The VC Immersions experience begins with Unscripted, a fast-paced opening session designed to challenge the status quo. Hosted on the sixth floor of the Ledger in Bentonville, this public event brings together founders, funders and thinkers for a candid, high-impact hour of panels.

Rather than sticking to broad overviews, Unscripted zeroes in on some of the most urgent and often overlooked questions in venture capital: Who benefits from the way capital is structured? Are investors ready to shift focus from flashy software to strategic industry tools? Can consumer startups still scale in a high-noise market—and does the AI boom represent real opportunity or just hype?

The event is divided into three thematic tracks, each with a dedicated space and moderator. Attendees are invited to choose their own path based on interest.

Venture Models and Capital Flow

Location: Classroom Room 660
Moderator: Paige Jernigan

This track focuses on the structural underpinnings of venture capital—and whether the incentives baked into today’s model still serve innovation.

• The LP Dilemma: Is Venture’s Back-End Model Holding Innovation Back?
  This panel explores how limited partner (LP) incentives shape VC behavior, and whether new capital models could unlock more founder-first investing.
  11:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• The Evolution of Seed: Platforms, Pre-Seed, and What Still Works
  With early-stage investing in flux, this session looks at how fund structures and founder expectations are evolving—and what’s actually working in today’s seed landscape.
  11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

Industrial Innovation and Geographic Advantage

Location: Bar Area, Sixth Floor
Moderator: Stefan Sterns

This track centers on the rise of overlooked sectors and regions—particularly those driving industrial and dual-use innovation.

• America’s Industrial Revival: Strategic Opportunity or Values Dilemma?
  Panelists discuss whether the surge in industrial and defense-related tech can deliver long-term value across communities—or if it trades inclusivity for geopolitics.
  11:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• Where Venture Should Go: Industrial Stacks or SaaS with Sizzle?
  A direct conversation about where investor attention should be focused: on cash-efficient, essential tech or high-growth software models.
  11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

Sector Strategies and Consumer Conviction

Location: Main Stage (White Box)
Moderator: Frank Barbieri

From the next great consumer brand to the realities of the AI gold rush, this track addresses how founders can stand out in saturated, fast-moving markets.

• Can You Still Build a Billion-Dollar Consumer Brand?
  A discussion on what it takes to scale a modern consumer company amid changing customer expectations and limited marketing channels.
  11:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• The AI Investment Surge: Bubble or Sustainable Growth?
  This panel examines the influx of venture capital into artificial intelligence and whether it signals a foundational shift or speculative bubble. Topics include use cases, valuations and investor diligence.
  11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.
• Redesigning Venture From the Ground Up: What Founders (and LPs) Want That VC Isn’t Giving
  Unscripted culminates with a rare, joint conversation between three of the industry’s sharpest voices:

• Charles Hudson is the managing partner at Precursor Ventures and one of the most candid voices on limited partner dynamics, the 10-year fund model, and early-stage investing.
• Tammy Sun is the founder and CEO of Carrot. She brings deep insight into what founders need most from investors—and how the current model often falls short.
• Phil Libin is the founder and CEO of All Turtles and Airtime. A self-described Silicon Valley rebel, he advocates for founder-first, no-BS capital.

12:10 to 12:20 p.m., followed by closing remarks

Unscripted reflects the tone of VC Immersions: clear-eyed, founder-focused and unafraid to ask hard questions. Whether you’re a first-time founder, a seasoned investor or just curious about what’s next for innovation in the heartland, Unscripted sets the stage for deeper conversations throughout the day.

Register here: https://lu.ma/3fnzbpz5