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The Founder Institute (http://fi.co), the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, announced today that it is exploring a new semester launch in Baltimore this Winter 2016.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 7,000 companies - including fast-rising startups across 6 continents like Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, Appota, and many more. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.

If you'd like to help bring a semester to Baltimore, then fill out an Interest Form. If enough people complete this form by the Launch Deadline (Apr 02, 2024), then the Founder Institute will formally launch a Winter 2016 program.

The Founder Institute is a part-time, four-month program where promising entrepreneurs can "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit your day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.

In order to test demand for a Winter 2016 program, the Founder Institute will host several free startup events:

  • Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with a Venture Capitalist: 1:00pm, Apr 15, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/338372
  • Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
  • Founder Showcase: Startup Pitch & Networking Event: 1:00pm, Apr 18, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/337915
  • Building a Fundable Start-up Brand: 1:00pm, May 20, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/338738
  • Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 8:00pm, May 27, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/339383
  • How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 8:00pm, Jun 10, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/339704
  • Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 1:00pm, Jun 17, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/339867
  • How to Turn your Value Proposition into a Product Market Fit: 1:00pm, Jun 24, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/341394
  • Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 1:00pm, Jul 01, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/340178
  • Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 8:00pm, Jul 15, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/341216
  • Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 1:00pm, Jul 17, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/341292

The Founder Institute's Washington D.C. Chapter has spawned many great local companies, like Spinnakr, Nexercise and Cont3nt.com, and we see Baltimore as another great opportunity to build promising startups in the region. The amount of local talent coming out the universities near Baltimore is hard to match in any of the markets where we operate, and our goal is to provide the step-by-step process for these talented people to build companies of their own" - Adeo Ressi, Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute

Leading the Founder Institute's efforts in Baltimore are three leaders of the local startup scene:

  • Neil Kleinberg, a serial entrepreneur now running his fourth enterprise, DiliVera specialized mergers and acquisitions (M&A) due diligence software company. 
  • Rick Milter, an international management consultant and professor at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, where he is an innovator in education technology best practices and tools.
  • Adam McClard, a self-starting executive visionary with over seventeen years in the video game industry, and founder and CEO at Origo Games Pte Ltd.
The Baltimore region is primed for successful rollouts of technology-driven startups, and the Founder Institute offers a structured, step-by-step approach to support the progression of these startups from concept to investment and capitalization" - Rick Milter, Co-Director of the Baltimore Founder Institute

Other successful entrepreneurs who have pledged their support to mentor founders in a Baltimore Founder Institute program include:

  • Adam Mc Clard: CEO, Origo Games
  • Anthony Veverka: Founder, Parachute
  • Arleen Zank: Founder/CEO , Way Better Patents
  • Brian Razzaque: Founder/CEO, SocialToaster
  • Gib Mason: Director of the UMBC Center for Leadership and Innovation, UMBC
  • James Foster: Founder/CEO, ZeroFOX
  • Jon Finkelstein: Founder/CEO, Peritus Affinity Partners
  • Kathleen Booth: Founder/CEO, Quintain Marketing
  • Leo Khin: Managing Director, MOS Creative
  • Paul Grossinger: Founder Gaingels & Blue Jay Syndicate, Gaingels & Blue Jay Syndicate
  • Ron Szpatura: Founder/CEO, Landmarks
  • Tim Savage: The 16 Agency, The 16 Agency
  • Todd Marks: Founder/CEO, Mindgrub

  • And many more to be announced. 
In Maryland, the vibrant information technology, healthcare, and energy industries will be a catalyst for new economic growth. The Founder Institute will help bring Silicon Valley best practices to new companies in these industries, and drive the local economy forward" - Neil Kleinberg, Co-Director of the Baltimore Founder Institute

Help bring the Founder Institute to Baltimore and fill out an Interest Form today.

 

About The Founder Institute

The Founder Institute (www.FI.co) is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses, practical business-building assignments, and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, aspiring founders are not required to quit their day job to participate, so they can begin building a business around their ideas without putting their livelihood at risk.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 7,000 companies, which have created over 30,000 new jobs. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.

The Founder Institute was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Adeo Ressi.

(The skyline and docks reflecting in the water at night, in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland. image by Shutterstock)

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