What we're about

At Founder Institute New York: Startup Founder 101, aspiring and early-stage startup founders meet once a month to hear candid talks by successful local entrepreneurs brought to you by Founder Institute New York, a New York City Startup Accelerator. Learn the best practices, strategies, and mistakes to avoid from those who have been there, done that. Then, if you’d like, you can share your ideas and plans in a relaxed setting to get personal and professional feedback.

The next Meetup will be announced shortly - join our group to get updated!

Upcoming events (4)

Email Marketing 101 - How to Easily Create High-Converting Workflows

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Even in the earliest stages of your startup, email lead generation should be your number one priority. Email marketing is a cost-effective, measurable, and extremely engaging way to reach out to your customers. Join us at this highly informative webinar to get practical tips on how to set up compelling email workflows that will turn your leads into customers.

❯ What You'll Learn:

  • How to segment your email subscribers
  • What are the benefits of email marketing automation
  • How to efficiently communicate your email campaigns to drive conversion

❯ Featured Speaker:

  • Bethany Stachenfeld - Co-Founder and CEO of Sendspark: Bethany is a valuable member of the startup community, having worked with organizations such as Venture for America, 500 Startups, OnDeck, and the Stage2 Accelerator.

❯❯ This is an interactive, live online event. To access the event, RSVP at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/16201

Pitch Your Startup Idea to New York VCs & Angels

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Do you have a startup, or a strong idea for a startup? Could you use blunt, honest feedback on your startup ideas? On this live and interactive online event you can pitch your ideas to a panel of New York startup investors and experts for ratings and feedback. Even if you don't want to pitch, you are invited to hear startup ideas and watch how the experts analyze businesses. Pre-submit your pitch for priority feedback, but we will also be selecting pitches live from the chat.

❯ Guest Speakers include:

  • Adam Kirsch (Principal, Next Day Hill)
  • Olivia O'Sullivan (Head of Platform, Forum Ventures)
  • Zehra Naqvi (Head of Founder Community, Republic Ventures)

To pre-submit your pitch, visit https://forms.gle/nS4R1XLsV43DTxPWA

❯ Additional Information:

To prepare, start with your one-sentence pitch. See how it's done using our Madlibs format.

❯ What You'll Learn:

  • How to give a concise, yet compelling, elevator pitch
  • What investors are looking for in a startup pitch
  • If selected, specific advice and feedback on your pitch and startup idea

❯❯ This is a live, interactive online event, so be sure to RSVP at https://fi.co/e/311060/meetup to receive the Zoom URL to join us live!

2023 Startup Trends: A Roundtable Discussion with Founders & Investors

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Successful entrepreneurs are flexible and adapt quickly. To stay ahead of trends, tune in to this interactive webinar that offers three unique points of view on the business climate and growth opportunities in 2023. This March, the floor belongs to dynamic and prominent women from our global startup community. Join us to learn how to leverage the current startup trends and ensure your strategy is progressive and up-to-date.

❯ What You'll Learn:

  • What are the startup trends and forecasts for 2023
  • How to stay on top of the current situation and use it to your advantage
  • What are the factors you need to consider before raising funds

❯ Featured Speakers:

  • Ajuma Ataguba - Venture Partner at White Hibiscus Capital: Ajuma is an experienced business development consultant with a background in agriculture, education, technology, and international trade. She has consulted multiple companies on project management, turnkey projects, business planning, coaching, and entrepreneurship. Ajuma also possesses Social Entrepreneurship certifications from the University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, and Copenhagen Business School. Since 2021, she has been managing the FI's Abuja cohorts.
  • Lavina Ramkissoon - AI Ethics + Technology Policy at African Union: With over 20 years in technology, Lavina is a notable thought leader in Africa's AI potential. Her mission is dedicated to the creation of meaningful and innovative solutions that shape the African continent. Besides her passion for technology, Lavina has a vast experience with entrepreneurship and mentorship. She contributes to building the African startup ecosystem as a local leader with FI.
  • Keshni Morar - Founder at Investable: Keshni is a seasoned executive of multinational growth companies and technology startups. Her professional superpowers are business development, mergers and acquisitions, and transformation. With cross-functional teams of up to 50, she has implemented over 200 integration projects with budgets ranging from US$5k to US$6 million. Keshni is also an experienced business mentor and is currently working with FI cohorts in South Africa.

❯❯ This is an interactive, live online event. To access the event, RSVP at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/16228

Ask an Investor | Open Q&A with Investors that Write 'First Checks' for Startups

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Join us for a unique opportunity to connect with early-stage startup investors and ask the questions that matter to you. In this Q&A session, you will have the chance to engage in an open discussion with a panel of investors who have a wealth of experience in working with early-stage startups. Find out how you can maximize your chances of raising funding and get hands-on tips for presenting your business to investors in the most favorable way.

❯ What You'll Learn:

  • What are the current early-stage investment trends
  • What investors look for and how to prepare your startup for fundraising
  • How to communicate with investors efficiently and what type of information to provide them with

❯ Featured Speakers:

  • Biola Alabi - Partner at Acasia Ventures: Biola Alabi is a global leader, an experienced founder, and an angel investor. She is passionate about Media and Technology and has worked extensively networking with partners and associations to continuously develop the African technology and television industry. Biola focuses on early-stage investments and matches VC funds with the best startups.
  • Dr. Hanan El Basha - Co-Founder and CEO at The Global Businesswomen: Hanan is an Empowering Business Strategist supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and SME business owners to build and grow sustainable and profitable ventures through practical actions and strategies. She is the Co-Director of the Qatar chapter of FI.
  • Mercedes Bankston - Founder at Funderstar LTD: Mecedes's specialty is in jump-starting new businesses, re-launching failed units, and leading new product rollouts, primarily in innovative technology companies. She is also an expert in global investments in high-potential tech startups and has partnered with FI London for over four years.

❯❯ This is an interactive, live online event. To access the event, RSVP at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/16229

Past events (319)

Startup Idea Pitch Practice: Get Friendly Feedback from Experts (Online)

This event has passed