What to look forward to
Ugly Talk will bring founders together for candid discussions of costly mistakes, setbacks, resilience, and practical ways to respond when things go sideways. The program will feature a keynote from Ben McKean, Hungryroot founder and CEO and former Groupon vice president and general manager, followed by a founder panel and audience Q&A.
Inside the event
Failure gets talked about like it is “part of the journey.” That is the lie. The real thing is messier. Missed bets. Wrong hires. Near-breakdowns. The week you stop sleeping and start doing math at 3:00 AM. Founders are expected to eat it quietly and keep moving. No language for what happened. No playbook for what to do next. Ugly Talk is a founder room for the part nobody posts. No fluff. No consultants. Just builders with scars, talking about the call that cost them. 🎯 Why you should be in this room. Hear what failure cost them. Then hear what they did next. Learn how experienced founders separate self-worth from outcomes when things go sideways. Spot the patterns behind repeat mistakes. And the early signals you should not ignore. Leave with a few concrete moves for the next hard week. Not inspiration. Meet other founders in the thick of it. The ones who are still building. 💬 What's on the table. “Dare to suck”: how permission to fail unlocks real progress The moment things broke: missed opportunities, wrong turns, near-breakdowns, and what changed afterward Failure vs identity: separating self-worth from outcomes Treating setbacks as data: what to measure, what to ignore, and how to decide fast Rejection as redirection: how founders find the signal in the “no” Habits for staying focused and resilient when everything feels uncertain 📋 Run of show 6:00 – 6:30 PM: Reception (check-in & light drinks) 6:30 – 6:40 PM: Welcome remarks 6:40 – 6:50 PM: Keynote Speech by Ben McKean 6:50 – 7:30 PM: Panel Discussion 7:30 – 7:45 PM: Audience Q&A 7:45 – 8:00 PM: Mixer + snacks and drinks 🎤 Featured speakers. Ben McKean - Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hungryroot Ben McKean is the Founder and CEO of Hungryroot, a personalized healthy eating assistant that uses AI to make meal planning, food shopping, and nutrition effortless and enjoyable. Prior to Hungryroot, Ben was a Vice President and General Manager at Groupon, overseeing their food and beverage business. Ben came
Meet in New York, NY
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Open in Google Maps ↗Discovered through Cerebral Valley. Details come from the event listing; registration is managed by the organizer.
Last checked: Oct 13, 2026. Confirm current availability before making plans.