(presented by Rock Yard Ventures)
FUTURE TITANS
emerging manager summit 2026
📆 January 27, 2026 📍 Austin, TX
FUTURE TITANS is a highly curated one-day event created to help emerging managers in VC, growth, secondaries, and multi-stage/hybrid funds build tomorrow’s most significant firms. We’ll bring together industry leaders, emerging GPs, and the pioneering LPs that back them for a day of content, collaboration, and community. NOTE: GP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
WHAT TO EXPECT
FUTURE TITANS is not where people walk around staring at name tags to see if someone is worth talking to (aka, no hostage taking!).
There will be no name tags. You will have to talk to people without knowing who they are! Just like the good old days.
This ethos also means no pitch decks (except for the lucky few who get to share their fund on stage!) So when you do meet someone who could invest in your fund, don’t roll into a hard pitch.
BUT, we do hope this is the single best destination for emerging managers to meet new LPs and vice versa.
And that’s not all; you can read the whole section on WHAT TO EXPECT here.
AGENDA
January 26th
6:00-8:00 PM (Night before activities)
January 27th
8:00-5:00 PM (Main Program)
FULL AGENDA TO COME
6:00-9:00 PM (SIGN UP: official FT after-event with food + drinks)
THE content and format
We’re working hard to curate the best tactical and actionable content and speakers in the entire VC ecosystem. Sounds like an audacious goal? We know!
Wanna learn more? You can read the whole section on WHAT TO EXPECT here.
SELECT SPEAKERS
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Bill Gurley
BENCHMARK
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Mike Chalfen
CHALFEN VENTURES
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Seth Levine
FOUNDRY GROUP
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Yuri Lee
TEXAS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM
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Benjamin Bayles
TEXAS TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM
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Allie Cefalo
KLEINER PERKINS
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Jeremy Heer
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION
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Nina Labatt
S32
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Zal Bilimoria
REFACTOR CAPITAL
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Alda Leu Dennis
HAWKTAIL VC
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Case Fell
THIRD LAKE PARTNERS
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Ben Birnbaum
KEYFRAME CAPITAL
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Annie Luchsinger
BREAKERS VC
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Edgar Smith
BEYOND 26 ADVISORS
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Matt Hershey
MARRON CAPITAL
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Steve Kim
VERDIS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
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Kyle Swenson
WAYCROSSE
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Kevin Novak
RACKHOUSE VENTURE CAPITAL
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Ron Biscardi
ICONNECTIONS
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Jinwen Chen
SMITHSONIAN
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Joe Magyer
SEAPLANE VENTURES
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Chris Bartholomew
UNC MANAGEMENT COMPANY
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Sid Makkar
DRIVE CAPITAL
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Elise Liberto
BROWN ADVISORY
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Greg Deeds
SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN TRIBE
about the organizer
Hi, I’m Daniel Dart, founder of Rock Yard Ventures, where I back exceptional founders redefining technology across core and foundational industries like construction, energy, supply chain, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
As an emerging manager myself, I know firsthand how hard it is to build something from nothing (it’s hard as hell!). That’s the motivation behind FUTURE TITANS. To create a community and platform that brings together tomorrow's great GPs and LPs for learning, building, and backing the next generation of category-defining founders.
I believe everything in life (not just VC) is an apprenticeship business. FUTURE TITANS is my way of creating the next best thing to apprenticing under the legends at blue-chip firms.
I’d love you to join me for the ride.
— Daniel
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Benjamin Bayles - Texas Teachers Retirement System
Regina Green - Catalyze
Jeremy Heer - U of Illinois Foundation
Melford Carter - GCM Grosvenor (retired)
Edgar Smith - Beyond 26 Advisors
Bong Choi - CIO & Special Advisor
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Ben Birnbaum - KeyFrame Capital
Kevin Novak - Rackhouse Venture Capital
Our PARTNERS
