Building the Next Generation of Angels
A full-day gathering in Chicago on Monday, August 10th for angel-curious professionals, active investors, VCs, founders-turned-angels (FTAs), and startup community builders who want to learn how early-stage investing really works, meet high-potential founders, and help build a more fertile funding ecosystem.
Hosted by Lofty Ventures at Bank of America’s downtown Chicago building.
Lofty Angels is Powered by
Serious people. Useful content. Memorable Lofty energy.
Last year’s inaugural Lofty Angels Summit brought together founders, angels, VCs, operators, and community builders for a full day of learning, relationship-building, curated collisions, and Lofty-style hacking serendipity.
This year, we are going bigger.
The 2026 summit returns to Bank of America’s gorgeous downtown Chicago building, this time in the ballroom, with sweeping city views, more than triple the capacity, a curated summit showcase, rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights, a blind box activation, premium giveaways, next-level swag bags, and a rooftop party to close the day.
Angel curious, active investor, founder-turned-angel, VC, or startup community builder?
The Lofty Angels Summit is designed for people who want to understand angel investing more deeply, meet other thoughtful investors, and help more founders get access to early, aligned capital.
Whether you are preparing to write your first check, already investing, backing startups professionally, curious about how more founders can become angels sooner, or helping build the institutions and relationships that make startup communities thrive, this day is built to be practical, energizing, and relationship-rich.
Expect useful education, candid conversations, strong opinions, thought leaders, a room full of givers, and a few surprises along the way.
Come for the content. Leave with better judgment, stronger relationships, and a clearer path into angel investing.
The 2026 summit returns to Bank of America’s gorgeous downtown Chicago building, this time in the ballroom, with sweeping city views, more than triple the capacity, a curated summit showcase, rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights, a blind box activation, premium giveaways, next-level swag bags, and a rooftop party to close the day.
If you are angel curious
Learn what to know before writing your first check and how to avoid common early mistakes.
If you are already an angel
Sharpen your judgment, compare notes with other investors, and meet new founders and elite co-investors.
If you are a VC
Connect with founder-friendly angels, operators, founders, and Chicago’s broader early-stage ecosystem.
If you are a founder or future FTA
Learn how small checks can turn more founders into first-check angels sooner.
If you care about Chicago startups
Join a high-energy day about capital, civic leadership, founder support, and the future of the city’s startup economy.
Builders, investors, operators, civic leaders, and founders worth watching.
This year’s speaker lineup brings together experienced angels, VCs, founders, operators, professors, lawyers, bankers, civic leaders, and community builders who have collectively built, backed, advised, financed, and supported hundreds of startups.
Josh Luber
Co-founder of StockX and Fanatics Collectibles and founder of ghostwrite, on culture, collectibles, marketplaces, scarcity, and human behavior.
Tom Sosnoff
Risk, conviction, company-building, investing, and what it takes to create outsized outcomes, including billions in exit value across multiple companies.
Chris Yeh & Amanda Lannert
Chris Yeh, Reid Hoffman’s co-author and longtime collaborator, and Amanda Lannert on how great investors think.
A Founders-Turned-Angels panel on why founders should consider learning to invest before they exit.
A civic conversation with mayoral candidates on envisioning a more founder-friendly Chicago.
Practical sessions on Angel 101, dealflow, market trends, legal, tax, accounting, planning, and how to write checks more thoughtfully.
Five rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights from prior Lofty Syndicate deals.
Agenda
A full day of angel investing education, founder exposure, and Lofty-style hacking serendipity.
10:00 - 11:00 – Check-in, Light Breakfast & Summit Showcase
Arrive early, grab breakfast, and start meeting the founders, partners, angels, and community builders who make up the Lofty ecosystem.
11:00 - 11:15 – Why We’re Here: Building the Next Generation of Angels
We’ll share why Lofty created this summit and why we passionately believe that building more thoughtful, active angels matters for founders, investors, and startup communities everywhere.
