ORLANDO TECH SUMMIT & COMMUNITY AWARDS

Date: February 20, 2026 | 12 – 5:30PM

Location: Dr. Phillips Center | DeVos Family Room & Rooftop Terrace

12:00 – 2:00 PM | LUNCH, EXPO HALL & INNOVATION ROUNDTABLES | ROOFTOP TERRACE

Join founders, investors, corporates, universities, and community partners for lunch, sponsor exhibits, and curated topic tables focused on AI & immersive tech, gaming & simulation, health, fintech, smart cities, and talent. Attendees will also have access to investor and mentor office hours and lightning introductions from key ecosystem organizations.

2:00 – 2:05 PM | OPENING REMARKS | DEVOS FAMILY ROOM

Welcome from Innovate Orlando CEO, Sheena Fowler followed by remarks from City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to set the stage for an afternoon focused on Orlando’s innovation future.

2:05 – 2:25 PM | WHY ORLANDO, WHY NOW? STATE OF THE ECOSYSTEM & VISION 2045

A fast, data‑rich look at the Orlando Region’s tech economy, talent, and capital flows and how they connect to the vision of becoming a top‑10 global innovation hub featuring a panel including: Andrea Wesser-Brawner (FL High Tech Corridor), Mike Harding (UCF), and Danielle Permenter (Orlando Economic Partnership) moderated by Innovate Orlando CEO, Sheena Fowler.

The Innovate Orlando Spark Award celebrates emerging leaders who are new to Central Florida’s innovation scene but already making a meaningful impact: recent graduates, career changers, and new residents whose fresh perspectives, bold ideas, and collaborative spirit are quickly elevating others. Finalists will be recognized, and one Spark Award winner will be named as this year’s standout “new catalyst” in the region.

3:05 – 3:15 PM | ORLANDO TECH COMMUNITY AWARD | LEGACY LAUNCHPAD PRESENTED BY MASSEY SERVICES
The Launchpad Legacy Award honors non‑technologists who champion and enable our innovation ecosystem: investors, mentors, educators, policymakers, community leaders, and business professionals who share their expertise, networks, and resources so entrepreneurs can thrive. In this segment we recognize those essential ecosystem pillars and present the Launchpad Legacy Award to one leader whose collaborative work has transformed potential into measurable impact across Central Florida.

3:15 – 3:50 PM | STARTER STUDIO STARTUP SHOWCASE

Founders who have built and exited companies through the Orlando ecosystem share what worked, what was hard, and what they wish the region had in place for the next generation, offering practical lessons and honest reflection.

3:50 – 4:20 PM | CAPITAL MARKETS FOR ORLANDO: OUTSIDE MONEY, LOCAL IMPACT

A candid fireside chat featuring Ken Hall, Partner at DeepWork Capital (50+ portfolio companies backing Southeast startups from seed to growth), and Sal Rehmetullah, co-founder of Stax (Orlando's first tech unicorn at $1B+ valuation; $300M+ raised) and CEO/co-founder of Worth AI ($25M seed round in 2025 led by TTV Capital). Together, they will unpack why many of Orlando's biggest success stories think beyond our local ecosystem and are built with global ambitions and networks from day one. The conversation will explore how these dynamics influence scaling companies, making investment decisions, and what must change for Orlando to develop true long-term staying power, not just breakout wins.

4:20 – 4:50 PM | KEYNOTE: LOYAL PYCZYNSKI, HEAD OF METAVERSE EMERGING EXPERIENCES, META
The Simulation of Magic: My Journey Building Orlando's Most Iconic Tech

From the high-stakes world of military simulation to the creative halls of Walt Disney Imagineering, Loyal has spent his career at the intersection of reality and imagination—all starting right here in Orlando. In this intimate closing keynote and fireside chat, Loyal takes us behind the curtain of some of the city's most iconic technical achievements and shares how his local roots paved the way for leading teams to apply world-class engineering to the art of making magic.

4:50 – 5:20 PM | ORLANDO TECH COMMUNITY HALL OF FAME AWARDS PRESENTED BY EY

The Innovate Orlando Hall of Fame inducts three established technologists, engineers, inventors, artists, and innovation leaders with more than a decade of exceptional achievement who have helped transform Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem. Inductees are recognized for technical mastery, creative excellence, business impact, and their sustained commitment to mentoring, investing in, and advancing Orlando as a leading innovation hub.

5:20 – 5:30 PM | CLOSING COMMITMENTS + TRANSITION TO IMMERSE

A closing synthesis that pulls together the day’s debates, founder stories, and capital insights into three clear priorities for Orlando’s tech ecosystem, followed by an invitation for attendees to make concrete commitments toward the region’s innovation future. Attendees move directly into IMMERSE programming to continue the conversation with live experiences, art, and activations across downtown Orlando with a Joybreak hosted art crawl to continue the celebration.

*THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO*
Attire: Business casual 
Parking: Please refer to the venue's parking options. Parking is not included with the purchase of a ticket.