Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) is a curated, 60-minute, in-person session hosted at Venture Café Phoenix, designed to connect cross-border founder ecosystems with the U.S. innovation community.

Each gathering features two focused ecosystem showcases, followed by moderated conversation and a structured connection moment. The emphasis is not pitches or long decks, but real stories from founders, platform leaders, and ecosystem builders who are actively operating, scaling, or deploying technology in market.

GIG is built around live, in-room engagement. Sessions are not livestreamed. The value comes from direct interaction with the Phoenix audience and intentional follow-up after the event.

This session is designed for

• Founders and ecosystem leaders with live products, platforms, or services

• Teams working across AI/data, smart cities and infrastructure, sustainability/cleantech, health/bio, cybersecurity, and practical B2B SaaS

• Platform or service providers that directly support founder ecosystems, market entry, or real-world deployments

Format (60 minutes | First Thursdays, 6:00–7:00 PM AZ time)

• Welcome + expectations (5 min)

  Context-setting, how the session works, and how connections will be handled

• Showcase 1

  10-minute spotlight + 10-minute moderated conversation and Q&A

• Showcase 2

  10-minute spotlight + 10-minute moderated conversation and Q&A

• Let’s Connect (10 min)

  Guided bridge moment with the room, focused on cross-border alignment and next steps

• Close + next steps (5 min)

  Connection pathways and follow-up process

Presenter guidelines

• Slides welcome: 5–10 slides maximum

• No long decks or sales pitches

• Focus on what you’re building, who it’s for, and where cross-border collaboration matters

• No contact information on slides

  Follow-ups are handled through a curated process after the session

Connections and follow-up

Presenters will be provided with a QR code linked to the GIC Connect survey, which attendees can optionally complete during or after the session. This captures:

• Areas of focus and ecosystem interest

• What attendees are looking for (partnerships, pilots, market entry, funding, fractional expertise, etc.)

This allows for intentional, high-signal introductions rather than open inbound.

Sessions are recorded. Presenters will receive a video copy for their own branding, sharing, and ecosystem storytelling. While audience size varies, participation consistently provides visibility on a U.S. innovation platform and often leads to meaningful follow-up conversations over time.

Speakers participate by invitation or referral. If you’ve been invited, please complete the Speaker Participation Form so we can confirm availability and coordinate your session.

Be sure to include who invited you. We’ll follow up directly with next steps.

The Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) is powered by AZ Collab and hosted at Venture Café Phoenix, aligning with Venture Café’s global mission to connect innovators across borders.
Each session brings together international partners, civic leaders, and ecosystem builders to explore what purposeful, cross-border collaboration can look like in practice.