Jamie Paul
Elad Strohmayer
Christopher Deutsch
11:15 - 12:00 – Everything Is Priced Wrong with Josh Luber
A wide-ranging keynote on what culture, collectibles, marketplaces, scarcity, and human behavior can teach us about value creation. Expect a sharp, entertaining look at how people decide what matters, what becomes valuable, and what that means for investors.
Josh Luber
12:00 - 12:15 — Angel 101: What to Know Before Your First Check
A fast, practical primer on the basics of angel investing, how it differs from venture capital, and what new angels should understand before they start writing checks.
Christopher Deutsch
12:15 - 12:30 – Five Lofty Founders to Watch
Meet five high-potential Lofty founders in a rapid-fire showcase designed to highlight founder quality, customer momentum, and specific ways the community can help beyond writing checks.
Tom Zhang
Claudia Romo Edelman
Josh Luber
Milan Harris
Paul Couston
12:30 - 1:30 – Lunch + Summit Showcase
Grab lunch, explore the showcase, and build relationships with founders, partners, and fellow attendees across the Lofty community.
1:00 - 1:30 – Blind Box Break with Josh Luber + Lofty Prize Drop
A fun lunch activation inspired by the blind box economy, collectibles, and culture. We’ll open ghostwrite blind boxes live, raffle off prizes, and connect the experience back to marketplaces, scarcity, and why human behavior matters in investing.
Josh Luber
Christopher Deutsch
1:30 - 2:10 — How Great Investors Think: A Conversation with Chris Yeh & Amanda Lannert
A candid conversation with Chicago tech leader Amanda Lannert and Chris Yeh, Reid Hoffman’s co-author, partner and longtime collaborator, on what experienced investors look for in founders, how they evaluate early opportunities, and how new investors can build better judgment over time.
Chris Yeh
Amanda Lannert
2:10 - 2:35 – Dealflow: How Angels Find Great Opportunities
A practical discussion on where great angel deals actually come from, including angel groups, syndicates, founder communities, personal relationships, and repeatable ways new investors can start seeing better opportunities.
Fred Hoch
Moderator
Brian Crump
Adela Cepeda
Michael Sachaj
Christian McKenzie
2:35 - 2:50 – Angel Weather Report: What’s Hot, What’s Cold & What’s Next
A quick, opinionated read on the current early-stage market, including emerging trends, changing investor behavior, and what angels should be paying attention to next.
Jeff Eschbach
2:50 - 3:00 – Break & Summit Showcase
Take a quick break, recharge, and visit the showcase to keep meeting founders, partners, and other attendees before the final afternoon sessions.
3:00 - 3:25 – The Angel Investor Operating Manual
A practical guide to the legal, tax, accounting, and planning considerations angels should understand before and after they invest. This session is designed to help new investors avoid common mistakes and build a smarter investing foundation.
Mike Gamson
Moderator
Joshua Klein
Kristi Dula-Ferguson
Ira Weiss
Tom Tyndorf
3:25 - 3:50 – Founders-Turned-Angels: Why Founders Should Start Investing Earlier
Founders can become uniquely valuable angels, and angel investing can also make them better operators. This session explores why founders should consider learning to invest before they exit, how small checks can turn more founders into first-check angels sooner, and why FTAs can help build a more fertile funding ecosystem for the next generation of startups.
Claudia Romo Edelman
Moderator
Matt Singley
Arnav Dalmia
Rehman Merali
Milan Harris
3:50 - 4:20 – Envisioning a More Founder-Friendly Chicago
A civic conversation on what it would take to make Chicago an even better place to build, fund, and scale startups. Chicago’s former CMO will moderate a panel of mayoral candidates on how public leadership, capital, policy, and community can work together to better support founders and investors.
Michael Fassnacht
Moderator
Susana Mendoza
Joe Holberg
Matt Brewer
4:20 - 4:50 – Building, Betting & Winning Big with Tom Sosnoff
A high-energy closing conversation on risk, conviction, company-building, investing, and what it takes to create outsized outcomes. Expect lessons from one of Chicago’s most successful and unconventional builders and investors, with billions of dollars across seven exits.
