Your Guide to Denver Startup Week

Denver Startup Week is finally here, and it's filled with fascinating events and talks that touch on everything from the pot industry to becoming a titan in the drag-race industry. All of the events are free to attend, too.

The week, "a celebration of everything entrepreneurial in Denver and the largest free event of its kind in the world," began seven years ago in the Mile High City.

To help you start planning, here are some programs we think are worth adding to your schedule.

Tuesday

Cannabis: The Future Is Female, 12 to 1:30 p.m., HotBox ERP Lounge

Like any industry, cannabis could benefit from more gender diversity. Here's a chance to listen to experts in the field talk about achieving this diversity and how women can be successful in it.

What Can Colorado Startups Learn From Israel, the Best Startup Ecosystem in the World?, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Industry RiNo Station

Organizers of this talk liken Israel to Colorado by pointing out that both places are roughly equal in population, but that Israel has an even more booming startup industry. An odd comparison, to say the very least, that makes this lecture all the more interesting.

Wednesday

DACA Recipients and Immigrants Launching Businesses,10 to 11:30 a.m., WeWork LoHi

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients will discuss how to navigate legal challenges and licensing to start a business.

Local News Startups: A Changing Journalism Ecosystem, 12 to 1 p.m., Basecamp Launched by Chase for Business

Editors from Denverite, Colorado Sun and Colorado Independent will talk about startup media organizations.

How the Incarcerated and Recently Released Offenders Find Healing Through Art, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Denver Art Society

The U.S. has the largest prison population per capita of any country in the world. To reintegrate people getting out of prison, new solutions are needed, and the organizers of this event believe that art therapy may be one such solution.

A Smart Story That Starts With Your Socks: An Up-close Conversation With Jen McLaren, President, Smartwool, 4 to 5 p.m., Woods Boss Brewing Co.

Smartwool socks have been keeping our toes warm since 1994. The president of the company will talk about maintaining corporate social responsibility and sustainability while running a for-profit business.

The 50-Year Plan — Creating a Timeless Cannabis Brand Identity and Strategy, 6 to 8 p.m., Four Winds Interactive

Moderated by Ricardo Baca, the former cannabis editor of the Denver Post, this panel will touch on how to become a powerhouse in the industry.

Thursday

Growing Your Cannabis...Business, 4 to 5:30 p.m., HotBox ERP Lounge

Startups and weed: Need we say more? Successful ganjapreneurs will offer advice on how to grow a post business.

Friday

PURPOSE DRIVEN: How Drag Queens Became Bankable Brands, Featuring Chad Michaels, Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, 7 to 11:30 p.m., Tracks

Successful drag queens will gather to discuss how they developed their personal brands using the "competitive advantage to being yourself."