Detroit To Host Sports, Tech And Venture Summit During NFL Draft Week

As visitors from around the country flock to Detroit at the end of April for the 2024 Draft, the city is taking the opportunity to show off its prowess in another category: tech. 

Plain Sight and The Players Company are teaming up with Michigan-based business leaders to host the first-ever Sports, Tech, and Venture Summit during this year’s Draft in Detroit. The majority of the public programming will take place Thursday, April 25th at TechTown on Cass Avenue.

Photo courtesy of TechTown

"TechTown is excited and proud to participate in and host the Sports, Tech and Venture Series during NFL Draft Week. This series demonstrates the shared vision and dedication we have as an ecosystem to uplifting Detroit as a tech hub," said Christianne Malone, TechTown Detroit Chief Program Officer and Wayne State University Assistant Vice President of Economic Development. "As Wayne State's entrepreneurship hub, we are incredibly proud to welcome attendees to our innovation district for events that highlight Detroit's tech and investor collective, all while showing how deep our entrepreneurial spirit is."

The Sports, Tech, and Venture Summit will occur over the course of four days (Tuesday, April 23rd through Friday, April 26th) and will bring together investors, athletes, entrepreneurial support, organizations, and brands from all over the country. The programming will include a mix of panels, local startup pitches, and evening parties. 

“As a former athlete and now founder of a tech company, putting on this series is a dream come true,” said James Chapman, CEO, Plain Sight, an event-tech company based in Detroit. “Being able to do it in the city where our startup was founded makes the opportunity even sweeter and we can’t wait for Detroit to see it.”

The Players Company is a collective of over 500 professional athletes and accredited investors dedicated to empowering individuals through financial education and exclusive investment opportunities. Co-founded by NFL athletes athletes Richard Sherman and Sheldon Day, The Players Company is committed to empowering communities to build wealth and establish lasting legacies, an impact they wanted to help make in Detroit. 

Image source: Sports, Tech, and Venture Summit

Many of the top innovative leaders in business and tech are partnering on the event to showcase the city's dynamic tech scene and continue its forward momentum. Partners include TechTown Detroit, Detroit Venture Partners, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Founders Fund, Invest Detroit, Milestone Growth Capital Institute, Union Heritage, Song Foundation, Femology, Venture Catalysts, Bamboo Detroit and Techstars.

“Milestone Growth Capital Institute is thrilled to participate in the Sports, Tech, and Venture Summit, a pivotal event spotlighting Michigan and Detroit’s dynamic tech ecosystem,” said Founder Dawn Batts. “Together with the Summit’s strategic partners, we’re empowering local founders, attracting new investments, and uniting our collective pursuit of innovation and economic growth.”

As part of the event, Michigan Founders Fund is hosting a pitch competition. Michigan-based founders will have the chance to pitch to a panel of investors for a chance to win $10,000 in non-dilutive funding to advance their business. Companies that are interested in participating can learn more and apply to the Michigan Founders Fund pitch competition here. Applications close April 12th.

Other event highlights include the Motor City Tech Summit, an Angel Investor Accelerator, The State of Female Entrepreneurs, a Happy Hour and more. To see the full list of events and to register, visit sportstechandventure.com.