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Rochester Events Open Call for Thought Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Experts to Speak

September 12, 2025By Connected Know

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sept. 12, 2025

Here are three upcoming events in Rochester, NY offering major opportunities for local experts to step up to the mic. Organizers are actively seeking speakers, workshop leaders, and panelists who can offer real-world insights, hard-won expertise, and tactical takeaways.

Here are three organizations currently accepting speaker applications:

1. NXT Level Collective: Annual Women’s Retreat

Date: November 5, 2025

Deadline to Apply: Rolling, early applications encouragedApply

Here: NXT Level Speaker Application

Now in its third year, the NXT Level Women’s Retreat brings together ambitious women across industries for a day of growth, connection, and strategy. The retreat features keynote speakers, breakout workshops, and community-building experiences. Organizers are looking for local leaders with stories and frameworks that inspire and activate. Ideal speakers have experience in entrepreneurship, leadership, wellness, or personal development.

More information: www.thenxtlevelcollective.com

2. Flower City AI: Local AI Innovation Conference

Date: December 3, 2025

Location: The Little Theatre, Rochester, NY

Deadline to Apply: Rolling

Apply Here: Flower City AI Speaker Application

This one-day gathering brings together Rochester’s growing AI ecosystem across business, healthcare, art, research, and education. Organizers are looking for local speakers who can showcase AI projects, implementations, and challenges with clarity and depth.

Ideal speakers:

  • Entrepreneurs deploying AI in real-world use cases

  • Technical leaders building AI-native tools

  • Researchers working at the intersection of AI and ethics, education, or public policy

  • Designers and creatives leveraging AI in innovative ways

Flower City AI values substance over style. This is not a stage for buzzwords or sales pitches it’s a platform for collaboration and serious conversation.

3. Elevate Women’s Business Summit 2026

Date: April 9, 2026

Deadline to Apply: Applications open now

Apply Here: Elevate Speaker Application

Notification Date: February 1, 2026

Hosted annually in Rochester, the Elevate Summit focuses on helping women build and grow real businesses. The 2026 summit is currently seeking keynote speakers, tactical workshop facilitators, and experienced panelists.

What they’re looking for:

  • No fluff. Real strategies, results, and frameworks that help women grow revenue, systems, and access capital.

  • Founders, funders, and builders who have scaled businesses or closed capital.

  • Content that delivers actionable insights, not self-promotion.

Submissions must come directly from the speaker. PR firms and agents are not accepted. This is a selective process, and speakers should prepare a strong proposal outlining their expertise and intended session takeaways.

Why It Matters

Each of these events reflects a growing movement in Rochester: locally rooted innovation with national relevance. From AI applications to women-led growth strategies, these conferences offer platforms for real expertise and a chance to build visibility among peers, partners, and the broader community.

For local entrepreneurs, executives, creatives, and technologists, these calls for speakers are not just events, they’re invitations to lead.

Stay Connected

For more on regional innovation, funding, and tech events, visit Connected Know, your source for what’s next in Rochester business.