Financial Arts & Crafts

# Financial Arts & Crafts

Episode 001: Who Owns What?
Cap Tables, Founder Equity & the Art of Dilution
Wednesday, December 2, 2026 | 2:00 PM ET
Virtual | Free to Attend
Less guesswork. Better numbers. Stronger startups.
Welcome to Financial Arts & Crafts, a brand-new weekly workshop series from Boston New Technology and Startup Grind Boston, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs understand, build, and manage the financial foundations of their businesses.
Because startup finance shouldn't feel like a mysterious art reserved for accountants, investors, and attorneys.
It should be something founders can understand—and work with themselves.
A Different Kind of Financial Workshop
Every Wednesday, we're opening the workshop to explore the financial decisions that shape a startup's future.
From cap tables and financial modeling to cash flow, runway, pricing, unit economics, valuation, and fundraising strategy, we'll break down complicated concepts and turn them into practical exercises.
Our philosophy is simple: Don't just learn the numbers. Learn to build them.
Bring your questions, your curiosity, and your willingness to get your hands dirty.
No accounting degree required.
Episode 001: Who Owns What?
We're kicking things off with one of the most consequential—and frequently misunderstood—parts of startup finance:
Your capitalization table.
Who owns your company? What happens when you raise money? How do SAFEs, option pools, and new investors change everyone's ownership?
And what should founders understand before giving away equity?
Together, we'll explore:

• Cap Tables 101: Understanding ownership, shares, and the basic structure of a capitalization table.
• Founder Equity: How ownership changes as companies grow and bring on new stakeholders.
• Dilution: What happens to ownership percentages when new shares are issued.
• SAFEs and Early Financing: How investment instruments can affect future capitalization.
• Option Pools: Planning equity for employees, advisors, and future hires.
• The Financial Trade-Offs: How to think through ownership decisions before making commitments.

Roll Up Your Sleeves!
This isn't just a presentation.
We'll work through a practical cap table exercise, examining how a hypothetical startup's ownership changes across different financing scenarios.
You'll come away with a clearer understanding of the calculations, terminology, and questions every founder should be comfortable discussing.
We'll also provide a framework you can adapt to your own business.
Have a cap table already? Bring your questions.
Haven't incorporated yet? You're equally welcome.
You can participate using our example scenarios without sharing confidential company information.
Who Should Attend?
Financial Arts & Crafts welcomes aspiring entrepreneurs, first-time founders, startup operators, accelerator alumni, and anyone interested in understanding the financial mechanics of building a business.
Whether you're preparing for your first investment or simply trying to make better financial decisions, there's a place for you at the workbench.
Three Days. Three Disciplines. One Stronger Startup.
Financial Arts & Crafts is part of our growing weekly founder-development programming:
Tuesdays — Deck Doctors
Diagnose your story. Strengthen your investor narrative.
Wednesdays — Financial Arts & Crafts
Build the numbers. Understand your business.
Thursdays — Precision Pitch Practice
Practice your pitch. Strengthen your delivery.
Each session stands on its own. Join the programs that address your immediate needs, or make them part of your weekly entrepreneurial practice.
Let's Build Something That Adds Up.
Startup finance can be intimidating.
It doesn't have to be.
Join us for the premiere of Financial Arts & Crafts, and discover how a little knowledge, a few formulas, and some practical experimentation can make a meaningful difference in the company you're building.
Wednesday, December 2 | 2:00 PM Eastern
Bring your questions. We'll bring the workbench.
Presented by Boston New Technology × Startup Grind Boston.
Educational programming only. The workshop does not provide individualized legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice.