Since launching in San Diego in 2009, the Founder Institute has graduated over 50 companies, including successful local startups like Embarke, Kaliki, DonationMatch, Feetz, Explorence, Green Kid Crafts, and many more.
The San Diego Founder Institute is now accepting applications for the San Diego - Southern California Fall 2024 Semester. If you could benefit from expert training and advice to launch a technology startup in San Diego, click here to apply today.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Apr 28, 2024) will have their application fees waived (typically $50) and are eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.
In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs “learn by doing” and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit you day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.
In order to celebrate the launch, the San Diego Founder Institute will host a “Pre-Curriculum” of free startup events for the general public:
- Founder Showcase: Startup Pitch & Networking Event: 10:00am, Apr 18, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/337992
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- How to Acquire Your First Customers with Actionable SEO Strategies : 10:00am, Apr 24, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339075
- What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 10:00am, Apr 29, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342876
- Co-Founders Connect: Find a Business Partner Online: 5:00pm, May 01, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/338069
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas (Interactive Online Event): 10:00am, May 08, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339368
- Startup Founders’ Guide to Building an Effective Go-To-Market Strategy: 10:00am, May 15, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342727
- How to Build a Fundable Start-up Brand: 10:00am, May 20, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/338814
- FI Veteran and SoCal Graduation w/ Kelly Perdew, VC at Moonshots Capital: 10:00am, May 21, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/343029
- Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 5:00pm, May 22, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/340368
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 5:00pm, May 27, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339411
- How to Quickly Establish Safe, Reliable, and Compliant AI Startups: 10:00am, May 29, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/340159
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with a Venture Capitalist: 5:00pm, Jun 05, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/340988
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 5:00pm, Jun 10, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339734
- Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 10:00am, Jun 12, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339788
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 10:00am, Jun 17, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339944
- How to Turn your Value Proposition into a Product Market Fit: 10:00am, Jun 24, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/341483
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, Jun 26, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339849
- Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 10:00am, Jul 01, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/340255
- How Founders Beat Anxiety for Peak Performance : 10:00am, Jul 03, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/341971
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 5:00pm, Jul 15, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/341270
- Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 10:00am, Jul 17, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/341369
- How to Build a Personal Brand: The Startup Founders Guide to Thought Leadership: 10:00am, Jul 24, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/343168
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas : 10:00am, Jul 29, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/341698
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with a Venture Capitalist: 5:00pm, Aug 26, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/341823
- Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 5:00pm, Sep 02, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/343264
- Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 10:00am, Sep 16, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342393
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, Oct 02, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342077
- Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 5:00pm, Oct 14, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342470
- Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder : 10:00am, Nov 04, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/343367
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 5:00pm, Nov 06, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342175
- Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 10:00am, Nov 27, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342570
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, Dec 02, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342277
- Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 5:00pm, Dec 23, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342652
The San Diego Chapter will be led by by longtime Founder Institute Director and San Diego Startup advocate, Jeanine Jacobson.
In only 14 years of operation, over 7,000 graduate companies across 200 cities have used the Founder Institute to validate their idea, develop their plans, refine their product, build an advisory board, prepare for seed funding, and more.
