Celebrate entrepreneurship in the Philly region at PACT’s 2022 Capital Conference

Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) will hold the mid-Atlantic’s largest capital conference, the 2022 Capital Conference, on Nov. 16 and 17 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

For over 20 years, PACT has stimulated billions of dollars in venture funding and entrepreneurial success. Its 2022 Capital Conference, hosted by KPMG, is bringing investors and entrepreneurs efficiently together in one conference hall to showcase emerging companies, curate one-on-one meetings between entrepreneurs and investors in attendance to promote deal flow, and celebrate entrepreneurship in our region.

Plus, this celebration includes more than featured company presentations and trending topic panels: We start the celebration on Nov. 16 with PACT Fest, a giant party at the historic Reading Terminal Market with food from famous vendors and opportunities for networking.

Here’s what you can expect to see at the Capital Conference this year:

Expanding and supporting the entrepreneurship landscape

Throughout the day on Nov. 17, 45+ emerging tech, healthcare and growth stage companies will present their innovations live in front of investors, professional advisors and key decision makers at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Each of these companies will vie for one of three spots in the conference’s grand finale — the Lion’s Den — for the chance to receive funding in real time from a panel of accomplished investors.

Though there’s an element of competition throughout the day, the Capital Conference provides opportunities for networking, relationship building, brand exposure, and community support for mutual growth and collaboration.

A major part of PACT’s mission focuses on celebrating and supporting diverse founders in the entrepreneurial landscape. This year, 36% of the companies presenting at the Capital Conference are led by women while an additional 45% are led by BIPOC individuals. 10 of the 47 featured companies are led by BIPOC women.

LLUNA cofounder Jess Podgajny at PACT’s CapCon. (Photo by LeVar Ferrell)

Trending panels

In the afternoon, featured panels focusing on emerging topics in technology and healthcare, including the growing cannabis industry:

• Legal Cannabis Industry Outlook for the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region and Nationally Looking Toward 2023 and Beyond (sponsored by Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC)
• Reverse Pitches — Developing Solutions in Healthcare (sponsored by Independence Blue Cross)
• Turning a Crisis into Opportunity (technology panel sponsored by Morgan Lewis)

An out-of-this-world keynote from history-making NASA astronaut Captain Scott Kelly

(Image via Keppler Speakers)

Captain Scott Kelly, a retired US Navy captain and former NASA astronaut, holds the record for the single longest mission of an American astronaut in space. In addition to other achievements, Kelly has published a New York Times bestseller memoir “Endurance, A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery” (2016) and “Ready for Launch: An Astronaut’s Lessons for Success on Earth” (2022).

In his talk, Captain Kelly will share lessons from his yearlong mission to space, including the challenges he faced as well as the resilience, skill and ability to adapt necessary to overcome these challenges to achieve success and be ready for the next.

Entering the Lion’s Den

Three of our featured companies will enter the Lion’s Den for a chance to present before a panel of “lions,” aka accomplished investors ready to make investments in real-time.

“In the Lion’s Den, no one gets eaten alive — we work to provide avenues to promote deal flow and support investors and entrepreneurs,” said Dean Miller, PACT’s president and CEO. “In the Lion’s Den, we encourage collaboration among the Lions in making deals for presenting entrepreneurs.” Not only that, but sponsor businesses Cozen O’Connor and RSM will provide pro bono services to the lions to finalize investments.

Our 2022 Lion’s Den investor panel is comprised of legends in the field, including:

• David Adelman, CEO of Campus Apartments, cofounder and vice chairman of FS Investments
• Michael DiPiano, managing general partner and cofounder of NewSpring Capital
• Ira Lubert, cofounder of Independence Capital Partners, partner of LLR Partners
• John Martinson, chairman of Martinson Ventures
• Sylvester Mobley, managing partner of Plain Sight Capital
• Marc R. Lederman, general partner of NewSpring Capital (moderator)

Don’t miss out on this celebration of entrepreneurship

The events kick off on Nov. 16 with PACT Fest and will continue the next morning for featured company presentations, one-on-one business meetings, panels, and a keynote address from Captain Kelly.

For the latest information about speakers and the conference agenda, or to reserve your ticket for the 2022 Capital Conference, visit the event’s website: