On May 8, 2025, the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center creatives, entrepreneurs, service providers, and big-dreamers packed the space for FlintConf 2025—a full-day event built for connection, growth, and unapologetic honesty about what it really takes to run a business.
Presented by Stoke with support from the City of Denton, FlintConf is more than a conference—it’s a home base for Denton’s doers. Here's what made this year’s event unforgettable:
The day kicked off with breakfast and coffee sponsored by The Local Circuit. Heather Gregory, Executive Director of Stoke, opened the morning by sharing why FlintConf exists: to create space for inrpiration, shared learning, and the good that can come when entrepreneurs gather together..
Educational and Inspirational Speakers
Emily Roden, founder of ReadyRosie and Frankly, delivered a keynote that was equal parts inspiring and enlightening. She shared the behind-the-scenes realities of building a tech-based educational platform from Denton—highlighting the pivots, doubts, and lessons learned along the way.
Elle Hall of Girlfriend’s Budget led a dynamic workshop on “Budgeting Like a Boss.” Elle brought her signature mix of financial wisdom and empowering energy, helping attendees break down how to manage money in their businesses without shame or confusion.
Juli James led an interactive session - MVP Prototype Showdown, a rapid-fire session showcasing early-stage business ideas. Participants saw firsthand how experimentation and feedback can transform an abstract concept into something tangible. The ideas prompts were challenging, the ideas were inspired, and the pitches were hilarious.
Creative Connections
We added a few new components this year as we thought about what would be helpful to the attendees. We offered free fun headshots with Will Milne during the lunch hour were a great way to provide professional photography assets to attendees. Additionally, we invited anyone who wanted to the opportunity to introduce themselves and their business to help ignite connections during our networking breaks.
Two rounds of breakout sessions in the afternoon gave attendees a chance to go deep on topics like using AI to enhance and streamline processes, learning tools to address burnout, and understanding how to fight imposter syndrome and find your confidence in the works of entrepreneurship. These sessions were designed to be tactical not theoretical and the feedback was clear: people left with tools and knowledge they could use the next day.
The final speaker, Monique Segovia of The Brown Thumb and winner of the 2024 Denton Pitch Competition closed the day. In her talk, “Rooted in Growth: How Authentic Marketing Can Build a Loyal Small Business Community,” Monique showed how marketing can be an act of care, not just strategy. Her story of building a plant business grounded in identity, accessibility, and joy brought the audience to their feet.
The day wrapped with Happy Hour at Harvest House, where the conversations kept flowing. Over beers and kombuchas, FlintConf attendees reflected, celebrated, and continued planting seeds for what’s next.
You showed up. You asked brave questions. You celebrated each other. You reminded us that business building doesn’t have to be lonely—it can be collaborative, creative, and human. We’ll see you next year for FlintConf 2026. Until then, keep building, keep connecting, and keep that spark alive.
