connections, and opportunities.

For more information or to register, go here,

Leslie Barker contributed to this report.

Dallas Innovates is a media sponsor of Dallas Startup Week and a DEC Network partner organization.

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R E A D   N E X T

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