Join Innovate Marquette for Peak26, March 26-27, 2026 on Northern Michigan University’s campus. Peak26 is a two-day conference helping you climb towards success, develop your skills, and elevate your potential. Designed for students, career professionals, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners, Peak26 offers a platform to build practical, transferable skills while gaining inspiration from real people doing meaningful work. Registration is now live at https://bit.ly/Peak26Registration. Peak26 is free and open to the public. Breakfast & lunch is provided free to attendees throughout the conference. Peak26 will feature keynote presentations from Alex West Steinman and Bill Hawker, interactive workshops, panel discussions with local business owners, breakout sessions, pitch competitions, networking, and more. Programming will explore topics such as entrepreneurship, personal branding, confronting fear, strategic communication, and design thinking – all with a focus on real-world application. See the full schedule at https://www.peakconference.org/schedule. Keynote Speakers:
Alex West Steinman: Crowdfunding Your Way to Launch – Thursday, March 26 | 9:00 AM
Alex West Steinman is a nationally recognized speaker, entrepreneur, and dynamic leader helping people and organizations turn purpose into power. As the co-founder and CEO of The Coven, a fast-growing network of inclusive coworking spaces and communities across the U.S., Alex leads with a mission to make work better for everyone. After raising $350,000 via crowdfunding, Alex knows the ins and outs of building a successful crowdfunding campaign and will share her insight on crowdfunding your way to launch in this session. Bill Hawker – Friday, March 27 | 9:00 AM
Bill Hawker is the Director of Business Development at Elevate97 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he helps organizations build their brands and strategy through interior branding, vehicle graphics, printing and more. Prior to Elevate97, Bill spent 20 years developing corporate partnerships for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions.
Programming:
- Women in Business Panel Discussion featuring Lucy Seitz, professional hairstylist & social media creator, Brooke Grondin of Girly Pop, and Nikki Odom of Read My Lips Bookshop
- Breakout Sessions with The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest, Innovate Marquette, Embers Credit Union, Siren Strategy, NMU Career Services, and Design Core Detroit
- Makers Fair featuring Innovate Marquette Protolab
- Innovation Party at Ore Dock Brewing Co. – networking & celebration
- Design Jam featuring Design Core Detroit
- Kick Your Fear in the Face with Nancy Lyons
- NMU College of Business Big Pitch Competition
- Outdoor Innovation Pitch Competition, sponsored by the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund, Centrepolis Accelerator, and Innovate Marquette
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