About us
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
FI Alumni Panel: Meet Founders of High-Growth Startups (Q&A + Networking)
·OnlineOnline✨ The decisions that shaped these companies were made when nobody was watching and nothing was certain. Founders from across the FI network walk through what they chose early, why, and how those choices look in hindsight.
🤖 What they are building with AI now, and which of their original assumptions survived. 💬 Q&A, then open networking. 👉 Register now to get your link and join us live! . ❯ Featured Speakers:- Jai Chinnakonda — Founder & CEO, ENGAIZ (FI Toronto Alum)
- Kelly Anderson — Founder & CEO, DyeConverter™ (FI Silicon Valley Alum)
- Brenda Bernal — Founder & CEO, Compliagence (FI Los Angeles Alum)
❯ Featured Host:
- Jonathan Greechan - Co-Founder & CIO of the Founder Institute - Jonathan Greechan is the Co-Founder & CIO 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 and across over 100 countries, producing over 9,000 portfolio companies with nearly $2BN 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.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- What these founders decided in their earliest months, and why;
- Which of their original assumptions survived and which did not;
- What they are building with AI now, and how it changed their roadmap;
- What they would tell a founder at idea stage today;
- How the FI network mattered to them, concretely.
❯ Who Should Attend:
- Idea-stage founders who want to see how the early decisions get made;
- Prospective applicants evaluating what the network actually produces;
- Founders in smaller chapters with limited access to breakout founders;
- Anyone who wants to network with founders beyond their own city.
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❯❯ Don’t miss this live, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/23175 to get your link and join us live!
3 attendees
U.S. Visas & Immigration 101 for Startup Founders
·OnlineOnlineBuilding a company in the U.S. is hard enough. Doing it as a non-citizen founder means navigating an immigration system that was never designed with startups in mind. This 101 session 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 actually asks of you when you're the one building the company. We'll also look at how milestones like fundraising and revenue shape your options, and the mistakes that quietly put a founder's status at risk. Bring your questions for a live Q&A at the end.
❯❯ RSVP now at https://fi.co/e/405316/meetup to get your link and join us live! . This event is hosted in partnership with Manifest Law , a modern immigration law firm helps founders and companies get the 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
❯ What You'll Learn:
- Which U.S. visas are actually open to founders, and how the main options differ
- What "self-sponsorship" really means, and when it's possible
- How fundraising, revenue, and traction can strengthen or complicate your case
- The status risks hiding in a pivot, a down round, or a slow start, and how to plan ahead
- Where to start if you're building in the U.S. without a visa strategy yet
❯ Who Should Attend:
- Non-citizen founders building, or planning to build, a company in the U.S.
- Founders already on a visa who are fundraising, pivoting, or scaling
- International entrepreneurs deciding which visa path fits their plans
- Anyone who wants the immigration basics before sitting down with a lawyer
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❯❯ Don’t miss this live, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at https://fi.co/e/405316/meetup to get your link and join us live!
3 attendees
From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset
·OnlineOnlineHave 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 Greechan, Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute, for a fascinating deep-dive into the psychology behind entrepreneurial action. In this live session, you'll unpack the cognitive patterns that hold aspiring founders back and explore the mental frameworks that top entrepreneurs use to push through uncertainty. With practical exercises and a follow-up networking session, you'll leave with both insight and momentum.
❯❯ RSVP now at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/24087 to get your link and join us live!
❯ What You’ll Learn:
- How to move from hesitation to action and stop waiting for the "perfect time"
- The 4 core mental barriers that keep you stuck in the startup journey
- The key mindset shifts from “It’s not my fault” to “What can I do differently?”
- How to train your mind to embrace progress and overcome excuses with clarity and confidence
- Practical exercises to leave the event feeling empowered and ready to take the next step
❯ 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 9,000 portfolio companies with an estimated value of $2BN. 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. This leading Silicon Valley startup conference 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.
❯ Who Should Attend:
- Aspiring founders with an idea but who haven’t started building yet
- Entrepreneurs looking to break through mental blocks and move forward with their ideas
- Early-stage founders who feel stuck in analysis paralysis or waiting for the “right moment”
- Anyone eager to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and gain the confidence to move from idea to execution
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❯❯ Don’t miss this live, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/24087 to get your link and join us live!
4 attendees
Find a Co-Founder, Help or Join a Tech Startup
·OnlineOnlineWelcome to Startup Oasis in collaboration with Founder Institute!
If you are a startup founder or anyone else in the tech ecosystem looking to start, join, or help a tech startup, this event is for you!
Startup founders pitch their business or concept to the audience like on Shark Tank. Then, each founder gets a breakout room for more collaboration and discussions, similar to a hackathon.
If you are a Founder and you come away with teammates, DO NOT LET IT GO TO WASTE. This windfall of resources may change your perspective, but remember you were just in the desert, trying to find human capital. Schedule weekly benchmark calls, keep them excited about the vision, be open to input, and celebrate small wins.
We are meeting on Zoom, the link is here in the listing.
Agenda:
8:00pm – 8:10 EDT
Intros: During the first 10 minutes, we will give you the history, structure, and future plans of Startup Oasis and open signups for founders that want to pitch their startups.8:10 - 8:25
Pitches: Each founder will then get up to 3 minutes to pitch their startup. This format is recommended: name, business, the problem, your solution, target customer base, and your biggest challenge/current need. This part is similar to Shark Tank.8:30 – onward
Breakout Groups: For the remainder of the event, each founder gets a breakout room, and you can talk to the founders in greater detail about their needs and challenges in a small group setting. This part is similar to a hackathon.Startup Oasis was created to pierce the illusion of accessibility of startups and tech by creating a grassroots forum for early-stage founders to pitch to those in the tech ecosystem to get real-time feedback for their idea or business.
Use this link to:
- Follow us on LinkedIn
- Join our community on Discord
- Donate to our cause
- Visit our website
- Sign up for our newsletter
FAQ:
Is this event free to attend? Yes - Startup Oasis will always be free for anyone to attend. If you would like to donate, you can do so directly on our website. You can also talk to us about volunteer or sponsorship opportunities.How do I sign up to pitch? RSVP here. Right when the event starts, fill out the form and then raise your hand on Zoom. That will also determine the order. You can also buy a VIP ticket to support our cause and guarantee you a spot to pitch. To be eligible to pitch, you must be the cofounder of a technology-based startup. Agencies, consultants, coaches, MLM schemes, and nonprofits are not eligible to pitch, but you can still watch the pitches and join the breakouts.
What happens after the pitches? The breakout groups open for the remainder of the event. Each founder gets a breakout room, and you can talk more about their business and needs with them.
Is this event recorded? No. We will also not allow any participants to record nor grant permissions to AI assistants to record. This is to maintain the efficiency of the event and and privacy of the pitches.
Can I invite other people that I know? Yes - please have them RSVP here or on the LinkedIn event listing.
How do I get the most out of this event?
- Founders - In this event, no money is awarded nor are any winners named. We are not here to critique your pitch, just to help you find teammates, cofounders, and feedback from other professionals. Make sure your pitch is 3 minutes or less and clear about what your biggest needs are.
- Attendees - If you are new to startups and tech, feel free to just watch with no pressure to participate. If you are looking to join a startup or find a side project, make sure you take notes during the pitches to join the group of the founder that you're most interested in helping. Most founders need help with either developing the product or with a go-to-market strategy.
Do we meet in person? We host a separate, in-person version in Atlanta, GA on the 3rd Thursday each month in Midtown at ATDC.
Content: We are looking for founders to be interviewed or people to interview founders for short videos. Let us know if you are interested!
1 attendee
Past events
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