Build the Future: Applications Now Open to Founder Institute Pittsburgh 2023

Founder First, Founder Always. Join us in 2022: Founder Institute is the #1 place in the world to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses.

Today’s economic 'New Normal' is full of reshuffling industries, and new problems in need of solutions - now is a time for entrepreneurs to act.

Whether you need to test and validate early hypotheses before making a large financial commitment to your startup idea, or you are ready to push your startup to the next level through aggressive weekly growth sprints to refine your vision, improve key metrics, and prepare for investor diligence, Founder Institute has the proven processes and network to help you do it.

If you could use a structured process that tells you what to focus on when, and a lifetime of support from Pittsburgh's top investors and entrepreneurs, then apply to the Pittsburgh 2023 Founder Institute today.

We will be hosting several free startup events in Pittsburgh over the coming weeks, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs all from the comfort of home:

Get Feedback on Your MVP from Product Experts & Find Early Users: 1:00pm, Dec 16, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/362112
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Founder Showcase: Startup Pitch & Networking Event, with Jonathan Greechan (CEO of FI): 1:00pm, Dec 18, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/362145
Crowdfunding & Equity Crowd Financing: Raising Capital the Modern Way: 11:30am, Dec 19, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363606
Startup Funding AMA & Founder Institute Info Session, with Jonathan Greechan (CEO, Founder Institute): 1:00pm, Dec 30, 2024 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/362180
Startup Funding AMA & Founder Institute Info Session, with Jonathan Greechan (CEO, Founder Institute): 8:00pm, Jan 02, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/362207
How to Go from 0 to 1: Scaling and Exiting Your Startup with Mark Balovnev: 1:00pm, Jan 06, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363242
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Technical Co-Founder: 1:00pm, Jan 08, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/362237
FI Pittsburgh – Philadelphia Spring 2025 Graduation: Meet the New Portfolio Companies: 6:00pm, Jan 08, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/364137
Startup to Scale-Up: Mastering Sales & Branding with Mark Kosoglow: 1:00pm, Jan 13, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/362273
How to Build, Fundraise, and Exit Your Startup: AMA with Tim Grassin: 5:00am, Jan 15, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363364
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 8:00pm, Jan 22, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/361836
How to Align Your Brand Messaging with Your Startup Mission: 1:00pm, Jan 27, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363037
FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 1:00pm, Jan 29, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363519
Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Trasition to Startup Founder : 8:00pm, Feb 03, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363661
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 1:00pm, Feb 05, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/363871
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 1:00pm, Feb 10, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/364047

See all upcoming events

Make better, faster business decisions in 2022 by sharing your latest progress, challenges, and strategies for constant feedback and evaluation from our expert mentors and advisors, every step of the way–scale your team, develop new business opportunities, and recruit an amazing advisory board with the world's largest network of international startup founders, CEOs, advisors, and investors.

The Pittsburgh accelerator is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Bill Rivkin (Business Banking Virtual Relationship Manager VP, Citizens), Daria Duda (Marketing Advisor, Self), Don Samoil (Chapter Leader, FI Keystone), Philly Admin (A, A). In addition, some of Pittsburgh's top entrepreneurs will be participating as mentors in the program, including:

