At a Glance
What’s Happening
Find your next session fast.
Use the day tabs below for times, session choices, presenters, and full session details.
Your Schedule
Catapult Agenda
Tap a day, then choose the session that fits what you need most.
Registration
Pick up your swag bag, Cubs ticket, and annual planning materials before the event begins.
Welcome Reception
Kick off Catapult with your advisor and fellow entrepreneurs over cocktails, light bites, and connection.
Build a Business Buyers Compete to Buy
Prepare your company to attract multiple buyers, avoid costly exit mistakes, and create competitive tension.
Presented by: Cornerstone Business Services, Inc.
Room: Gallery Ballroom
Full OverviewBecome Fundable Before You Need Funding
Learn what lenders evaluate, how to strengthen your funding profile, and which financing options may exist beyond a traditional bank loan.
Presented by: Pacific Business Funding
Room: Marlborough
Full OverviewWho Killed the Company? A Cybersecurity Murder Mystery
Take the mystery out of everyday cybersecurity risks—from shared access to sensitive documents—and learn how a stronger security strategy can help protect your business and build trust.
Presented by: Spot Migration
Room: Barrington
Full OverviewStop Managing Everyone the Same Way
Adjust your leadership style to improve performance, development, and accountability.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Stanford
Full OverviewBuilding Rockstar Performers in 90 Days
Use a simple framework to help a new hire or existing employee become a stronger performer within 90 days.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Gallery Ballroom
Full OverviewThe 5 Financial Numbers Every Business Owner Needs
Interpret five financial signals that reveal what is driving profitability and where growth is getting stuck.
Presented by: Kommas with Kellé
Room: Marlborough
Full OverviewTurn Your Business Equity Into Retirement Freedom
Understand how the structure and timing of a future sale can affect taxes, income, investments, and financial flexibility.
Presented by: Kuttin Wealth Management
Room: Barrington
Full OverviewTake Control of Business Spending Before It Happens
Replace reactive expense reviews with clear policies, automated approvals, and real-time visibility.
Presented by: Ramp
Room: Stanford
Full OverviewEvening Celebration
Celebrate with dinner, music, an open bar, and more as we officially kick off the conference.
Coffee & Welcome
Start the day with coffee and connection before the morning keynote.
Become the #1 Choice in a Crowded Market
Keynote with Gerry O'BrionDiscover the Because Framework and strengthen the reason customers should choose your business.
Room: Main Stage
Full OverviewMastering the Art of Annual Planning
Keynote with Casey ClarkBuild your 2027 strategic plan using Cultivate’s annual planning framework and connect today’s priorities to the long-term value of your business.
Room: Main Stage
Full OverviewNetworking Break
Visit our sponsors, connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and recharge before the next session.
Make Your Annual Plan Actually Happen
Use a simple operating framework that keeps priorities visible, teams aligned, and execution moving.
Presented by: Propel
Room: Stanford
Full OverviewProfitable on Paper, Broke in the Bank
Learn which numbers every owner should check monthly and how a business can grow sales while still ending up with less cash in the bank.
Presented by: Breakwater Accounting + Advisory
Room: Barrington
Full OverviewBuilding a Sales Growth Engine with Agentic Marketing
See how agentic AI can connect strategy, messaging, content, publishing, and sales support into a more scalable growth engine.
Presented by: RogIQ
Room: Gallery Ballroom
Full OverviewHiring: Right People, Right Seats
Define roles clearly, evaluate candidates consistently, and avoid common hiring mistakes.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Marlborough
Full OverviewNetworking Lunch
Visit our sponsors, connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and fuel up over lunch.
Build Smarter Systems with AI
Build repeatable business systems that leverage AI to improve consistency, capacity, and scale.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Gallery Ballroom
Full OverviewProtect Your Business Value During a Sale
Understand today’s M&A market, buyer types, and deal terms that can reduce your payout or derail a transaction.
Presented by: Benchmark
Room: Stanford
Full OverviewBeyond Service: Design an Exceptional Client Experience
Identify the moments that shape customer perception and strengthen loyalty and referrals.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Marlborough
Full OverviewIncrease Your Close Rate – From Maybe to Yes
Communicate value more effectively and guide qualified opportunities toward a clear decision.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Barrington
Full OverviewNetworking Break
Visit our sponsors, connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and recharge before the next session.
