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About the Event
Being a CEO can be both exhilarating and isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. The Engine's CEO Retreat is a full-day experience designed for leaders navigating the relentless demands and complex challenges of building transformational companies.
This retreat creates space to step back, reset, and recharge, surrounded by a cohort of peers who understand the weight of the role and the ambition behind it.
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The Details
Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026
8:15 AM - 5:00 PM
The Engine
The Event Space, 1st Floor 750 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Parking: We encourage you to use SpotHero to find a spot at a nearby garage or other local parking options. Please allow extra time for parking and arrival.
Agenda & Details
Click the tabs below to navigate the full day's agenda.
Registration & Breakfast
8:15 am | Location: Lobby & Front Gallery
Check in. Enjoy breakfast and networking.
Welcome & Framing the Day
9:00 am | Location: Event Space
Setting the tone for an open, candid, and peer-driven space, outlining what to expect and how to get the most out of the day. Led by The Engine's leadership team.
Interactive Icebreaker: CEO-to-CEO Connections
9:10 am | Location: Event Space
A structured, high-energy session designed to quickly build familiarity across the group and surface shared challenges. Led by Katherine Otway & Becky Bermont.
The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance to new ideas with David Schonthal
9:30 am | Location: Event Space
New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneurship professor, and tech investor/operator David Schonthal will open with a session on overcoming resistance to new ideas and navigating the human dynamics that shape how innovations are adopted, challenges often amplified in Tough Tech.
Break
10:45 am | Location: Event Space + Gallery
Fundraising Roundtables
11:00 am | Location: Event Space
Small-group, facilitated discussions focused on key topics: fundraising, managing your board, and building/leading teams. Grouped by stage and sector.
Working Lunch
12:00 pm | Location: Event Space
Grab lunch and connect informally with fellow CEOs.
Founder-Led Unconference Session 1
12:45 pm | Location: Event Space
Led by resident and alumni companies like Atlantic Quantum (now Google), Source Bio, and Predicta Biosciences, these discussions will tackle attendee-selected topics including term-sheet close strategies, early hiring, and non-dilutive funding.
- Strategic Exit | Chloe Holzinger
- Full-Stack Fundraising | Eric Stern
- Tech Pivot | Robert Deans
- Running Lean | Joe Burns
- Roadmap Reality | Brian McKernan
- Board Dilligence | Theresa Tribble
- Marketing and Your Digital Presence | Katherine Otway
- Tough Conversations & Organization Management | Becky Bermont
Founder-Led Unconference Session 2
1:35 pm | Location: Event Space
AI: Stealing Each Other's Cheat Codes
2:20 pm | Location: Event Space
Sharing what's working, from automating and ideating to whatever comes next.
Fireside Chat: Steve Renter, Commonwealth Fusion Systems
3:00 pm | Location: Event Space
Emily Knight and Steve Renter on the deliberate work behind CFS's culture, and what it takes to sustain it through rapid scale.
Happy Hour
4:00 pm | Location: Front Gallery
Unwind, network, and continue conversations, in an informal setting.
