The Founder Institute's four-month curriculum covers everthing you would expect from an early-stage startup program, including topics like "Startup Legal and IP” towards the beginning, to “Fundraising” near the end. What makes the curriculum special is the Mentors that teach it, whose passion, feedback and support helps our companies avoid rookie mistakes and set the foundation for a meaningful and enduring company.
The Founder Institute carefully recruits approximately 25 Mentors per Semester, who are normally the CEO or founder of a successful startup. Rather than specialists or consultants, we prefer Founders and CEOs to give our companies "the entrepreneur's perspective." The mentors share their experiences, best practices, and mistakes, while also providing specific guidance and feedback on the Founder companies.
In addition, the Founder Institute's unique Graduate Liquidity Pool allows our mentors to share in the equity of companies formed in each program - and, their share is based solely on the anonymous ratings they receive from the Founders both during, and after the program. In this way, the Founder Institute incentivizes mentors to take a special interest in our startups, and provide as much assistance as possible after the program.
We have a great lineup of Mentors confirmed for the Autumn 2012 DC Founder Institute, including many from out of town. See the full list below.
Adeo Ressi
CEO, TheFunded.com
Adeo Ressi is Founding Member of TheFunded.com, an online community of 17,000 CEOs to research, rate, and review funding sources worldwide. Adeo also runs the Founder Institute, a mentoring program that helps entrepreneurs launch hundreds of world-class companies each year. The Institute is the eighth start-up that Adeo has founded or built, four of which were acquired and three of which are still operating.
Ajay Sravanapudi
Founder/CEO, LucidMedia
Ajay Sravanapudi is the Founder and CEO of LucidMedia, a leading Demand Side Platform in display advertising. For the past 10 years, as he transformed a three person startup in telecom in 2000, into a cutting edge business in advertising, Ajay has seen and regrettably, experienced more than his fair share venture capital related "issues". Prior to starting LucidMedia, Ajay was the VP of Product Architecture at Versatility. Prior to that he was a Principal at American Management Systems (now CGI-AMS). He received a M.S. in Information Management from Penn State University in 1990 and a B.S. from IIT Madras in 1987.
Andrew Lee
Senior Advisor, U.S. Small Business Administration, Founder of JamLegend
Andrew Lee is currently a Senior Adviser with the U.S. Small Business Administration where he focuses on high-growth startups. Before his advising role, he co-founded JamLegend, the online equivalent of Guitar Hero, which reached more than 2M users and was later acquired by Zynga, where he worked on flagship game FarmVille. While in college, Andrew created Fantasy Congress, an online political fantasy game that garnered recognition from the NY Times, BBC, NPR, and Time Magazine, amongst others. Before startups, Andrew worked in politics for then U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and the Environmental Protection Agency. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College where he was a Truman Scholar, Udall Scholar, Rhodes Scholar Finalist, and named Student Entrepreneur of the Year. Check out his TedX talk - tiger mothers, startups, and games, oh my! http://youtu.be/iQposu-6rnU
Andy Louis-Charles
Vice President, Business Development, CustomInk.com
Andy Louis-Charles is the Vice President of Business Development of CustomInk — one of the largest online custom apparel companies in the US — where he leads the company's strategic investments and partnership opportunities. Over his career, Andy has founded, managed, and invested in numerous companies and investment partnerships. Andy received a Bachelor’s of Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech where he was inducted into the ANAK Society, the highest senior honor. Subsequently, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida College of Law, where he graduated cum laude. Andy won First Place Honors at Harvard Business School’s AASU – Entrepreneurial Ventures Competition. He subsequently leveraged Harvard’s $10K cash award into a multi-million dollar commercial real estate venture which he exited in 2007. Andy has been a contributor and equity analyst for The Motley Fool as well as a featured analyst on CNBC Worldwide. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Andy has served on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations and currently advises several startups.
Bill Schafer
CEO, Digital DME
Strong entrepreneurial management and executive leadership experience in the healthcare software industry. Founded and led OrthoSpot increasing revenue from $60k in 2001 to $1.8M in 18 months with 5 people who knew nothing about the orthopedc industry. Restructured business model and developed distribution channel resulting in immediate growth in net revenue.