Aaron Karp: Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Founder Institute
Abby Sugar: CEO, Play Out Apparel
Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
Abe Kwon
Albert Whale: Founder & CEO, IT Security Solutions
Alfred Poor: Keynote speaker and virtual event expert, The Health Tech Futurist
Amrish Macedo: Co-Founder, Intempio
Arcui Usoara: Founder/CEO, Iaculus
Barbara Anne Gardenhire-Mills, MSEL, PCC, CELC, CPQC®: Founder & Owner, Purpose-Filled Solutions & Evolutions®
Ben Stacey: CEO, Pitchverk
Ben Williams
Bill Rivkin: Virtual Relationship Manager |non-dilutive funding, Citizens Bank
Bobbi Muscara: CEO - Director of Education, Ledger Academy
Brad Messer: ., .
Brian Griffiths
Carl Starkey: Co-Founder & CEO, AWSM Sauce Co
Cassie Tate
Chris Foltz: Entrepreneur In Residence, Responsible Solutions Ltd
Chris Morris
Craig Eppler: Founder & CEO, Eppler Capital Funds
Daniel Nelson: Recovering Accountant, Startup Economics
Daniel Rosenthal: Partnerships Manager, StartEngine
Daniel Ritterman: CEO & Founder, MainLineDelivery (acquired by Square)
Daria Duda: Product Marketing, Consultant
David Stengle: CEO & Founder , Board++
David Nast
Deep Parmar: Founding Partner, Caramel Advisors LLC
Deka Dike: Founder & CEO, Omatochi
Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
Don Pancoe: Chief Blinker, Blinkenlights Technologies
Dustin Betz: Director of Operations, White Rose Ventures
Elena Mlotok: General Manager, Head of EU Newsstand, Amazon
Ellen Weber: Executive Director, Robin Hood Ventures
Eric Torigian: CEO and Managing Director, Advisory Services, CHRO Solutions
Frank Jacquette
Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Cofounder , Vitamin C&S Coaching
Gary Cohen: Owner, Practical Agility LLC
Geoffrey Kent: Founder and CEO, I left corporate America 24 years ago, and launched my current venture (Think Big with Geoffrey Kent) 4 years ago.
Greg Mester: President, Idea Communication Networks, Inc.
Heather Lawver: Founder & CEO, Ceemo
Isabelle Kent
Jasmin Sethi: CEO, Sethi Clarity Advisers
Jason Reiser: ., .
Jedidiah Weller: CEO, OpenForge
Jeffrey Garwood: VP Architecture Financial Services and Healthcare, Salesforce.com
Jess Edelstein
Jesse DiLaura
Joe Daniels: Partner, Co-Chair - Emerging Companies, Partner & Co-Chair, Emerging Companies Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Joel Ginsparg: Managing Partner, Firelight Partners, LLC
John Weathers: Business Development & Research Consultant | Board Member | Co-Founder & Director, Vizmoo.com | BenchK12.com | The Cultural Bridge Project
Jon Zaikowski: Assistant Director, New York Angels
Jon Wonnell: CEO, Transformative Sciences LLC
June W Choi: Managing Partner, Serval Ventures
Karen Robinson: Pitch Deck & Data Room Advisor, Karen Robinson Consulting
Karina Sotnik: Founder/CEO, WorldUpstart
Mac Goswami: Senior Portfolio/Program Manager, Fiserv Inc
Maggie Dillon: CEO, Empress Security Insights, LLC
Mara Schwartz
Martina Truche: Healthcare Innovator , Space Medicine Enthusiast
Matiullah Rahmaty: Founder/President , BrightPoint Consulting Services
Max Thalheimer: Co-Founder & CEO, Fynd
Michael Bertoni: Founder and CEO, SaaS Talent
Michael Spidaliere: Principal, First Time Founder Capital
Michelle Peters: Co-Founder & CEO, Supplino
Mike Doyle
Morgan Doyle: Associate Director - Buisness Development, Corporate Tax Incentives (CTI)
Nadia Al-Banna, PHD, MBA: Senior Director of Product and Business Development, Allarta Life Science
Nadine Campbell: Founder, ACE Entrepreneurs
Nathan Mancine: FI Mentor, LeanTaaS
Noah Wallach: Founder, Hope OS
Orly Zeewy: Brand Strategist, Zeewy Brands
Owen Occhetti: Consultant, Avant Technology Group
Ozan Sonmez: Co-Founder, Brutally Honest Group
Pam Knox: CEO/Chief Strategist, Pam Knox LLC
Paul Mosenson: Owner, NuSpark Consulting and NuSpark Media
Pete Biggam: Director / Mentor / Advisor, Founder Institute
Peter Chmiel: Owner, Cutting Edge Consulting
Raghu Rao: CEO, Splitbyte Inc
Rajat Kapur
Rajiv Madhok: Founder, Oorja
Ramón Urteaga
Randy Fisher: CEO, Expand to New Markets
Raoul Davis: CEO, Ascendant Group
Ronda Siegel: Partner, RSiegel Consulting LLC
Ryan Long: CPO & Founder, OnPurpose Studio
Sameer Babbar: Director, SVB Group
Sara Ledterman: General Partner, 3+ Ventures
Scott Wittrock: Fractional CPO, Head for Product
Seth Goldstein: Principal Creative Director, Goldstein Media LLC
Shawn Gregoire
Stacy Kimmel: Independant Consultant , FoodVisors LLC
Stefanie Smith: Founder, Double S Consulting
Stefanos Damianakis: President, Zaruko Advisors
Stephan Thomas: Managing Partner, Artimon3D
Stephen Spivak
Tanya Williamson: Chief Visionary Officer , Tanya Williamson
Tim Dodd: Founder, JTD Group
Tovit Neizer: Chief Storyteller, Yellow Bricks
Trevor Longino: Founder & CEO, CrowdTamers
Tyler Bubin: GTM Leader: AI, Web3, B2B SaaS, Conduit.xyz
Vipin Makhija: Founder, Mentor, Advisor, Kast
Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
Wendy Moore: Founder & CEO, Eleve Talent
Xan Hong: Owner, Drive Phase Consulting
Yves Le Breton
Zach Messler: Founder, 26th Letter LLC (zachmessler.com)
Zoe Qiao

And many more to be announced.

Since 2009, Founder Institute’s highly-structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,500 entrepreneurs to grow quickly, know what to do next, and make key connections through the largest community of startup advisors in the world.

It all starts with our renowned ‘FI Core’ accelerator, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth. Alumni of FI Core then receive free access to our advanced ‘Founder Lab’ accelerators for years to come, and can get matched with prospective investors in the FI Venture Network - a collection of global funds actively investing in the earliest rounds of funding.

The results speak for themselves: FI Alumni have raised over $1.85BN in funding, and are building impactful businesses across 200+ cities and 100+ countries all across the globe. (see the FI 50 Report here).