Tom Sosnoff
Christopher Deutsch
4:50 - 5:00 – Closing Remarks: From Learning to Investing to Toasting!
We’ll close the summit with key takeaways, reflections from the day, and a handoff from learning into action, connection, and celebration.
Arnav Chaphalkar
Christopher Deutsch
Claudia Romo Edelman
5:00 - 5:30 – Startup Showcase + Rooftop Transition
One more chance to meet the founders, connect with the community, and make your way upstairs for the evening celebration.
5:00 - 7:30 – Lofty Summer Rooftop Party with Sotol Romo + Com Truise
Cap off the day on the rooftop with founders, angels, partners, and friends of Lofty. Enjoy a Sotol Romo tasting for 21+ guests, music and visuals from Com Truise, and an unforgettable Lofty-style celebration.
Com Truise
Meet the Speakers
Matt Brewer
Adela Cepeda
Arnav Chaphalkar
Paul Couston
Brian Crump
Arnav Dalmia
Chris Deutsch
Kristi Dula-Ferguson
Jeff Eschbach
Michael Fassnacht
Mike Gamson
Milan Harris
Fred Hoch
Joe Holberg
Joshua Klein
Amanda Lannert
Josh Luber
Christian McKenzie
Susana Mendoza
Rehman Merali
Jamie Paul
Claudia Romo Edelman
Michael Sachaj
Matt Singley
Tom Sosnoff
Elad Strohmayer
Tom Tyndorf
Ira Weiss
Chris Yeh
Tom Zhang
Founders-Turned-Angels: 70% off for qualifying post-Seed founders.
A central goal of Lofty Angels is to help more founders learn angel investing earlier in their careers.
We are excited to welcome post-Seed founders who want to attend the summit to learn about angel investing, connect with other founders and investors, and explore what it means to become a founder-turned-angel, or FTA.
This discount is for founders attending to learn, not to solicit attendees for investment.
If that sounds like you, apply for the 70% founder discount.
Food, founders, giveaways, useful conversations, and no lame conference energy.
We will provide a light breakfast at check-in, boxed lunches, snacks, drinks, and plenty of time to meet the founders, partners, angels, and community builders in the room.
Expect a summit showcase, rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights, Lofty giveaways, and swag bags worth sticking around for.
Dress however you feel comfortable. This is startup investing, so you will see everything from jeans to suits.
Lofty Summer Rooftop Party
with Sotol Romo + Com Truise
After the summit, join us upstairs from 5:30 to 7:30 for the 4th annual Lofty Summer Rooftop Party in the building’s indoor/outdoor space overlooking the Chicago River and the Loop skyline.
We will cap off the day with a Sotol Romo tasting for 21+ guests, a private DJ set from recording artist Com Truise, and an epic Lofty-style celebration with founders, angels, partners, and friends of Lofty.
The rooftop party is included at no additional cost, but capacity is limited. If you plan to attend, please select the Summit + Party ticket when registering.
Powered by Lofty’s partners.
FAQ
Who should attend?
Angel-curious professionals, active angels, VCs, founders, founders-turned-angels, operators, family offices, startup supporters, and anyone who wants to better understand early-stage investing and Chicago’s startup ecosystem.
Do I need to have made angel investments before?
No. The summit is intentionally designed for both new and experienced investors. If you are still learning, you will not be alone.
Do I have to be an accredited investor to attend?
No. You do not need to be an accredited investor to attend. The Summit is an educational and community event, not a securities offering or investment solicitation.
Is this only for Chicago attendees?
No. Lofty is proudly rooted in Chicago, but the summit is open to people from anywhere who care about early-stage investing, founder support, and building stronger startup communities. Like in 2025, we expect a meaningful percentage of attendees to travel to the summit from across the Midwest and the coasts.
