Developing Student Talent · 2026

DreamConventon

Four Leaders. Two universities. One stage. Pitch your vision to the founders who built their dreams from the ground up.

A figure on a cliff reaching toward a vast starlit sky — the chance of possibility
Date
Postponed to Fall 2026
Time
Postponed to Fall 2026
Location
Woulfe Alumni Hall
Scroll
26
What is Dream Convention

Where
Dreams
Come to Life

Dream Convention is a one-night leadership event that brings together the brightest entrepreneurial minds from the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota.

Hear directly from four leaders who built something from nothing. Their stories, their failures, their breakthroughs. Then take the stage and pitch your own.

The speakers are your judges. Real prize money. A real shot at turning your idea into something more.

University of St. Thomas
University of Minnesota
4
Speakers
2
Universities
4
Hours of Programming
$$$
In Prize Money
Postponed to Fall 2026

The Night's
Programme

Postponed to Fall 2026

Doors Open & Welcome

Check in and connect with students from both universities before the evening begins.

Networking + Food
Postponed to Fall 2026

CEO Keynote Sessions and Dinner

Four CEOs take the stage — back to back — sharing raw, unfiltered stories of building their companies. What worked. What didn't. What they wish they knew.

Keynote Speakers
Postponed to Fall 2026

Student Pitch Competition

Teams take the stage to pitch their ideas directly to our featured speakers, who also serve as judges. 5 minutes to pitch. 3 minutes for Q&A. No mercy — just honest feedback.

Main Event
Postponed to Fall 2026

Speaker-Judge Deliberation & Reflection

While the speaker-judges make their decision, mingle with founders and dive deeper into your passions and ideas.

Networking + Food
Postponed to Fall 2026

Winners Announced

The moment you've been working toward. Prize money awarded. Dreams recognized.

Awards
Hear From The Best

CEO
Speakers

Cole Stevens
01
Interim Executive Director · Bridgemakers
Cole Stevens
Interim Executive Director of Bridgemakers and a Minnesota-based leader focused on youth entrepreneurship, policy, and community impact. Cole has helped secure over $35M in student economic relief, raised $4M+ for nonprofit initiatives, and coached early-stage founders from idea to first sales.
Jonathan Keiser
02
AVP for AI Enablement & Innovation · University of St. Thomas
Jonathan Keiser
Chief Academic Technology Officer at UST and architect of its AI Leadership graduate program. Leading the charge on how universities integrate AI responsibly into the classroom and workforce preparation.
Cihan Behlivan
03
Ride The Next Wave
Cihan Behlivan
Builder and operator across healthcare, startups, and venture ecosystems, now co-founding mrkos.ai to address men's loneliness through AI-powered, human-centered conversation. Led product, growth, and transformation initiatives from startup exits and venture studios to nonprofit leadership, focused on shipping real solutions that create measurable impact and meaningful human change.
Caroline Holden
04
Tech & AI Strategist · Swift Start Go
Caroline Holden
Helped orchestrate a 9-figure acquisition when AI startup Datavolo was sold to Snowflake. Veteran of startups, VC, and media in NYC and Minneapolis with deep expertise in brand strategy, AI, and growth.

Prize
Money

🏆
First Place
$300
Grand Prize Winner
🥈
Second Place
$200
Runner-Up
🥉
Third Place
$100
Third Place Finish
Speaker Judges

Your Speakers
Are Judging

No Separate Judge Panel

The same four featured speakers are also the judges for the pitch competition. You'll hear their stories, then pitch directly to them.

4 Featured Speakers
4 Pitch Judges
Same Leaders, Same Night
Live Feedback
Where It Happens

The
Venue

Woulfe Alumni Hall

University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota

📅
Postponed to Fall 2026
Postponed to Fall 2026
📍
Woulfe Alumni Hall, University of St. Thomas
St. Paul, Minnesota
🍽
Food & Drinks Provided — Complimentary for all attendees
🎓
Open to students from University of St. Thomas and University of Minnesota
📍
Woulfe Alumni Hall
University of St. Thomas · St. Paul, MN
Limited Spots Available

Apply to
Dream Convention

This is your chance to pitch in front of real founders, learn from four CEOs, and compete for serious prize money. Fill out the form below — we'll review every application personally.