Third Annual · For the first time in Austin
Principled Business Summit 2026 — Austin
$199 · $250,000 Demo Day · John Mackey, Zachary Levi, Evan Baehr, and 20+ more.
Not ready to register? Take the 5-minute self-assessment
The Summit, in your pocket.
Everything you need for three days in Austin, in one place. Sign in with the email on your Luma ticket — no download from an app store needed.
- Your agendaThe full program, your own schedule, and seats in the breakouts.
- The people in the roomSee who's coming, connect, and book 1:1s in the VIP Lounge.
- Live session chatJoin the conversation during each session and ask the Summit team anything.
- Venue mapFind every room, the exhibit hall, and each sponsor's table.
Works on iPhone, Android and desktop. On your phone, tap Share → Add to Home Screen.
Taking the stage.
John Mackey
Co-founder of Whole Foods Market, CEO of Love.Life
John Mackey co-founded Whole Foods Market in Austin in 1980 and served as its CEO for 44 years, growing it from a single store to 540 stores in the U.S., U.K. and Canada with annual sales above $22 billion before retiring in 2022. He co-founded the Conscious Capitalism movement and co-authored the bestseller Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business, followed by Conscious Leadership. He is now co-founder and CEO of Love.Life, an integrated health and wellness company, and published his memoir, The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism, in May 2024.
- The Win-Win-Win Revolution
- Fireside Chat with John Mackey
Selim Bassoul
Former Executive Chairman, Six Flags
Selim Bassoul led The Middleby Corporation as president, CEO and chairman, growing the food equipment maker's revenue from $100 million to $2.7 billion. He joined the Six Flags board in 2020, served as its CEO and president from November 2021, and became executive chairman of Six Flags Entertainment after its 2024 merger with Cedar Fair, the industry's largest. He stepped down from the board at the end of 2025 and continues to advise the company on Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia. Born in Lebanon, he holds degrees from the American University of Beirut and Northwestern's Kellogg School.
- A Fireside Chat with Selim Bassoul
Jeb Hensarling
Former Chairman of House Financial Services Committee, U.S. Congress
Jeb Hensarling represented Texas's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House and chaired the House Financial Services Committee from 2013 to 2019. After leaving Congress he joined UBS in April 2019 as executive vice chairman of UBS Americas, advising senior leadership and major clients on political, public policy and macroeconomic risk, a role he held through 2023. He earned a BA in economics from Texas A&M University and a JD from the University of Texas. At the Summit he speaks on 'Made in America Again: The Reindustrialization Opportunity.'
- Made in America Again: The Reindustrialization Opportunity
Carlos Mendez
- The Next 250 Years: What Will America Build Next?
Zachary Levi
American actor
Zachary Levi is an American actor known for television, film and stage work. He starred as Chuck Bartowski in NBC's action comedy Chuck (2007, 2012) and played the title superhero in Shazam! (2019) and its 2023 sequel. Earlier he played Kipp Steadman in ABC's Less Than Perfect. He voiced a lead character in Disney's Tangled, appeared in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and earned a Tony nomination for the 2016 Broadway revival of She Loves Me. He co-founded The Nerd Machine and starred in the film American Underdog.
- Fireside Chat with Zachary Levi
Evan Baehr
Founder & CEO, Arena Hall
Evan Baehr is the founder and CEO of Arena Hall, a private membership community on South Congress in Austin for founders, investors, operators and artists. A serial entrepreneur, he co-founded Able, a fintech lender to small businesses backed by Mike Maples and Peter Thiel that sold in 2017, and earlier Outbox, a mail digitization startup. He co-authored Get Backed (Harvard Business Review Press) and is an active investor in companies including SpaceX, xAI, Base Power, Antora and Function Health. He presents at the Principled Business Awards Dinner.
- Principled Business Awards Dinner
Brett Hurt
Love Conquers Fear; Co-founder and former CEO of data.world, Bazaarvoice, and Coremetrics
Brett Hurt is CEO of Love Conquers Fear, a holding company advancing an 'Age of Abundance for All' through a book, podcast, investments and ventures. He co-founded and led data.world, acquired by ServiceNow in 2025, and co-founded Bazaarvoice, which he led through its IPO. He earlier founded Coremetrics, later acquired by IBM. Tulane University's business school named him a 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year. At the Summit he hosts the Love Conquers Fear AI dinner and joins the 'Becoming AI Native' panel.
- Love Conquers Fear: An AI Dinner
- Becoming AI Native
Matt Cole
Chairman and CEO, Strive
Matt Cole is chairman and CEO of Strive, Inc. He became CEO in April 2023 and chairman in September 2025. Before Strive he spent roughly 15 years as a portfolio manager at CalPERS, the California public pension fund, managing more than $70 billion in fixed-income assets including U.S. Treasuries and structured securities. He is a CFA charterholder and holds an MBA from California State University, Sacramento. At the Summit he joins the main-stage panel 'Bitcoin, Capital & the Future of Freedom.'
