---
title: FLF Venture Summit 2026
image: https://info.floridafunders.com/hubfs/FLF%20Venture%20Summit%202026_Logo_White%20(1).png
---
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February 26, 2026 The Motor Enclave
.png?width=800&height=367&name=FLF%20Venture%20Summit%202026_Logo_White%20(1).png)
The Florida Funders Venture Summit is back in 2026 - bringing together top entrepreneurs, investors, and visionaries for a full day of bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and meaningful connections.
Among our selected participating network investors and portfolio founders, we'll be adding investors ready to support the next generation of game-changing tech founders in 2026.
[Next Section](https://info.floridafunders.com/flf-summit-2026#main)
View the Lineup
## Featured Speakers
.png?width=1429&height=2000&name=Braxton%20Berrios%20(3).png)
### Braxton Berrios
Professional Athlete & Investor
### Francis X. Suarez
43rd Mayor of the City of Miami
### Geoff Woo
Archive; Founder + Anti Fund; Managing Partner + KETONE-IQ; Founder
### Dave Spirk
Palantir; Senior Counselor
### Tony Thomas
Retired General
### Melissa Medina
eMerge Americas; Co-Founder & CEO
### David Politis
Not Another CEO; Co-Founder
### Peter Walker
Carta; Head of Insights
### Rohan Shah
Extend; Founder
### Drew Weatherford
Weatherford Capital; Founding Partner
### Tony DiBenedetto
Think Big for Kids; Founder
### James Burnes
Dragonfly Operating Partners; Managing Partner
february 26, 2026
# AGENDA
1. 11:30AM
### Doors Open, Investor Check-In + Networking
2. 12:15PM
### Welcome
3. 12:15PM 1:00PM
### Building a Tech Powerhouse: Lessons from Miami’s Transformation
Panelists: Mayor Francis Suarez, Mellisa Medina
How do cities actually become tech powerhouses? Mayor Francis Suarez and Mel Medina share the behind-the-scenes actions that helped Miami scale from an emerging market to a globally recognized tech ecosystem. This chat focuses on what worked, what didn’t, and what other cities, investors, and operators can apply to drive innovation, economic growth, and long-term value creation.
Lunch will be served.
4. 1:00PM 1:20PM
### Meaning of Network
Saxon Baum
Managing Partner, Florida Funders
5. 1:20PM 1:45PM
### The Venture Capital Market: A Data-Driven Update
Speaker: Peter Walker, Head of Insights, Carta
In a market crowded with headlines and opinions, data tells the real story. Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, delivers a clear, numbers-driven view of today’s venture capital landscape. Drawing on Carta’s unparalleled dataset, this session breaks down fundraising, valuations, deal activity, and exits—moving from national trends to a granular look at Florida and the Southeast. Investors will walk away with a grounded understanding of where the market stands, what’s changing, and what the data suggests comes next.
6. 1:45PM 2:30PM
### Built by Founders: How Operators Become Better Investors
Great investors often start as great builders. In this fireside chat, Geoffrey Woo and Rohan Shah, both Stanford-trained founders turned investors, discuss how operating companies has shaped their investing edge. From disciplined work ethic and pattern recognition to investing beyond Silicon Valley, they share how building and backing companies simultaneously has made them better at both. The conversation explores why founder-led investing travels well across geographies and how this approach aligns with finding and supporting high-conviction founders nationwide.
7. 2:30PM 2:35PM
### Presenting Sponsor
8. 2:35PM 3:10PM
### Investing in Sports: From the Field to the Front Office
Speakers: Braxton Berrios; Drew Weatherford
Athletes are no longer just endorsers—they are investors, owners, and capital allocators. This conversation explores Braxton Berrios’ investing journey as an active NFL player and the growing influence athletes have in shaping brands, teams, and businesses. Drew Weatherford adds perspective on professional team ownership, institutional capital, and how private investment is transforming the sports industry.
9. 3:10PM 3:30PM
### Networking Break
10. 3:30PM 3:35PM
### Presenting Sponsor
11. 3:35PM 4:35PM
### Modern Warfare in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Panelists: Dave Spirk; General (Ret.) Raymond A. “Tony” Thomas III
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping modern warfare and global security. Dave Spirk, former Chief Data Officer of the U.S. Department of Defense and Senior Counselor at Palantir, joins retired four-star General Tony Thomas, former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, to discuss how AI, data, and software are transforming the battlefield, defense strategy, and geopolitical power dynamics.
12. 4:35PM 6:30PM
### Closing, Happy Hour + Thrill Rides
## Attendance Interest
The Florida Funders Venture Summit is an invite-only gathering of selected investors and founders. In addition to our participating members, we are extending a limited number of invitations to investors actively seeking to support the next generation of game-changing technology founders in 2026.
Attendance is curated to ensure meaningful connections and aligned conversations. Space is limited. Please complete the form below to request consideration. We’ll inform you of your registration within a week of your interest form completion.
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
The largest Private Garage Community in the world
## The Motor Enclave
6500 Motor Enclave Way, Tampa, FL 33610
A few lucky event attendees will be able to get in the car with a professional driver and take some laps around the track!
The [Motor Enclave](https://themotorenclave.com/) is the premier developer of experiential motorsports venues in North America. The 200-acre development in Tampa, FL includes a 1.72 mile Hermann Tilke designed Driving Circuit, a 2-acre Vehicle Dynamics Pad, a 100-acre Off-Road experience with miles of purpose built trails, a 37,000 square foot corporate Event Center and the largest Private Garage Community in the World.
2025 FLF Venture Summit
## Highlight Reel
Hotel
## Accommodations
**[Marriott Water Street](https://book.passkey.com/gt/221004411?gtid=eb10b56413164bd879b3b938c4469bed)**
505 Water Street, Tampa, FL 33602
[**Courtyard Downtown Tampa**](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/tpadt-courtyard-tampa-downtown/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0)
102 East Cass Street, Tampa, FL 33602
[**Hard Rock**](https://casino.hardrock.com/tampa/hotel)
5223 Orient Road, Tampa, FL 33610
[**JW Marriott**](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/tpajd-jw-marriott-tampa-water-street/overview/)
510 Water Street, Tampa, FL 33602
[**Palihouse**](https://www.palisociety.com/hotels/tampa)
1509 W Swann Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
# SPONSORS
## PRESENTING
[](https://www.pwc.com/us/en.html)
[](https://bankwithstifel.com/venture-banking/)
## PLATINUM
[](https://dragonflyop.com/)
[](https://intechideas.com/)
[](http://spotondigitalmedia.com/)
## GOLD
[](https://goadventum.com/)
[](https://alpinesolves.com/)
[](https://www.altoira.com/)
[](https://archive.com/)
[](https://carta.com/)
[](https://www.cbh.com/)
[](https://www.delta.com/)
[.png?width=300&height=65&name=gunderson%20dettmer%20(1).png "gunderson dettmer")](https://www.gunder.com/en)
[](https://www.hwhlaw.com/)
[](https://www.midfloridaamp.com/)
[](https://peoanalysis.com/)
[.png?width=300&height=122&name=MA_FamilyCap_Logo_WHITE_T%20(003).png "Raymond James")](https://www.raymondjames.com/mafamilycapitalpartners)
## MEDIA
[](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpolitis/)
[.png?width=400&height=46&name=Florida%20Funders%20Logo%20White%20(2).png "Florida Funders Logo White (2)")](http://floridafunders.com)