About The Starties
The Starties hosts IRL events that unite the community of builders (and their supporters) within real money gaming. Our flagship event is The Starties Awards, the only industry awards show dedicated to startups and growth stage companies. Built for startups, by startups, The Starties Awards exists to shine a light on the next generation of leaders, and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit. The inaugural awards were held in March 2025 in NYC, and industry startups were showcased across 9 awards categories - with the winners taking home the coveted Golden Tie.
In addition to the awards, The Starties hosts Networking Parties (including in March 2026 in NYC), as well as informal meetups at key industry conferences. The Starties was co-founded by Travis Geiger and Jesse Learmonth, and The Starties LLC is a joint venture between their respective companies, WagerWire and BettingStartups.