Welcome, rule-breakers and deal-makers.

RISE is a free conference for entrepreneurs of all types, providing a forum where you can connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.

RISE is not your ordinary conference. Because RISE is designed for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, the format is hands on, high energy and free flowing. RISE sessions are independently organized by hosts, each of whom chooses his/her own topic and session location. These peer-led forums are limited to 25 participants and take place all over Austin.

During RISE, you may find yourself headed to conference rooms, coffee shops, classrooms or cultural centers. You’ll connect with entrepreneurs from multiple industries and backgrounds, along with leaders from universities, non-profits, neighborhoods and government. It’s a fun and highly educational ride, much like entrepreneurship itself.

RISE History

RISE was launched in 2007 as a uniquely Austin counterpart to the Kauffman Foundation’s first “Entrepreneurship Week USA.” Conceived by Roy and Bertrand Sosa, co-founders of NetSpend and the MPOWER Group, RISE was intended to be for, by, and about entrepreneurs. With its unique, decentralized format, RISE enables entrepreneurs of all stages, ages, and interests to meet and share ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.

Since its inception, RISE has enjoyed rapid annual growth, fueled by the incredible energy of Austin’s entrepreneurs. In 2009, 1,600 entrepreneurs attended 122 RISE sessions. Venues ranged from Jo’s Coffee and FINO, to the boardrooms of Enspire Learning and GSD&M Idea City, to the classrooms of the Acton School and community spaces like Leadership Austin, Tech Ranch, the Mexican American Cultural Center and Austin’s greenest boardroom at the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

RISE serves as a proud symbol of our city’s collaborative culture and our national reputation for being the entrepreneur’s capital. RISE is a non-profit program of the MPOWER Foundation. It is free and open to the public and is made possible through the generous support of partners and sponsors.

Speakers and session topics have included:

Roy Spence, CEO of GSD&M Idea City
It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market
Passion & Purpose: The Power of Conscious Capitalism

Brett Hurt - Bazaarvoice
Establishing the Foundation of a Great Company Culture

Clayton Christopher, founder and CEO of Sweet Leaf Tea
Don't Rock the Boat: Push It, Pull It and Turn it Upside Down

Patsy Woods Martin, founder and Executive Director of I Live Here, I Give Here
Launching a Movement to Change a Culture

Philip Berber, founder of CyBerCorp and chairman of A Glimmer of Hope Foundation
From Entrepreneur to Social Entrepreneur

Elizabeth Avellan, co-owner and president of Troublemaker Studios
Local to Global: Modern Media & Filmmaking

Colin Pope, managing editor of Austin Business Journal
When and How to Address the Media

Kevin Brady, Bridgepoint Consulting, LLC
Improving Cash Flow

Ellen Wood, CEO of vcfo, Inc
There Is No Parachute: And Other Lessons Entrepreneurs Learn After Take-off

RISE is a program of the MPOWER Foundation