Build a Great Startup in 2023 with the FI San Diego Startup Accelerator

The Founder Institute, the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the San Diego program!

If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from San Diego's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the San Diego Founder Institute today.

Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs at the earliest stages grow quickly, know what to do next, and make connections with the largest community of startup advisors.

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.

To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free online startup events in San Diego, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:

How to Acquire Your First Customers with Actionable SEO Strategies : 10:00am, Apr 24, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/339075
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
What is Entrepreneur DNA? Insights from 15 Years of Social Science 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: 5:00pm, 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
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 5:00pm, Jul 22, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/343984
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
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 5:00pm, Sep 09, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/344231
Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 10:00am, Sep 16, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342393
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 10:00am, Sep 23, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/343580
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 10:00am, Sep 25, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/344329
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
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 5:00pm, Oct 23, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/344529
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 10:00am, Oct 30, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/344629
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
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 5:00pm, Nov 18, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/344719
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
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 10:00am, Dec 09, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/344828
Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 5:00pm, Dec 23, 2024 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/342652

See all upcoming events

The San Diego program is led by one of the region's top startup leaders, Mike Sherbakov (General Partner, The Veteran Fund), Ryan Micheletti (Head of Global Operations, Founder Institute).

In addition, some of San Diego's top investors, entrepreneurs, and CEOs will be participating in the program, providing them with expert feedback and evaluation. The list of startup mentors for the San Diego Founder Institute includes:

Aaron Keith: CEO, Buildify Systems
Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO Platform
Adam Montgomery: Fundraising Manager, Wefunder
Al Bsharah: Interlock Capital, Managing Partner
Albert Chow: Principal, Anabatic LLC
Alex Bard: Founder & CEO, Assistly
Alex Green: Founder, Kanshi LLC
Amar Harrag: CEO, Allied Green Realty
Amir Emadi: CEO, Skylift Global
Andrew Gottlieb: Founder & CEO, No Typical Moments
Andy White: Startup Operations, Keshif Ventures
Angel Gambino: Founder, Angel Club
Annie Brown: Founder, Lips
Anton Monk: Co-Founder/ VP of Technology , Entropic Communications
Austin Neudecker: Managing Partner, Weave Growth Partners
Aviv Shalgi: CEO, Solar Simplified
Bardia Moayedi: Partner, Snell & Wilmer
Ben Cote: Mentor, Founder Institute
Bill Fields: NC Market Leader for Venture Debt, Bridge Bank
Bow Rodgers: CEO
Brad Feld: Managing Director, Foundry Group
Brian Storms: no title, No company
Brian Ford: Partnership Director, Founder Institute San Diego
Brian Olearczyk: CRO, RevCult
Bryant Walker: Founder, TAVO Media Group
Carl Thomas: Chief Revenue and Business Development Officer, Hookit
Carlo Rivis: CEO & Founder, Innovation Discovery
Caroline Arzoo: Partnerships, TurboSBIR
Cassius Kiani: Founder & Head of Product , Mora.com
Chintan Oza: Founder, Anantam Ecosystems
Chris Capdevila: Founder & Former CEO, LogicalApps
Chris Carter: CEO & Co Founder, VideoFort
Chris Foltz: Entrepreneur In Residence, Founder Institute + Responsible Solutions Ltd + IRG 100 CMO's & Change Agents
Christine "Chrissy" McDannell: Principle, The Magnolia Firm
Cleve Adams: Principal
Coco Sellman: Entrepreneur & Angel Investor, Remarkable Ventures
Courtney Gant: CEO & Co-Founder, Skooltopia
Craig Swiatek: Investment Advisor
Craig Cummings: General Partner, Moonshots Captial
Dan O'neill: VP Engineering, Certona
Dane Drotts: CoFounder, TangoCode
Daniel O'neil: Executive Director, Smart Chicago Collaborative
Daniel Obodovski: Co-founder, Managing Partner, Diosys Technologies LLC
Daniel Arroyo: President & CTO, AstroPrint
Daniel Shires: Consultant, Independent
Darryl Rettig: Co Founder & CTO, DonationMatch
Dave Tompkins: Founder, 550 Capital Partners
David Stevens: Founder & CEO, Hydroponic Creations
David Metzler: Managing Director, Serenity Ventures
David Steel: CEO, EveryoneLinked
DC Palter: Angel Investor, Tech Coast Angels
Dennis Volpe: Partner, Leadership Research Institute
Derren Burrell: Venture Capitalist, Veteran Ventures
Derrick Oien: CEO & Founder
Ed Cleary: Principal, Root Strategy Group
Ellen Chang: Partner, Lightspeed Innovations
Emily McMahan: Partner, Academy Investor Network
Eric Grab: Aspiring Explorer, Technologist, Advisor, and Coach, Formerly: Amazon, Booz Allen, DivX, Jaunt, San Diego State
Eric Weiss: Executive Coach, Full Cycle Executive Coaching
Ernestine Fu: General Partner, Brave Capital
Fabian Geyrhalter: Founder and Principal, FINIEN
Farooq Anjum, Ph D: Co Founder & CEO, Gro Guru
Florent Groberg: Azure Global Government Expansion, Microsoft
Flossie Hall: Director Of Community Relations, Stella Labs
Frank Peters: Founder & Host, Frank Peters Show
Fred Morrison: CEO, Simplexity
Gaurav Bhattacharya: CEO, Involve.ai
Gaurav Bhattacharya: CEO & Co-Founder , Involve.ai
Genevieve Le Marchal: Managing Partner, Suncoast Ventures
George Stepancich: CEO, Invisionate
Gina Campbell: Strategy & Demand Gen (Direct to Consumer Group), SONY, Formerly DivX, MP3.com.
Grant Creighton: CEO & Founder, LooperLink - LOOPER Golf
Greg Call, The Veteran Fund
Greg Moser: President & CTO, ShipCalm
Hayley Evans: Co Founder, Women Making Waves
Ian Suttle: Engineering Director, Google
Irina Kukuyeva PhD: AI due diligence, Kukuyeva Consulting
Iva Teixeira: CEO, The Good Face Project
Jacob Sapochnick: CEO, Sapochnick Law Firm
James Schmachtenberger: CEO, Neurohacker Collective
James Africano: General Partner, Regolith Ventures
James Hereford: Co-Founder, Launch Factory
Jason Pang: CEO, InvolveHub, Inc.
Jason Liebrecht: VP of Technology, Activbody Inc
Jason Zinn: Partner, Emerged, Inc.
Jeff Smith: CEO, Growth Catalyst
Jennifer Pilcher: Founder & CEO , Strategic Military Communications, LLC
Jenny Rodriguez: CEO & Founder, IVOREEZ
Jess Ewart: Senior Partner, New World Ventures
Jessica Pratt: Senior Vice President of Sales, Pop & Bottle
Jim Carlson: Founder, DFL Technology
Joe Bezdek: Co-founder, DivX, Inc.
John Zdanowski: Co-Founder, Assembled Brands
John Stilo: Head of Finance, Moov
Jon Carder: CoFounder and CEO , Empyr
Jon Carder: CEO, Vessel Health
Jonah Peake: Founder, the Social Coyote
Jose Doval: CEO & Founder , XBand Sports
Juan Toledano: CoFounder, Sundaze
Judy Tsuei: Founder, Wild Hearted Words
Justin Renfro: Director of Partnerships, WeFunder
Justin Nahama: Partner, FisherBroyles, LLP
Kelly Conkright: Founder, The Brand Terminal
Ken Wahlster: Founder & CEO, BikeBandit.com
Ken Davenport: CEO, Mission Edge
Kim Walpole: Co-Founder / CEO, Trials.ai
Lance Cottrell: Founder, Feel the Boot
Larry Kesslin: Chief Connector, Spire
Lauren Rowley: Director of Investor Relations, Stella Impact Capital
Lee Mills: CEO, Pixly
Leo Spiegel: Managing Partner, Mission Ventures
Lisa Song Sutton: General Partner, The Veteran Fund
Lucas Root: Founder, CEO, SGIC Consulting
Mara Rada: CEO & Chief of Strategy, Feral (thinkferal.com)
Marc Spencer: Founder, The Recharge Group
Maria Pope: Community Manager, Republic
Mark How: CEO, NewGrowth & Origins eCommerce
Mark Schmid: CEO, Art Function
Mark Divine: Navy SEAL, Author and CEO, Unbeatable, LLC
Martín Martinez: Executive Director, Founder Institute Texas
Matthew Hedayat: CEO and COO, Stanford Technical Group
Melissa Li: Managing Partner and Head of Community, Dorm Room Fund
Merrin Muxlow: Executive Director, TiE South Coast
Michael Davidovich: Founder, Direct EDI, Inc.
Michael Floyd: Software Engineering and Product Management Leader, Freelance Software Engineering and Product Management Consultant
Michaela Keady: Michaela Keady, Zendesk
Michel Kripalani: CEO, Oceanhouse Media
Mike Sherbakov: General Partner, The Veteran Fund
Mike Steadman: CEO, IRONBOUND Media
Mysty Rusk: Executive Director, USD School of Business
Nate Mason: VC, Starburst Aero
Neal Bloom: Managing Partner, Interlock Capital
Neil Senturia: CEO, Blackbird Ventures
Nektar Baziotis: Founder, ICARUS
Nelly Yusupova: Founder, TechSpeak.co
Nerissa Zhang: CEO, Bright App
Noah Wallach: Founder, Hope OS
Pablo A. Fernandez: CEO, Secret Table
Parker Harris: CEO, Junto Global
Pat Walsh: Co-Founder / Chief Impact Officer
Paula Sweis: Principal, SILVERWEISS International
Pete Biggam: Director / Mentor / Advisor, Founder Institute
Peter Shaw: Managing Director , Procopio Business Advisors
Regina Bernal: CEO, Trailblazer
Reid Carr: CEO & Founder, Red Door Interactive
Rhana Pytell Kozak: CEO & Founder , BRIGHTERSTEP
Ricardo Dos Santos: Sr Director of New Business Development , Biological Dynamics
Rick Valencia: Founder, ProfitLine
Rishi Sharma: West Coast Lead , Newlin VC
Robert Pruter: CRO, SPHER, Inc.
Rocco Cortese: President, Entrepreneurs Organization (E.O.)
Roger Rappoport: Partner, Procopio
Rosie Arango: COO, Bright App
Rupak Doshi: CEO, TurboSBIR
Russell Brand: CEO & Founder, Responsible Solutions Limited
Ryan Tseng: Co Founder, Warehouse Innovations
Ryan Micheletti: Head of Global Operations, Founder Institute
Saba Karim: Entrepreneur & Investor, Techstars
Sagar Pande: Co-founder, Blaze Power
Sameer Sortur: Founding Partner, SquareCircle Ventures
Samuel Riehn: Chief Executive Officer, SBIR Advisors Inc.
Sarah Apsel: Angel Investor, 37 Angels
Scot Chisholm: CEO & Chairman, StayClassy
Scott Davis: Director of Veteran Entrepreneuership, PenFed Foundation
Shahi Ghanem: Managing Director, WI Harper Group
Shahin Enayati: Managing Director, Made Noble Corporation
Shaiwal Priyadarshi: CTO, Co-Founder, MetaMedia
Shaun Alger: CRO, Volohaus
Stacey Cooper: Partner, Stacey Cooper Law
Steven Morley: Business Advisor, Success4Execs
Stuart Volkow: Program Manager, UCSD
Taj Adhav: Founder, Leasecake
Tarun Gulati: Founder & CEO, Adios
Tay Nguyen: Owner, Gate Consulting
Taylor Mc Lemore: Managing Director, Techstars
Tim Hsia: Managing Partner, Context VC
Tirrell Payton: Tirrell Payton - Founder & CEO, Kaliki (San Diego FI), Kaliki
Todd Goldstein: EVP, Global Partnerships & Business Development, Talent Inc.
Tom Walpole: CTO, TrialsAi
Trevor Longino: Chief Marketing Officer, Unito
Troy Hazard: Global President, Entrepreneurs Organization
Ty Vachon: CEO, oatmealhealth.com
Tyson Mc Dowell: President, Avadyne Health
Yann Deredec: CEO, Yama Group
Yemi Oluseun: Founder/ CEO - Fintech, SaaS Business Growth, Automation & Change Management, The Change Hive