Brent Halliburton
VP Products, Verve Wireless
Brent Halliburton is currently the VP, Products at Verve Wireless after Verve acquired his start-up, Deconstruct Media. Started and sold multiple companies, worked in technology consulting (Group Cortex, Hackett Group, Booz Allen), big companies (Booz Allen, Aol, Advertising.com), and small companies (Group Cortex, MillStar, Deconstruct Media, Verve Wireless). Broad range of technology expertise: Enterprise software, consumer web apps, online advertising. Read his blog at http://www.cogmap.com/blog/
Cynthia Traeger
CEO
Cynthia Traeger concurrently serves as CEO, Pacific Siren International LLC and President, VSI Pacific. Ms. Traeger serves as an advisor to the board, Faulkner Information, was a participant and author with the American Bar Association's Digital Evidence Work Group, and has been a contributor to the Journal of the ACM Special Interest Group on Graphics. Her contributions to the Telecommunications Development Fund's Corporate Governance Project received the highest regards by the Emerging Business Forum and Washington Post. Ms. Traeger served as a Corporate Ambassador for Vital Voices’ Corporate Ambassadors Program (CAP) launched in cooperation with the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at the U.S. Department of State.
Dan Solomon
Managing Director, Builder LLC.
Dan is an accomplished entrepreneur as well as a recognized expert in marketing and communications. He is currently Managing Director of Builder, LLC providing strategic counsel and business development assistance to several corporations in the media, health care, and education industries. He co-authored Media Rules!: Mastering Today’s Technology to Connect with and Keep Your Audience, published by Wiley in 2008 and is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Dan practiced commercial law with the firm of Hale and Dorr and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis, Missouri. Dan is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota Law School.
Dave Sandrowitz
Owner & Principal Consultant, Substrate LLC
Dave is a startup veteran, an advisor, a small-time investor, and a mentor via Startup Weekend and The Fort. He is currently owner and principal at Substrate, an operations consultancy focused on providing hands-on project, ops, and biz dev services to tech startups (not coaching, not strategy...real, roll-up-your-sleeves stuff). Prior to Substrate, Dave spent six years in Sales Ops and Client Services for TARGUSinfo, which was recently acquired by Neustar. Before that, Dave had the pleasure of serving as the tech lead during the design and launch of an RFID-based supply chain system for the USMC, a system that was deployed in theater in 2003 and is still used to this day.
Dede Haskins
President/CEO, NewVision Health, Inc.
Dede is the Founder and CEO of New Vision Health, a healthcare technology company, as well as an experienced, award winning senior executive with a successful 20+ year career history with six of Northern Virginia’s fastest growing companies (Cigital, Proxicom, Legent, MAXM, XMCO, and RCI). She is experienced in both commercial and government services environments, and is a highly organized, competitive leader, capable of teaming with peers and building high-performing teams to drive revenue generation. Dede has a strong record of improving customer satisfaction, and is experienced in developing strategic plans, meeting organizational objectives, managing budgets and staff, and developing and managing performance and compensation plans. She has an impressive list of “firsts” in establishing new departments and new lines of business; marketing, growing, and spinning off product/service lines; and building and running professional services units, and is also a dynamic speaker, who is recognized in the technology community, and has an influential network of community leaders.
Eric Koefoot
Co-founder, Ascend Sales Partner
As co-founder of Ascend Sales Partner, Eric Koefoot helps companies make sense of the Internet and how it impacts their future, assists in the development of new revenue-generating products, and builds sustainable, profitable digital businesses. An experienced software executive and an Internet pioneer, Eric either founded or served as a senior executive for early-stage Internet companies since 1996. He was most recently the founding CEO and Publisher of U.S. News Ventures, a branded Internet publishing company funded in part by U.S. News & World Report. Prior to that role, he was co-founder and CEO of Five Star Alliance, a successful eCommerce startup in Alexandria, which became the largest independent booker of luxury hotels worldwide and was sold in 2007 for over a 10X return to investors in less than 3 years.
Eric Wechselblatt
Partner, Holland & Knight
Eric Wechselblatt is a Partner in the firm's Business Law Group and Co-Chair of the firm's Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Companies Team. He represents clients in a variety of corporate and securities activities, with an emphasis on venture capital transactions and other private placements, mergers and acquisitions, debt transactions, and general corporate matters.
Glen Hellman
Cheif Entrepreneuriator, Driven Forward, LLC
Glen Hellman is a principal at Driven Forward LLC, and works with Venture Capital Investors as a turn-around CEO for troubled portfolio companies and has driven multiple successful IPOs and M&A exits. Glen has held senior executive positions for 3Com, Progress Software, Call Technologies, Ikimbo, Proxy Governance, Cloakware, Astracon and IntelliPark. He has managed companies for a list of investors that include: New Enterprise Associates, Cisco Ventures, Intel Ventures, Geocapital Partners, Menlo Ventures, Columbia Capital and Cross Atlantic Venture Partners. He also serves as coach and a member of the selection committees for both Cooley's Capital Call and the Dingman Center's Capital Access Network. Glen writes on Venture Capital, Investment, Startup Strategy and Leadership for Tech Cocktail and was voted the #1 Angel Investor in the US by Tech Cocktail Readers. He's a partner in the Angel Investment Firm of Stardust Venture Partners which invests in DC area B2B startups including Founder Institute Graduate, HugeFan.
Jeffery Porro
Speechwriter, Porro LLC
At a time when the spoken word is more important than ever, Jeff Porro’s unique combination of talent and experience helps executives infuse the words they use with the power they want. Jeff is a speechwriter for Fortune 250 CEOs, diplomats, and other government leaders, as well as executives of some of the nation’s leading trade and professional associations. He is also an award winning screenwriter and a PhD with 20 years of experience in research, public policy, and business. He has been profiled in the Washington Post, National Journal, Washington Business Journal, and other publications. Before starting his own business in 1991, Jeff was associate editor of Teacher Magazine, assistant editor of the National Academy of Sciences’ Issues in Science and Technology, and an Op-Ed and speechwriter for People for the American Way. He has also served as a Senate staffer, a State Department official, and an arms control specialist for the Arms Control Association. From 1999 to 2002 he was senior vice president of M&R Strategic Services, a Washington DC, political communications firm. Jeff holds a PhD in political science from UCLA.
Jill Stelfox
President, RedFoxx
Jill has founded and run several companies, including founding two venture capital backed technology companies. She is a successful serial entrepreneur, having bought & sold dozens of companies, raised over fifty million in venture capital & returned over 1000X to investors. Jill has been the CFO and EVP of Corporate Development at Binary, the CEO, Co-Founder and Chairman of Defywire, a wireless technology company, providing real-time safety solutions to public and private schools. Before launching Defywire, Jill was an owner, CFO and Director of Mobile & Wireless at Noblestar Systems, a professional services firm. Jill spearheaded Noblestar’s substantial growth including an expanded international presence both organically and through several acquisitions, including raising VC money and launching Riverbed Technologies. Jill also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Netafim Irrigation of North America, where she developed and implemented the company's strategic plan, along with business re-engineering initiatives.
Jonathon Perrelli
Founder & General Partner, Fortify.vc
Jonathon started Fortify.vc in May of 2011 after founding, leading and exiting four startups over the past 17 years. His experience ranges from founding pre-IPO venture backed startups to executive level roles with publicly traded firms. He has been a successful Angel, investing in startups such as Plaxo, FormSpring, and numerous Cyber-Security firms, and is now a venture capitalist focused on the seed and early stage. Prior to “joining the dark side”, Jonathon was the Founder and CEO of SecureForce, a cyber security solutions provider serving the US Intelligence and DoD, as well as some of the country’s largest corporations. He continues to provide strategic leadership as Chairman of SecureForce. Other startups that he has co-founded include; Plesk (renamed “Parallels”) which is the largest platform for hosting automation in the world, The Shadow Group (acquired, and now part of BAE Systems), SecureSoftware (acquired by Foritfy Software, and subsequently by HP), and eTantrum which was the “other half of Napster” and ended up a casualty of the dot-com era.
Kristi Hedges
Principal/CEO, The Hedges Company
Kristi Hedges is the Principal at The Hedges Company, a business and leadership coaching company. She is also the author of Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others. Prior to The Hedges Company, she was co-founder and principal of one of the top technology public relations firms in the Washington, D.C. area which she operated for nearly a decade before successfully selling her corporate interest. She is an experienced entrepreneur, communications professional and trained leadership coach, and writes about leadership for Forbes.com and penned the monthly column "The Leadership Factor" for Entrepreneur.com. Hedges has also been named one of the "50 Women Who Mean Business in Washington, D.C." and as an owner of a top 25 Largest Women-Owned Businesses by the Washington Business Journal.
Liz Sara
Managing Director, Best Marketing, LLC
Elizabeth Sara has 25 years of experience in the local high tech community as an entrepreneur, business leader, angel investor and philanthropist. In 2001, she founded Best Marketing, LLC to provide early stage software companies with strategic marketing, PR and business development services. Her company offers clients all the benefits of a full-scale, seasoned marketing department on a ‘virtual’ basis -- eliminating overhead and headcount associated with full-time staff. Since inception, she has worked with nearly 60 companies, assisting them in re-positioning their message, re-focusing their business model and target audience, planning and introducing new products, forging alliances with global firms, developing lead generation campaigns, gaining visibility in the press and with industry analysts, winning awards, acquiring companies, raising capital and increasing revenue. She is on the Board of Advisors of the Dingman Center of Entrepreneurship at the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She has been a past adjunct professor in that MBA program. She is a member of Active Angel Investors and a frequent speaker on topics related to entrepreneurish, raising capital, and marketing.