- Bitcoin, Capital & the Future of Freedom
Lawrence Reed
President Emeritus, Foundation For Economic Education
Lawrence W. 'Larry' Reed is president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), where he is also Humphreys Family Senior Fellow and Ron Manners Global Ambassador for Liberty. He led FEE as president from 2008 to 2019. Before FEE, he was founding president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy for 21 years and taught economics at Northwood University. He holds a BA in economics from Grove City College and an MA in history from Slippery Rock State University. At the Summit he speaks on 'Be the Hero Capitalism Needs.'
- Be the Hero Capitalism Needs
Paul Leggett
Managing Director, Mithril Capital Management
Paul Leggett has been a managing director at Mithril Capital Management in Austin since 2014, handling much of the venture firm's day-to-day operations. Principled Business has highlighted him as an investor who has spent more than a decade in Austin backing companies built to last decades. He serves on the leadership council of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Innovation Crossroads program. At the Summit he sits for a fireside chat with Alexander McCobin.
- Fireside Chat with Paul Leggett
Opening night is Texas Night
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Free for Texas residents. Join neighbors and builders for a keynote from John Mackey — celebrating Texas as the frontier of capitalism.
Go to Texas Night
50 student scholarships. Your seat in Austin.
Complimentary General Passes for university students — three days with founders, investors, and executives on the past, present, and future of capitalism.
Go to Student ScholarshipBring your company into the room.
Join leading companies and organizations supporting the Principled Business Summit in Austin. Become a Summit Partner, get your company featured on the Summit website, and help bring the right people into the conversation.
250 years of capitalism.
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States and the publication of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. Our theme centers on 250 years of capitalism — and the capitalists advancing its principles today.
Reflect with appreciation on the growth of capitalism over the past 250 years
Highlight capitalists who exemplify the principles of capitalism today
Explore what the next 250 years of capitalism could look like in America and around the world
A room built for people who build.
The Summit brings together leaders who allocate capital, build companies, and advance the ideas behind free enterprise — drawn from past Summit editions.
Not a generic conference crowd. A room of people who write checks, ship products, and defend the principles that make free enterprise possible.
- 01Investors
- 02Family offices
- 03Venture capital
- 04Founders
- 05Corporate executives
- 06Entrepreneurs
- 07Capital allocators
- 08Business leaders
- 09Policy and ideas leaders
Founders
Engage with values-driven investors who believe in the power of free markets and entrepreneurship. Pitch your vision, secure funding, and connect with partners who share your commitment to advancing capitalism as a force for good.
Investors
Join a network of investors dedicated to supporting ventures that uphold the principles of free enterprise. Access new opportunities, find co-investors, and back startups that are driving a freer future.
Executives
Collaborate with fellow executives committed to using business as a tool for advancing a free and prosperous society. Share strategies, form partnerships, and champion capitalism as a means to create lasting, impactful change.
Compete. Build. Tell your story.
The Summit isn't only a place to listen. It's a place to participate — pitch, compete, build, and contribute.
Demo Day·01 / 03
Apply for Demo Day
In partnership with.
Amplifying the movement.
Producing the Summit.
Leading Companies Joining the Principled Business Summit.
More than a conference. A place to build.
Meet the people moving capital.
Connect with investors, founders, executives, and business leaders building what comes next.
Go beyond the main stage.
Breakout tracks create space for deeper conversations, specialized industries, and meaningful relationships.
Participate, don't just listen.
Pitch, build, compete, and contribute through Demo Day, the Story Grant, and the Hackathon.
See where capitalism is going.
Move from the history that shaped modern capitalism, through the forces defining the present, to the ideas and technologies shaping its future.
Choose your Summit experience.
General Pass
$199
Full access to the core summit experience.
- ·Full access to main-stage programming
- ·Entry to hands-on workshops
- ·Access to partner lounges & exhibitor areas
VIP Pass
$999
A curated, high-touch summit experience.
- ·VIP Dinners with Speakers & Key Guests
- ·Awards Dinner & VIP Reception
- ·Priority 1:1 Meetings
- ·Reserved Front-Row Seating & VIP Lounge
- ·Dedicated Concierge Support
- ·Premium Liberty Ventures Gift Package
Testimonials.
“The 2025 Principled Business Summit was truly the most enjoyable conference I've attended in years. A unique and welcome breath of fresh air — 10/10 will attend again next year.”
“The New York Principled Business Summit was an inspiring gathering of purpose-driven leaders. A movement of principled progress.”
“From the Summit, I established several new partnerships and connections with industry leaders. The networking opportunities significantly enhanced my professional relationships.”
Get involved.
Connect with startups, VCs, accelerators and corporates from around the world.
Past Editions.
Past Speakers.
Magatte Wade
Joe Lonsdale
Vivek Ramaswamy
John Mackey
Steve Forbes
Perth Tolle
Past Partners & Sponsors.
Questions, answered.
Arrival and venue
Practical questions and support
Schedule and participation
Dinners and social events
Networking and access
Cancellation policy
Cancellations by June 30, 2026 qualify for an 80% refund. Cancellations after June 30 and by August 31, 2026 qualify for a 50% refund. After that, no refund is available, but passes are transferable. Contact the Summit team at michelle@libertyventures.xyz to request a transfer or discuss your registration.