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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.
MEET THE FACILITATORS
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Emily Knight
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Katherine Otway
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Hemai Parthasarathy
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Jon Kiel
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Andrew Takacs
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David Schonthal
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Becky Bermont
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Andrew Inglis
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Christina Chang
Christina Chang Christina Chang has deployed hundreds of millions into climate tech, most recently as a Partner at Lowercarbon Capital. Previously, she architected moonshot R&D programs as a Fellow at ARPA-E. She started out as a founder and inventor in steel, catalysis, and solar. Christina holds a PhD in Chemistry from Harvard, an MPhil in Chemistry from Cambridge, an MSc in Sustainable Energy from Imperial, and an AB in Chemistry from Princeton. As an Executive in Residence, she works with Tough Tech founders on technoeconomic milestone setting, board dynamics, company narrative, and capital strategy.
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Kristina Fontanez
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Brian McKernan
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Chloe Holzinger
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Eric Stern
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Joe Burns
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Robert Deans
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Theresa Tribble
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Steve Renter