Mark Pickett
CEO, Nail Your Mortgage
Mark A. Pickett, CEO, Nail Your Mortgage. Prior to founding Nail Your Mortgage, Mark had deep roots in the brokerage business. After serving in Somalia as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mark worked as a product manager with Qwest Communications and Motorola in their internet solutions and mobile internet solutions group, respectively. From there he entered the software business, as one of the initial hires into KPMG Consulting's new ASP practice. In addition to helping launch this new practice, Mark worked a wide array of software implementation projects from Rio de Janeiro to Lagos, and from banking to oil production. After running KPMG Consulting’s 40 person ASP Application Development/MGMT Infrastructure delivery team, Mark founded OmTelligence, a consulting firm specializing in business and system strategy; mortgage banks and lenders were a special focus.
Matt Mandell
Director, www.SimpleStorage.com
Matt is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of several companies, and currently operates a consulting firm specializing in revenue optimization for B2C companies and owns SimpleStorage.com, Store4Summer.com and CityCentric.com service companies in the Washington DC area. Matt has directed strategy of a $2.5B strategic procurement company and consults to government and private companies. Matt recently sold DCSnacks.com, a food delivery company. He has operated companies in the food, logistics, technology, entertainment and consulting space. Matt's companies have been widely covered in national and local news outlets. He serves as a board member for non profit and for profit companies.
Roger Yee
Investor/LP, Fortify.vc
Roger is a veteran of start-ups, having founded three companies that included investor-backed funding and successful exits through acquisitions and IPOs. His previous companies and executive roles include ShadowLogic, Inc. (CEO), a cybersecurity services company; LaunchFuel, Inc. (CTO), a technology venture accelerator; and AppNet, Inc. (VP) an Internet and electronic commerce solutions firm acquired by CommerceOne for $2.1B. Most recently, Roger was Vice President at BAE Systems responsible for global defense and security programs and was an executive with DigitalNet, Inc. which was acquired by BAE Systems for $600M in 2004. Roger's work has been featured in The Washington Post, Federal Computing Week, Washington Technology, Government Security News and is a frequent invited speaker at government and industry events. He is currently an angel investor and LP with fortify.vc and mentor with Founder Institute and The Fort.
Tanya Renne
Cofounder and CEO, Orchid
As co-founder and CEO of Orchid, Tanya manages the growth and vision of the company. She has led her team from start-up to now being a competitive player in a challenging and crowed market. This process has lead her to multiple crossroads and challenges around diversification, channel strategies, and product development. Tanya brings a range of expertise and talents to her work with tenacity, determination and legendary persistance. She is highly skilled in multiple stages of development, product profitability, needs-assessment, design, data and financial modeling. She'll run through a wall whenever necessary. Tanya graduated with honors from Colorado College 400 years ago and received her master's degree in sociology from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) while on a Fulbright. She published a book called "Ana's Land: Sisterhood in Eastern Europe" which can be found on Amazon, used book stores, and remainder piles if you are lucky. She's a great cook and has rusty fluency in a handful of useless languages.
Thom Kozik
CEO, Context Digital Media
Thom brings 25+ years experience in the Internet and software industries, with particular focus on Gaming. Previous big firms include Atari, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Bigpoint, and Ashton-Tate. Five startups to my credit, two with good exits (MindShare, All-Seeing Eye); two others providing invaluable lessons, the third is stil in mid-flight. Broad experience in; Product Strategy and Development, Business Development, M&A, Operations, and Marketing. Have successfully led start-ups and multi-national, public companies alike.
Tonya Harmon
CEO, CareWorks
Tonya Harmon is leading the expansion of CareWorks in the US. As the Affordable Care Act revolutionizes the way social care is managed in this country, Tonya is excited to be part of a team that is on the forefront of this change. Tonya is the founder of Harmony Information Systems, Inc., where she raised over $40M in funding. Tonya was selected as a winner for the 2009 Top 100 CEOs for the Greater DC Area; 2007 and 2008 winner of the SmartCEO Top 50 Women Entrepreneurs; and was a 2008 finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year from Women in Technology. Tonya leads the Greater DC Area Chapter of the Founder Institute and is dedicated to developing the leadership skills of up and coming high tech entrepreneurs. Tonya is a passionate and frequent speaker on the topic of women and entrepreneurship. Prior to founding Harmony, Tonya ran her own consulting company, providing strategic counsel to human services organizations across the commonwealth of Virginia with a focus on performance management improvements through the use of technology. Tonya is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, in Ontario, Canada, and a former MS candidate at the George Washington University.
Sunday, October 7th is the Final Application Deadline for the Autumn 2012 Washington DC Founder Institute. If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in DC, then click here to apply today.
