FounderX 2023: Silicon Valley, CA

FI Network members from 40 countries joined us in Silicon Valley for FounderX 2023.

Event Speakers

FounderX 2023 featured talks from top global experts on startups and venture capital.

  • EVAN GOLDBERG: Evan Goldberg is a Co-Founder of NetSuite, which was acquired by Oracle in 2016 for approximately $9.3BN. Evan now leads the Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit. He and his team are responsible for the product strategy, development, and delivery of NetSuite’s unified business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, ecommerce, and more. In 1998, Evan co-founded NetSuite and it was the first cloud computing company – ushering in the new era of cloud computing. Prior to Oracle’s acquisition of NetSuite, Evan was CTO and Chairman of the NetSuite board.

  • JASON CALACANIS: Jason Calacanis is an entrepreneur, author, and angel investor in over 250 startups, including 7 "unicorns". He also hosts the popular podcasts 'This Week in Startups' and 'All-In'. Named “arguably the world’s greatest angel investor” by The Twenty Minute VC, Jason was among the early investors in companies such as Uber, Robinhood, Wealthfront, Thumbtack, and Trello. He is the author of "Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups" (Harper Collins, 2017) and serves as Founder & CEO of LAUNCH (which encompasses the LAUNCH Festival and the LAUNCH Incubator). Additionally, he is the Founder & CEO of Inside.com, among other ventures.

  • PETER PHAM: Peter Pham is the Co-Founder of startup studio/incubator Science, which was behind Dollar Shave Club ($1B exit to Unilever), Liquid Death, and more. Peter leads the effort to raise money for Science incubated companies which has totaled $400M. By focusing on business development throughout his career and building a robust and strong network, Peter has sharpened his skills in identifying the best talent behind strong brand identity, as seen with his hands-on work with PlayVS, Liquid Death, and Mammoth Media. Previously as an operator, he has helped companies like Photobucket as employee No. 5, spearheading growth and corporate development, thereby leading the company to its $300M acquisition of MySpace, as well as lending his insights as co-founder and CEO of BillShrink, which was acquired by MasterCard in 2012. 

  • EREN BALI: Eren Bali co-founded Udemy (Silicon Valley FI Alum) in January 2010 and has served as a member of Udemy’s board of directors since then. Mr. Bali also served as Udemy’s Chief Executive Officer from January 2010 to April 2014. Mr. Bali currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Health, a technology-enabled healthcare provider, which he co-founded in October 2015. Carbon Health operates more than 125 brick-and-mortar clinics in 13 U.S. states along with virtual care services, and provides care for more than a million patients. Mr. Bali serves on the boards of directors of various private companies.

  • BARBARA BELVISI: Barbara Belvisi is the Founder and CEO at Interstellar Lab, which develops food production and habitation modules for sustainable living on Earth and space. She is also a Co-founder of Hardware Club, the first community based investment firm dedicated to hardware startups. Barbara started her career in finance at 22, investing in tech companies worldwide, and launched several global initiatives to foster scientific innovation and entrepreneurship. Youngest woman founder of a venture capital fund at 26, she is in the top 1O Women in Tech in France and Forbes Top 1OO in Europe in 2O18. Self-taught in engineering and architecture, Barbara is passionate about space, biology, and AI.

  • JED KATZ: Jed Katz is a Co-Founder & Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners, where he sits on the boards of Thumbtack, SmartAsset, HighArc, Landed, Fello, Arrive and Linqia, and is a board observer for MasterClass, Carbon Health and Homeward. One of the true pioneers of online commerce, Jed has spent his career developing, advising, and investing in early-stage technology ventures, including founding four companies. He was also appointed by President Biden to be on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

  • GEORGE PLOSS: George Ploss is the Head of Venture Capital Practice and Head of Oracle NetSuite Startup Accelerator, where he takes the resources of Oracle-NetSuite and uses them to accelerate the success of startups in incubators. He was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign where he received his MBA in finance and strategic leadership along with his bachelor's in African American studies and Political Science. While in undergrad, George enlisted in the Marine Corps, Reserves where he served a total of nine years. 

  • NICHOL BRADFORD: Nichol Bradford is a Co-Founder and Partner at Nirmeia Collective, a seed-stage venture fund; and Co-Founder of TransformativeTech.org, a global ecosystem dedicated to educating, gathering, and activating wellbeing of tech founders, investors, and innovators – with 9000 members in 72 countries. Nichol is a pioneer, innovator, investor, and thought leader at the intersection of technology and human transformation. She shapes global thinking as a speaker, futurist, strategist, and author. She is also a senior interactive entertainment executive. Nichol has been responsible for strategy, operations, marketing, and production roles at major brands that include: Epic Games, Activision Blizzard, Disney, and Vivendi.

  • KAMAL HASSAN: Kamal Hassan is a Managing Partner at Loyal VC, a global venture fund designed to offer above-average returns while preserving capital, through diversification and a unique gate-stage investing process that reduces bias. Loyal is the fund Kamal wished he had available during his 20-year career as an entrepreneurial CEO, and 15 years as an angel investor. It draws upon his professional and philanthropic experiences and networks formed as a Global Director with the Founder Institute accelerator, former INSEAD Alumni Association President, a consultant at Bain & Co, and as an engineer at IMAX.  He has an INSEAD MBA and a degree in engineering physics from Queen's University. He has traveled to over 100 countries and speaks 5 languages.

  • ADEO RESSI: Adeo Ressi is CEO of Decile Group, which runs the leading venture capital accelerator VC Lab and operates the Decile Hub platform. Adeo is also Executive Chairman at the Founder Institute. Adeo has launched 14 VC funds and founded 11 startups, having nearly $2 billion in exits before the age of 30. He previously served on the Board of the X Prize foundation to pursue his interests in space exploration, and studied architecture and spent time living on a commune to explore his interests in designing better ways to live. Adeo is passionate about inspiring people to achieve their potential.

  • DANIEL SYLVESTER: Daniel Sylvester is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Financial Services Team. Mr. Sylvester’s practice focuses on the representation of borrowers and lenders in senior secured credit facilities, second-lien credit facilities, real estate finance and syndicated credit facilities. Mr. Sylvester is a member of Holland & Knight’s Diversity Council and serves as a co-chair of the firm’s DiverseAbility Affinity Group. Mr. Sylvester served as chair/co-chair of the firm’s Veterans Group for 10 years. Mr. Sylvester began his career by serving more than 10 years as an army officer. Mr. Sylvester served on the U.S. humanitarian operations into Bosnia and the Dayton Peace Accord’s multinational NATO logistics command for the former Yugoslavia.

  • CLIFF DEGROOT: Cliff DeGroot is a Partner at Holland & Knight. He focuses his practice on counseling startups on governance and general corporate matters from formation to financing to eventual sale. He has extensive experience forming and structuring corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships, and frequently advises clients on mergers, acquisitions and private placements of convertible notes, preferred stock, limited liability company interests and limited partnerships to angel investors, venture capital groups and private equity funds.

  • GENEVIEVE LEMARCHAL: Genevieve LeMarchal is the Managing Partner of Suncoast Ventures. She spearheaded Expert Dojo’s healthcare program, overseeing three full cohorts of health tech and medtech startups. This led her to become one of Southern California's most active early-stage VC investors (as recognized by Crunchbase, 2022) and the winner of the 2022 Biocom Lifescience Catalyst Award. Genevieve is passionate about innovating financial models and discovering optimized ways to structure and finance companies and deals. In her illustrious career, she has served as a Partner at a science-focused advisory and fund formation, held the position of General Partner at the Oregon-based FoundersPad VC Fund II, and co-founded the XXcelerate Fund. She also hosts the AdVentureous Podcast.

  • MARTIN TOBIAS: Martin Tobias is the founder of Incisive Ventures, a Pre-Seed Fund based in Seattle. Incisive Ventures invests in technology companies that reduce friction at scale, leveraging the vast network Martin built as an angel investor in over 60 companies in the sector. Among these, 4 stand out as unicorns that have collectively secured $2.5B+ in follow-on financing. Martin's entrepreneurial journey is extensive. He has invested in over 250 companies as an angel, partnered with a major VC firm, and has become a limited partner in over a dozen VC funds. Additionally, he founded the leading Angel network, Element8. With experience from Microsoft, Accenture, and as a three-time venture-backed CEO, Martin has successfully secured over $500M in funding for his companies, marking two of them with successful IPOs.

  • ALI JAMAL: Ali Jamal is a founding partner at First Check Ventures. With over 10 years of experience, he has held various Product and Growth roles at companies like Zynga, RockYou, Agoda, Rappi, and most recently at PayClip, one of LatAm's fastest-growing FinTech companies. He is also an accomplished angel investor, having completed more than 200 deals.

  • JUKKA ALANEN: Jukka Alanen is the Managing Partner of Rebellion Ventures where he focuses on helping entrepreneurs build revolutionary AI and Automation companies. Rebellion Ventures is a Silicon Valley based seed/pre-seed investment firm that helps entrepreneurs build AI and Automation startups that revolutionize operations and business models. Previously, Jukka was a senior operating executive and built three VC-backed companies to $3.5B in IPO and M&A exits. Most recently, he was SVP of Strategy, Business & Corporate Development at PagerDuty, where he helped take the company public ($2.8B IPO) and led the strategy to revolutionize digital operations with AI and Automation.

  • LEAH EDWARDS: Leah Edwards is the Director of Investment at Lighter Capital. She is deeply passionate about supporting startups and entrepreneurs. Leah's startup journey began as a pivotal member of the founding team of a digital marketing platform named Post Communications. Under her guidance, the platform was successfully sold for $380 million in two years. Her continued career as a serial co-founder in Enterprise Software, Marketing Automation, and Sustainability sectors led to several influential positions. Today, she dedicates her expertise to funding emerging companies, mentoring founders and executives, and providing invaluable advice to individuals, corporates, family offices, and VCs with a keen interest in startups.

  • ADAM SPECTOR: Adam Spector is the founder and CEO of Levy. Levy serves as the back-office operations team for founders, handling HR, finance, compliance, and equity. In his past roles, Adam was a product leader, CEO, company founder, and operations jack-of-all-trades, ensuring the engineering team could remain focused. An accomplished investor and founder, he has established four companies and invested in over 100. He takes pleasure in building stellar teams, streamlining processes, and crafting stories that unify a company around a shared mission. Helping others build successful businesses brings him joy, and he believes it positively impacts the world.

  • TORREY SMITH: Torrey Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Endiatx. He started his career in several medtech startups as an R&D engineer. After a decade of bringing other people's dreams and visions to life, he decided to make his own mark in the industry. His passion for sci-fi inspired him to develop the PillBot™, an innovative device set to transform the endoscopy devices market. He is also an accomplished designer and artist, with features both internationally and at the Smithsonian.

  • MERCEDES BANKSTON: Mercedes Bankston is the Director of the FI Silicon Valley program and an Advisor to Loyal VC. She specializes in jump-starting new business units, re-launching failed units, and rolling out new products, primarily in innovative technical companies. She is also an expert in global investments in high-potential tech startups.

  • MIKE SHERBAKOV: Mike Sherbakov serves as General Partner at The Veteran Fund, a pre-seed venture capital fund in Silicon Valley, and Managing Director of the FI San Diego program. As the CEO of Greatness Ventures, he led the organization to thousands of investor members and hundreds of companies in their portfolio. Their venture philanthropy arm has built homes in underdeveloped communities since 2014 and continues to lead impact trips open for the community to join. Mike previously founded three startups, helped grow two companies from $0 to over $20M, and consulted with leading brands including Fitbit, lululemon athletica, Equinox, and Qualcomm.

  • IHAR MAHANIOK : Ihar Mahaniok is a Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, a venture capital firm that emphasizes backing immigrant founders building US tech companies. Companies he has supported at pre-seed and seed stages include unicorns such as Instacart, PandaDoc, People.ai, Chainalysis, Airbyte, and Jeeves, among a roster of 100+ other enterprises. Ihar is deeply passionate about identifying and bolstering talented entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, helping them realize their vision, and making a significant impact.

  • LISA SONG SUTTON: Lisa Song Sutton serves as a General Partner at the $20M pre-seed venture capital fund, The Veteran Fund, which invests in veteran and military spouse-led companies in the technology and dual-use spaces. Lisa Song Sutton is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and former Miss Nevada. She began her business career working in a top Las Vegas law firm, specializing in business litigation, and subsequently ventured into creating her own companies. As a diversified entrepreneur, Lisa has scaled multiple 7- and 8-figure companies.

