Propose a Session for the 2026 ACA Summit
Deadline: Friday, October 3 - 5:00 pm CT
ACA is asking members, partners, and past attendees to suggest breakout sessions for the event. This is your opportunity to not only propose topics, but also to recommend speakers and how the topics will be presented. We’re seeking your best education session ideas that are designed for angel investors, with varying levels of investment experiences and in a variety of sectors.
ACA 2026 Summit Basics:
- Date and Location: April 21-23, 2026: Westminster, CO (and ACA Angel University - April 21)
- Attendees: 600 people, focused on new and experienced investors, the event also welcomes ecosystem builders who create and support innovation ecosystems
- Event Purpose: Gold standard professional development for investors and the supporting ecosystem to build their expertise and support of promising entrepreneurs – from deal selection through exit and to learn about trends and new ideas in early-stage investing. The ACA Summit is also an environment to network with investors to build relationships for future sharing of ideas and collaborative investment opportunities.
- Concurrent Tracks: We’ll have several concurrent tracks, each with multiple sessions. Some tracks will last for only a portion of the event. Your submissions will assist in deciding the event and track themes as well as sessions.
Registration and Travel Info
ACA members selected to lead sessions are able to register for the ACA Summit at the reduced speaker registration rate and are responsible for all related travel costs. Speakers in selected sessions may also receive a discounted registration rate at the discretion of the ACA Summit Programming Committee, with the ability to bring in some outside experts with complimentary registration, both at ACA’s discretion.
Selection Process
Please submit your proposal by October 3, 2025 – 5:00 pm Central. You will be notified by November 28, 2025 on the initial status of your submission / idea.
The ACA Summit committee will select final topics / speakers submitted and may combine with other submissions to complete the final program for April 2026. We anticipate a highly competitive group of submissions to review and choose from among the many excellent submissions we receive. If you should happen to be a presenter in more than one session that is chosen, it is highly likely that you’ll be asked to only participate in one of those sessions in order to maximize the number of speaking opportunities for others.
Make your proposal stand out. The committee will put a preference on quality, innovative ideas that support the ACA investor community and early-stage ecosystem needs, and session structures that go beyond “panels”. ACA Summit attendees have spoken and they like to see sessions that have a variety of structures – debates, audience-wide discussions led by a moderator, etc. – and which include lots of interaction with the audience. No 'solo lectures' will be approved for breakouts unless specifically requested by the ACA Summit Programming Committee.
Session Leader Expectations
Upon acceptance, the planning committee may modify the session to fit our overall attendee interests and needs, include a variety of voices and points of view, as well as marketing style and format guidelines. The event planning team also reserves the right to approve speakers and bring additional or supplemental experts for selected sessions. If your proposal is accepted, you are expected to meet all posted dates and deadlines. We reserve the right to make adjustments to any session that does not meet deadlines. There are two other important concepts to keep in mind:
- Inclusion and Diversity – If the session includes multiple speakers, speakers should represent diversity of thought and opinion, gender, race, geography, and type of ACA community member.
- No Promotion Rule – ACA Summit sessions should be educational and provide opportunities for thought leadership. Any content that appears to be promotional of a particular organization or person will not be selected or augmented to include multiple perspectives. The Summit planning committee will put a premium on quality control, ensuring the goal of top level educational content is met.
Questions: If you have questions please contact Sarah Dickey.