AWS re:Invent is just over one week away—as I prepare to head to Vegas, I’m pumped up about the chance to interact with AWS-powered startups from around the world. One of my favorite parts of the week is being able to host three startup-focused sessions Thursday afternoon:

The Startup Scene in 2016: a Visionary Panel [Thursday, 2:45PM]
In this session, I’ll moderate a diverse panel of technology experts who’ll discuss emerging trends all startups should be aware of, including how local governments, microeconomic trends, evolving accelerator programs, and the AWS cloud are influencing the global startup scene. This panel will include:

• Tracy DiNunzio, Founder & CEO, Tradesy
• Michael DeAngelo, Deputy CIO, State of Washington
• Ben Whaley, Founder & Principal Consultant, WhaleTech LLC
• Jason Seats, Managing Director (Austin), & Partner, Techstars

CTO-to-CTO Fireside Chat [Thursday, 4:15 PM]
This is one of my favorite sessions as I get a chance to sit down and get inside the minds of technical leaders behind some of the most innovative and disruptive startups in the world. I’ll have 1x1 chats with the following CTOs:

• Laks Srini, CTO and Co-founder, Zenefits
• Mackenzie Kosut, Head of Technical Operations, Oscar Health
• Jason MacInnes, CTO, DraftKings
• Gautam Golwala, CTO and Co-founder, Poshmark

4th Annual Startup Launches [Thursday, 5:30 PM]
To wrap up our startup track, in the 4th Annual Startup Launches event we’ll invite five AWS-powered startups to launch their companies on stage, immediately followed by a happy hour. I can’t share the lineup as some of these startups are in stealth mode, but I can promise you this will be an exciting event with each startup sharing a special offer, exclusive to those of you in attendance.

Other startup activities

Startup Insights from a Venture Capitalists Perspective [Thursday, 1:30 PM]
Immediately before I take the stage, you can join a group of venture capitalists as they share insights and observations about the global startup ecosystem: each panelist will share the most significant insight they’ve gained in the past 12 months and what they believe will be the most impactful development in the coming year.

The AWS Startup Pavilion [Tuesday – Thursday]
If you’re not able to join the startup sessions Thursday afternoon, I encourage you to swing by the AWS Startup Pavilion (within re:Invent Central, booth 1062) where you can meet the AWS startup team, mingle with other startups, chat 1:1 with an AWS architect, and learn about AWS Activate.

Startup Stop on the re:Invent Pub Crawl [Wednesday evening]
And to relax and unwind in the evening, you won’t want to miss the startup stop on the re:Invent pub crawl, at the Rockhouse within The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. This is the place to be for free food, drinks, and networking during the Wednesday night re:Invent pub crawl.

Look forward to seeing you in Vegas!