DC Startup Week 2020

Once a year, DCSW brings together its expansive community over 5-days to connect, collaborate, share resources and celebrate our thriving ecosystem. The Creative Economy Track brings together the ideas, resources, and people who make the DC ecosystem what it is: a growing leader in local and national arts and business culture.

The vision for this lineup is to bring together vibrant, humane, ethical, renegade voices that walk the walk. They are congruent from the inside-out, driven by integrity and doing business and making art from the heart. They are the kind of humans I want to be around, who remind me that who we are is as essential as what we make. In fact--you cannot “make” without a person to do the making!

Think Like an Entrepreneur. Make Like an Artist: An Interview with Maryann Lombardi

Monday September 14th, Noon

Join us for a dynamic conversation with DC Creative Economy leader Maryann Lombardi. From her years in the NYC theater world as a performer and director to her time leading 202Creates for the City of Washington, and in her work with Human Capital, Maryann Lombardi represents the best of artistic practice and business acumen. We'll talk about her experiences in all these fields plus what she's seen as the key to visibility and impact in creative careers.

Featuring: Maryann Lombardi, Associate Director of DC Office of Creative Affairs and voice behind the Human Capital Project.

Growing a Generative Network as a Creative

Monday September 14th, 4:30pm

No one is meant to go it alone. But building the relationships that lead to a thriving professional network is not a course anyone offered in your MFA or MBA program. Join this conversation to hear from professionals known for the high value they place on genuine connection and what it means for your success in the work you seek to do.

Featuring: Christine Mitchell of The Why Creative, Danielle Glosser of Client Raiser, Ashlee Simpson of Ashlee Sade Inc , and Raquel LM of Little Salon DC and Creative Mornings DC

The Feminine Economy: Leaving Exploitative Business Behind

Tuesday, September 15th, 1pm

How do we create conditions that give people a sense of personal power?  Where our ROI is measured in agency and dignity? What is possible when we place communal care as the central business practice?

Join us in learning how the Femme Fatale DC ecosystem is answering these questions and changing the face of traditional entrepreneurship.  A hub for womxn and non-binary creatives, entrepreneurs, and community organizers, Femme Fatale DC is a resource rich ecosystem founded on the belief that we amplify personal and financial growth by aligning with our values, our embodied identities, and our community’s well being.

Featuring: Adriana Mendoza and Cee Smith and women from the Femme Fatale DC ecosystem. 

Inclusive Event Design for the Creative Economy

Wednesday September 16th, 4pm

No creative career exists without participating and leading events. It's part of the game but not one we start knowing how to engage. Add to that layers of inclusivity and equity and you have a recipe for a rough go. In this panel discussion, we'll talk to leaders in creative economy event design and ask questions like how hosts can create virtual spaces that feel inclusive and inviting? How do hosts create safe spaces for specific groups (women, LGBTQ+, Black/BIPOC) and hold space for marginalized people in mixed group situations? What are genuine actions hosts can take to create these opportunities for conversation?

Virtual Garage Party

Wednesday September 16th, 7pm

Come beverage in hand, camera on, and all the grooves in your soul to meet others on this unique entrepreneurship journey in the arts and creative economy.

Featuring: YOU

Words Are Action: The power of language in leading well

Friday September 17th, 12pm

You have a vision. You know what change you want to make in the world. You are a master of your craft. But telling people what you do and why it matters is hard. You know that without a clear definition of your work and purpose, you know you haven't fully embodied the cultural leader that you are.

In this workshop, you’ll learn the story-informed process that guides you to language that:

• Defines your work.

• Enables confident decision-making.


• Communicates where you’re going.


This is not a lecture or a presentation. It’s a workshop. Come ready with camera on to talk, discuss, write, reflect, and participate.

Featuring: Dana Ray of Dana Ray Consulting