What we’re about
Are you looking to start your own company? Are you trying to make the transition from an employee to an entrepreneur?
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. In this group you can learn the best practices of starting a company from people who have been there and done that. In addition, you can meet local founders, exchange ideas, get feedback, engage in startup workshops, meet business partners, and more.
Our Meetups will be free, local community events where top local startup founders and experts share their lessons learned and provide feedback on your ideas. We will also host informal networking events so that you can meet other founders, potential co-founders, and others with similar business interests.
Join the group to be invited to our next event!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- 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.
- Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Trasition to Startup FounderLink visible for attendees
Do you want to start your own technology company, but don't know where to begin? You are not alone. Every day millions of people go to jobs they don't enjoy, but few do something about it. At the "Employee to Entrepreneur" event, you can hear the stories, tips, and best practices of those who left their jobs to pursue their own startup company. Listen to the experiences of people just like you who have made the transition, and discuss any questions or concerns that you have. Afterwards, attendees will have an opportunity to network with other aspiring entrepreneurs and share their ideas for feedback.
❯ Who Should Attend?- Anyone who dreams of launching their own company.
- Anyone with an idea for a new business either launched inside their employer or independently.
- Anyone curious about being an entrepreneur someday.
❯ What Are Some of the Topics?
- What is the difference between being an employee versus being a founder.
- What to consider before becoming an entrepreneur.
- How do you know when the time is right to quit.
- What are the first steps in the entrepreneurial journey.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/18457 to receive the link to join us live.
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert FeedbackLink visible for attendees
To launch a great startup, it is critical to get feedback on your ideas from entrepreneurs who have been there and done that. On this live online event, we will gather several startup experts ready to provide feedback for entrepreneurs who aspire to be investor-ready. The event will start by providing guidelines to create a compelling elevator pitch, and then attendees will have the opportunity to share their pitch with other entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors at virtual tables for instant feedback. Even if you don't want to share your pitch, you can still join to hear other startup ideas and witness how the experts review a pitch.
This event focuses on helping founders refine their investor pitch decks through targeted feedback in breakout rooms, where they’ll present for 3 minutes followed by feedback. The agenda also includes a fireside chat with entrepreneurs, a Q&A session, and networking opportunities.❯ What You'll Learn:
- How to give a concise, yet compelling, elevator pitch
- What investors are looking for in a startup pitch
- Specific advice and feedback on your pitch and startup ideas
❯ To get the most out of this Pitch for Feedback event:
- Come ready for live video networking.
- Prepare by starting with your one-sentence pitch. See how it's done using our Madlibs format.
- Fill out our Elevator Pitch Worksheet.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/18460 to receive the link to join us live.
- How to Come Up with Great Startup IdeasLink visible for attendees
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be inherently creative or experience a magical 'aha' moment to come up with a great startup idea. In reality, anyone can generate innovative business ideas by following a structured process. In this live event, Jonathan Greechan (Co-Founder & CEO of Founder Institute) will share a proven framework for crafting great startup ideas, drawn from his experience working with over 10,000 startups worldwide. Attendees will also have the chance to share their ideas and connect with aspiring entrepreneurs in their space. If you have rough ideas and aren't sure what to do next, this is the event to attend!
❯ Who Should Attend:- Anyone who has an early-stage company or a startup idea
- Anyone who would like feedback on their idea or pitch
- Anyone that is interested in joining a new startup or looking for a co-founder
❯ What You'll Gain:
- Common mistakes and misconceptions around startup ideas.
- The methods startups use to consistently find great ideas.
- Six frameworks to come up startup ideas.
- Structured Networking and Idea-Sharing Session.
❯ Featured Expert:
- Jonathan Greechan - Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute - Jonathan Greechan is the Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. Since 2009, he has grown and scaled the organization to chapters in over 200 cities and 90 countries, producing over 7000 portfolio companies with nearly $2B in venture funding. In his long career in tech and marketing, Jonathan has advised thousands of startups on marketing, growth, and product strategy and 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/18461 to receive the link to join us live.
