2026 Firebrand Unconference

Ready to be part of what Kitsap builds next?

Firebrand brings together the founders, business owners, innovators, and creators actively shaping Kitsap’s economic future.

Some are building companies rooted in our downtowns and neighborhoods. Others are developing new technologies, manufacturing physical products, advancing ideas in health and life sciences, pursuing government markets, or building businesses that don’t fit neatly into any existing category.

They may be building in very different ways, but many are navigating the same questions:

• Where do we find the right people, knowledge, and capital?
• How do we build something ambitious without losing ourselves in the process?
• What makes it easier—or unnecessarily difficult—to start and grow here?
• And who still doesn’t see Kitsap’s entrepreneurial community as a room meant for them?

Unlike a traditional conference, Firebrand doesn’t begin with a predetermined list of answers. The agenda is shaped by the people in the room and the questions they are genuinely trying to work through.

What to Expect

Throughout the day, you’ll have opportunities to:

• Kick off the day with a thought-provoking opening
• Have candid, founder-only conversations about the realities of building and growing
• Exchange ideas and experiences across industries
• Dig deeper into the topics and challenges that matter most to you
• Connect over a shared community meal
• Bring founder insights into conversation with people positioned to help change the conditions around them
• Build relationships with other people creating, testing, and growing something in Kitsap

Come ready to speak honestly, listen generously, and help make room for what Kitsap can build next.

Who Should Attend

Firebrand is for people actively building, testing, and pursuing something—from experienced business owners and growth-stage founders to technology innovators, manufacturers, creatives, researchers, and emerging founders actively testing an idea.

Firebrand is designed for:

• Founders and business owners actively building or growing a company
• Product, manufacturing, technology, and life sciences innovators
• Creatives and Main Street entrepreneurs bringing ambitious ideas to life
• Founders exploring investment, acquisition, government markets, or other growth pathways
• Researchers, inventors, and emerging founders turning ideas into ventures
• Entrepreneurs who want to build from Kitsap but haven’t yet found their community here

Ticketing Structure

Register early and save—every Pass includes the complete Firebrand Unconference experience.

• Early Bird Unconference Pass: $70
  Available September 20 – October 3
• Firebrand Unconference Pass : $80
  Available October 4 – 31
• Last Change Unconference Pass: $90
  Available November 1 – 18

The Firebrand Unconference is designed exclusively for current business owners and leadership team members.

Keep the Conversation Going at the After Party

Your Firebrand ticket also gets you 50% off your ticket to the Firebrand After Party.

Your discount code will be displayed on your confirmation page and included in your confirmation email after you register.

Matchstick Lab is igniting Kitsap's collective imagination, one entrepreneur at a time.

Matchstick Lab collaborates with regional, national, and international partners to deliver education, investment, and storytelling resources that unlock the full potential of Kitsap’s entrepreneurs and celebrate the region’s distinct heritage, talent and ingenuity.

Thanks to fiscal sponsorship through the Kitsap Community Foundation, Matchstick Lab operates as a 501(c)(3), ensuring accessibility and support for startups, small businesses, and social enterprises. Learn more at matchsticklab.co.

Our sponsors make Firebrand possible, creating room for founders to tackle real challenges, build valuable relationships and connect with the people who can help move bold ideas forward.

Thank you for backing the people building what’s next in and from Kitsap.

Interested in seeing your logo here?

Check out the Sponsorship Opportunities!