BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID:-//planitpurple.northwestern.edu//iCalendar Event//EN
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
CLASS:PUBLIC
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
TZURL:http://tzurl.org/zoneinfo-outlook/America/Chicago
X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:19700308T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:19701101T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
SEQUENCE:0
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T130000
DTSTAMP:20261010T012302Z
SUMMARY:Taking the Leap: Building a Startup in the Age of AI
UID:647331@northwestern.edu
TZID:America/Chicago
DESCRIPTION:AI has made it possible for small teams to build and launch products faster than ever. But how do you know whether an idea is worth pursuing—and when it is time to leave a steady job? Join four young entrepreneurs for a candid conversation about making that decision\, finding a real customer problem\, building a first product\, winning early customers\, marketing on a limited budget\, and raising money. They’ll share what surprised them\, what went wrong\, and how they handled the uncertainty. Bring your own startup questions and leave with practical steps you can take\, whether you are ready to launch or still exploring an idea.  This event is part of the Northwestern University SPS Thought Leadership Series\, a program of events featuring a wide range of compelling topics and thoughtfully led conversations throughout the 2026–27 academic year. It is also one of several signature events celebrating Northwestern's 175th anniversary\, marking 175 years of learning\, discovery\, community\, and the people and ideas that have shaped the University and will define its future. Explore more at 175.northwestern.edu.  Date: Thursday\, November 5\, 2026 Time: Noon–1 p.m. Location: Online via Zoom  Moderator:  Faisal Akkawi\, PhD Associate Professor of Instruction and Executive Director\, Northwestern MS in Information Systems program  Panelists:  Victoria Almanaseer Founder & CEO\, SkinSync AI  Reet Kaur Founder & CEO\, Sekaurity  Austin Mao Co-Founder & CEO\, Modern Industrials  Rishi Penmetcha CTO & Co-Founder\, Petra Labs  Kenan Saleh Investment Partner\, Andreessen Horowitz  If you have any questions regarding this event\, please email Melanie Galvan at melanie.galvan@northwestern.edu.\n\nRegister: https://sps.northwestern.edu/tl-rsvp
LOCATION:Online
TRANSP:OPAQUE
URL:https://planitpurple.northwestern.edu/event/647331
CREATED:20261007T050000Z
STATUS:CONFIRMED
LAST-MODIFIED:20261007T050000Z
PRIORITY:0
BEGIN:VALARM
TRIGGER:-PT10M
ACTION:DISPLAY
DESCRIPTION:Reminder
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR