About us
The Startup Traction & Funding Network 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.
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.
Typical startup event topics include:
• Refining your startup idea
• Startup legal basics
• How to pitch your startup
• How to launch a global company
• How to raise funding for your startup
• And much more!
Join the group to be invited to our next event!
For information about the investors, incubators, and tech events available, see our list of Startup Resources (https://fi.co/startup_resources). Interested in perfecting your pitch? Read our Pitch Deck Guide (https://fi.co/pitch_deck) and download templates.
Upcoming events
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How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset
·OnlineOnlineAre you still waiting for the "right time" to start your startup? Join Jonathan Greechan, Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute, for a live online event designed to help aspiring founders overcome hesitation and take immediate action on their startup ambitions. In this practical, mindset-focused session, you'll uncover the four mental excuses that kill momentum, learn why they feel so convincing, and discover how successful entrepreneurs shift from avoidance to action. You'll leave with the confidence, clarity, and tools to start your startup, plus a networking session to put your mindset into action.
❯❯ RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/21514 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 8,900 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 entrepreneurs who want to understand how founders approach challenges and opportunities.
- Corporate innovators and intrapreneurs interested in applying startup methodologies to accelerate growth.
- Anyone curious about entrepreneurship and how to bring a “startup mindset” into their everyday work and decision-making.
- Early stage founders eager to learn from Silicon Valley insights and global startup best practices.
❯❯ Don’t miss this live, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/21514 to get your link and join us live!
1 attendee
Growing Innovation Districts through Regional & Private Partnerships
·OnlineOnlineInnovation districts thrive when they are not isolated but instead connected to broader networks. By leveraging regional and private partnerships, these districts can tap into global talent, investors, and mentors, accelerating growth and fostering innovation. Using Penn West as a successful example, this session will demonstrate how collaboration between local governments and private enterprises can create vibrant ecosystems that attract resources from beyond local boundaries. Learn how these strategic partnerships can transform innovation districts into dynamic hubs for startup success and economic growth.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- Learn how local governments and private companies can work together effectively.
- Understand how connecting with global networks can drive growth and innovation.
- Discover how partnerships can create long-term economic success for innovation districts.
❯❯ RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/22895 to get your link and join us live!
❯ Featured Experts:
- Paul O'Brien - Head of Public Affairs @ Founder Institute: a startup economist and ecosystem strategist with 25 years in venture capital, public policy, and economic development.
- Elizabeth Packer - Director of Economic Development @ Golden Triangle: an urban planner and economic development strategist with more than a decade of experience advancing entrepreneurship, investment, and community revitalization.
- Guc Ozenci - Innovation Partner at Founder Institute: Managing Director of Founder Institute in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, where he has built a portfolio of over 40 early-stage companies.
- Adam Lattimore - Director of Technology and Innovation at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development: an experienced leader with over 10 years in the nonprofit and government sectors.
❯ Who Should Attend?
If you work in economic development, government, or civic leadership, this is not another “innovation showcase.” It’s a reckoning with what your region needs to stop doing, and what you must do next, if you want your founders to thrive and your city to serve and attract venture capital to close the gap on the challenges entrepreneurs there have finding it.❯❯ Don’t miss this live, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/22895 to get your link and join us live!
2 attendees
Founder's Guide to AI: Working with AI as Your Partner
·OnlineOnlineAI implementation is a major challenge for many founders, with 80-90% of attempts failing due to ineffective use of tools. In this workshop, Trevor Longino, Founder of CrowdTamers, will teach you how to use AI as a powerful partner to enhance your creativity and execution, not as a replacement for your thinking. You'll discover how to identify the most impactful tasks AI can handle, while leveraging your unique skills where AI can't. Ready to integrate AI into your workflow and accelerate your startup? This workshop is for you!
❯ What You'll Learn:
- Why 80-90% of AI implementations fail and how to avoid costly mistakes.
- How to train AI to work alongside you as a strategic partner, not just a tool.
- Identify the tasks you can delegate to AI for maximum efficiency and impact.
- Build simple, repeatable systems that generate complexity and drive results.
- Practical examples: turn unstructured ideas into actionable tasks and use AI for faster, smarter work (138 words per minute vs. 65 by typing).
❯❯ RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/21837 to get your link and join us live!
❯ The Founder’s Guide to AI Workshop
This is part of the "The Founder's Guide to AI Workshop” - a series of free online events designed to help entrepreneurs utilize AI to supercharge their productivity and growth. Hosted by Trevor Longino (Founder of Crowdtamers), these workshops will provide attendees with practical, step-by-step strategies to use AI tools for startup growth across topics like marketing, product development, productivity, task automation, and more. If you are looking to “scale yourself” and tap into the power of AI for entrepreneurship, then you won’t want to miss these free online events.❯ Learn more at FI.co/bootcamp/AI4Founders
❯❯ Featured Speaker:
- Trevor Longino: Founder & CEO at CrowdTamers - Trevor Longino is a marketer, writer, speaker, founder, and growth thinker. He's launched 50 startups, mentored about 200 more, taught thousands, and launched 12 startups from $0 to $2MM+ in ARR over the last decade, including Unito.io, Gog.com, Kontakt.io, and ThePrizeFactory.com. With 20+ years of experience in marketing and leadership in startups, he brings a wealth of knowledge in marketing best practices, building and leading teams, and market positioning. He founded CrowdTamers.com more than a decade ago and has been a consultant at companies all over the world, helping them grow. Current clients are based out of Toronto, Montreal, Warsaw, Amman (Jordan), London, Tel Aviv, and San Francisco.
❯ Who Should Attend?
- Early-stage founders or aspiring entrepreneurs eager to leverage AI to scale their startups.
- Entrepreneurs looking to boost productivity and optimize their daily work with AI.
- Founders seeking practical solutions to enhance efficiency and grow their business intelligently.
- Anyone interested in integrating AI as a strategic partner in their creative and business processes.
❯❯ Don’t miss this live, interactive online event packed with valuable insights! RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/21837 to get your link and join us live!
2 attendees
FI Pittsburgh Graduation: Meet the New Portfolio Companies
·OnlineOnlineJoin us for the most recent Pittsburgh Graduation, where you can see an inspiring talk by and a few debut presentations from the new Alumni. Learn about some of the companies that will go onto seed-accelerators, raise funding, and build the next great Pittsburgh startups. There will also be an opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs and celebrate the new Graduates. This Event will be Hybrid with our Co-working Space in Princeton www.23orchard.com
In person Event starts at 3pm with programming from our Sponsors and Graduation programming begins promptly at 6:00 pm till 7:30 pm.
❯ Graduation Sponsor:
- Rich Heckelman - Venture Architect @ Keystone Founder Studio
- https://keystonefounderstudio.com/ 23 Orchard Rd Skillman, NJ 08558
❯ We Proudly Announce the Following Graduates:
- Shannon Amspacher @ Potluck
- Scott Halbreiner (2) @ Papryus Health
- Oliver Cox @ HSM
- Da'shone Hughley @ AI City Robotics
- Matthew Dettman @ Aion Tempo
- Jay Mehta @ SpaceBoats LLC
❯❯ RSVP now at 👉 https://fi.co/e/388930/meetup to get your link and join us live!
1 attendee
Past events
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