The Founder’s Edge - What Separates Startups That Make It in the Age of AI

Join the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network and Founder Institute Silicon Valley for an intimate fireside conversation with Mercedes Bankston (Leader, Founder Institute SV; Startup Advisor & Investor), moderated by Zhanara Amans. AI has lowered the barrier to starting a company—products are built faster and teams stay leaner. But when building gets easier, what actually creates a durable competitive advantage? Mercedes will share pattern-recognition insights on what separates startups that break through from those that stumble. Key Discussion Topics: • The Founder Edge: Qualities that distinguish exceptional founders in the AI era. • Building Sustainable Advantage: Where moat and defensibility come from when tech is accessible to all. • Idea vs. Traction: Signals that an idea is worth pursuing and what to prove before raising capital. • The New Startup Playbook: How assumptions around team size, capital, and speed are shifting. Agenda: • 5:30 PM: Arrival & Networking • 6:00 PM: Fireside Chat with Mercedes Bankston • 6:45 PM: Audience Q&A • 7:05 PM – 8:30 PM: Food, Drinks & Networking Presented by Berkeley Haas Alumni Network, Founder Institute Silicon Valley, and SilkRoad Innovation Hub. Tickets $10 via Luma.