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NAME:Waterloo Startup Founder 101
X-WR-CALNAME:Waterloo Startup Founder 101
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UID:event_316753094@meetup.com
SEQUENCE:1
DTSTAMP:20261010T204709Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261012T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261012T140000
SUMMARY:U.S. Visas & Immigration 101 for Startup Founders
DESCRIPTION:Waterloo Startup Founder 101\nBuilding a company in the U.S. i
 s hard enough. Doing it as a non-citizen founder means navigating an immig
 ration system that was never designed with startups in mind. This 101 sess
 ion breaks down the essentials in plain English. You'll get a clear map of
  the visa paths open to founders\, how they differ\, and what each one act
 ually asks of you when you're the one building the company. We'll also loo
 k at how milestones like fundraising and revenue shape your options\, and 
 the mistakes that quietly put a founder's status at risk. Bring your quest
 ions for a live Q&A at the end.\n\n**❯❯ RSVP now at [https://fi.co/e/4
 05316/meetup](https://fi.co/e/405316/meetup) to get your link and join us 
 live!** . This event is hosted in partnership with **[Manifest Law](https:
 //manifestlaw.com/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=vendor&utm_campaign=found
 erx)** \, a modern immigration law firm helps founders and companies get t
 he visas they need to build in the U.S. — O-1A\, E-2\, L-1\, H-1B\, and 
 green cards. Learn more at: **[https://gomanifestlaw.com/founderx](https:/
 /gomanifestlaw.com/founderx)**[ ](https://gomanifestlaw.com/founderx)\n\n*
 *❯ What You'll Learn:**\n\n* Which U.S. visas are actually open to found
 ers\, and how the main options differ\n* What "self-sponsorship" really me
 ans\, and when it's possible\n* How fundraising\, revenue\, and traction c
 an strengthen or complicate your case\n* The status risks hiding in a pivo
 t\, a down round\, or a slow start\, and how to plan ahead\n* Where to sta
 rt if you're building in the U.S. without a visa strategy yet\n\n**❯ Who
  Should Attend:**\n\n* Non-citizen founders building\, or planning to buil
 d\, a company in the U.S.\n* Founders already on a visa who are fundraisin
 g\, pivoting\, or scaling\n* International entrepreneurs deciding which vi
 sa path fits their plans\n* Anyone who wants the immigration basics before
  sitting down with a lawyer\n\n.\n\n**❯❯ Don’t miss this live\, inte
 ractive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at [https://f
 i.co/e/405316/meetup](https://fi.co/e/405316/meetup) to get your link and 
 join us live!**
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.meetup.com/waterloo-startup-founder-101/events/3
 16753094/
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CREATED:20260928T180445Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T180445Z
CLASS:PUBLIC
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:event_316598581@meetup.com
SEQUENCE:1
DTSTAMP:20261010T204709Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261013T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261013T140000
SUMMARY:From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset
DESCRIPTION:Waterloo Startup Founder 101\nHave you ever wondered why some 
 people take the leap while others stay stuck? The difference isn't luck\, 
 resources\, or timing — it's the way founders think. Join Jonathan Greec
 han\, Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute\, for a fascinating deep-d
 ive into the psychology behind entrepreneurial action. In this live sessio
 n\, you'll unpack the cognitive patterns that hold aspiring founders back 
 and explore the mental frameworks that top entrepreneurs use to push throu
 gh uncertainty. With practical exercises and a follow-up networking sessio
 n\, you'll leave with both insight and momentum.\n\n**❯❯ RSVP now at [
 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/24087](https://fi.co/startupwebinar/24087) to
  get your link and join us live!**\n\n**❯ What You’ll Learn:**\n\n* Ho
 w to move from hesitation to action and stop waiting for the "perfect time
 "\n* The 4 core mental barriers that keep you stuck in the startup journey
 \n* The key mindset shifts from “It’s not my fault” to “What can I
  do differently?”\n* How to train your mind to embrace progress and over
 come excuses with clarity and confidence\n* Practical exercises to leave t
 he event feeling empowered and ready to take the next step\n\n**❯ Featur
 ed Speaker:**\n\n* [Jonathan Greechan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonatha
 ngreechan/) \\- Co\\-Founder & CEO at [Founder Institute](http://fi.co/): 
 Since 2009\, Jonathan has grown and scaled the world's largest pre-seed ac
 celerator to chapters in over 200 cities and 100 countries\, producing ove