  • GUC OZENCI: Guc Ozenci is the Managing Director of the FI Washington DC program. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, technology professional, and thriving leader with strong, harmonizing people skills and a proven track record in connecting business needs with technology and innovation. Guc has co-founded a SaaS startup, raised two rounds of VC funding, and led its exit through acquisition. He is also an angel investor and advisor to multiple early-stage ventures, with valuations of follow-on rounds ranging from 3x to 7x.

  • JULY ANDRAOUS: July Andraous is a Managing Partner at Jambaar Capital, an inclusive, female-led fund that boosts African tech start-ups in both revenue growth and positive social impact by providing founders access to capital, networks, and partnerships. Jambaar Capital believes that unlocking the economic potential of the African continent will generate global benefits, ultimately leading to a more equitable and sustainable world.

  • JONATHAN GREECHAN: Jonathan Greechan is Co-Founder and CEO of the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. Since 2009, Jonathan has grown and scaled the organization to chapters in over 200 cities and 95 countries, which have produced over 6500 portfolio companies with nearly $2 billion in venture funding. He also serves as an Advisor to Oxford Entrepreneurs (Oxford University), Horasis, and the USC Incubator (University of Southern California). Previously, Jonathan was a Partner of TheFunded.com; Executive Producer of the Founder Showcase; and Product Manager at RealNetworks (RNWK), a company he joined after its acquisition of Game Trust (a startup that raised $18M+ in venture capital, where he built and led all marketing and content).

FounderX 2023: Agenda

FounderX was an ‘unconference’ that combined traditional conference elements in a fun and informal environment.

Day One Agenda: Wednesday, November 1st

10:30AM - 5:30PM PT @ WeWork San Mateo (400 Concar Drive) - see travel & parking info

The first day of FounderX is all about making connections in an informal setting. We will convene at WeWork for the whole day, and there will be small facilitated workshops, matched meetings, office hours, and co-working.

Please note Day 1 is not open to Enrolled Founders that were invited to FounderX.

10:30AM – 5:30PM PT: 

ALL-DAY CO-WORKING AND FACILITATED OFFICE HOURS/ MEETINGS  (4TH FLOOR NETWORKING SUITE)

The FounderX Networking Suite on the 4th Floor serves as the home base for the day. Coffee and drinks are available in the lobby common space.

11AM – 12PM PT: 

SPEED NETWORKING (4TH FLOOR)

12PM – 1PM: 

LUNCH, BY HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP (4TH FLOOR)

Holland & Knight LLP is a global law firm that provides representation in litigation, business, real estate, healthcare and governmental law.

FOURTH FLOOR NETWORKING SUITE

1PM – 2PM: Office Hours & Matched Meetings

2PM - 2:30PM: Fundraising Heuristics Workshop

Featuring Kamal Hassan (Managing Director of Loyal VC)

2:30 - 3PM: Funding and Legal Negotiations Workshop

Featuring Kamal Hassan (Managing Director of Loyal VC) and Cliff DeGroot (Partner at Holland & Knight LLP)

3PM - 4PM: Office Hours (4th Floor)

SECOND FLOOR MEETING SUITE

1PM – 1:30PM: Non-Dilutive Financing Workshop

Featuring Leah Edwards (Investment Director at Lighter Capital)

1:30PM - 2PM: ‘Managing the Unsexy Side of Startups’ Workshop

Featuring Adam Spector (Founder & CEO of Levy)

2:15PM – 4PM:  Founder Institute Local Leader Summit

A private planning and discussion meeting for FI Accelerator Leaders from across the globe. Invite-only.

4PM – 5:30PM: 

HAPPY HOUR NETWORKING, BY HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP

Holland & Knight LLP is a global law firm that provides representation in litigation, business, real estate, healthcare and governmental law.

DINNER:

While Founder Institute Accelerator Leaders convene for a private dinner, we recommend others dine at The Barrel Bistro & Wine Bar (246 S B Street, San Mateo) at 7PM.

Day Two Agenda: Thursday, November 2nd

8:30AM - 5:30PM PT @ Oracle Conference Center, Redwood Shores CA (afterparty 7:30 - 11PM) - see travel & parking info

The main ‘un-conference’ day takes place on Day 2, with 300 people in attendance. This single-track event will feature top Keynote speakers, engaging panels and group discussions, and plenty of opportunity for networking. The day will end with an afterparty.

8:30AM - 9:15AM PT

WELCOMING BREAKFAST, BY FIRSTBASE

Firstbase helps startups worldwide expand into the United States and confidently navigate ongoing compliance. Since YC in '21, they have helped 35,000 founders from over 175 countries to launch and grow their companies in the US.

Breakfast Menu: Scrambled eggs (cheddar cheese, chives), Potatoes, Sliced bacon, Chicken sausage, House made granola (gluten free), Sliced fruit, Yogurt, Assorted pastries

9:15AM – 9:45AM:

WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS

With Jonathan Greechan and Adeo Ressi

9:45AM – 10:15AM:

BUILDING IMPACT WITH INTERSTELLAR LAB

A presentation and Q&A discussion on building impactful companies with Barbara Belvisi (Founder & CEO at Interstellar Lab)

10:15AM – 10:25AM:  

MICROROBOTICS IN THE HUMAN BODY

A demonstration by Torrey Smith (Co-Founder & CEO of Endiatx)

10:25AM – 10:35AM: 

SPEED PITCHING SESSION 1

A quick-hitting showcase of pre-seed & seed-stage startups

10:35AM – 11:15AM:

INVESTOR PANEL/ GROUP DISCUSSION

With Jed Katz (Co-Founder & Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners), Martin Tobias (Founder of Incisive Ventures), Mercedes Bankston (Director at FI Silicon Valley & Advisor at Loyal VC), July Andraous (Managing Partner at Jambaar Capital), Jukka Alanen (Managing Partner of Rebellion Ventures), and Lisa Song Sutton (General Partner at The Veteran Fund) as the moderator.

11:15AM – 12PM:

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH EVAN GOLDBERG, CO-FOUNDER OF NETSUITE

Jonathan Greechan will host a discussion with Evan Goldberg: Co-Founder of NetSuite, which was acquired by Oracle in 2016 for approximately $9.3BN. Evan now leads the Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit. He and his team are responsible for the product strategy, development, and delivery of NetSuite’s unified business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, ecommerce, and more.

12PM – 1PM:

BUFFET LUNCH RECEPTION, BY LOYAL

Loyal (Loyal.vc) is a global semi-liquid venture fund, designed to offer above-average returns while preserving capital, through diversification and a unique gate-stage investing process that reduces bias.

Lunch Menu: Chicken Yassa (chicken thigh, pomegranate vinegar, lemon, onions, pomegranate seeds), Spicy tofu (kale curry, potatoes, onions, masala, coriander, turmeric, tomatoes (vegan)), Steamed jasmine coconut rice (bell peppers, tomato, onions, garlic (vegan)), Akara (black eyed pea fritters, bell peppers, onions, garlic confit, flour (vegan)), Sliced baguette, Romaine salad (artichoke hearts, black olives, croutons, creamy lemon/ balsamic)

1PM – 1:45PM:

FIRESIDE CHAT DISCUSSION WITH EREN BALI, CO-FOUNDER OF UDEMY AND CARBON HEALTH

Adeo Ressi will host a discussion and open Q&A with Eren Bali. Eren co-founded Udemy in January 2010 (Silicon Valley FI Alum) and has served as a member of Udemy’s board of directors since then. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Health, a technology-enabled healthcare provider, which operates more than 125 brick-and-mortar clinics in 13 U.S. states.

1:45PM – 1:55PM:

WHEN STARTUPS (AND THEIR INVESTORS) SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT AN ERP

With George Ploss (Head of Venture Capital Practice and Head of Oracle NetSuite Startup Accelerator)

1:55PM – 2:05PM: 

SPEED PITCHING SESSION 2

A quick-hitting showcase of pre-seed & seed-stage startups

2:05PM – 2:30PM: 

HUMAN PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

A presentation and Q&A discussion with Nichol Bradford (Co-Founder and Partner at Nirmeia Collective, and Co-Founder of TransformativeTech.org)

2:30PM – 2:40PM: 

QUICK BREAK & STRETCH

2:40PM – 3:20PM: 

INVESTOR PANEL/ GROUP DISCUSSION

With Kamal Hassan (Managing Partner at Loyal VC), Genevieve LeMarchal (Managing Partner of Suncoast Ventures), Ali Jamal (Founding Partner at First Check Ventures), George Ploss (Head of Venture Capital Practice and Head of Oracle NetSuite Startup Accelerator), Mike Sherbakov (General Partner at The Veteran Fund), Ihar Mahaniok (Managing Partner at Geek Ventures), and Guc Ozenci (Managing Director of the FI Washington DC program) as the moderator.

3:20PM – 4PM:

FIRESIDE CHAT DISCUSSION WITH PETER PHAM, CO-FOUNDER OF SCIENCE

Adeo Ressi will host a discussion and open Q&A with Peter Pham: Co-Founder of the startup studio/incubator Science, which was behind Dollar Shave Club ($1B exit to Unilever), Liquid Death, and more. Previously an operator, he has helped companies like Photobucket as employee No. 5 (acquired by MySpace for $300M) and BillShrink as Co-Founder & CEO (acquired by MasterCard). He is also an angel advisor to companies like Nextdoor, Ring, and Medium.

4PM – 4:30PM:

FIRESIDE CHAT DISCUSSION WITH JASON CALACANIS, ANGEL INVESTOR

Adeo Ressi will host a discussion and open Q&A with Jason Calacanis: an entrepreneur, author, and angel investor in over 250 startups, including 7 "unicorns". He also hosts the popular podcasts 'This Week in Startups' and 'All-In'. Named “arguably the world’s greatest angel investor” by The Twenty Minute VC, Jason was among the early investors in companies such as Uber, Robinhood, Wealthfront, Thumbtack, and Trello.

4:30 - 5:30PM:

HAPPY HOUR RECEPTION, BY GRASSHOPPER BANK

Grasshopper Bank is a client-first digital bank built to serve the business and innovation economy.

Happy Hour Menu: Turkey romesco meatballs, Impossible meatballs (gluten free), Fresh roma tomato and basil bruschetta (vegan), House made guac and tortilla chips (vegan), Beer, Wine

7:30PM – 11PM: 

AFTERPARTY, BY HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP @ DEVIL’S CANYON BREWING COMPANY (935 WASHINGTON STREET, SAN CARLOS CA)

The day ends with a Casino-themed afterparty, featuring Texas Hold’em Poker, Craps, and Blackjack (for entertainment purposes only). Light food will be available from two food trucks (TBA).

Unregistered attendees will NOT be allowed in the premises.

Holland & Knight LLP is a global law firm that provides representation in litigation, business, real estate, healthcare and governmental law.

Day Three Agenda: Friday, November 3rd

11:30AM - 2:00PM PT @ Venue TBA (Palo Alto, CA)

Please note Day 3 is not open to Enrolled Founders that were invited to FounderX.

11:30AM - 2:00PM

FAREWELL COOKOUT RECEPTION

The event will culminate with a catered, outdoor barbeque and networking event in the hills of Palo Alto. Venue is hidden and address will be shared with attendees privately via email. Parking is not available at the venue so we recommend sharing a rideshare with other attendees.

FounderX 2022: Online, August 2-4, 2022

The Founder Institute hosted the first online "FounderX” event in 2022, and nearly 4000 Founders, Directors, Mentors, and Investors from 110 countries joined us for this memorable event.

 

Keynote Speakers

ESTHER DYSON

Esther Dyson is the Founder of Wellville, a 10-year non-profit project to cultivate equitable wellbeing.

She is also an active angel, journalist, board member and advisor concentrating on emerging markets, tech, new space and health. She sits on the boards of BAMF Health, Element 3 Health, ProoPilot, Avanlee Care and SWVL, and is an investor in 23and Me (past board seat), Block (née Square), EPAM Systems, Ezra.com, Hurdle Health, Levels Health, Mindright, Nobil, Omada Health, StartUp Health, Voyager Space and many others.

Previously, she was the Founding Chairman of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), and trained in Star City as a backup cosmonaut. She is also a long-time IT/Internet analyst and the author of the best-selling “Release 2.0: A design for living in the digital age.”

ANDREW FILEV

Andrew Filev is the founder and CEO of Wrike, a collaborative work management platform that was acquired by Citrix for $2.25BN in 2021. Wrike was included on Deloitte’s Technology Fast™ 500 list for the sixth consecutive year in 2020, named a Leader in the Forrester Wave on Collaborative Work Management Enterprise Tools for the third time in 2020, and selected as a top workplace by the Bay Area News Group for the fifth straight year in 2019.

Andrew has more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector and his insights on entrepreneurship, productivity, and the future of work have been featured in leading business publications, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., and The New York Times.

He was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 Award Finalist in Northern California and Bay Area News Group 40 Under 40 nominee.

JAMES JOAQUIN

Co-founder of Obvious Ventures, James makes investments with a plant-forward approach to food including Beyond Meat (IPO) and Miyoko’s Creamery, “good for you goods” consumer visionaries Olly (acquired by Unilever) and Welly (acquired by Unilever).

James has been working in venture capital since 2007, and has invested in a wide range of mission-driven startups including Plum Organics (acquired by Campbell’s Soup), TenMarks Education (acquired by Amazon), Opower (IPO), and Seventh Generation (acquired by Unilever).

Prior to investing, James began his entrepreneurial career while studying computer science at Brown University, co-founding Clearview Software which was acquired by Apple, where he spent six years in engineering and marketing roles.

PHIL LIBIN

Phil Libin is the Co-Founder & CEO of mmhmm (an easy-to-use web app for making, watching, and talking on videos together) and All Turtles (an early-stage startup studio solving meaningful problems). He is also a Senior Advisor and Former Managing Director at General Catalyst; and Co-Founder and Former CEO of the global productivity tool Evernote, which created an epic transformation in workflow and has redefined the way individuals and teams work today.

A sought-after leader on innovation, Libin provides audiences with an engaging look at what it takes to reinvent productivity at global scale. His investment focus is generally on using technology to enhance humanity, productivity, and business globally.

JENNY FIELDING

Jenny Fielding is a Co-Founder & General Partner at THE FUND, a first-check venture fund and community of 400 founders and operators who care deeply about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. THE FUND is currently active across eight funds and 200+ portfolio companies.

Jenny also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Colombia University, and has invested in the first-check to 200+ companies.

Previously, Jenny was the Managing Director of Techstars NY for nearly 8 years, a Kauffman Fellow, and the Head of Digital Ventures at BBC.

PATRICK LEE

Patrick Lee is a veteran entrepreneur, who has started six startups (three exited) across three countries; including Rotten Tomatoes, where he was a Co-Founder and Former CEO.

Patrick is currently a Managing Partner @ PKO Investments, a syndicate that invests in startups at the intersection of tech+entertainment. The syndicate has invested into 44 companies since March 2021 and has raised over $33M for those companies across 410+ active investors.

He is also an Advisor to companies including Analogue, Casetify, ChargeSPOT, Dataherald, Immortal Studios, Instaread, Kiwibot, Leo AR, Morty, Oishii, Tales, and more.

ADEO RESSI

Adeo Ressi is CEO of VC Lab, which runs the leading venture capital accelerator and operates the Fund in a Box platform. Adeo is also Executive Chairman at the Founder Institute. Adeo has launched 14 VC funds and founded 11 startups, having nearly $2 billion in exits before the age of 30.

He previously served on the Board of the X Prize foundation to pursue his interests in space exploration, and studied architecture and spent time living on a commune to explore his interests in designing better ways to live.

Adeo is passionate about inspiring people to achieve their potential.

Session Hosts & Panelists

Kamal Hassan

Managing Partner at Loyal VC, a global venture fund with 220+ investments across 50+ countries.

Kamal has served as Global Director with the Founder Institute accelerator, former INSEAD Alumni Association President, a consultant at Bain & Co, and an engineer at IMAX.

Rami Essaid

Co-Founder and CEO of Finmark, financial planning software for fast growing companies.

Venture Partner to several venture funds.

Previously, Founder & CEO of Distil Networks (acquired 2019) and Founder of Chit Chat Communications (acquired in 2005).

Jonathan Greechan

Co-Founder and CEO of the Founder Institute. Advisor to Horasis, Oxford Entrepreneurs, USC Incubator + hundreds of startups. Contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, Fortune.

Previously Product Manager at RealNetworks (which he joined after acquisition of GameTrust, which raised $18M+ where he led marketing).

YJ Lin

YJ is a program manager for Dell Technologies supporting startups, and a part-time business owner of an e-commerce shop selling and making custom board game pieces and accessories.

YJ enjoys mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs throughout their journey and continues to facilitate those conversations through a podcast, Drunkstartups.co.

Mike Suprovici

Mike is Head of Acceleration at VC Lab (the venture capital accelerator & FI's sister company), and an advisor and Venture Partner.

Previously, Mike was FI HQ's MD leading portfolio at the global level, and the Founder of Explorence (a venture funded gaming startup).

Hanah Tran

Hanah is a Founder, Venture Builder & Goldman Sachs veteran. She founded and manages FHH Ventures, an AI-enabled Venture Studio in Fintech-in-Web3 and Agri-Food-Bio-Tech for Health Equity.

FHH’s strategy is to build in-house ventures & take them to exit by selling equity at small scale for capital gain or licensing to third party operators for cashflow.

Russell Brand

Russell is the founder of Responsible Solutions Limited, Einsteins Elephant, and Dynamic Security Research. Each has been successful in its respective software field. He has been an active angel investor.

He advises early-stage companies on customer discovery, product direction, and strategy; and established companies on effectiveness, appropriate uses of technology, and stewardship.

Nelly Yusupova

Nelly was included in Fast Company’s, “League of Extraordinary Women”, and has been at the forefront of the women’ s movement online since 1999. She was also named Wall Street Journal’s “Woman on the IT Fast Track.”

She is a start-up tech advisor, outsourced CTO, and the creator of TechSpeak for Entrepreneurs.

Evgeny Kruglov

Evgeny started his career with Accenture in 2001, and then spent several years working for a mobile telco Beeline where he headed a partner program. In 2005, Eugene joined his first startup. Having co-founded a company which designed mobile applications for operators, he sold his stake in 2016 to concentrate fully on AppFollow.

Diane Yoo

Founding Partner of Parliament Ventures Fund, Diane has invested in 30+ businesses with top tier leads and venture backed Silicon Valley tech companies.

Peter Adams

Co-Author of “Venture Capital for Dummies”, Managing Partner at Rockies Venture Fund, Executive Director at Rockies Venture Club (one of the longest-running angel groups in the U.S.).

Asya Bradley

Senior Partner at Mendoza Ventures, a VC firm focused on funding diverse founders in fintech, AI, and cybersecurity. Active angel, advisor, and champion of diversity and gender balance in the workplace.

Simon Turner

Following an elite-level junior gymnast career that was ended by a fractured spine, years of rehab enabled a career as an Intelligence Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, Simon successfully launched PropTech startups based in Australia and Singapore.

Derrick Maultsby

Derrick serves as a business advisor and corporate transactional lawyer to startups, small to mid-sized businesses, and Fortune 50 companies. Derrick’s clients range across multiple sectors.

Kevin Brockland

Experienced private equity professional with a track record of achievement. A business coach giving back to support local businesses in each country he has worked. Always seeking to help build an idea.

Abhishek Garg

Head of Growth & Partnerships at TheCapitalNet, Abhishek is always looking forward to collecting and connecting dotes related to strategy, private investments, innovation, growth hacking, and more.

Martin Tobias

Founder of Incisive Ventures, Martin has raised over $500M in equity, project finance, and working capital, and has personally invested in over 70 startups and led about half a dozen through venture funds.

Javier Cueto Soto

Recognized as one of Chile’s top 100 young leaders in 2018, Javier is CEO of Imagine, a recognized incubator-accelerator and consultancy, design and digital platform supported by Microsoft Chile.

Adam Spector

Founding team member at AbstractOps, an operations platform for businesses to outsource their operations to a trusted third party. In previous lives, Adam has been a product leader, CEO, company founder, and operations do-it-all so that the engineering team can focus.

Chintan Oza

Chintan is the Founder of Anantam Ecosystems & Regional Director of Founder Institute India. He has 22 years of experience in the Telecom & ICT domain, in addition to global projects with Reliance & Tata Group.

Alejandro Galvez

Managing Partner at 99 Startups, a seed capital fund that invests in Fintech, healthcare, and logistics companies in Latin America, Alejandro has invested in Clara, Fintual, Torre, Aplazo, and Beek.

Kwaku Jyamfi

As CEO of Farm to Flame Energy, Kwaku has commercial experience as well as project management and fundraising ($1M cash, and $1M+ startup credits). His qualities are tactical and multifaceted when dealing with high-tech problems.

Anna Lindbäck

To date, Anna has 4000+ hours of experience coaching in sales and business modelling and has worked with over 200 startups. She is a mentor in Founder Institute, demo juror at VentureCup Sweden and a LoyalVC advisor.

Chris Foltz

From his roots in partisan politics to a battle with drug addiction, 119 days in jail, and facing homelessness, Chris is now one of the most sought-after strategic advisors & initiators of unique, impact-focused, go-to-market collaborations around the world.

Ankur Shrivastava

Managing Partner at Stealth Seed VC Fund., based in North America and India.

Co-founder & VP at Globevestor, a tech investment platform and micro-VC funds, to invest in early-stage startups in the US and India since 2014. Written 70 checks in 40 startups. Backers include Tim Draper, Bill Draper & Boost VC.

Juan Lacey

CEO/Founder of Farms Close By, providing local communities with year-round access to fruit and vegetables by blending vertical farming, greenhouse farming and grocery stores together.

Our solution provides smaller stores that will fit into food deserts as franchise units that will be able to grow all year.

Danny Tamez

Founder of Gum, the app for making & sharing videos about your startup. Gum helps founders get networked, promoted, & funded.

Venture partner at WeFunder and GoingVC. Featured on this year’s investor panel for the Founder Showcase pitches.

Chuck Ng

Chuck Ng is an entrepreneur, tech investor and community leader. He has invested in multiple unicorn tech companies. He is also an advisor/partner to a number of leading technology companies.

He is featured on this year’s investor panel for the Founder Showcase pitches.

Burak Büyükdemir

Burak is the founder of Startup Turkey, Startup Istanbul, and Etohum, the leading accelerator and seed investor organization in Turkey. Etohum selects 40 startups every year, trains, mentors, and seed invests startups every year.

Burak is featured on this year’s investor panel for the Founder Showcase pitches.

Investor & Mentor Lounge Hosts

 

 

Day One Agenda: Tuesday, Aug 2

9:30AM - 5:00PM PT (see your local start time)

9:30AM PT

DOORS OPEN

We encourage everyone to sign in early and start networking with other attendees before the official programming begins.


10:00 - 10:20AM PT

FOUNDERX WELCOME & GLOBAL STARTUP MENTOR AWARD WINNERS

Jonathan Greechan, Co-Founder & CEO of Founder Institute will kick off the event with a quick update on FI, and guidelines for FounderX.

In addition, he will announce the winners of the 'Global Startup Mentor Awards', an initiative that aims to highlight the top mentors devoting time and energy to make an impact on the next generation of startups. See the award nominees here.


10:20 - 11:00AM PT

KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT WITH ESTHER DYSON

Join this special fireside chat with Esther Dyson, Founder of Wellville, hosted by Jonathan Greechan.

INVESTORS & ADVISORS TRACK (DAY 1)


11:05 - 11:45AM PT

THE CLOSING ROADMAP FOR NEW FUND MANAGERS

Featuring Mike Suprovici (Head of Acceleration at VC Lab)

Learn the best practices for building a fund from VC Lab, an accelerator to launch venture funds that has already helped spawn over 200 new funds.


11:50 - 12:30 PM PT

ASK AN ANGEL

Featuring Martin Tobias (Founder of Incisive Ventures), Peter Adams (Managing Partner at Rockies Venture Fund), and Alejandro Galvez (Managing Partner at 99 Startups).

Meet a group of prolific angel investors and ask them questions about deal sourcing, diligence, and more.


12:40 - 1:20 PM PT

DECIPHERING BAD PITCH DECKS AND FINDING THE HIDDEN GEMS

Featuring Russell Brand (Founder of Responsible Solutions, longtime angel and advisor).

Meet a group of prolific angel investors and ask them questions about deal sourcing, diligence, and more.


1:30 - 2:10 PM PT

DIVERSITY IN STARTUP INVESTING

Featuring Asya Bradley (Senior Partner at Mendoza Ventures), Kamal Hassan (Managing Partner at Loyal VC), and Diane Yoo (Founding Partner at Parliament Ventures).

Details TBA.

FOUNDERS TRACK (DAY 1)


11:05 - 11:30 AM PT

R.I.P. GOOD TIMES? NAVIGATING YOUR STARTUP THROUGH UNCERTAINTY

Featuring Rami Essaid (Co-Founder & CEO of Finmark)

Get answers to questions about building contingency plans to protect your startup’s cash flow, financials, and fundraising milestones during times of economic uncertainty.


11:30 - 12:00 PM PT

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE DILUTION AS YOU FUNDRAISE

Featuring Hanah Tran (Founder of FHH Ventures).

Details TBA.


12:00 - 12:30 PM PT

HOW STARTUPS CAN BUILD COMMUNITIES

Featuring YJ Lin (Program Manager for Dell Technologies supporting startups).

Details TBA.


12:30 - 1:00 PM PT

HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & OUTPACE COMPETITORS

Featuring Nelly Yusupova (Founder of Techspeak).

Details TBA.


1:00 - 2:00 PM PT

FUNDERS & FOUNDERS LOUNGE

A social lounge where founders can join tables with angels and early-stage investors from across the globe, and give their elevator pitch for feedback. We highly recommend all investors and founders use this Elevator Pitch template, and keep the pitch+feedback for each founder to < 5 minutes.

2:00 - 3:00PM PT

OPEN NETWORKING SESSION

Network with other attendees via one-on-one chats, video chat rooms, and more.


3:00 - 5:00PM PT

MENTOR Q&A LOUNGE

A social lounge where founders can join tables with top rated FI Mentors from across the globe, and ask them questions for feedback.

Day Two Agenda: Wednesday, Aug 3

3:30PM - 10:30PM PT (see your local start time)

3:30PM PT

DOORS OPEN

We encourage everyone to sign in early and start networking with other attendees before the official programming begins.


4:00 - 4:10PM PT

WELCOME & THE STATE OF VC

Adeo Ressi, Co-Founder & Chairman of Founder Institute and CEO of VC Lab, addresses the state of VC.


4:10 - 4:40PM PT

KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT WITH PHIL LIBIN

Join this special fireside chat with Phil Libin, Co-Founder of mmhmm, Evernote and All Turtles, hosted by Adeo Ressi.


4:40 - 5:10PM PT

KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT WITH JAMES JOAQUIN

Join this special fireside chat with James Joaquin, Co-Founder & GP of Obvious Ventures, hosted by Adeo Ressi.

INVESTORS & ADVISORS TRACK (DAY 2)


5:15 - 5:50PM PT

LAUNCHING A FUND IN 2022: MEET NEW FUND MANAGERS

Featuring Mike Suprovici (Head of Acceleration, VC Lab), Kevin Brockland (Managing Partner, Indelible Ventures), Javier Cueto Soto (CEO, Grupo Imagine), and Ankur Shrivastava (Co-founder & VP, Globevestor).


5:55 - 6:30PM PT

EXACTLY WRONG OR APPROXIMATELY RIGHT? MAKING SENSE OF STARTUP VALUATIONS

Featuring Kamal Hassan (Managing Partner, Loyal VC)

Learn about valuator’s motivations, industry standard approaches, deal terms, valuation rules of thumb, and the surprising way that some companies reach unicorn status.


6:40 - 7:30PM PT

GLOBAL MENTORSHIP: LEVERAGING INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE FOR LOCAL IMPACT

Featuring Chintan Oza (Venture Advisor, Loyal VC), Anna Lindbäck (Advisor, Loyal VC), & Simon Turner (Managing Director, Founder Institute Ghana). Moderated by Chris Foltz (Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Founder Institute).

This panel will highlight the impact of international mentorship and collaboration between local ecosystems.


7:30 - 8:10PM PT

THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF GENERAL PARTNERS AND FUND MANAGERS

Moderated by Abishek Garg (Head of Growth & Partnerships, TheCapitalNet).


FOUNDERS TRACK (DAY 2)


5:15 - 5:50PM PT

OPERATING YOUR STARTUP IN A CASH CONSTRAINED WORLD

Featuring Adam Spector (Founding Team & COO of AbstractOps)


6:00 - 6:30PM PT

RAISING MONEY AS FOUNDERS OF COLOR

Featuring Juan Lacey (CEO & Founder, Farms Close By), Derrick Maultsby (Corporate Attorney, Frost Brown Todd), & Kwaku Jyamfi (CEO, Farm to Flame Energy).

Learn to create an environment for a growing and thriving business independent of its industry or location.


6:30 - 7:00PM PT

HOW TO BUILD A REMOTE TEAM IN 23 COUNTRIES

Featuring Evgeny Kruglov (Co-founder & COO, AppFollow)

Learn how and who to hire at different stages of startup growth and how to nurture team relationships in a remote company full of international people.


7:00 - 8:00 PM PT

FUNDERS & FOUNDERS LOUNGE

A social lounge where founders can join tables with angels and early-stage investors from across the globe, and give their elevator pitch for feedback. We highly recommend all investors and founders use this Elevator Pitch template, and keep the pitch+feedback for each founder to < 5 minutes.


8:00 - 8:30PM PT

OPEN NETWORKING SESSION

Network with other attendees via one-on-one chats, video chat rooms, and more.


8:30 - 10:30PM PT

MENTOR Q&A LOUNGE

A social lounge where founders can join tables with top rated FI Mentors from across the globe, and ask them questions for feedback.

Day Three Agenda: Thursday, Aug 4

8:00AM - 10:00AM PT Mentor Q&A Lounge (see your local start time)

10:00AM - 3:00PM PT Founder Showcase (see your local start time)

8:00 - 10:00AM PT

MENTOR Q&A LOUNGE

A social lounge where founders can join tables with top rated FI Mentors from across the globe, and ask them questions for feedback.


FOUNDER SHOWCASE @ FOUNDERX

NOTE: This portion of FounderX is open to a larger audience, so it will take place at a different link. You can access this event here.


10:00 - 10:45 AM PT

WELCOME & FIRESIDE CHAT WITH ANDREW FILEV

Join this special fireside chat with Andrew Filev, Founder and CEO of Wrike, hosted by Jonathan Greechan, CEO of Founder Institute.


10:45 - 11:30AM PT

COMPANY PITCHES: ROUND 1

Investor panel: Danny Tamez (Founder & CEO, Gum), Chuck Ng (Investor, Databricks), & Burak Büyükdemir (Founder, Etohum).

Watch 3 minute pitches from promising companies, and see top investors analyze and ask questions about the businesses.


11:30 - 12:00PM PT

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH JENNY FIELDING

Join this special fireside chat with Jenny Fielding, Co-Founder & General Partner at The Fund, hosted by Jonathan Greechan, CEO of Founder Institute.


12:00 - 12:35PM PT

COMPANY PITCHES: ROUND 2

Investor panel: Shin Nagpal (Program Manager, Amazon), Ozan Sonmez (Co-founder, Zillion Pitches), & Aaron Welker (Marketing Lead, Dell Technologies).

Watch 3 minute pitches from promising companies, and see top investors analyze and ask questions about the businesses.


12:35 - 1:30PM PT

CLOSING PRESENTATION BY PATRICK LEE

Join us for the closing Founder Showcase Keynote presentation by Patrick Lee, Managing Partner @ PKO Investments, and Co-Founder / Former CEO of Rotten Tomatoes. Hosted by Martin Martinez, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Founder Institute.


1:30 - 3:00PM PT

OPEN NETWORKING & VIRTUAL EXPO HALL

Open networking session to connect with hundreds of international founders, investors, advisors and mentors via group live video chats.

FounderX Europe: Sofia, Bulgaria on May 30th - June 1st, 2018

The Founder Institute hosted the first "FounderX Europe" event in Sofia, Bulgaria on May 30th - June 1st, 2018, and Founders, Directors, Mentors, and Investors from 24 countries joined us for this memorable event.

Check out the event agenda below, or see photos from the event here. 

The next FounderX event is being planned now. All members of the FI Network will be notified by email when the event is announced. 

The theme of FounderX Europe was "Finding Funding in 2018". In particular, we aimed to help our Graduates, Directors, and Mentors better understand how to get funding in 2018, in both traditional ways (with guidance from angels, accelerators, and early-stage VCs), as well as through emerging models like ICOs and crowdfunding. This event is specifically designed to help our Graduates gain the contacts, personal feedback, and hands-on strategic improvements they need to capitalize themselves in 2018 and beyond.    

 

SPEAKERS & OFFICE HOURS

FounderX Europe consisted of 25+ expert speakers and Office Hours hosts, including:

  • Scott Painter: Founder of TrueCar (NASDAQ: TRUE), Fair.com ($1BN+ funding), Cars Direct (acquired for $1.1BN).

  • Dafina Toncheva: Partner at USVP (U.S. Venture Partners)

  • Adeo Ressi: Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute, 9X entrepreneur

  • Sasha Bezuhanova: Founder and Chairperson at MOVE.BG, Angel Investor

  • Raphael Crouan: Founder & CEO of the Startupbootcamp IoT Program

  • Rossi Mitova: Founder & CEO of Farmhopping, Forbes "30 Under 30" Europe

  • Enis Hulli: Venture Partner at 500 Startups

  • Stefano L. Tresca: Managing Partner of iSeed, StartupHome, Founding Member of Level39

  • A. Dara Dotz: Co-Founder & Principal Designer at Field Ready, 3D Printing Pioneer

  • Vassil Terziev: Co-founder of Telerik, Partner at Eleven Ventures, MD at VT Investments

  • Ben Larson: General Partner of Backplane Capital, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Gateway Incubator

  • Nuno Arantes-Oliveira: Managing Partner at Arantes Saude Investments

  • Daan Weddepohl: Founder & CEO of Peerby, Alumni of Rockstart, Techstars, FI

  • Stanislav Sirakov: Partner at LAUNCHub Ventures

  • Maz Cohen: Founder of Wisher.com, Co-Founder of Metamorph.io 

  • Kamal Hassan: Partner at Loyal Venture Capital, Global Director at Founder Institute

  • Joel Hughes: Director of Europe, Indiegogo

  • Peter Lazou: Venture Builder & Angel Investor at ValaCo Ventures, Director of Milan FI 

  • Mark Rogers: CEO of Futurist Labs, Founder Institute Mentor

  • Milen Ivanov: Founder of Angels Club, Founder Institute Director, Angel Investor

  • Eeppi Nieminen: Founder of Coachilla, Founder Institute Alumni 

  • Jonathan Greechan: Co-Founder of the Founder Institute, Head of Marketing

  • Andrew Crawford: Global Finance Manager, Founder Institute

  • Ryan Micheletti: Co-Founder of Vet-Tech Accelerator, Director of Global Ops at Founder Institute

 

 

AGENDA

Below was the agenda for FounderX Europe.

 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30TH  

9:30AM - 05:30PM    
Open Office Hours & Co-Working (for FI Grads, Directors & Mentors) 

FI HQ is matchmaking "Office Hours" with promising Graduates and various FI mentors throughout the day. You are also welcome to work and mingle at the Puzl CowOrKing space throughout the day (coffee, snacks, and sandwiches will be served). 

LOCATION: Puzl CowOrKing (Cherni Vrah 47A, 1407 Sofia) >> See more thorough directions here.

 

10:00AM - 11:00AM    
Group Office Hours Session, with Adeo Ressi (for FI Grads) 

Adeo will host a small office hours for FI Graduates to discuss their business ideas, challenges, and more.  

LOCATION: Puzl CowOrKing (Cherni Vrah 47A, 1407 Sofia) >> See more thorough directions here.

 

12:00PM - 05:00PM

2018 European Director Offsite (for FI Directors)

FI Directors are invited to join our yearly offsite to discuss and plan the future of the Founder Institute (coffee, snacks, and sandwiches will be served). 

LOCATION: Puzl CowOrKing (Cherni Vrah 47A, 1407 Sofia) >> See more thorough directions here.

 

07:00PM - 09:30PM
VIP Director Dinner Reception (invite-only) 

FI Directors are invited to join an intimate dinner at Rekata Rakia, to enjoy authentic gastronomic Bulgarian cuisine. This event is strictly invite-only. 

LOCATION: Raketa Rakia (bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 17, 1527 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria)

 

09:30PM - ???
FounderX Welcome Reception with Drinks

Start the FounderX event at this casual meetup at a hip lounge in Sofia. A cash bar will be available.  

LOCATION: Sputnik Cocktail Bar (bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 17, 1527 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria)

 

THURSDAY, MAY 31ST

09:15AM - 05:30PM

FounderX Un-Conference: "Finding Funding in 2018"

This private, collaborative "un-conference" will feature intensive workshops, panel discussions, pitch feedback sessions, and presentations from top venture-funded entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists from Europe, Silicon Valley and beyond. 

The theme of this event will be "Finding Funding in 2018". In particular, we aim to help our Graduates, Directors, and Mentors better understand how to get funding in 2018, in both traditional ways (with guidance from angels, accelerators, and early-stage VCs), as well as through emerging models like ICOs and crowdfunding. This event is specifically designed to help our Graduates gain the contacts, personal feedback, and hands-on strategic improvements they need to capitalize themselves in 2018 and beyond.    

LOCATION:  S*Bar Co-Meeting Space (bul. "Nikola Y. Vaptsarov" 6, 1407 g.k. Lozenets, Sofia, Bulgaria)

Below is the final agenda:

09:15 AM:    Welcoming Coffee Reception
09:45 AM:    Opening Remarks: "State of the Founder Institute Europe" by Adeo Ressi (CEO of the Founder Institute)
10:30 AM:    "Making Fundraising Your Core Competency," by Scott Painter (Founder of Fair.com)
11:15 AM:    Angel & Accelerator Funding Workshop: Sasha Bezuhanova, Milen Ivanov, Eeppi Nieminen, Peter Lazou, Enis Hulli, Raph Crouan, Vassil Terziev
12:05 PM:    Lunch Break
12:50 PM:    Keynote Speech by Dara Dotz: Co-Founder & Principal Designer at Field Ready
01:15 PM:    Seed & VC Funding Workshop: Stanislav Sirakov, Kamal Hassan, Rossi Mitova, Ben Larson, Nuno Arantes-Oliveira
02:05 PM:    Coffee Break
02:20 PM:    Crowdfunding Keynote Speech by Daan Wedenpohl: Founder of Peerby, FI Amsterdam Graduate
02:45 PM:    Crowdfunding Panel & Workshop: Daan Wedenpohl, Joel Hughes
03:15 PM:    Fireside Chat with Dafina Toncheva (Partner at USVP)
03:45 PM:    Coffee Break
04:00 PM:    ICO Keynote Speech by Maz Cohen: Co-Founder of Metamorph.io
04:25 PM:    "ICO Funding Panel & Workshop": Stefano L. Tresca, Maz Cohen
05:00 PM:    "How Startups Die", by Mark Rogers (CEO of Futurist Labs)
05:30 PM:    Wrap Up

 

 

05:30PM - 7:30PM

FounderX Happy Hour & Light Dinner

Enjoy drinks and traditional Bulgarian finger foods while you wind down the FounderX Conference!

LOCATION: S*Bar Co-Meeting Space (bul. "Nikola Y. Vaptsarov" 6, 1407 g.k. Lozenets, Sofia, Bulgaria)

 

9:00PM - ??? (doors open at 9 but the party doesn’t really get started until about 10:30)

DigitalK Official Afterparty, at Bedroom Premium Nightclub

After Dinner, those wanting to keep the night going can join the FI Team at the DigitalK afterparty, where you can network with both FounderX and DigitalK attendees. Get a bracelet from the FI Team at S*Bar for a free drink. 

LOCATION: Bedroom Premium Nightclub (ul. Lege 2, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria)

 

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 1ST

09:30AM - 05:30PM

DigitalK Startup Conference

DigitalK, our official event partner, is one of the leading European technology events, and FounderX attendees are welcome to attend the event at no additional cost (you can get a pass from us at either Puzl on Wednesday, or S*Bar on Thursday). Learn more about the DigitalK event, agenda and speakers at DigitalK.bg.

LOCATION:  Sofia Event Center (1407 Sofia, Bulgaria, Cherni Vrah Blvd 100, Paradise Center Floor 3)  

 

05:30PM - 06:30PM

DigitalK Closing Networking Cocktail with SumUp

Enjoy drinks at the event of the DigitalK Conference. 

LOCATION:  Sofia Event Center (1407 Sofia, Bulgaria, Cherni Vrah Blvd 100, Paradise Center Floor 3)  

 

7:00PM - 11:00PM

DigitalK Official Closing Party, at betahaus

Join the DigitalK Official Closing Party to network with both FounderX and DigitalK attendees. 

LOCATION: betahaus (Krum Popov 56-58 str., Sofia 1421)

FounderX: Raising Funding in 2017 (May 22-24, 2017 in Silicon Valley)

The need for early-stage companies to secure funding in order to compete is more pressing than ever before. In addition, the path to raising funding is very different for each geographic market, business vertical, and specific company. At our "FounderX: Raise Funding in 2017" event, which took place on May 22-24, 2017 in Silicon Valley, we prepared a 3-day "un-conference" agenda specifically designed to help our Graduates gain the contacts, personal feedback, and hands-on strategic improvements they need to secure seed or angel funding in 2017.    

FounderX (fX) is the Founder Institute's premier semi-annual gathering of fast-growing Graduates, top-rated Mentors and leading program Directors from our global network of technology entrepreneurs. Over three days, hand-selected members of the Founder Institute network from six continents visited Silicon Valley for a series of networking events, workshops and formal dinners. 

SPEAKERS & OFFICE HOURS HOSTS INCLUDED:

  • Steve Jurvetson: Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Board of SpaceX and Tesla

  • Shervin Pishevar: Co-Founder & Managing Director, Sherpa Capital, Hyperloop One

  • Christine Herron: Managing Director at Intel Capital and Co-Lead, Intel Capital Diversity Fund

  • Xiao Wang: Managing Partner of Innospring Seed Fund, Founder of Innospring Ventures

  • Don Dodge: Developer Advocate at Google, veteran SV executive

  • Lauren Kolodny: Principal at Aspect Ventures

  • Shruti Shah: EIR at Silicon Valley Bank, Co-Founder of Move Loot

  • Jed Katz: Managing Director of Javelin Venture Partners

  • Eren Bali: Co-Founder & CEO of Carbon, Co-Founder & Chairman at Udemy

  • Madeline Duva: Startup Advisor/ Board Member at Eye-Fi, Drop, mPerpetuo, Parrot, Fluxx

  • Omar Valle: Startup Business Development Executive at Amazon

  • Bob Rosin: VP Global Business Development at LinkedIn, Angel Investor

  • Jeff Zias: Grassroots Innovation Leader at Intuit

  • Jonathan Greechan: Co-Founder of the Founder Institute

  • Ryan Feit: CEO and Co-founder at SeedInvest

  • Mark Volcheck: Founding Partner, Las Olas Venture Capital

  • Vishal Lugani: Investor at Aspect Ventures

  • Adeo Ressi: CEO of the Founder Institute, 9X entrepreneur 

  • Angela Lee: Co-Founder & CEO of From Fat to Finish Line

  • Paul D'Souza: CEO of Delivering Peak Performance

  • Yokum Taku: Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

  • Ryan Micheletti: Co-Founder of Vet-Tech Accelerator

  • Jose Antonio Talledo: Founder & CEO of Algaex S.A

  • Greg Pietruszynski: Founder & CEO at Growbots

  • Vijay Nagappan: Principal, MHS Capital

  • Mike Suprovici: Entrepreneur in Residence at Founder Institute

 

SEE THE EVENT AGENDA

 

MONDAY, MAY 22ND  

12:00PM - 05:00PM    
Open Office Hours 1 (for FI Grads & Mentors/ Partners) 

FI HQ is matchmaking "Office Hours" with promising Graduates and various FI mentors throughout the day. Coordination for these meetings will begin on May 12th, via email. 

LOCATION: Founder Institute HQ (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)

 

06:00PM - 08:30PM
FounderX Kickoff Mixer @ Private Location

Start the FounderX event at this mixer with hor deurves and drinks.  Meet others in the FI network, and join us in an informal discussion on Diversity and Inclusion. Everyone from the FI Global Network is invited to attend this event, and we plan to visit a bar afterwards as well!

LOCATION: Private Location in San Jose, CA (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)

 

TUESDAY, MAY 23RD

ALL DAY (8:30AM - 10:00PM)

Open Co-Working at the Founder Institute Headquarters

The doors to FI HQ will be open to all members of the FI network beginning at 8:30 AM. You are welcome to grab a desk all day at our indoor/outdoor office, or use us a base for doing business in Silicon Valley.

A self-serve breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM, sandwich lunch from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM, and coffee and snacks all day long. Drinks will be served starting at 4:30 PM. 

LOCATION: Founder Institute HQ (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)


ALL DAY 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Open Office Hours 2 (for FI Grads & Mentors/ Partners) 

FI HQ is matchmaking "Office Hours" with promising Graduates and various FI mentors throughout the day. Coordination for these meetings will begin on May 12th, via email.

LOCATION: Founder Institute HQ (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)


11:00AM - 04:00PM

2017 Global Director Offsite (for FI Directors)

FI Directors are invited to join our yearly offsite to discuss and plan the future of the Founder Institute. Food will be served, and this event will be hosted by Adeo Ressi, CEO of the Founder Institute.

LOCATION: Private Location (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)



5:00PM - 10:00PM
Fireside Founder Cookout, presented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR)

Gather around the fire with Founders, Mentors, and Investors from around the globe at this "California Glamping"-themed roast. Play lawn games with hot cocktails, and devour upscale-camping fare and grilled meats straight from the cooker. And to answer your question, yes, there will be smores.

At 7:00PM at this event, we will also broadcast live as we announce the Winners of the 2016 FI Graduate Awards. 

LOCATION: Founder Institute HQ (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)

 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24TH

09:30AM - 5:30PM

FounderX: Raise Funding in 2017 "Un-Conference"

This private, collaborative "un-conference" will feature intensive workshops, panel discussions, pitch feedback sessions, and presentations from top venture-funded entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists from Silicon Valley and beyond. The goal of this event is for founders to pitch investors and get actionable feedback and insights they can use to successfully raise funding for their company in 2017. 

LOCATION: Microsoft Silicon Valley: 1065 La Avenida, Building 1, Mountain View, CA (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)

AGENDA:

9:30 AM: Welcoming Coffee Reception

10:00 AM: Opening Remarks by Adeo Ressi (CEO of the Founder Institute)

Track 1: Crowdfunding & Angel Investment

10:15 AM: Ryan Feit (Co-Founder & CEO of SeedInvest): "What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know About Equity Crowdfunding"

10:45 AM: Don Dodge (Developer Advocate at Google, Angel Investor): Q&A Discussion on Angel Investing and Corporate M&A

11:15 AM: SeedInvest Demo Day: FI Graduate Pitch, Feedback, and Strategy Session with Angels & Advisors

- Ryan Feit: Co-Founder & CEO of SeedInvest
- Madeline Duva: Startup Advisor/ Board Member at Eye-Fi, Drop
- Xiao Wang: Managing Partner of Innospring Seed Fund
- Vishal Lugani: Investor at Aspect Ventures

12:00 PM: Lunch Break, presented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR)

Track 2: Seed & VC Investment

12:45 PM: Shervin Pishevar (Managing Director of Sherpa Ventures, Co-Founder of Hyperloop One): Q&A Discussion on Funding Trends, Signals, and Building "Moonshots"

1:15 PM: Coffee Break, presented by SeedInvest (with Kindara and Daylighted) 

1:30 PM: Christine Herron (Director at Intel Capital and Co-Lead, Intel Capital Diversity Fund): "Why You Got Turned Down for Seed Funding"

2:00 PM: Panel: "Deep Dive of Deal Mechanics" with a Founder, VC, and Lawyer that closed a deal together

- Eren Bali: Co-Founder & CEO of Carbon, Co-Founder & Chairman at Udemy
- Yokum Taku: Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR)
- Vijay Nagappan: Principal at MHS Capital

2:30 PM: Jed Katz (Managing Director, Javelin Venture Partners): "A Checklist for Startups Raising a Series-A"

3:15 PM: Lauren Kolodny (Principal at Aspect Ventures): "Let's Talk About Talk: Voice is Your New Platform"

3:45 PM: Coffee Break, presented by SeedInvest (with Kindara and Daylighted) 

4:00 PM: Steve Jurvetson (Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson): Q&A Discussion on the Technology Trends Poised to Fundamentally Change Every Industry

Track 3: Corporate Partnerships & Investment

4:45 PM: Panel: Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Investment

- Bob Rosin: VP Business Development at LinkedIn, Former Biz Dev Lead at Skype
- Greg Pietruszynski: Founder & CEO at Growbots
- Jeff Zias: Grassroots Innovation Leader at Intuit
- Omar Valle: Startup Business Development at Amazon
 

5:30 PM: Wrap-Up

  

 

06:00PM - 08:00PM

FounderX Wine Down

Decompress and say your good-byes at this casual gathering just down the street from Microsoft. 

LOCATION: Private Location (Invite-only, only registered attendees will be admitted)

FounderX: Taking Traction (October 5-7th, 2016 in Silicon Valley)

The Founder Institute, the world’s premier startup launch program, was proud to host its second ever FounderX event, a private gathering of the FI Network in Silicon Valley that gathered some of the biggest industry leaders from around the world.

This 3-day long event, held on October 5 - 7, 2016, was attended by over 150 international startup leaders, and featured a series of networking events, workshops, and formal dinners.

The topic for the 2nd FounderX was how to gain traction for technology startups. As gaining traction is now more important than ever, this event covered how to get investor, user, and revenue traction, and provided Founder Institute Graduates with the opportunity to connect with top startup experts.

Speakers for the event included:

  1. Gagan Biyani: Co-Founder & CEO of Sprig, Co-Founder of Udemy, Former Growth Advisor at Lyft
  2. Nir Eyal: Best-Selling Author of "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products", Behavioral Design Expert
  3. Chandini M Ammineni: Distribution Partner at 500 Startups, Co-Founder & CEO of ActivityHero
  4. Rajil Kapoor: Founder of Snapfish & Fitmob, Prolific VC at Mayfield Fund and Angel Investor
  5. Jim Kaskade: CEO at Janrain, Multi-time CEO, VP, and GM of SaaS and Big Data Companies
  6. Ben Narasin: General Partner at Canvas Ventures, Investor in Dropcam, Zenefits, Realty Mogul
  7. Greg Pietruszynski: Founder & CEO at Growbots, Founder of SocialPaths & Gameboxed
  8. Jed Katz: Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners
  9. Bob Rosin: VP Business Development at LinkedIn, Former Biz Dev Lead at Skype, Qik, OQO
  10. Walter Roth: CEO of Inward, Business Development Advisor for Mutliple Startups
  11. Jeff Bonforte: SVP at Yahoo (via acquisition of Xobni), Founder of Xobni
  12. Paul D'Souza: Master Trainer at Peak Performance, Multi-time Biz Dev Executive
  13. Omar Valle: Business Development Executive at Amazon Web Services

And of course, FounderX would not have been possible without the support of our generous partners: 

  • Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati - is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The firm's broad range of services and practice areas are focused on addressing the principal challenges faced by the management, boards of directors, shareholders, and in-house counsel of our clients.
  • Silicon Valley Bank - Every day, innovation businesses strive to bring out the next big thing. From technology to healthcare, from San Jose to Shanghai, their clients define what comes next. At Silicon Valley Bank, they support businesses that invent the future. Everything they do helps innovators, enterprises and investors move bold ideas forward, fast.
  • SendGrid Accelerate - is a global program for top tier startups, accelerators, incubators and VCs. They help the next generation of Founders grow their business with reliable technology, mentorship and growth expertise.
  • CodigoDelSur - is a designer and developer of digital products. Having worked with Founder Institute startups in the past, they come as a highly recommended Founder Institute referral. They are composed of highly skilled software, web, and mobile app developers, who are excited to incorporate the latest technologies into the applications they develop.

Inaugural FounderX (May 4-6, 2017 in Silicon Valley)

The Founder Institute, the world’s premier startup launch program, was proud to host its first ever FounderX event, a private gathering of the FI Network in Silicon Valley that will bring together some of the biggest industry leaders from around the world. This 3-day long event from May 4 - 6, 2016 featured a series of networking events, workshops, and formal dinners, bringing together some of the top members from FI’s global network, including startup CEOs, technology executives, and Directors. 

Registered attendees included startup founders and leaders from over 25 countries across the Founder Institute's global network. In addition, through a new 'FounderX Advisory Program', over 40 of our top up-and-coming Graduates participated in a VC roadshow to visit top Silicon Valley investors; such as Sequoia Capital, FLOODGATE, Venrock, Shasta Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Mohr Davidow, True Ventures, Founders Fund, Altos Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and 500 Startups. 

FounderX is designed to facilitate meaningful connections across our global network, which spans 110+ cities and 60+ countries. In addition, the event celebrates the efforts of the members of our network, all of whom have used their talents to support local founders and foster entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world. Together, they have helped launch more than 2,100 Graduate companies, resulting in over 15,000 jobs created, and furthering FI’s mission of "Globalizing Silicon Valley."

Speakers for the first-ever FounderX event included:

  1. Jason Calacanis, LAUNCH and Inside.com: Jason is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and talk show host. He has invested in such companies, as Uber, Tumblr, and Evernote, and is the founder of ThisWeekIn.com and the host of the live streamed "This Week In Startups" show.
  2. Dan Arkind, JobScore: Dan is the Founder & CEO of JobScore, a freemium online hiring solution used by 1000+ employers. Dan is a 15+ year veteran of the tech startup talent wars and has filled every role from hire 0 to 150 at technology startups.
  3. Scott Heiferman, Meetup: Scott is the CEO and a co-founder of Meetup, the world's largest network of local groups that is dedicated to revitalizing local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup hosts nearly 20,000 events everyday.
  4. Scott Painter, Truecar: Scott is the Founder and CEO of TrueCar, an automotive solutions provider focused on changing how cars are sold. He is also the Co-Founder of Pricelock, which is providing protection from rising gas prices.
  5. Jordan B. Peterson, University of Toronto: Jordan is a tenured research and clinical PhD psychologist at the University of Toronto. His research includes self-deception, mythology, neuroscience, personality, deception, creativity, intelligence and motivation.
  6. Ana Baltodano, Founder Institute: Ana is the Founder and CEO Visualyst, an innovative social-retail destination for today's new-gen online shoppers. She also served as the Director of Global Mobile Innovators, and was the Co-founder and CEO of LocalHero.
  7. Daan Weddepohl, Peerby: Daan is a Graduate of the Amsterdam Founder Institute, and is the CEO and Founder of Peerby, a platform that enables users to borrow and rent the things they need from people in their neighborhoods.
  8. Eric Duffy, Pathgather: Eric is a Graduate of the New York Founder Institute, and is the Co-founder and CEO of Pathgather, a social learning platform for companies that connects people around personal and professional development.
  9. Jill Bourque, Rushtix: Jill is a Graduate of the Silicon Valley Founder Institute, and is the Founder and CEO of RushTix, the first unlimited subscription for local arts and culture. She previously served as the Co-Founder and CEO of Paiz Public Relations.
  10. Khalil Zahar, Hykso: Khalil is a Graduate of the Montreal Founder Institute, and is the Founder and CEO of Hykso, a Y-Combinator backed company that builds wrist sensors for boxing and MMA that is used for broadcast media and athlete monitoring.
  11. Ludovic Ulrich, Salesforce: Ludovic is the Head of Startup Relations at Salesforce, a customer success platform that uses mobile and cloud technology to help companies connect with customers, partners, and employees in entirely new ways.
  12. Matthieu Dejardins, NextUser: Matthieu is the CEO and Founder of NextUser, which enables marketers to map and respond to the full customer journey across any marketing channel. He is also the Founder of the Dell Founders Club 50.
  13. Mike Fleck, CipherPoint: Mike is the Co-founder of CipherPoint Software, the first provider of transparent data encryption solutions for SharePoint. He also currently serves as the Co-Founder and Board Member of Colorado Cyber.
  14. Mike Galarza, Entryless: Mike is the Founder and CEO of Entryless, which transforms the way businesses across the globe manage their expenses through automated services. He was also included in Business Insider’s "13 Badass Immigrants In Technology" list.
  15. Phil Alexander, ConceptDrop: Phil is the CEO and Founder of ConceptDrop, a leading marketplace that offers an on-demand design service, and is a member of 1871, a community of Chicago’s brightest digital designers, engineers and entrepreneurs.
  16. Roger Dickey, Gigster: Roger is the Founder and CEO of Gigster, which provides software development on demand. He is also an Investor and Advisor to 60+ great startups, including Docker, Addepar, Thiel Foundation, and the Disney Accelerator.

And of course, this event wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of our partners:

  • SAP Startup Focus - Platinum Partner - The SAP Startup Focus program is a global program helping startups in the big data, predictive and real-time analytics space develop new applications on SAP HANA and accelerate market traction.
  • CodigoDelSur - Bronze Partner - CodigoDelSur is an app design and development firm specializing in programming & maintenance, mobile development, web development and games.
  • Ravix Group - Bronze Partner - Ravix Group provides seasoned consulting expertise to outsource the finance, accounting and human resources functions for early-stage and middle market companies.
  • Salesforce for startups - Track Partner - Salesforce for Startups provides access to the technology, tools and expertise needed to become a customer and community-focused company – and succeed. Join to build, grow and give back with Salesforce technology, tools and expertise.
  • ConceptDrop - Track Partner - ConceptDrop is a design on demand service in as little as 24 hours. Clients receive an agency-quality design that reinforces their brand in record time and at an affordable cost. FounderX invites get $50 off their next project.
  • Gigster - Track Partner - Gigster connects you with Silicon Valley based product managers and top 1% software developers from their vetted talent pool. Get a guaranteed price quote and hire an elite development team in minutes.

Founder Showcase 16 (May 12, 2015)

The 16th edition of the Founder Showcase will gather over 400 investors, founders and press to hear talks from global change agents in technology; including Peter Diamandis, Chairman & CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation & Co-Founder of Singularity University; Chamath Palihapitiya, Founder of The Social+Capital Partnership & Owner of the Golden State Warriors; and Gabe Zichermann, the World's Leading Expert on Gamification & Founder of Dopamine and Gamification Co.

Guests will also see an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 6 promising seed-stage companies, and enjoy appetizers and drinks in a networking hall full of other hot startups demoing their wares.

For more information, visit the full website at www.FounderShowcase.com.

 

Keynote Speakers

 

Peter Diamandis, Chairman & CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, Co-Founder of Singularity University, Human Longevity & Space Adventures

 

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis is an international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions and commercial space. In 2014 he was named one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” – by Fortune Magazine. Diamandis is Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, and Co-Founder of Human Longevity Inc, a genomics and cell therapy-based company. He is also the Co-Founder of Singularity University, an institution that studies exponentially growing technologies and their ability to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Diamandis is the NYT Bestselling author ofAbundance – The Future Is Better Than You Think, and BOLD – How to go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World. 

 

Chamath Palihapitiya, Founder of The Social+Capital Partnership, Owner of the Golden State Warriors

Chamath Palihapitiya is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Social+Capital Partnership (Social Capital) – a venture capital fund based in Palo Alto, CA that incubates and invests in breakthrough companies in healthcare, education, financial services, mobile and enterprise software.  Preceding his focus as an investor, Chamath was the longest tenured member of Facebook's senior executive team and helped drive its ascension to one of the most important companies in the world. In addition to his focus at the fund, Chamath is Owner and Director of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.  


