In-Person Event

Founder Institute Midwest Graduate Showcase & Networking Event

Meet some of our graduates and connect with the Chicago community

Date

Feb 19, 2026

Time

06:30 pm - 08:30 pm

Address

Workbox - River North, 306 W Erie Street, Suite 300,, Chicago, IL, United States

Timezone

The Founder Institute is the world's most challenging and effective program to start a company. Join us and meet some of our Chicago Graduates, where you can see presentations from founders who are building great startups. Learn the tips and tricks to building a company in Chicago, and ask Graduates about their experience in the Founder Institute program. Angels, venture capitalists, media, mentors and the general public are invited to meet the some recent Graduates of the Founder Institute and learn about the diverse businesses that they are building. Sponsors are Workbox and Trigent Software.

What You'll Learn:

How Founder Institute can assist you in launching your startup
How startup founders are building their companies
Where to find local resources to support your startup

About the Featured Graduates:

Dapo Kolawole - Co-Founder of Roomii - User-friendly online platform that streamlines the process of selling pre-owned furniture.
Diane Moca - Founder of MomSub - Childcare marketplace reducing the stress of finding and managing weekly and backup care
Carmelina Piedra - Founder of MyGrowthub - Platform for coaches to launch and grow a coaching business.
David Wishnick - Co-Founder of Nutraberry - Upcycler of natural functional berry seed flours and oils.

Additional Resources:
Find more Startup Events, learn about Finding a Co-Founder, or visit our Insights Blog for more startup tips.

About Founder Institute
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 8,900 entrepreneurs raise over 2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.