Tucson's largest entrepreneurial festival returns this week, as TENWEST kicks off its 11th annual conference Tuesday at The Grand at 33 S. 6th Ave.

The largest entrepreneurial festival in the Southwest, TENWEST is expanding to six days this year, running March 24-29 and offering a blend of entertainment, food, hands-on experiences and mixers where creators and small business owners can connect and discuss the future of their work.

This year's theme, "Connecting the dots: how to manage your business in an uncertain marketplace," reflects the current economic climate. While U.S. stocks have been trading high and the GDP has improved, once-predictable markets have grown turbulent amid recent changes in trade policy.

"TENWEST has always tried to cultivate itself as what the local community has needed in that moment," said Marketing Director Mike Plunkett.

The festival has also tried to offer guests an alternative to the overwhelming scale of big-city conferences.

"A lot of these conferences can be big (and include a) lot of moving pieces. People go to a big city and get overwhelmed."

Plunkett said Tucson has a more friendly and inviting feeling. The main hub of the festival is located at The Grand, at South 6th Avenue between Broadway and Congress, with most venues within walking distance or along the streetcar line.

This year's headliner is Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine and host of the podcast "Build for Tomorrow," who will deliver the keynote and serve as a judge for the 2026 IdeaFunding Showcase.

New this year is TENWEST EDU, a series of small-group, hands-on workshops on Tuesday, March 24, designed for founders and creatives who want practical skills. Sessions include a LEGO-based creativity and innovation workshop, an Adobe Creative Suite intensive, a startup validation workshop and a free community session on local spending hosted by Tucson Foodie.

Also new this year, the TENWEST Explores series offers limited-capacity, off-site experiences on Saturday and Sunday, including a behind-the-scenes DJ workshop with KXCI Community Radio, a haunted history tour and cocktail tasting at Hotel Congress, a candle-making workshop with Di Luna Candles, a coffee tasting at Presta Coffee Roasters and a hands-on archaeology session at Pima Community College.

A family-friendly food adventure pop-up is also planned for Saturday at the Children's Museum Tucson.

Beyond the conference sessions, TENWEST Experiences brings the festival into the broader downtown scene. Highlights include TENWEST Unscripted, where local founders share their wildest behind-the-scenes stories before Tucson Improv Movement turns them into live comedy; a featured immersive theatre production from Mallorca, Teen Odyssey, running March 25, 27 and 28 at Roy Place; and an Arizona premiere screening of the documentary "Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession" on March 29 at the University of Arizona's Marroney Theatre.

The IdeaFunding Pitch Showcase will return to the historic Rialto Theatre on March 26, featuring more than $50,000 in prizes in Southern Arizona's longest-running startup pitch competition.

Plunkett said he is proud of the diversity of businesses brought together by TENWEST, ranging from experienced entrepreneurs to people looking to get their startups off the ground.

"People just want to feel like they have what they need so they can pursue their business and pursue it on their own terms," he said.

Purchase tickets and learn more at tenwest.com/starthere.

Quentin Agnello is a University of Arizona alum and freelance journalist in Tucson. Contact him at qsagnello@gmail.com.

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