I am an experienced angel. Will this be too basic?
No. Some sessions are designed for newer angels, but the day also includes market perspective, dealflow, founder exposure, legal and tax considerations, civic leadership, and conversations with experienced builders and investors. No matter how experienced you are, there are always knowledge gaps worth filling.
I am a VC. Should I attend?
Yes. The room will include founders, angels, prospective angels, FTAs, operators, and startup community leaders. It is a valuable way to meet people who care deeply about early-stage companies and the future of the funding ecosystem.
I am a founder. Can I attend?
Yes, as long as you are not looking to solicit investors at the summit. If you are interested in learning angel investing and becoming a founder-turned-angel, then this summit is most definitely for you. Qualifying post-Seed founders can apply for a 70% founder discount. Click here to learn more.
Can I pitch investors at the summit?
The summit is not designed as a fundraising event. Founders are welcome, but the intent should be learning, relationship-building, and community participation, not soliciting attendees for investment.
What is a founder-turned-angel, or FTA?
An FTA is a founder who starts learning and practicing angel investing, often by writing small checks before or after an exit. Lofty believes FTAs can become uniquely valuable first-check angels because they bring capital, context, founder empathy, and operating experience back into the ecosystem.
We believe FTAs benefit in three ways:
- Gain angel investing experience earlier in their careers while backing their peer founders.
- Begin to diversify their risk by gradually building a portfolio with small checks over three to five years.
- Develop an investor’s lens, which can be invaluable as they build their businesses.
What is included with my ticket?
Your ticket includes the full summit, light breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks, the summit showcase, rapid-fire Lofty Founder Spotlights, giveaways, and all sessions. The rooftop party is included at no additional cost only if you select the Summit + Party ticket.
How do I attend the rooftop party?
Select the Summit + Party ticket when registering. Space is limited, and we need an accurate count, so please only select that ticket if you plan to attend.
What should I wear?
Whatever feels comfortable. You will see everything from jeans to suits.
Are tickets limited?
Yes. The room is much larger than last year, but capacity is still limited and tickets require approval.
Can I get a refund?
We are sorry, but we cannot offer refunds for purchased tickets. We keep ticket prices as low as possible to keep the summit accessible to as many people as possible.
Ready to join us?
Spend the day with founders, angels, VCs, operators, civic leaders, and community builders working to build the next generation of angels.
About
Lofty Ventures is building a compounding flywheel for Chicago’s next generation of founders and angels by investing early, bringing together a highly curated community, and helping founders become angels sooner.
Operating as a family office, investor syndicate, angel platform, and startup community, Lofty combines capital, relationships, and education to drive stronger outcomes over time.
Across its direct investments and syndicate, Lofty has invested $5M+ at the earliest stages in over 100 companies and 180 founders, with 80% based in Chicago and 65% led by underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Lofty Angels, its free community, helps members learn early-stage investing and access curated co-investment opportunities.
About Bank of America Global Commercial Banking
In the fast-moving tech industry, one thing is constant: innovation wins. Bank of America’s dedicated Transformative Technology Group is by your side with the resources, solutions, and vision to give you an advantage in the marketplace.
Drawing on Bank of America’s global connections and resources, the team helps clients achieve their objectives.
About Bank of America Private Bank
At Bank of America Private Bank, trust and investment management relationships are supported by a fiduciary standard of integrity, trust, and accountability, requiring the team to act solely in each client’s best interests.
Whether managing a portfolio, serving as trustee, or administering an estate, the focus is tailored to each client’s individual objectives.
About Merrill Private Wealth
Growing and navigating wealth is not a straight line. There are complexities and opportunities at every turn.
Merrill Private Wealth serves as mission control for wealth, offering a high level of execution and world-class intellectual capital to help clients move through pivotal moments.
As the investment and wealth management division of Bank of America Corporation, Merrill serves the comprehensive needs of high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses.
To learn more about a Chicago-based team with extensive experience working with entrepreneurs, click below.