Gabe Zichermann, World's Leading Expert on Gamification, Founder ofDopamine and Gamification Co, Conference Chair at GSummit

Gabe is the world's foremost expert on the subject of gamification, user engagement and behavioral design. His highly-anticipated forthcoming book - Gamification by Design 2 (2015) - updates the definitive reference guide on the use of game mechanics in non-game contexts - The Gamification Revolution (McGraw Hill, 2013). In addition, Gabe is the Founder of the industry's primary publication, Gamification.co; co-designed the live-event gamification platform livecube (http://livecube.co); and co-founded strategy/design consultancy Dopamine (dopa.mn) where he works with leading brands to drive customer and employee engagement. 

 

 

Additional Keynote Speakers for the 16th Founder Showcase will be announced shortly.

 

Panelists

 

Boris Wertz, Founding Partner, Version One Ventures

Boris Wertz is one of the top tech early-stage investors in North-America and the founding partner of version one ventures. His portfolio encompasses over 50 early-stage consumer internet and enterprise companies, including Clio, Edmodo, Flurry, Frank & Oak, Indiegogo, Julep, Top Hat, Unbounce, and Wattpad. Boris is also a board partner with Andreessen Horowitz and one of the founders of start-up accelerator GrowLab. Before becoming an investor, Boris was the COO of AbeBooks.com, the world’s largest marketplace for new, used and rare and out-of print books which got sold to Amazon in 2008.

 

Cyan Banister, CEO at Zivity, Owner of Banister Capital

Cyan is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Zivity, a prolific angel investor with her husband Scott Banister (Tagged, SpaceX, Uber and others), board member, advisor and also a contributing writer for TechCrunch and Women2.0. Cyan co-founded the controversial website Zivity.com, which is a subscription based social networking site for creators and fans of beautiful and tasteful glamour photography. She currently serves on the board of directors for Mimoco, best known for their MIMOBOT line of designer USB storage devices. 

 

Jed M. Katz, Managing Director, Javelin Ventures

Jed Katz is the Managing Director of Javelin Venture Partners, and has led investments in BoostMedia, Famo.us, Linqia, Netpulse, SmartAsset, SmartZip, Spikes Security, Thumbtack, Trumaker and WeddingtonWay.  Prior to joining Javelin, Jed was a Managing Director of DFJ Gotham Ventures, COO of Yamcon, and COO and Founder of Rent Net, the Internet’s first rental and relocation guide, whose infrastructure was the starting point for the formation of Move.com, which was acquired by Homestore for over $900 million. Jed holds a B.A. in Business Economics from UCLA and an M.B.A. from The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was awarded the Price Fellowship from the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, of which he is currently on the advisory board. 

 

 

Manu Kumar, Founder & Chief Firestarter at K9 Ventures

Manu previously founded, grew and sold two successful ventures, including SneakerLabs – a company which developed software and services for web-based customer interaction – and iMeet – a provider of webconferencing services. After the merger of iMeet with Netspoke (August 2002), Manu served on the Board of Netspoke until its acquisition by Premiere Global Services (August 2005). He also serves as an investor and/or advisor for Refocus Imaging, Dolores Labs (CrowdFlower), Twilio, DNAnexus, and others. 

 

 

Jessica E. Lessin, Founder & Editor in Chief at The Information

Jessica E. Lessin founded The Information in 2013 and is the publication's Editor-in-Chief. She covered Silicon Valley and the technology industry for eight years at the Wall Street Journal. At the Journal, she wrote nearly 1,000 articles for the paper, consistently breaking news about major products, management changes and strategy shifts at Apple, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and other Internet companies. She was part of a team that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for a 2011 series on digital privacy and has appeared on CNBC, NPR, CNN and PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show.” Jessica graduated from Harvard University in 2005 and lives in San Francisco.

Founder Showcase 15 (May 15, 2014)

The Founder Showcase is Silicon Valley's leading seed-stage startup event.

At the 15th edition of the Founder Showcase, you can hear talks and learn from today’s leading startup investors, like Mitch Kapor (Founder of Lotus Development, Kapor Capital & Kapor Center for Social Impact, and PC Industry Pioneer), Mike Maples Jr. (Managing Partner at FLOODGATE, and the #14 Top Tech Investor in the world by Forbes), and Thomas Korte(Founder of AngelPad, one of the world's top startup accelerators).

In addition, investor panelists include Alex Gurevich (Javelin Venture Partners), Aydin Senkut (Felicis Ventures), Boris Wertz (Version One Ventures), Brigette Lau (The Social+Capital Partnership), Cyan Banister (Banister Capital), Frank Chen (Andreessen Horowitz), James Cham (Bloomberg Beta), Jeff Richards (GGV Capital), Manu Kumar (K9 Ventures), and more.

Guests will mingle over appetizers and drinks in a networking hall, and all attendees get free access to the exclusive Starship Showcase Afterparty at NASA!

For more information, visit the full website at www.FounderShowcase.com.

 

Keynote Speakers

 

Mitch Kapor, Founder of Lotus Development, Kapor Capital & Kapor Center for Social Impact, PC Pioneer

Mitch Kapor has been a pioneer in personal computing for more than 30 years. He is widely known as the Founder of Lotus Development. In addition, Mitch was the Founding Investor in UUNET, Co-Founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a Founding Investor in Real Networks, a Founding Chair of the Mozilla Foundation, and a Founding Investor and Chair in Linden Research. Currently, Mitch is a Partner at Kapor Capital, which invests in seed stage tech startups that generate both economic returns and positive social impact, and a Co-Chair at the Kapor Center for Social Impact, whose mission is to provide educational access for all Americans, diversify the tech industry, and support startup companies that have a positive social impact.

 

Mike Maples Jr., Managing Partner at FLOODGATE

Mike Maples, Jr. is the managing partner of FLOODGATE, and was recently named the #14 Top Tech Investor in the world by Forbes. His early investments include Twitter, Chegg, ng:moco, IMVU, Gowalla, Kno, YuMe Networks, TaskRabbit, Kongregate, BranchOut, and many more. Before his investment career, Mike co-founded Motive, Inc., the world's leading broadband software company in 1997, and oversaw its growth through the "dot-bomb" to a successful IPOs in 2004.


Thomas Korte, Founder of AngelPad

Thomas Korte is the founder of AngelPad, a startup accelerator based in San Francisco and New York. AngelPad was named by MIT's 2014 Accelerator Research as the #3 U.S. Accelerator, and Forbes Magazine called AngelPad a "TOP 5 Global Accelerator" in 2012. AngelPads exits include Mopub ($350m to Twitter), Adku (Groupon), and Astrid (Yahoo), among others. Prior, Thomas worked at Google for 7 years staring in 2002. He was Google's first International Product Manager. Other roles included European Search Agency Business Lead and Google Evangelist. He is the co-author of several patents related to improving efficiencies in search advertising and local search results. 

 

Investor Panels

 

Alex Gurevich, Partner, Javelin Venture Partners

At Javelin, Alex focuses on consumer web, mobile, e-commerce, big data analytics and enterprise. He is active on the boards or led investments in Coterie, Engrade, PowerCloud Systems, Prismatic, Skytree, Telerivet, Thumbtack, Uncovet and WellnessFX. Prior to joining Javelin, Alex was a Principal at DFJ Aurora, one of the first Western venture funds focused on high tech investments in Russia and Eastern Europe. Prior to that, Alex was the first employee and Director of Business Development at ooma, and also co-founded Say-Hey-Hey.com, one of the web’s first free video dating sites.

 

Aydin Senkut, Founder/ Managing Director, Felicis Ventures

Aydin is the Founder and Managing Director of Felicis Ventures. He has been named one of the top tech angels by Businessweek and was featured as one of the top 50 VCs by Forbes’ Midas List. Felicis Ventures portfolio encompasses over 80 companies including Brightroll, Clearslide, Counsyl, Inkling, Practice Fusion, Rovio, and Shopify. In the last 5 years, more than 47 Felicis backed start-ups have been acquired by firms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, Microsoft, AT&T, Disney, Ebay and Intuit. Prior to starting Felicis Ventures, Aydin was Google’s first product manager and launched its first 10 international sites in 2000. He speaks five languages: English, German, French, Portuguese and Turkish.

 

Boris Wertz, Founding Partner, Version One Ventures

Boris Wertz is one of the top tech early-stage investors in North-America and the founding partner of version one ventures. His portfolio encompasses over 50 early-stage consumer internet and enterprise companies, including Clio, Edmodo, Flurry, Frank & Oak, Indiegogo, Julep, Top Hat, Unbounce, and Wattpad. Boris is also a board partner with Andreessen Horowitz and one of the founders of start-up accelerator GrowLab. Before becoming an investor, Boris was the COO of AbeBooks.com, the world’s largest marketplace for new, used and rare and out-of print books which got sold to Amazon in 2008.

 

Brigette Lau, General Partner, The Social+Capital Partnership

Brigette Lau is a Partner at The Social Capital Partnership ("SocialCapital") where she focuses on early stage investments in education. Previously she was the COO at SocialCapital from inception through the raising of their second fund and was responsible for all staff, infrastructure, legal and financial oversight. She currently sits on the board of Descomplica, Vittana, and CodeNow. Previously, she held roles of increasing responsibility in sales, business development and engineering at several startups and large Fortune 500 companies including IBM.

 

Cyan Banister, CEO at Zivity, Owner of Banister Capital

Cyan is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Zivity, a prolific angel investor with her husband Scott Banister (Tagged, SpaceX, Uber and others), board member, advisor and also a contributing writer for TechCrunch and Women2.0. Cyan co-founded the controversial website Zivity.com, which is a subscription based social networking site for creators and fans of beautiful and tasteful glamour photography. She currently serves on the board of directors for Mimoco, best known for their MIMOBOT line of designer USB storage devices. 

 

Dave McClure, Founding Partner, 500 Startups

Dave is the Founding partner of 500 Startups, a global seed fund & startup accelerator that has invested in hundreds of companies all over the world, including Twilio, SendGrid, Credit Karma, MakerBot (acq by SSYS in 2013 for $400M), Wildfire Interactive (acq by Google in 2012 for $350M), and Viki (acq by Rakuten in 2013 for $200M). Previously, he managed early-stage internet investments for Founders Fund, and led the Facebook fbFund incubator program. 500 Startups invests in technology companies building consumer and business internet services, and currently manages ~$100M in capital. 

 

Frank Chen, Partner, Andreessen Horowitz

Frank Chen is a partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He runs the deal and research team at the firm, which systematically identifies and evaluates investment opportunities, and builds knowledge about technology, people and trends. Prior, Frank was the VP of Strategy for HP Software, where he helped the company understand and act on changes resulting from the rapid enterprise adoption of virtualization technologies across servers, network and storage. Frank joined HP Software through its acquisition of Opsware, where he was the VP of Products and User Experience for a broad set of Opsware’s data center automation products.

 

 

James Cham, Partner at Bloomberg Beta

James is a Partner at Bloomberg Beta, a new $75 mllion fund backed by Bloomberg L.P. Previously, James was a Principal at Trinity Ventures and a VP at Bessemer Venture Partners, investing in consumer services, enterprise software and digital media companies. While at Bessemer, James was a board member at CrowdFlower and Open Candy, and observer at LifeLock, ReputationDefender, and BillShrink. 

 

Jeff Richards, Managing Partner, GGV Capital

A Managing Partner at GGV Capital, Jeff joined the firm in 2008 after spending 13 years as an entrepreneur and operating executive. Jeff focuses on the Internet, Software and Mobile sectors, and currently sits on the boards of Appirio, Citrus Lane, Evolv OnDemand and Percolate. Jeff led GGV’s investments in BlueKai (acquired in 2014 by Oracle), Buddy Media (acquired in 2012 by Salesforce.com), Flipboard, Quixey, HotelTonight and Spreecast, and is actively involved in GGV’s investments in 21ViaNet (VNET), Flipboard, hiSoft (HSFT), Qunar, SocialTouch, Square, and MediaV. 

 

 

Manu Kumar, Founder & Chief Firestarter at K9 Ventures

Manu previously founded, grew and sold two successful ventures, including SneakerLabs – a company which developed software and services for web-based customer interaction – and iMeet – a provider of webconferencing services. After the merger of iMeet with Netspoke (August 2002), Manu served on the Board of Netspoke until its acquisition by Premiere Global Services (August 2005). He also serves as an investor and/or advisor for Refocus Imaging, Dolores Labs (CrowdFlower), Twilio, DNAnexus, and others. 

More investor judges will be announced shortly. 

