DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week)

The last three days felt like entrepreneurship on caffeine. I built. I pitched. I learned. ✅ MVP done ✅ Website done DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) gave me something I couldn’t get in silence: real feedback. Turns out, Ravlo didn’t click the way I hoped. Turns out, Hoodly did. (Same idea, different name...) So now, I’m building Hoodly — a neighborhood intelligence platform that helps families and agents discover the right neighborhood fit. The MVP for end users is live. Check it out → https://hoodly.me/

Exciting morning at Amazon HQ2! We welcomed DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) to our HQ2 campus; a celebration of the founders, creators, and innovators shaping what’s next for the National Capital Region. This has always been a place where tech, policy, research, and entrepreneurship intersect. Since opening HQ2, we’ve welcomed 8,300+ employees and have partnered with hundreds of local small businesses and start-ups. From entrepreneurs launching new products in our store - and reaching millions of global customers in the process - to start-ups launching applications backed by world class AWS infrastructure, it's always Day 1 at Amazon. Grateful to our partners at Arlington Economic Development and DC Startup & Tech Week for bringing the region’s brightest minds and creative energy to HQ2.

I’m really looking forward to moderate “How Startups Can Partner with Government to Implement High Tech” at DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) tomorrow, Friday, October 24 at 9:40 AM, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. What makes this one special for me are the panelist, three people I deeply respect and have had the privilege to collaborate with: - chris tonjes, CIO at DC Department of Employment Services, transforming how the District uses data and AI to serve residents better. - Isaac Frumkin, CIO at Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation, leading one of the most forward-thinking government-led service programs in the country. - Clara Haskell Botstein, Chief of Staff to the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education, who’s been at the center of TalentCapital.ai Each of them has redefined what it means to bring innovation inside government. Proving that public systems can move fast, leverage AI responsibly, and partner with startups to create real impact. We’ll talk about what’s working, what’s changing, and how startups and government can collaborate to make technology a force for public good. Register for DC Startup & Tech Week: www.dcstw.com #DCSTW #AI #GovernmentTech #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Innovation #Startups #FutureOfWork #BuildWithin

“Don’t lose sight of the product. The minute you do, you'll lose your customers.” That line from Blake Hall, CEO of ID.me, shared at DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) Week that stuck with me. Be close to the product — no one knows the market fit, friction, or customer better than you. See it. Feel it. Build from it. And just like a restauranteur grounds every decision in the dining experience, great leaders ground their teams in the problem, not the process. Stay close to what matters most. That’s where trust — and growth — live. #ProductStrategy #Startups #CustomerFocus

If you need to find our Executive Director LaToya C. Staten (stay-ten) these days...it is not behind a desk! She's on a mission to spread the word about the great work our team has committed to and what our HUTCH companies are up to these days. LaToya will take the stage at #DCSTW25 with a stellar line-up of other rock stars in the #tech ecosystem to talk about Breaking Barriers: Navigating the Government Contracting Landscape & Scaling Through Incubators! In today’s federal contracting climate, emerging tech firms often struggle more from lack of structure, mentorship, and network than from lack of talent. This panel brings together the people building bridges into that space — through accelerators, consulting, and on-the-ground contracting experience. She will share how the Fearless Institute and our Hutch Studio companies are still scaling & making an impact! If you're registered, please stop by their panel tomorrow at 10:35am to listen & learn! Congrats to DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) on 10 years of Innovative Disruption! #FearlessInstitute #BeFearless #EcosystemBuilding #GovTech #TechIncubators #TechSpeaker

Tomorrow: I’m speaking on a panel titled, “Funding Meets Policy: Fueling the Next Generation of GovTech Ecosystems,” during DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week). Congrats to the organizers on a successful forum, particularly Seema Alexander, Nina Archie, Gilberto Nazario 👏🏾