​Join us for a candid conversation on what it really takes to scale a high-growth business in DeFi & crypto. You'll connect with fellow founders from Upstate NY and NYC who are shaping the future of fintech.

​Hosted in partnership with Entrepreneurship at Cornell, this founder-only event brings together 40 growth-stage entrepreneurs merging networks and insights from across the state.

​The afternoon will feature a keynote conversation with John Wu, President of AVA Labs sharing firsthand lessons on building a blockchain unicorn.

​Agenda

​3:00 PM: Appetizers, drinks & founder networking

3:15 PM: Opening Remarks

• ​Olivia Goldstein, CEO of Upstate Venture Connect

• ​David Alpago, Partner and NY Growth Markets Leader at EY

• ​Jason Hammond, VP at Fidelity Private Shares

​3:30 - 4:30 PM: Fireside chat

• ​John Wu, President of AVA Labs

• ​moderated by Felix Litvinsky, Managing Director of Blackstone Launchpad at Cornell

​4:30 - 5:00 PM: More drinks, more conversations

​Please note this event is for founders and Cornellians

​Speaker Announcement:

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​John Wu, President of Ava Labs

​A lifelong investor and operator, John Wu serves as President of Ava Labs, a technology company backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), developing the blockchain platform Avalanche. In his role at Ava Labs, John lads commercial and product teams focused on creating tools that empower finance, consumer, and gaming sectors to launch innovative applications. With a network market cap of $10+ billion, Avalanche has established itself as a trusted platform for institutions such as JPMorgan, Citigroup, Apollo, and KKR. John has over 20 years of experience as a fintech executive and technology investor, running Sureview Capital, a global hedge fund backed by the Blackstone Group and managing a global technology portfolio at Kingdon Capital. He began his investment career at Tiger Management. With a BS from Cornell and MBA from Harvard, John's academic endeavors have translated into a lifelong engagement with these institutions through a commitment to education and mentorship; while also supporting students through his family scholarship trust. He serves as an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and sits on various boards at Cornell University. Deeply committed to community service, John is a board member of his local YMCA, a non-profit focused on community development, health, and social responsibility.

​Felix Litvinsky is a Managing Director of the Blackstone LaunchPad at Cornell University - an experiential entrepreneurship program offering venture creation support, coaching, and ideation. Felix is also a Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Abakama, an enterprise which specializes in entrepreneurship, due diligence, innovation, and strategy. Felix is a mentor at Techstars, Venture Advisor at Research Foundation at SUNY, EIR at NYSERDA, advisor and mentor at eo Business Incubators, and an Expert and Member of Competition Commission at Ukrainian Startup Fund. He was a Co-founder and a Managing Partner of Minority Venture Partners (MVP), a business acceleration company whose mission is to increase and expand Minority and Women Business Enterprise participation in emerging technology sectors throughout New York City and the Tri-state Area. He has held executive & management positions in business development, technology, and strategy at international companies. Felix was instrumental in launching technology startups and developing new markets. Felix has been a speaker at various international and local industry events. He is an advisor/mentor to startup companies worldwide.

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​This program is proudly sponsored by EY, Fidelity, and Orrick

​Dave Alpago is the Growth Markets Leader for New York City at EY, where he leads a team that serves emerging, high-growth enterprises. These companies range from early-stage start-ups to post-IPO public companies. With over 23 years of experience serving clients in the technology and high-growth sector, Dave serves companies ranging from large publicly traded entities to early venture-backed start-ups. He has extensive experience navigating clients through complex accounting matters and through first-year audits.​ His experience includes coordinating and providing services to Yext, Dataiku, Peloton Interactive, Mark43, IAC/InterActiveCorp, ANGI, Inc, Match Group, among others. He led several clients through the IPO process, including Peloton Interactive, Yext, Match Group, ANGI (reverse IPO) and Everyday Health. ​Dave earned his BSc in Accounting from California State University, Fullerton. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

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​Jason Hammond is Vice President, Business Partner Manager at Fidelity Private Shares, where he helps cultivate relationships across the startup and investor ecosystem to strengthen community and support early-stage growth. He works closely with founders and centers of influence to streamline equity management and prepare companies for critical fundraising moments. With decades of experience in startups and technology, Jason has contributed to multiple successful exits—both as an operator and advisor. Prior to Fidelity, he held leadership roles at several high-growth companies, gaining firsthand insight into what it takes to scale and succeed. Known for his collaborative, founder-first approach, Jason can be a trusted ally to teams navigating the complexities of growth, capital, and community.

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​Orrick is a global law firm focused on delivering innovative solutions for four sectors: Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance and Life Sciences & HealthTech.