Guy Kawasaki and Bill Reichert Bring "Tough Love" to Startup World Cup Santa Cruz
Chief Evangelist for Canva, and former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki joins longtime partner Bill Reichert of Pegasus Tech Ventures for a fireside chat at Startup World Cup Santa Cruz Regional, October 17 at The Catalyst.
Founders pitching at Startup World Cup Santa Cruz Regional on October 17 will get more than judges' feedback. They'll get tough love.
Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva and host of the Remarkable People podcast and newsletter, sits down with Bill Reichert, Partner and Chief Evangelist at Pegasus Tech Ventures, for a fireside chat titled "Tough Love from a Tough Guy."
The pairing has history. Kawasaki made his name as Apple's Macintosh evangelist. In 1998, he and Reichert built Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage fund that backed Pandora and dozens of other startups. Between them, they've heard tens of thousands of pitches and know which ones die in the first two minutes.
Expect candor about what investors actually want, why most pitches miss, and how founders earn a second meeting. It's the right warm-up for a day when a Santa Cruz startup earns a shot at Pegasus Tech Ventures' $1 million Grand Finale prize in San Francisco.
The details
When: Saturday, October 17, 2026 · Fireside chat: Time to be announced soon
Where: The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz
Tickets: Get tickets here · SCW members save 30% with code: SCWorks
The day also includes pitch rounds across six tracks, mentorship, investor networking, and an evening Afterglow party with music, art, and wine tasting.
Santa Cruz Works is a proud partner of Luminarium Pacifica. See you at The Catalyst.
Visit the Startup World Cup Santa Cruz event page →
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