Most companies do not die in one dramatic moment.

About this Event

Most companies do not die in one dramatic moment.

It starts with a call that looked right at the time. A sales plan that burned cash. A cofounder fight nobody addressed. A funding round that disappeared. An operational miss that put the whole company at risk.

This Ugly Talk goes straight into those moments.

🎯 Why you should be in this room.

The warning signs founders saw too late.
The hard calls they made with incomplete information.
The moves that bought them time, trust, or another shot.
The ways a major setback changed how they hired, raised, sold, and led.
Proof that one ugly decision does not have to be the last one.

💬 What's on the table.

The mistake: What decision set the problem in motion?
The moment it got real: When did you know the company was in danger?
The cost: What did the mistake take from the business, the team, or you?
The hard call: What did you choose when every option carried a consequence?
The move: What bought the company another chance?
The scar: What do you see now that you could not see then?

🎤 Featured speakers.

Julie Elaine Brown - Founder & CEO, Lumine

Julie Elaine Brown has founded five companies, taken one to acquisition, and is now building Lumine, an AI-powered longevity platform for women in perimenopause, one of the largest and least served markets. Her first exit came with InnerRewards, which she took from a $4.17 million Series A to acquisition. She later co-founded Rêve Health, a precision biomarker company, after reversing her biological age by fifteen years. Over twenty-five years she has led growth strategy for Apple, Google, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Goldman Sachs. She offers a founder’s candid view of what it takes to build, lose, and build again.

Marita Genebashvili - Head of Investor Relations, Climatic

Marita Genebashvili is a three-time founder who has built companies across industries, including a healthy meal-plan delivery company, a vertical farm, and a nonprofit serving 500 kids a month. For the past five years, she has been woven into Boston's startup ecosystem, supporting founders through accelerators, investor programs, and networking communities. Today she leads investor relations at Climatic, a climate tech infrastructure deployment company, while building Strangers to Friends, an event series that turns rooms full of strangers into genuine connections. Having learned her best lessons the hard way, Marita brings practical stories about the mistakes that nearly ended it.

Nathaniel Sugarman - Senior Associate, Pearl Cohen

Nathaniel Sugarman is a business attorney who helps founders, entrepreneurs, and investors make the high-stakes decisions that come with building a company. He advises on company formation, financings, restructurings, M&A, and complex corporate and commercial transactions. Nate is the lawyer clients call when the stakes are high and the path isn’t clear. He takes the time to understand the business and the people behind it, then gives them straight answers and a clear next move. Nate holds an LL.M. in International Law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is admitted to practice in MA, NJ, and NY.

🤝 Who's hosting it.

Deveney Williams - Founder & CEO, Sunny Side Up

Deveney Williams is the founder and CEO of Sunny Side Up, a Boston creative agency that gets brands in front of the right customers by marrying the technical to the beautiful. With 10+ years across brand strategy, creative operations, and visual storytelling for brands like Adobe, NPR, Dropbox, and SpaceX, she now partners with funded founders to turn traction into a brand the market actually remembers. Curiosity is her operating principle, and clarity is the deliverable. She splits her time between client work, building SSU’s team, and finding Boston’s best cortado.

🙋 Who's getting in.

Founders carrying a decision they cannot afford to get wrong.
Cofounders working through friction before it becomes a fracture.
Early-stage operators making big calls with limited time and cash.
Investors and leaders who stand beside founders when the story gets ugly.

🤝 Who's backing this.

Venture Lane

Venture Lane serves early-stage B2B tech founders who seek acceleration and meaningful connection. We provide a curated startup hub that brings together human connection and focused programming to help founders make real progress across capital, customer, talent, and product milestones.

Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up is a Boston creative agency that gets brands in front of the right customers by marrying the technical to the beautiful. Good work deserves to be found.

⭐ About Ugly Talk

Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough "aha!" moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.

With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we've built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.

Official Website: UglyTalk.com

📢 Important Notice for Ugly Talk Attendees

Admission & Confirmation

Attendance is by approval only. Approved guests will receive a confirmation email along with a calendar invite. Invitations are non-transferable. Additional event details will be shared as the event approaches.

Code of Conduct

By attending, you agree to:

Maintain respect and professionalism, adhering to all venue rules, policies, and applicable laws.
Refrain from harassment, discrimination, unwelcome sexual advances (verbal or physical), intimidation, or inappropriate photography/recording.
Report any violations to the event hosts immediately.

Violations may result in immediate removal from the event and exclusion from future invitations.

Liability & Risk

Participation is voluntary and at your own risk. The event organizers, hosts, sponsors, and venue are not liable for personal injury, lost or stolen belongings, or any other damages incurred during the event.

Media Consent

By attending, you grant the event organizers and affiliated entities the right to capture, use, and distribute photos, videos, and audio recordings of you for promotional, marketing, and other lawful purposes, including digital and print media, advertising, and social media. You waive any right to inspect or approve the final materials and release all claims related to their use.

Communications

By registering, you agree to receive marketing and promotional communications from Ugly Talk and its co-hosts, partners, and sponsors. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Agreement

If you do not agree to this Code of Conduct, please refrain from attending the event.

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