Reno Startup Week is back, and it started off with local business leaders discussing entrepreneurship and AI integration.

Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET) hosted the event.

NCET President Jacob Arroyo says Startup Week lines up with the nonprofit's goal to "connect individuals in the community with different startup founders, bringing together entrepreneurs and bringing in awareness to the tech community that is rapidly growing inside of Reno."

The CEO and founder of a local AI startup says this week highlights new businesses in a way that reflects Reno.

 "Reno is so interesting, right? There's always fits and starts to what we do. That's just kind of our legacy," said Erica Olsen of Madison AI.

Olsen says she thinks "Reno Startup Week is a really good example of just seeing the burgeoning growth, [both] organic and intentional."

Olsen spoke at a panel about how AI can make an impact in the local community.

Her company focuses on helping local governments organize their data and quickly draft reports.

It's just one startup benefiting from what Arroyo calls a growing startup culture.

"With our proximity to the Bay Area and with a lot of the tax breaks that companies can utilize within the state of Nevada," he said, "we're seeing a lot more of a migration from larger companies."

Arroyo says the arrival of larger companies encourages Reno's growth as a tech hub, and one of the organizers for Reno Startup Week says it lets the community see that growth firsthand.

"Reno Startup Week is really just a way where we can bring together the whole community," said Ava Coulter, Head of Marketing for the weeklong celebration.

Coulter says the event invites "people we've relocated, people who are coming from out of town, as well as within Reno, to kind of get together and see what this entrepreneurial ecosystem is all about."

Reno Startup Week continues through Friday. Most of the events, including all of the talks, will be held at the Reno Experience District. Select events will take place at other locations, including Reno Public Market and Whitney Peak Hotel.

If you want to learn more about Reno Startup Week or get a complete schedule of events, you can head to its website.