🎄🚀 New Year's Startup Resolutions: Lightning Pitches & 2026 Goals | Toast to Your 2026 Vision - Before the Ball Drops! 🥂✨
🎄🚀 New Year's Startup Resolutions: Lightning Pitches & 2026 Goals
Toast to Your 2026 Vision - Before the Ball Drops! 🥂✨
Join us December 18th for a high-energy evening where founders share their boldest 2026 visions, investors scout fresh opportunities, and the startup community sets the bar for next year. This isn't your typical pitch event—it's a celebration of ambition, innovation, and the goals that will define 2026.
Share your 3-minute lightning pitch, declare your New Year's resolutions to the community, and connect over seasonal cocktails as we count down to the most important year in cybersecurity history. 🎊
No lengthy panels. No drawn-out workshops. Just rapid-fire pitches, authentic founder moments, and the connections that launch companies into their breakthrough year. 🎁
🎉 Event Format
🚀 3-Minute Lightning Pitches - Fast, focused, and founder-led. Share your solution, traction, and why 2026 is YOUR year
🎯 2026 New Year's Resolution Round - Every founder declares their #1 goal for 2026 (first customer, raise round, hit ARR milestone, product launch, etc.)
💬 Rapid-Fire Feedback - Investors and tech-founders give quick hot takes on each pitch
🥂 Holiday Networking & Goal-Setting Mixer - Connect with the people who can help you hit your 2026 targets
🎁 Seasonal vibes and celebration energy
🎅 Hosts and Sponsors
Gopher MCP - Alan V. Gutnov
On-demand MCP server and gateway with enterprise security and visibility, powered by Gopher quantum networking. Zero Trust Architecture, post-quantum cryptography, and MCP-Powered AI-native security & controls. Book a demo call 📞
AI Collective - Mary Grygleski
AI Collective brings together AI innovators, developers, and thought leaders building the next generation of intelligent systems. Fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the AI ecosystem.
Orcho - Daksh Guard
Before any AI agent executes a task, Orcho provides the probability of failure and the consequence of failure - enabling companies to confidently automate low-risk work while flagging high-risk decisions for human review. Learn More
Kershner Sledziewski Law, LLC - John Dungan
KS Law Chicago prosecutes and defends commercial disputes, partner fallouts, and unpaid business debt with client-focused, efficient strategies tailored to protect your bottom line. Discover how we can help you here.
📅 Agenda - December 18th, 2025
5:30 – 6:00 PM | 🍷🎄 Holiday Check-In - Grab food & drinks, and mingle
6:00 – 6:10 PM | 🎬 Kickoff - "Why 2026 is THE Year for Security Innovation"
6:10 – 7:30 PM | 🚀⚡ LIGHTNING PITCH ROUNDS
10 startups × 3 minutes each
Founder shares: The problem, solution, traction, and ask
Immediately followed by their 2026 New Year's Resolution
60-second investor hot take after each pitch
7:30 – 8:30 PM | 🥂🤝 New Year's Resolution Mixer
Networking with founders, investors, and security leaders
"Resolution matchmaking" - Find partners who can help you hit your goals
Holiday treats, cocktails, and year-end celebration vibes
Leave ready to crush 2026!
👥 Who Should Attend
🚀 Founders - Share your vision, get feedback, make the connections that launch your 2026
💰 Investors - Scout deals, meet ambitious founders, close out 2025 strong
🔐 Security Leaders - Discover solutions, advise founders, expand your network
🤝 Industry Professionals - Anyone passionate about building the future of security
🎤 Lightning Pitch Application
Make your 2026 resolution public - pitch your startup! 💡
We're selecting 10 startups to pitch. Open to all AI/Security/DeepTech founders:
💻 Any innovative tech solving real problems!
📈 Pre-seed to Series A stage (all stages welcome!)
🎯 Founders with clear, ambitious 2026 goals
What You'll Pitch:
Your solution (90 seconds)
Your traction (60 seconds)
Your ask (30 seconds)
Your #1 New Year's Resolution for 2026 (make it bold!)
⏰ Application closes December 14th, 2025. Limited to 10 spots! Let us know in the Registration Form if you want to apply to Pitch.
Stay connected: 🌐
🔗 Luma: https://luma.com/gophers
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gophersecurity
💬 WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Iyu5qOc7m1pLIjoge1pZJO
~Building the secure foundation for tomorrow's computing 🛡️⚛️🚀