Today, the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Pittsburgh - Philadelphia Fall 2025 program!
If you could use a structured process and feedback from Pittsburgh's top entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Pittsburgh - Philadelphia Fall 2025 Founder Institute today.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities worldwide, the Founder Institute provides high-potential entrepreneurs and teams with the support network and structure needed to build an enduring company. Since launching the Pittsburgh chapter in 2018, the program has created 14 promising technology companies in the region, like Three10 Solutions, Subtle Beauty, IT Security Solutions, Inc. and many more. For its upcoming program, Founder Institute Pittsburgh is excited to receive the support of Wilke & Associates CPAs, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, MixyMarketing, Truefit and PNC Bank to support startup growth in Pittsburgh.
To celebrate the launch, we will host several free startup events in Pittsburgh, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs and hear more about the program:
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 1:00pm, Jun 30, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/371658
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI: 1:00pm, Jul 02, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373259
- Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Startup Accelerators: 1:00pm, Jul 03, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/375359
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 1:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372339
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 1:00pm, Jul 09, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373389
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Sonam Velani: 1:00pm, Jul 14, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374486
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 1:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373517
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 1:00pm, Jul 23, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373649
- Best Practices on Building Innovation Hubs for Universities & Colleges: 1:00pm, Jul 24, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/375993
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 1:00pm, Aug 11, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374640
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 1:00pm, Aug 18, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374844
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 1:00pm, Aug 25, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/375496
- How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 1:00pm, Sep 17, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373886
The Pittsburgh 2020 program will include the Founder Institute’s newest company-building curriculum designed to address the needs of advanced founders and teams, and will once again be led by local startup leaders Randy Eager (Founder & Managing Partner, Aqualibrium LLC) and Greg Coticchia (MS Product Management, Carnegie Mellon University).
In addition, some of Pittsburgh's top entrepreneurs, CEOs, advisors and investors will be participating in the program, providing them with expert training, feedback, and evaluation. The list of startup mentors for the Pittsburgh Founder Institute includes:
Mentors who have expressed interest in helping Pittsburgh Founder Institute participants include:
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Adhithi Aji: CEO, Adrich
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Afshan Khan: EIR, Innovation Works
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Akhil Chaturvedi: Machine Learning Engineer, Philips
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Alison Alvarez: CEO & Co-Founder, BlastPoint
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Andy Hannah: CEO, Othot
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Audrey Russo: President and CEO, Pittsburgh Technology Council
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Austin Webb: CEO, RoBotany
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Bill Jackson: Co-founder and CEO, Sinovia Technologies
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Birpal Sachdev: Leader of Advanced Technologies, Philips
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Britta Ulm: Project Director, Discovery Robotics
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Chris Moehle: Managing Director, The Robotics Hub
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Claye Greene: CEO, TechBlue, Inc.
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Cole Wolfson: Senior Program Manager, AlphaLab Gear
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Darrin Grove: CEO, Truefit
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Don Morrison: Chairman of Deal Flow, Blue Tree Allied Angels
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Hank Wilde: CEO, Panacea AG
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Henry Thorne: CTO, 4Moms
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Ilana Diamond: Managing Director, Hardware, AlphaLab Gear & Riverfront Ventures, Innovation Works
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Jason Jones: Director of Entrepreneurship, Idea Foundry
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Jeff Schneider: Professor, Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University
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Jennifer Wilhelm: Assistant Director, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA)
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Jim Gibbs: Co-Founder and CEO, Meter Feeder, Inc.
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Joe Ferrara: CEO, Wombat Security Technologies
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Kevin Dowling: CEO, Kaarta
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Kit Needham: Director and Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Project Olympus, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University
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Leah Lizarondo: CEO, 412 Food Rescue
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Luke Skurman: CEO, Niche
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Mark De Santis: CEO, Roadbotics
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Mary Koes: Product Manager, Google Cloud, Google
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Mary Beth Green: VP Innovation, Sheets
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Mary Del Brady: CEO, Chairman, Board Member
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Meghan Skiff: Founder, MixyMarketing
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Michael Matesic: CEO & President, Idea Foundry, Inc.
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Mike Formica: CEO & Founder, NuCo Tech Group
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Ned Renzi: Partner, Birchmere Ventures
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Nick Kuhn: CEO, nanoGriptech
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Nicki Zevola Benvenuti: CEO, FutureDerm
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Noah Snyder: CEO, Interphase Materials
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Olga Pogoda: Co-Founder, KRNLS
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Parag Batavia: Founder and President, Neya Systems, LLC
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Rich Lunak: President & CEO, Innovation Works
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Sarjoun Skaff: Founder and CTO, Bosa Nova Robotics
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Scot Mac Taggart: Cofounder, KRNLS
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Sean Ammirati: Partner, Birchmere Labs & Birchmere Ventures
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Ted Teele: CEO, Touchtown
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Zach Malone: Principal, Draper Triangle Venture Capital
- And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute focuses on helping tech or tech-enabled businesses at the pre-seed stage, including both solo-founders and teams. This includes established businesses that are pre-funding and traction, MVP and prototype-stage projects, and even part-time founders with just ideas. FI's mission is to create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
Join us in Pittsburgh to build a great company in 2019.
Apply to the Pittsburgh - Philadelphia Fall 2025 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