 r 9\,000 portfolio companies with an estimated value of $2BN. He also serv
 es as an Advisor to Oxford Entrepreneurs (Oxford University)\, Horasis\, a
 nd the USC Incubator (University of Southern California). Previously\, Jon
 athan was a Partner of [TheFunded.com\,](http://TheFunded.com\,) the first
  website for founders to rate and review venture capitalists\, and an Exec
 utive Producer of the [Founder Showcase](https://www.foundershowcase.com/)
 . This leading Silicon Valley startup conference hosted speakers like Elon
  Musk. Jonathan’s writing has been featured in Fortune\, TechCrunch\, an
 d Entrepreneur Magazine\, and he has spoken at startup conferences on four
  continents.\n\n**❯ Who Should Attend:**\n\n* Aspiring founders with an 
 idea but who haven’t started building yet\n* Entrepreneurs looking to br
 eak through mental blocks and move forward with their ideas\n* Early-stage
  founders who feel stuck in analysis paralysis or waiting for the “right
  moment”\n* Anyone eager to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and gain 
 the confidence to move from idea to execution\n\n.\n\n**❯❯ Don’t mis
 s this live\, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP
  now at [https://fi.co/startupwebinar/24087](https://fi.co/startupwebinar/
 24087) to get your link and join us live!**
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.meetup.com/waterloo-startup-founder-101/events/3
 16598581/
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CREATED:20260917T170608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T170608Z
CLASS:PUBLIC
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:event_316871866@meetup.com
SEQUENCE:1
DTSTAMP:20261010T204709Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261020T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261020T140000
SUMMARY:How to Use AI to Position Your Startup to Buyers
DESCRIPTION:Waterloo Startup Founder 101\nYou built the product. The marke
 t isn't buying it yet. Usually the gap is positioning: buyers don't see th
 emselves in your pitch. **In this hands-on session\, Jonathan Grover shows
  you how to use AI to fix that. You'll build a synthetic version of your i
 deal buyer as an AI agent\, then let it tear into your pitch in real time\
 , surfacing the objections and gaps a real buyer would raise.** You'll lea
 ve with sharper positioning that actually converts\, plus a Claude skill y
 ou can take home and reuse on your next pitch. Come with a product and a p
 itch you're willing to put to the test.\n\n**❯❯ RSVP now at [https://f
 i.co/e/405381/meetup](https://fi.co/e/405381/meetup) to get your link and 
 join us live!**\n\n**❯ Featured Speaker:**\n**[Jonathan Grover](https://
 www.linkedin.com/in/connectwithjongrover/)** — Founder & Fractional Chie
 f Product Officer\, **[Supergrover](https://supergrover.ai/)**\n\n* Jonath
 an Grover is a product\, AI\, and go-to-market leader who helps founders a
 nd executives turn a built product into real market traction. A former For
 tune 50 executive\, he has managed billions of dollars of product roadmap 
 and shipped AI products that scaled to $100M+ ARR across 180+ countries. H
 e has structured go-to-market deals worth more than $150M\, holds patents 
 in AI\, and across 60+ early-stage ventures has helped raise $500M+ in fun
 ding and taken part in multiple exits. Today he runs Supergrover\, advisin
 g CXOs and product teams on product strategy\, go-to-market\, and AI trans
 formation.\n\n**❯ What You'll Learn:**\n\n* How to turn your ideal custo
 mer into a synthetic buyer persona you can interrogate with AI\n* How to p
 ressure-test your pitch against that AI buyer and surface objections befor
 e real buyers do\n* What separates positioning that converts from features
  that fall flat\n* How to spot and close the "traction gap" between buildi
 ng a product and selling it\n* A reusable Claude skill you can take home t
 o sharpen future pitches\n\n**❯ Who Should Attend:**\n\n* Founders whose
  product works but isn't converting buyers yet\n* Early-stage founders ref
 ining their positioning\, pitch\, or messaging\n* Technical founders who n
 eed to sell to non-technical buyers\n* Anyone who wants to use AI to sharp
 en how they go to market trends.\n\n. **❯❯ Don’t miss this live\, in
 teractive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at [https:/
 /fi.co/e/405381/meetup](https://fi.co/e/405381/meetup) to get your link an
 d join us live!**
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.meetup.com/waterloo-startup-founder-101/events/3
 16871866/
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CREATED:20261006T182256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T182256Z
CLASS:PUBLIC
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X-WR-CALNAME:Waterloo Startup Founder 101
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