Innovation, Collaboration, and the Future of Technology
It has been an incredible second week in Washington, D.C., during DC Innovation Tech Week — also known as DC Startup & Tech Week 2025. From the energy at Johns Hopkins University and the MLK Library to the sessions at International Square and Amazon HQ2, the entire week was a celebration of innovation, creativity, and collaboration across the region.
The week brought together founders, investors, technologists, and community leaders to explore the evolving intersection of business, accessibility, AI, and the human side of technology. Every conversation, keynote, and breakout session highlighted the diverse perspectives shaping how innovation is built, shared, and scaled.
A Week of Connection and Collaboration
Each day was filled with a mix of large sessions, focused panels, and smaller meetings, the kind that lead to real conversations and meaningful exchange. Beyond the talks, it was the one-on-one discussions that made the experience so valuable. Throughout the week, I had the chance to meet passionate innovators, investors, and founders who shared insights into building stronger ecosystems for startups and advancing accessibility and inclusion in technology.
The schedule was packed with sessions covering everything from AI in product design and startup growth to funding strategies, impact investing, and government collaboration. What stood out most was how seamlessly human creativity and advanced technology are beginning to merge, a reflection of the same vision that drives TGS Tech and Apex Engine forward.
Monday, October 20: Setting the Tone for a Connected Ecosystem
Theme of the day: DC has a mature innovation ecosystem. The question is how to keep it inclusive, future ready, and connected to federal and local opportunities.
Why it mattered to us: Monday framed something you keep saying to investors and partners. Innovation is not just product. It is policy, access, and who is invited into the room.
Sessions most relevant to TGS Tech and Apex Engine:
- Welcome to DC Startup & Tech Week 2025: Celebrating 10 Years of Impact, Innovation and Community
This opening made it clear that DCSTW is not only for software startups. It is for founders across health, GovTech, creative tech, and AI. That aligns well with Apex Engine since you are not building a single-purpose tool. You are building a platform that different industries can use to collaborate, prototype, and deploy interactive systems. - The DC Playbook: Lessons on Leadership and Legacy (Ted Leonsis, Tammy Haddad)
This session was about staying in the region and building here instead of moving to the Valley. That is exactly your story. TGS Tech is headquartered here, operating in Maryland, and still working globally. Leadership rooted in community came up a lot, which supports your accessibility and inclusive dev messaging. - The Next Decade of Disruption: Tech, Investments and Startups in the DMV
This one was useful because it talked about capital and priorities. There was a clear focus on defense, AI, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. That overlaps with your roadmap for Apex Engine as a cloud-based, real-time, collaborative platform that can run on AWS, Alibaba, Azure, or internal bare metal. When the room talked about flexible deployment and data requirements, that was your lane.
Takeaway for the day: Monday was about context. DC is leaning into AI, national security, impact, and inclusive innovation. That is exactly the space where Apex Engine can stand out, especially with real-time collaboration and the ability to support multiple industries, not only gaming.
Tuesday, October 21: Founders, Funding, and Applied AI
Theme of the day: Founders wanted practical information. How to raise, how to work with government, how to build AI into a product without losing focus.
Relevant to TGS Tech and Apex Engine:
- Why Cybersecurity Matters for Jobs, Safety, and Innovation in Washington DC
Since you are building a cloud-first, collaborative engine, security, data location, and compliance are always part of the conversation. This session connected nicely to your SecOps and SOC-aligned work from your own roadmap. It reinforced that any tool used by enterprises or agencies must have a security story from day one. - Fireside Chat: AI and the Future of Work (Don Beyer, Chike Aguh, MLK Library)
This was important from an accessibility and workforce perspective. You often talk about AI helping creators, educators, and developers work faster, not replacing them. This session supported that thinking. AI needs to be designed around people. Apex Engine does that by giving teams real-time collaboration, visual tools, and AI-assisted coding for C++ and Python. - Funding Landscape and Opportunities for Impact-Driven Founders
You are still in early development and fundraising. This session was directly useful. It talked about non-dilutive options, DC and Maryland support, and the fact that impact and accessibility are now seen as value, not a distraction. That gives you more narrative room when you talk about Apex Engine’s accessibility, UI/UX in Qt, and support for education and training.
Takeaway for the day: Tuesday proved that DC founders are being asked to build AI products that are secure, understandable, and aligned with public needs. That is very close to how you are positioning Apex Engine. Powerful, but responsible. Cloud-based, but deployable on customer infrastructure.
Wednesday, October 22: Building in the DMV, Talent, and Real-World Adoption
Theme of the day: Wednesday shifted from “why DC” to “how to scale in DC.” There was more talk about teams, hiring, exit readiness, and working with local partners.
Sessions that line up with your work:
- Building in the DMV: The Underdog Advantage (International Square)
This was a good reminder that staying in DC is not a weakness. It can be an advantage. Proximity to federal partners, international orgs, and universities makes it easier to test and validate emerging tech. Apex Engine will benefit from that because you can demonstrate real-time collaboration and simulation to actual agencies in person. - Who the %$# Owns Your IP?
This one is on brand for you. You spend a lot of time on IP protection, HeroEngine legacy, Apex Engine trademarks, and the UK Bona Vacantia situation. This session reinforced how important it is to have ownership, clarity, and paperwork in place before scaling. It supports your push to have Apex Engine available as cloud, binary license, and source license for customers who must host it. - Recruitment Rewired: Lessons for Founders, Hiring Managers, and Job Seekers
You have said many times that accessibility and flexible work are part of your culture. This session tied into that, especially for tech teams that need both senior engineers and creative people. It makes your message stronger when you tell partners that TGS Tech is building tools for teams that do not all sit in the same room.
Takeaway for the day: Wednesday was about operations. How to build teams, how to protect IP, how to stay in the DMV and still scale. All of those pieces matter for TGS Tech as you talk with investors who want to know that the company is not only capable technically, but also structured properly.
Thursday, October 23: Product, AI, and Government Collaboration
Theme of the day: This was your strongest alignment day. Amazon HQ2 was full of sessions on AI-native products, automation, building in the DMV, and working with federal agencies.
Sessions most relevant to you:
- Automations, Agents and the New Rules of Product Design in an AI Era
This is almost exactly what you are doing with Apex Engine’s AI assist. The speakers talked about moving from static products to adaptive, AI-supported experiences. Apex Engine already works that way, since it lets multiple people work inside the same 3D or interactive space in real time. This is a very good story for your website. - The New Operating System for Business in the AI Era
This panel focused on orchestration, not only models. It matches your thinking on putting AI inside the platform, not bolting it on. Apex Engine is being designed so that AI can help with scripting, assets, physics, and even UI. That makes you more than a game engine. It makes you an intelligent collaboration environment. - Reverse Pitch: What Federal Agencies and Organizations Are Looking For in Emerging Tech
This is where your multi-deployment options matter. When agencies talked about security, data control, and working with startups, your approach of offering cloud, binary license, and source license fits very well. You can stage Apex Engine on AWS, Alibaba, Azure, or an internal server. That is something many engines cannot offer without extra work.
Takeaway for the day: Thursday confirmed that what you are building is timely. Agencies, enterprises, and founders all want AI-enabled, collaborative platforms that respect data boundaries. Apex Engine sits right there.
Friday, October 24: Impact, AI, and the Future of Work
Theme of the day: Friday felt like a culmination. It brought together impact-driven AI, government collaboration, and the future of building in this region.
Sessions that aligned with TGS Tech:
- AI with a Mission: Designing for Impactful Solutions
This supported your view that AI should be useful, not just impressive. You focus a lot on how AI will help creators, educators, simulation teams, and training platforms inside Apex Engine. This session backed that up. - Talk Tech with DC Government on Tech, Funding, and How DC Can Support Your Startup
Since you are already working out of this region and speaking to investors and public programs, this session was a good reminder that local support is available, but you have to be clear about the value you bring. Your angle is strong here. You are bringing a real-time, cloud-native, 3D collaborative engine to DC. That is not common. - Build Differently: How AI is Reshaping the DNA of Business, Communities, and Humanity
This one brought it back to people. It matched your LinkedIn tone. Technology is important, but so is community. You met founders across accessibility, edtech, creator tools, and defense. That mix is exactly why DC is a good place for TGS Tech.
Takeaway for the day: Friday tied everything together. AI, impact, and human-centered development will shape the next 3–5 years. Which is exactly the window you are building Apex Engine for.
Overall Week Summary
- Every day was full of high-quality speakers, smaller meetings, and hallway conversations that were just as valuable as the main sessions.
- The topics were very aligned with what you are building: AI, collaboration, infrastructure, licensing, GovTech partnerships, IP, and founder support.
- For TGS Tech and Apex Engine, the week validated three things:
- Real-time, collaborative, 3D and interactive tools are definitely needed outside of gaming.
- AI inside the workflow, not beside it, is where the market is heading.
- Flexible deployment (cloud, staged on AWS or other providers, or on-prem) is a real advantage for working with government, enterprise, and education.