Online Event
San Francisco Top Applicant Session: Meet FI CEO Connor Sattely + Local Graduates
Date
Oct 29, 2026
Time
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Address
Online Event
You've been selected as one of the top applicants for the Founder Institute San Francisco Fall 2026 program, which kicks off on November 3. Before the program starts, join this invite-only online session to meet Founder Institute CEO Connor Sattely and hear directly from San Francisco graduates about how the program went for them.
What you'll get:
- A direct conversation with Connor about what FI looks for, how the program works and what it takes to graduate
- Real stories from local graduates: where they started, what changed during the program and what they've built since
- Live Q&A: ask anything about the curriculum, time commitment, mentors, equity and cost
- Clear next steps to secure your seat before the November 3 kickoff
Featured graduates:
- René Spellman, Founder, stealth AI startup building secure executive-operations software for leadership teams from Congress to the C-suite (FI San Francisco, Spring 2026) | Former Deputy Campaign Manager for Bernie Sanders 2020 and Chief Impact Officer at Obsidianworks, René used FI to turn 18 years of running high-stakes operations into an AI company, and has kept building through FI's AI and Vibe Coding bootcamps.
- John Avilla, Founder & CEO, Sound Union (FI San Francisco, 2021) | Former GoPro Director of Global Copy and Silicon Valley creative leader for brands like Cisco and Charles Schwab, John is a second-time founder (his first startup raised $5.5M in venture capital) who built Sound Union into a first-of-its-kind membership music and creative space, and now mentors FI founders.
Agenda (60 minutes):
- 5 min: Welcome from the San Francisco Local Leader
- 15 min: Connor Sattely on why founders join FI and what the program delivers
- 20 min: Graduate conversation, moderated by Connor
- 10 min: Live Q&A
- 10 min: How to enroll: next steps, payment and your questions answered on the spot
Seats are reserved for top applicants. Register to save your spot.
Speakers
Platinum Partners
Local Partners
Google
Linkedin
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