Grow Without Growing Your Ad Budget
Build a repeatable referral and partnership system that generates qualified leads without increasing spend.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Stanford
Full OverviewWhen Growth Outpaces Your Systems: Financial Challenges of Managing Multiple Entities
Explore how connected reporting, intercompany transactions, forecasting, and bill pay can improve financial visibility as a multi-entity business grows.
Presented by: Intuit – QuickBooks
Room: Marlborough
Full OverviewGrow Your Team Without Growing Your HR Risk
Assess your HR practices and build the policies, systems, and safeguards your business needs as it grows.
Presented by: Blackwell HR
Room: Barrington
Full OverviewExpand Your Business Through Acquisitions
Understand how to identify, evaluate, finance, and execute acquisitions that fit your growth strategy.
Presented by: Cultivate
Room: Gallery Ballroom
Full OverviewExtended Networking Break
Visit our sponsors, connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and recharge before heading to Wrigley Field.
Gather for Group Photo & Load Buses to Wrigley
Gather for the Catapult group photo before boarding transportation for Wrigley Field.
Cubs Game @ Wrigley Field
Transportation, tickets, a food voucher, and post-game return are included.
Bus Pick Up: Irving Park & Sheffield Road (Same as drop off point)
After the game, return to Irving Park & Sheffield Road, the same location as drop-off, for transportation back to the hotel.
Networking Roundtables & Coffee
Start the day with coffee, connection, and conversation before the first roundtable block.
AI & Tech Enablement
Explore where AI and technology can save time, automate repetitive work, improve the customer experience, and help your business operate smarter in 2027.
Room: Main Stage
Sales
Share strategies for building a more predictable sales engine—from generating better opportunities and improving conversion to shortening the sales cycle and reducing owner dependency.
Room: Main Stage
Recruiting
Discuss how to attract, hire, onboard, and retain the people your business needs to successfully execute your 2027 growth plan.
Room: Main Stage
Marketing
Explore what’s actually driving demand—from your best-performing channels and ideal customers to positioning, ROI, nurturing, and where to focus your marketing investment in 2027.
Room: Main Stage
Leadership
Identify where you may be the bottleneck and exchange ideas for building stronger leaders, improving alignment, delegating effectively, and reducing the business’s dependence on you.
Room: Main Stage
Productivity
Share practical ways to eliminate low-value work, improve processes, strengthen accountability, and turn your 2027 priorities into consistent execution.
Room: Main Stage
Taking Action
Bring the conference together, organize next steps, and finalize the priorities that will move your 2027 plan forward.
Plans Don’t Change Businesses. Leaders Do.
Closing Keynote with Rachel BalkovecLearn how strong leaders turn ambitious plans into daily execution and build cultures of accountability.
Room: Main Stage
Full OverviewNetworking Lunch & Depart
Grab lunch, connect with your advisor and fellow attendees, and wrap up your Catapult experience before departure.
Find Your Way
Room Guide
Check each session card for the exact room assignment.
Main Stage Room
1st Floor • Main Conference Area • Keynotes & Peer Roundtables
Gallery Ballroom
1st Floor • Next Door to Main Stage • Used Monday & Tuesday for Breakout Sessions
Barrington
2nd Floor • Near Elevators • Used Monday & Tuesday for Breakout Sessions
Marlborough
2nd Floor • Directly Top of Stairs to the Right • Used Monday & Tuesday for Breakout Sessions
Stanford
2nd Floor • Left of Stairs • Used Monday & Tuesday for Breakout Sessions
Check Your Session Card
Each Monday Learning Lab and Tuesday breakout lists its assigned room directly in the agenda.
Good to Know
Event Information
Location
Attire
Tuesday at Wrigley Field
Independent Planning Time
Thank You
Catapult Sponsors
Tap any sponsor to learn more.
Need Help During Catapult?
Visit the Catapult team onsite or text Mack Walker, Director of Client Services, for help during the event.
Text Mack: 614.347.0856