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Talent is the new capital
Our community op-ed addresses how the rules of work and capital are being rewritten in real time.
Daniela Santangelo
October 21, 2025
Thanks to our newest event sponsor
Buchalter is a full-service business law firm, including specialties in corporate transactions and funding for startups, intellectual property, and employment law. Their Scottsdale team provides seasoned legal counsel across key sectors. Learn more.
The New Currency: Talent as Capital
Lately, I’ve been having more and more conversations with founders, investors, and talent leaders who all feel the same shift — the old rules of work no longer apply. The lines between hiring, fundraising, and community-building are blurring, and the people who thrive in this new era are the ones who see talent itself as a form of capital.
That’s the heart of our latest op-ed, “Why Talent Is the New Capital.” It features insights from Arizona founders and investors who are rewriting what growth looks like in 2026 — not just scaling companies, but evolving how we work, hire, and collaborate.
Dive in below, and if it resonates, share it with someone who’s building the future of work right alongside you.
Thanks to Aaron Favreau, Luigi Cusano, Art Fields and Nicole Zeno for contributing!
Keynote Spotlight:
Darleen Santore
Unstoppable: How to Rise, Rewire, and Thrive Through Change
We’re honored to welcome Darleen “Coach Dar” Santore as our Tech Talent Summit Keynote Speaker.
Coach Dar is a world-renowned mental edge coach and leadership strategist who’s redefining peak performance. A board-certified occupational therapist turned powerhouse speaker, she’s coached elite athletes and Fortune 100 leaders to master resilience, mental toughness, and breakthrough thinking. Known for her no-limits mindset and science-backed strategies, Coach Dar helps high performers bounce back, level up, and lead with unstoppable impact.
Keynote Presentation: Unstoppable: How to Rise, Rewire, and Thrive Through Change
In a world being disrupted by technology, uncertainty, and rapid reinvention, resilience isn’t optional; it’s a competitive edge. In this energizing and deeply human keynote, world-renowned leadership and mental edge coach Coach Dar shares the neuroscience and strategies behind becoming truly unstoppable.
Drawing from her work with elite athletes, CEOs, and high performers, Coach Dar will show you how to rewire your mindset, strengthen your emotional grit, and lead yourself and others through change with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re rebuilding your career or leading teams through transformation, you’ll walk away with a new playbook for thriving under pressure, unlocking peak performance, and rising stronger than ever before.
Get ready to rewire, rise, and redefine what’s possible.
Summit Agenda
Day One – Talent
Keynote Darlene Santore - Unstoppable: How to Rise, Rewire, and Thrive Through Change
Breakout Sessions
Mini Mastermind: The 90/10 AI Human Philosophy
Career Fair & Growth Village
Employers Hiring
Job Seeker Support
Evening Activation: Phx to the World
Day Two - Capital
Keynote Tim Holladay, Spacestation Ventures
The Future of Angel Investing
Industry Specific Tracks (Advanced Manufacturing, Defense Tech)
Pitch Competition
Introducing the Growth Village
At this year’s Tech Talent Summit, we’re expanding the definition of “tech ecosystem” to include the people and services that help founders and innovators thrive — not just in business, but in life.
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Growth Village, running in parallel with our Employer Village at the Tech Talent Summit. This new experience is all about supporting an entrepreneur where they are at with products and services designed to help both the company and the CEO thrive at any stage of growth. From mindset and wellness to fractional leadership, marketing, and operations, the Growth Village brings together the resources founders need to scale sustainably.
This section is proudly powered by What the Frac? the hit podcast redefining the future of work & growth, founded by Nicole Zeno, a leading voice in the fractional economy and advocate for flexible, human-centered growth. Together, we’re creating a space that celebrates innovation, collaboration, and the real people behind the startups driving Arizona’s next chapter.
Come meet the partners, discover new growth tools, and connect with the community helping founders work smarter — not just harder.
Freeway Partners with DevLabs to Power Startup World Cup Engineering Talent
Freeway is thrilled to announce a new partnership with DevLabs, Arizona’s largest builder community and the driving force behind the state’s next generation of startup talent. Founded at Arizona State University, DevLabs has grown into a powerhouse of over 700 top engineers, innovators, and hackathon champions—helping student builders go big, launch companies, or land their dream jobs.
Through this partnership, Freeway will connect DevLabs’ elite engineering talent with Startup World Cup finalists during Day 2 of Tech Talent Summit—fueling collaboration, creativity, and real-time problem solving at the intersection of Arizona’s brightest student minds and its most ambitious startups.
This Week’s Roles
More Opportunities for Job Seekers at Tech Talent Summit
Meet hiring companies from across Arizona’s fast-growing tech sectors.
This is not your average career fair. It’s a modern talent experience featuring:
Roles in product, engineering, and sales.
Talent clinics and portfolio resources to help you stand out
Face-to-face connections with companies building the future of tech in Phoenix
Register now (job seekers, use code JOBSEEKER for a free ticket)