FORM KM-2026 / SHAREHOLDER SUMMIT STATUS: REGISTRATION_OPEN // [TICKETS_LIVE]

SHAREHOLDER SUMMIT

Annual Shareholder Meeting
In Person + Live Streamed
Portland, OR → Sat 11 Jul 2026
Tickets Now Available Can't make it? Watch the live stream →
CHANNEL_01: BOARDROOM REC 00:42:18
A boardroom presentation. Mike, in a white shirt and tie, points to a screen showing a K5M Share Price line graph for 2026. Two attendees watch from a marble conference table.
§ DISPATCH / TO THE SHAREHOLDERS DOC_REV.01

The Shareholder Summit is an annual celebration of the shareholders who make KmikeyM possible. This year, in addition to the live-stream, the event is happening in person in Portland, Oregon. Mike will give a keynote address and then hand over the reins to the shareholders.

The day includes a gift bag, coffee, and a catered lunch. The after-party, co-hosted by the Guerrilla Happy Hour team, is open to all.

The 2026 summit runs under the theme ‘Long Confidence’. With KmikeyM reaching 18 years of existence it’s a celebration of longevity, adaptability, and what it takes to maintain creative engagement with the juggernaut of capitalism. These are people who kept doing their thing long enough that it stopped being a ‘project’ and became something like a career, but much weirder.

SPEAKER_REGISTRY 08 CONFIRMED

The people on the bill. Each one posts here as they clear publication.

  • Marcus Estes, master of ceremonies
    SESSION 01 / MC

    Marcus Estes

    MC + Opening Remarks

    Our host for the day, Marcus is a long time shareholder and collaborator. We co-founded Chroma and have worked on many projects. Marcus will give us a plan for the day and explain what ‘Long Confidence’ means in this context.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Mike Merrill, the publicly traded person
    SESSION 02 / KEYNOTE

    Mike Merrill

    Keynote: KmikeyM at 18

    I’ve been publicly traded for 18 years and KmikeyM has evolved with me. Sometimes I think of it as me, sometimes as something outside of me. Recently I’ve been thinking of it as kind of both. The keynote will be a bit of an annual report about where things stand but also what the KmikeyM “long con” has given me (and what it has cost me), and why I plan to keep it up.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Chris Higgins, panel moderator
    PANEL / MODERATOR

    Chris Higgins

    Panel moderator

    I’ve wanted to work with Chris forever and finally got to bring him on to HBR Season 2. As a writer, filmmaker, and podcaster, Chris balances a sense of being interested in everything with a detached journalistic integrity. He’s the perfect moderator for our panel discussion.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Zach Dundas, Writing Long Form panelist
    SESSION 03 / PANELIST

    Zach Dundas

    Writing Long Form panel

    A magazine editor and author, Zach wrote The Renegade Sportsman (2010), the impetus for us launching Portland Sportsman, a sports enthusiasts publication covering every game the city had to offer at the time.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Neven Mrgan, lunch pizzaiolo
    LUNCH / PIZZAIOLO

    Neven Mrgan

    Made-to-order pizza

    Neven has a pizza problem opportunity. He’s been working the kitchen in the Panic office since before I left in 2013. Today we all get to try his pizza which he has been perfecting and posting about online for so long that part of the reason I am even doing this event is just to get a slice. I love that his long-running obsession benefits everyone around him.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • SESSION 04 / ANONYMOUS

    In conversation with Mike

    A long-running enterprise of dubious legality. We can’t say who or what, but I’ll sit down with the mystery guest for a frank conversation about running a business “off the books.”

    [ANONYMOUS]
  • Kathryn Borel
    SESSION 06 / CLOSING

    Kathryn Borel

    Closing Conversation

    An avowed non-shareholder, Kathryn is more formally known as a television writer, and also my ex. But we’re still friends! Today she’s talking to her friend Sheila about how to show up for someone else’s creative life. I saw this happen in real time when we lived together, and it involves a PowerPoint presentation.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Sheila Heti
    SESSION 06 / CLOSING

    Sheila Heti

    Closing Conversation

    I became friends with Sheila because I was dating her friend. And I became her fan when I read her books. I secretly had to stay friends with Kathryn or I probably wouldn’t get to still be friends with Sheila. If you love her work, then you are welcome, because Sheila was my “big get” for the Summit. And if you’re not a fan yet, you will be.

    [CONFIRMED]
SHOW_AND_TELL / SESSION 05 / 4 × 5 MIN [4 OF 4 POSTED]

Show & Tell is four people who have worked out their own ways of maintaining the long con. Names post below as they clear publication.

  • Faith Dionne
    [CONFIRMED]

    Faith Dionne

    CPG

    Faith and I went to high school in Alaska together. She went on to an amazing culinary career and now works in the CPG space. She is a constant builder of community and new ventures, and I can't wait to hear from her.

  • Ethan Rose
    [CONFIRMED]

    Ethan Rose

    Sound

    I've known Ethan over 20 years and always wanted to work with him, especially after he founded his design studio with a focus on audio installations. Still never found a project for us to do together, but I'm a fan of his work.

  • Neven Mrgan
    [CONFIRMED]

    Neven Mrgan

    Food

    Neven has been perfecting his pizza in the Panic office kitchen since before I left the company in 2013. A decade-plus obsession that now feeds everyone around him. He's also making lunch today, so treat this as the origin story.

  • J. Graves
    [CONFIRMED]

    J. Graves

    Music

    I first met J. Graves when we infiltrated the NY Toy Fair together. Little did I realize this was just her day job. More than ten years later I only think of her as a musician. I'm fascinated by anyone who splits their identity and looking forward to hearing about how J. Graves manages it.

SPONSORS_AND_SUPPORT [ROSTER_FORMING]

The people and outfits making the day possible. More post here as they sign on.

  • Panic
    SUPPORT / VENUE

    Panic

    Venue Host

    I worked at Panic for 10 years and while I never went to college I consider my time spent here as a substitute for my lack of formal education. I saw how to make pixel perfect software, how to build and delight customers, and how to let the great product be the focus.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Aaron Parecki
    SUPPORT / BROADCAST

    Aaron Parecki

    Broadcast Partner

    I have no idea why Aaron is essentially the CTO of KmikeyM but I am so glad he is. He’s become a lot more than just the architect of the code over the years and for this event he is playing a totally different role as director/producer of the live stream.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Portland Game Library
    SUPPORT / SPONSOR

    Portland Game Library

    Official Sponsor

    I love board games, but not as much as my brother Gene, who is one of the founders of Portland Game Library. If you live in Portland you can have some number of a massive 800+ game inventory delivered to your home. I am jealous this didn’t exist when I was in Portland.

    [CONFIRMED]
  • Alex Mahan
    AFTER PARTY / GHH

    Alex Mahan

    Guerrilla Happy Hour co-host

    Alex and I have been doing GHH for a very, very long time. Before that we did projects, shared studio space, and we met after he competed in Ultimate Blogger. Our unauthorized happy hour tonight is also the official after-party for the Shareholder Summit.

    [CONFIRMED]