What we’re about
Startup Founder 101 brings together aspiring and experienced tech entrepreneurs to discuss, meet, and collaborate to build great new startups, and to push the local startup ecosystem forward.\
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This group hosts numerous free events throughout the year where you can learn the best practices of starting a company from people who have been there and done that. You’ll have the opportunity to meet local founders and investors, exchange ideas with experts, get feedback on your idea, participate in startup workshops, and more.\
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Typical startup event topics include:\
• Coming up with a strong startup idea\
• Startup legal basics\
• How to pitch your startup\
• Starting a company without quitting your day job\
• How to raise funding for your startup\
• And much more!\
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Join the group to be invited to our next event!
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Startup to Scale-Up: Mastering Sales & Branding with Mark KosoglowLink visible for attendees
In the world of startups, mastering go-to-market (GTM) strategies and building robust sales functions are key to driving growth. Join us for an exclusive fireside chat and AMA session with Mark Kosoglow, a luminary in the SaaS industry, known for his pioneering GTM leadership. As the first sales hire at Outreach.io, Mark played a pivotal role in scaling the company to unicorn status by building and refining their sales development function. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the top leaders in SaaS sales. Come prepared with your questions and get direct answers in this interactive event!
❯ What You'll Learn:
- Proven GTM strategies and outbound sales techniques to drive growth in 2025.
- Building and scaling high-performing sales teams, from founder-led sales to Series B.
- Effective sales leadership and personal branding insights.
❯ Featured Speakers:
- Mark Kosoglow - Co-Founder & CEO at Operator - A seasoned sales and business leader with a proven track record of scaling organizations and driving growth. He started his career as a teenager learning sales through instructional videos, and later ran a small business with 200+ employees. He successfully revitalized a dormant sales territory and managed a team of 12 across 9 states, solidifying his sales philosophy. At one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies, he helped scale revenue to over $250M while balancing growth and customer experience. Today, he’s honored to work with a customer-focused team of the best and brightest professionals he's ever known.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/18324 to receive the link to join us live.
- Meet the Washington Network Group & DMV Tech Ecosystem (In-Person)ala, Washington, DC
Washington DC has a fast growing business ecosystem. Founder Institute is partnering with WNG - Washington Network Group to foster collaboration and help entrepreneurs access to all the resources our region offers. At this in-person event, we will gather investors, mentors and advisors from the DMV region and WNG, while celebrating and kick starting 2025 with great vibes!. WNG - Washington Network Group is a legacy membership organization of professionals in business, finance, technology, foreign and government affairs, established in 1995. WNG is dedicated to helping WNG Members advance their business and professional objectives by convening networking events, educational forums and career development opportunities.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- WNG and Founder Institute to help launch and grow your business
- Little-known resources that benefit your industry
- How to find Mentors, Advisors, access to grants and investors
- Additional funding sources for early-stage founders
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❯ About the Ecosystem Organizations:
- WNG - www.washingtonnetworkgroup.com: A legacy membership organization turning into 502(c)(3) non-profit for professionals in business, finance, technology, foreign and government affairs, established in 1995. We are dedicated to helping WNG Members advance their business and professional objectives by convening networking events, educational forums and career development opportunities.
- Founder Institute Washington DC: Local DMV startup accelerator program at Founder Institute, the #1 place in the world to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. DMV local chapter is one of the most active accelerators, connecting resources and collaborating with all players in the ecosystem with 200+ great mentors in our region.
❯❯ This is an in-person event - there will be no online component to this event. To RSVP visit https://fi.co/e/358955/meetup
- What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of ResearchLink visible for attendees
Great companies start with great people, so the Founder Institute startup accelerator has been collecting social science data since 2009 to identify the personality traits that correlate with building great startups. On this interactive online event, Jonathan Greechan (Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute) will share exclusive insights and data collected from over 15 years of research, 175,000 social science assessments, and 7,000 launched companies. If you are interested in the learning the components of "Entrepreneur DNA", then don't miss this candid and informative event.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- What defines a successful entrepreneur?
- Insights from FI's Entrepreneur DNA Assessment, including the 9 Entrepreneur Profiles.
- How do you evaluate your potential as a startup founder?
- Specific steps to improve your Founder selection process.
❯ Featured Speaker:
- Jonathan Greechan - Co-Founder & CEO at Founder Institute - Since 2009, Jonathan has grown and scaled the world's largest pre-seed accelerator to chapters in over 200 cities and 100 countries, producing over 6800 portfolio companies with an estimated value of $35BN. 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, the first website for founders to rate and review venture capitalists, and an Executive Producer of the Founder Showcase, a leading Silicon Valley startup conference that hosted speakers like Elon Musk. Jonathan’s writing has been featured in Fortune, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and he has spoken at startup conferences on four continents.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/18418 to receive the link to join us live.
- How to Align Your Brand Messaging with Your Startup MissionLink visible for attendees
How do you build a standout brand that resonates and drives impact? At this live online event, attendees will get actionable insights on crafting effective messaging and branding strategies from Daniel Francavilla, a Marketing Advisor & Brand Strategist at Daniel Does Consulting and an award-winning entrepreneur. With over a decade of experience helping startups and purpose-driven organizations, Daniel will discuss key branding principles, common pitfalls, and how to align your brand with your mission. If you're ready to elevate your startup's brand and messaging, this is a must-attend event!
❯ What You'll Learn:
- How to build a memorable and impactful startup brand
- Common branding mistakes and how to avoid them
- Strategies to align your brand messaging with your mission
❯ Featured Speaker:
- Daniel Francavilla - Marketing Advisor & Brand Strategist at Daniel Does Consulting - A marketing advisor, strategist, founder and mentor making a positive impact. He is a Certified Brand Strategist, college educator, member of the Canadian Marketing Association and a recipient of a 40 Under 40 Award. His latest venture, The Good Growth Company, provides training for social good organizations to upskill their teams and scale their mission. After graduating from OCAD University, Daniel founded Now Creative Group in 2013, later acquired by King Street Media in 2021 where he became a partner, which also launched CreatorClub, a content platform and studio. As an advocate for social good Daniel continues to run ACCESS, a nonprofit he founded as a student in 2006, which provides funding and mentorship for youth-led initiatives.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/18446 to receive the link to join us live.
