Today we have great news for aspiring entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest.
The Founder Instittue, the world's largest startup accelerator with over 900 graduate companies across 50 cities and 6 continents, is excited to announce their official launch in Portland, Oregon. With plans to run two semesters annually, the Founder Institute aims to launch over 30 meaningful and enduring technology companies per year in the city.
In order to celebrate the launch, the Portland Founder Institute has scheduled several free events where attendees can meet local entrepreneurs and learn more about the program;
- Portland Founder Hotseat Webinar, with Adeo Ressi (Oct 1, 5:15 PM)
- Startup Ideation Bootcamp (Oct 3, 6:50 PM)
- FI Information Session (Oct 8, 6:50 PM)
The Founder Institute is a comprehensive, 4-month entrepreneur training and startup launch program, with chapters in over 55 cities worldwide. Without being required to quit their day jobs, promising startup entrepreneurs “learn by doing” and launch a company through structured training courses, practical business-building assignments, and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors.
Anybody who is interested can apply to the Portland Founder Institute at http://fi.co/apply/portland. The Final Application Deadline is on November 3rd, but those who apply by the Early Application Deadline on October 20th are eligible for a variety of scholarships - including the Female Founder Fellowship, which is offered to the best overall female applicant.
“The recent growth of the startup funding and incubation ecosystem in Portland probably rivals any other city in the country,” says Adeo Ressi, Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute. “However, we believe there is a dearth in resources for helping aspiring entrepreneurs take the first steps. The Founder Institute helps people at the company inception stage test their ideas, found their companies, and prepare for launch - all without quitting their day jobs.”
The Portland Founder Institute will be led by Wade Brooks and Andrew Beldin.
Wade Brooks is a serial technology entrepreneur, educator and angel investor. He is a Professor in Willamette University's MBA program teaching entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, new venture launch, and angel investing - which was ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the "top 10 best entrepreneurship courses in the nation." He is also the Executive Director of the Willamette University Angel Investment Fund.
Andrew Beldin is a Principal with Revenue Capital Management, a venture fund specializing in royalty-based finance structures for growth companies. He is active in the angel community and has experience investing across a range of opportunities from technology to commercial forestry.
Expected Mentors for the Portland program include:
- Chris Logan, Founder of SweetSpot Diabetes
- David Embree, CEO of Athletepath
- David Nelsen, GM at InComm
- Eric Doebele, Founder & CEO at Thursday Market
- Eric Rosenfeld, Founder of the Oregon Angel Fund
- Greg Rau, Founder & CEO of Upstart Labs
- Jerry Carleton, Founder of Immix Law Group
- Justin Curzi, Owner of the Microlending Fund
- Linda Weston, President and Executive Director at the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
- Mark Ahn, CEO of Galena Biopharma
- Michael Kaplan, MD at the Lewis & Clark College Center for Entrepreneurship
- Nitin Khanna, CEO of MergerTech
- Rick Turoczy, Co-Founder of PIE (Portland Incubator Experiment)
- Shelley Gunton, Chief Make It Happen Offer at Chez Marle
- Tom Sperry, Managing Director at Rogue Venture Partners
- And many more.
Anybody who is interested can apply to the Portland Founder Institute at http://fi.co/apply/portland.
