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 North Carolina 2026 program!
If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from North Carolina's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the North Carolina 2026 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 North Carolina, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:
- Venture Trailblazers, featuring Andrew D’Souza of Boardy (VIP Event): 11:00am, Mar 19, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/389952
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Tactics to Real Growth: The D2C Business Strategy That Scales: 2:00pm, Mar 19, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393629
- Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 8:30pm, Mar 23, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/388430
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors (Private Event): 12:00pm, Mar 24, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/389042
- Startup Ecosystem Partners – How to Become a Possibility Thinker: 12:00pm, Mar 25, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/392726
- Solo-Founder 101: How Anyone Can Start a Business Using AI: 12:00pm, Mar 31, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/392557
- Finding Real Product–Market Fit (Before You Run Out of Runway): 6:00pm, Mar 31, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393632
- From Idea to Startup Team: Meet Your Future Co-Founder: 8:00pm, Apr 06, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/392194
- Fundraising in a More Disciplined Capital Environment: 6:00pm, Apr 07, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393769
- Stuck Without a Startup Idea? Build One That Fits You: 8:00pm, Apr 07, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/390125
- Building the Right Team as a First‑Time CEO: 6:00pm, Apr 09, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393772
- How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 8:00pm, Apr 13, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/389461
- Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 12:00pm, Apr 14, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/390742
- Leveraging AI and Technology Without Losing Focus: 6:00pm, Apr 14, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393775
- Founder Resilience, Decision‑Making, and Mental Load: 6:00pm, Apr 16, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393778
- From Invisible Founder to Industry Voice Using LinkedIn: 12:00pm, Apr 27, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/392421
- How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 8:00pm, May 18, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/390290
- Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 12:00pm, Jun 02, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/390474
- Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 8:00pm, Jun 15, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393201
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 8:00pm, Jul 06, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/392824
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 12:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/390612
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 8:30am, Aug 10, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393324
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 12:00pm, Aug 10, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/391164
- Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 8:00pm, Aug 18, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/391253
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 12:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/392941
- Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 8:00pm, Sep 21, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/391535
- From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 8:30pm, Oct 05, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/390888
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 12:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393454
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 12:00pm, Nov 03, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/393072
- From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 8:00pm, Nov 17, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/391409
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 12:00pm, Dec 01, 2026 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/391016
The North Carolina program 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), Oz Merchant (CEO, ecomsellersHQ), Philly Admin (A, A).
In addition, some of North Carolina'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 North Carolina Founder Institute includes:
- Anoop Anthore: VP - Engage IQ, Sales and Product Strategy, Cadalys
- Anthony Rotoli: CEO, Ocelot
- Ben Stacey: CEO, Pitchverk
- Bill Rivkin: Virtual Relationship Manager |non-dilutive funding, Citizens Bank
- Bill Fields: NC Market Leader for Venture Debt, Bridge Bank
- Bill Harper: CEO & Chief Creative Officer, BrandBossHQ
- Brian Reale: Founder, Processmaker.com
- Burak Eryigit: Director of Software Engineering, Odyssey Logistics and Technology
- Clay Lehman: CTO, Firm360
- Daniel Shires: Managing Director, Founder Institute
- Danielle Livy: VP of Marketing, Viably
- Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
- Doug Kaufman: CEO & Founder, Belongly
- Erica Jenkins: Founder, Erica Jenkins Consulting
- Erik Severinghaus: VP, Bloomfilter, Inc
- Greg Brown: President, Cardinal Finance LLC
- Greg Lissy: Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Finmark
- Gregg Armitage: CEO, FoundHuman
- Gregg Bordes: Managing Partner, Front Porch Venture Partners
- Jan Davis: Managing Partner, Davis Growth Partners
- Jenn Summe: Startup Investor, Primordial
- Jesse Jones: Owner, Fourscore Business Law
- Jesse Lipson: CEO, Levitate
- John Turner: Director of Engineering, Ampla
- Jonathan Rollman: Founder, ProdUx Design
- Joshua Herzig-Marx: Founder and PM Coach, Founder and PM Coach
- Linda Sanders: Managing Director, Transition360 Partners
- Lister Delgado: Founder and Managing Partner, IDEA Fund Partners
- Mark Kelley: Co-Founder, Zero Copy Labs
- Merrill Mason: Owner, Smith Anderson
- Nirab Kumar: Vice President, Digital Transformation, Odyssey Logistics
- Oz Merchant: CEO, Futureproof
- Ray Antonino: CEO, Co-Founder, PERMITS.com
- Rich Heckelmann: Mentor and Professional Consultant , Keystone Founders + Forward Vision Consulting
- Robert Williams: Managing Partner, 3 Waves Capital
- Sean Mitton: Professional Speaker & Coach, Question Based Mind Mapping
- Tobi Walter: Partner, Cofounders Capital
- Todd Brengel: SVP, Sales, The Muse
- Tom Collopy: CEO, Co-founder, Unbiased Insights, Inc.
- Tom Fisher: Founding Advisory Board Member, Carry Venture Capital
- Venus Liles: Startup Attorney & Founder of Liles Law, Liles Law
- And many more to be announced.
Join us in North Carolina to build a great company in 2024.
Apply to the North Carolina 2026 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