Founder Showcase 10 (April 24, 2012)

The Founder Showcase is a quarterly seed-stage startup pitch and networking event that gathers Silicon Valley leaders to hear talks from top CEOs and investors, and help launch a promising startup to greatness.

The 10th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, and will be our largest event yet. Guests will be treated to an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 8 promising seed-stage companies, as well as talks by Kevin Hartz, Co-Founder & CEO of Eventbrite., and Dan Shapiro, Founder & CEO of Sparkbuy (acquired by Google) and Ontela (merged with Photobucket). In addition, the international winners of the Founder Institute's Startup Mentor awards will host a special panel on global entrepreneurship, to dicuss how the recent wave of innovation is not limited to the United States. Appetizers and drinks will also be served in a networking hall full of other hot startups demoing their wares in the Demo Table Competition.

We are expecting over 500 startup founders, investors, and press in attendance, including representatives from Charles River Ventures, Blumberg Capital, Javelin Venture Partners, Shasta Ventures, Venrock, AVP Ventures, Azure Capital Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, First Round Capital, K9 Ventures, Leapfrog Ventures, Matrix Partners, Menlo Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Opus Capital, SoftTech VC, TriplePoint Ventures, and many more.

Purchase your tickets today. 

For more information, visit the full website at www.FounderShowcase.com. 

 

Keynote Speakers

Kevin Hartz, Co-Founder & CEO of Eventbrite

Kevin is the Co-Founder & CEO of Eventbrite. Previously, he co-founded Xoom Corporation, an international money transfer company, and ConnectGroup, a hotel industry Internet access company that was acquired in 1998. Kevin has been an investor/advisor to numerous startups, including PayPal, Pinterest, Friendster, Airbnb, Milo, Skybox Imaging, Palantir, Indinero, TripIt, Flixster, Yammer, TokBox, Trulia, and more.

 

Dan Shapiro, Founder & CEO of Sparkbuy, Ontela

Dan works at Google following the acquisition of his most recent company, Sparkbuy. Dan was Founder & CEO of Sparkbuy, a comparison shopping website, and sold it to Google within 6 months of inception. Previously, he was Founder and CEO of Ontela, a pioneering mobile imaging company that merged with Photobucket, where he was named CEO of the Year by MobileBeat.

 

Judges

George Zachary, Partner, Charles River Ventures

George Zachary joined Charles River Ventures in 2004, bringing more than 17 years of operating and investing experience in computing and consumer technology. Zachary focuses on building services and software technology companies, and he's led CRV's investments in Twitter, Yammer, Millennial Media, Cloudshare, Geni, SocialMedia, Metaplace, and Scribd (co-led with Bill Tai).

 

Noah J. Doyle, Managing Director, Javelin VP

Noah has founded, launched and grown dozens of tech companies in 20 years of entrepreneurship and management of innovation. He previously directed the enterprise product line for Google Earth and Google Maps, Marketing Strategy and Corporate Development at Keyhole, Inc., and was a co-founder of MyPoints.com, which underwent an IPO and acquisition by United Airlines.

 

David Blumberg, Managing Partner, Blumberg Capital

David Blumberg is the Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital. David has been investing in early stage technology companies for more than 24 years. His current investment focus includes Digital Media, Social Media, Mobility, SaaS/Technology Enabled Services and Internet.

 

 

Rob Coneybeer, Managing Director, Shasta Ventures

Rob is a Co-founder and Managing Director of Shasta Ventures. Rob is particularly interested in Mobile & Wireless, Technology Applications, and Infrastructure. Prior to Shasta, he was a partner at New Enterprise Associates, where he led 15 investments. He also helped build the first EchoStar spacecraft at Martin Marietta.

 

 

Brian Ascher, Partner, Venrock

Brian focuses on a broad range of Internet (both consumer and B2B) and Healthcare IT investments, and currently serves on the Boards of several private companies, including Vocera, Awarepoint, Retail Solutions, Inrix, and Billfloat. Past investments include ADiFY, DATAllegro, Redbeacon, RelayHealth and Unicru - all of which were acquired. Prior to Venrock he was a Senior Product Manager at Intuit.

 

Interviewers

Dylan Tweney, Executive Editor at VentureBeat

Dylan Tweney is an award-winning writer and editor specializing in technology, science and business. He is currently the executive editor at VentureBeat, a news site devoted to covering the technology revolution and its impact on business and daily life. Previously, he was senior editor at Wired.com. Follow him on Twitter at@dylan20.

 

Michael Copeland, Senior Editor at WIRED

Michael Copeland is a Senior Editor at WIRED focused on entrepreneurship, venture capital, and emerging products and technologies. Before WIRED, he was a Senior Writer at Fortune, Business 2.0, and Red Herring. Follow him on Twitter at @MVC.

 

 

Hamish McKenzie, Writer at PandoDaily

Hamish McKenzie is an experienced international journalist who writes for the tech blog PandoDaily. His work has appeared across the globe, including in the Guardian, the Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star. He has interviewed many leading figures, including Sting, John Cleese, Robert Smith, Bret McKenzie, Billy Corgan, Wayne Coyne, and more. Follow him on Twitter at@HamishMcKenzie.

 

Special Speaker

Mark Frohnmayer, CEO of Arcimoto, on Sustainable Transportation

Mark is a lifelong transportation nerd with a background in software. After 11 years in the computer games industry and the sale of his first startup company, GarageGames, to IAC, Mark turned his entrepreneurial energy to clean transportation. His current endeavor, Arcimoto, is building the SRK, an ultra efficient, ultra fun vehicle for everyday driving trips.

 

 

 

Panelists

Founder Institute Mentors provide the passion, feedback and support that helped our founders launch over 500 businesses since 2009. Among the over 800 mentors there are those that stand out, and the 10th Founder Showcase will feature a special panel with 5 international winners of the Startup Mentor Awards to discuss trends in global entrepreneurship. Finalists include Anke Corbin (MapQuest), Bill Hunt (OptTown), Brent Halliburton (Verve Wireless), Brian Reale (Colosa), Camilo Gomez (SnappyGo), Dan Shapiro (Sparkbuy, Ontela), Gioia Messinger (LinkedObjects, Avaak), Heiko Rauch (UFOstart, GLOBUMBUS), Izak Jenie (PT MMS), Jeff Bonforte (Xobni), Jim Franklin (SendGrid), Joe Bezdek (DivX), Jonathon Perelli (Fortify.vc), Jon Carder (MOGL.com, MojoPages.com), Jon Nordmark (UsingMiles.com, eBags.com), Joerg Rheinboldt (Betterplace.org), Mark Pickett (Nail Your Mortgage), Michael Clark (SafetyWeb.com), Naval Ravikant (AngelList), Philippe Spruch (LaCie SA), Rajesh Setty (Foresight Plus), Remco Lupker (Tokobagus.com), Robin Chase (Buzzcar, Zipcar), Rodrigo Sepulveda Schulz (Sepulveda Capital), Stu West (Andreessen Horowitz, Wikipedia), Tim Delhaes (mon.ki), Tuan Pham (TOPICA), and Ziv Gillat (Eye-Fi).

Founder Showcase 14 (July 17, 2013)

The Founder Showcase is Silicon Valley's leading seed-stage startup event, gathering top technology founders and investors to hear and learn from leading experts, and to help launch promising new companies to greatness. 

The 14th edition of the Founder Showcase is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17th in Mountain View, and will feature a series of practical, "How-To" workshop talks designed to help seed-stage entrepreneurs.

Confirmed to speak are Phil Libin, Co-Founder & CEO of Evernote, Nir Eyal, acclaimed business writer and advisor, and Joe Abraham, Author and Founder of BOSI Global. Guests will also see an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 6 promising seed-stage companies, and enjoy appetizers and drinks in a networking hall full of other hot startups demoing their wares.

All tickets include free access to the exclusive Showcase Showdown Afterparty, at NASA! 

We are expecting over 150 early-stage startup investors in attendance,including representatives from Altos Ventures, Blumberg Capital, Bloomberg Beta, Javelin Venture Partners, K9 Ventures, Baidu, Bain Capital Ventures, General Catalyst Partners ,Jafco Ventures, Matrix Partners, North Bay Angels, ONSET Ventures, Sequoia Capital, TriplePoint Ventures, VoiVoda Ventures, and over 70 angel investors.

For more information, visit the full website at www.FounderShowcase.com.

 

Speakers

 

Phil Libin, Co-Founder & CEO of Evernote 

Phil Libin the CEO of Evernote. He is an entrepreneur and executive who has led two Internet companies from the very beginning to proven commercial success, and helped three others through rapid growth. Prior to joining Evernote, Phil founded and served as president of CoreStreet, currently one of the top companies providing smart credential and identity management technologies to governments and large corporations throughout the world. Previously, Phil was founder and CEO of Engine 5, a leading Boston-based Internet software development company acquired by Vignette Corporation in early 2000, where he went on to serve as principal architect and chief technologist for applications. Follow him @plibin.

 

Nir Eyal, Business Writer & Advisor

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir founded two tech companies since 2003 and today is a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Nir is also an advisor to several Bay Area start-ups and incubators. Nir’s last company received venture funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and was acquired in 2011. In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir is a contributing writer for Forbes, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today. Nir attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.

 

Joe Abraham, Author, Founder of BOSI Global

 Joe is founder of BOSI Global which operatesbosiDNA.com, recently featured in the Wall Street Journal for its assessment technology for startups, andBOSIFast50 – a portfolio of high-growth entrepreneurial companies. Joe has started and exited three companies, invested in over 20 early stage companies, wroteEntrepreneurial DNA: The Breakthrough Discovery That Aligns Your Business to Your Unique Strengths (McGraw Hill 2011), and has been featured on FoxNews, CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC for his expertise on entrepreneurship and innovation.

 

Pitch Judges

       

 

Manu Kumar, Founder & Chief Firestarter at K9 Ventures

Manu previously founded, grew and sold two successful ventures, including SneakerLabs – a company which developed software and services for web-based customer interaction – and iMeet – a provider of webconferencing services. After the merger of iMeet with Netspoke (August 2002), Manu served on the Board of Netspoke until its acquisition by Premiere Global Services (August 2005). He also serves as an investor and/or advisor for Refocus Imaging, Dolores Labs (CrowdFlower), Twilio, DNAnexus, and others. 

                            

 

Noah Doyle, Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners

Noah is a Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners and over the past 20 years has fouded, launched, and grown dozens of high tech products and companies. He most recently directed the enterprise product line for Google's geospatial products, Google Earth and Google Maps. Prior to Google, Noah managed the Marketing Strategy and Corporate Development functions at Keyhole, Inc. 

 

 

James Cham, Partner at Bloomberg Beta

James is a Partner at Bloomberg Beta, a new $75 mllion fund backed by Bloomberg L.P. Previously, James was a Principal at Trinity Ventures and a VP at Bessemer Venture Partners, investing in consumer services, enterprise software and digital media companies. While at Bessemer, James was a board member at CrowdFlower and Open Candy, and observer at LifeLock, ReputationDefender, and BillShrink. 

 

 

Jon Soberg, Managing Director at Blumberg Capital

Jon is a Managing Director at Blumberg Capital and has over 17 years of experience as an early-stage investor, entrepreneur, and operational executive specializing in transactional business. Prior to joining Blumberg, Jon held CEO, COO, and CFO positions at a number of startups. Jon has also consulted for top companies including Toyota, HSBC, and Accenture. 

 

 

 

Ho Nam, General Partner at Altos Ventures

Ho Nam is a General Partner of Altos Ventures, focusing on investments in the areas of software, mobile, and internet technologies. He currently serves as a director of Accolo, Digital Path, Trilibis Mobile, and WhiteHat Security. Ho led the firm's prior investments in Axis Systems (Cadence), Enwisen (Infor), Evolve (Oracle), Immunet (Sourcefire), Listen.com (Real Networks), Nishan Systems (Brocade), Pixo (Sun), SayNow (Google). 

 

Startup Mentor Awards

Founder Institute Mentors provide the support, feedback, and guidance that has helped our early-stage founders launch over 800 businesses since the Institute was founded in 2009.

While all of our 2500+ Mentors help our companies, among these great individuals, there are some that stand out. At the 14th Founder Showcase, we will celebrate those who unselfishly give back to the startup community with a special Startup Mentor Awards Ceremony.