The Founder Institute's four-month curriculum covers everything 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 Spring 2013 Madrid 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.
Alejandro Rivas Micoud
CEO, Userlytics Corporation
Alejandro Rivas-Micoud, CEO and Founder of Userlytics Corporation. Previously founded, ran and sold Clearwire Spain, a national wireless (4G) operator in Spain, to Clearwire Corporation; also founded, managed and sold Alo Comunicaciones, a fixed line telecommunications operator to Euphony Plc. Have written, directed and produced 4 short films, have published one novel, have written 2 feature length screenplays, am a member of YPO (Young President's Association) and have an MBA from INSEAD.
Andrés Areitio
Co-Founder & CEO, BuyFresco.com
Andres is the CEO and co-founder of Buyfresco.com, an online subscription service that sends weekly home five healthy recipes and all the ingredients. Andres was also the CEO and co-founder of RecetasyVinos.com, an app to create and share recipes. He has trained as an analyst and strategy consultant in Spain and China, working in prestigious companies like Deloitte and Telefonica. Andres has been awarded several prizes in the Young Entrepreneur Competition, sponsored by IESE Business School/Comunidad de Madrid.
Carlos Sáez
Socio Director, Trebia Abogados
Carlos Saez is the Managing Partner at Trebia Abogados, a law firm that provides legal advice in business and specializes in the Right of Information Technology. Carlos has also held positions at Garrigues Abogados y Asesores Tributarios, and Anguiano&Asociados. He earned his DEA at Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Carlos Beldarrain
Head of Spain & Latam Digital Ventures, Unidad Editorial
Head of Spain & Latam Digital Ventures Unidad Editorial January 2013 – Present (1 month)Madrid Area, Spain Responsible of identifiying and executing non organic growth oportunities in Spain and Latam for all Unidad Editorial Brands Expansión General Director Unidad Editorial April 2010 – Present (2 years 10 months) Responsible of the P&L with the challenge of reinventing the traditional business Banesto Direct Banking Director Banesto July 2009 – April 2010 (10 months) Responsible of both iBanesto and the develpment of the direct chanels for the Banesto clients
David Oliva
CIO, Banco Madrid
David currently holds the position of CIO at Banco Madrid. His past experience includes; LATAM Growth at T-Systems Iberia; Managing Director at d-Core Network; and Corporate Business Development Director at T-Systems Iberia.
Eduardo Vilar
Founder & CEO, äctucast
Eduardo is the Founder and CEO of äctucast, a platform that builds relationships between big data and revenue turning marketing into a profit. Eduardo is also the Founder of ReadWriteWeb España, th Founder of TypePad Spain, and the Founder of LotoJuegos.com. Eduardo holds a Degree in Actuarial and Financial Sciences from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Enrique Hormigo
Advisor, äctucast, Inc.
Enrique Hormigo is Director Business Dev & Marketing at Professional Training and Advisor at äctucast. äctucast uses smart algorithms and big data to predict customer behavior. Advising as software industry expert, helping defining Go to Market Strategy and building core sales team. We have actionable solutions for cohort clustering that identifies buyer intent, hyper-‐buyers (whales) and supports granular segmentation resulting in more revenue and better CLV. Before this position, Enrique was Sales and Marketing Manager at THQ. THQ was a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software.
Gustavo Medina
Founder & CEO, The Singular Factory
Gustavo is the Founder and CEO of The Singular Factory, a mobile applications startup. In addition to The Singular Factory, Gustavo is the founder of Banco Español de Algas and Fundación Bioagramar. His previous positions include Inventiaplus and CICEI at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University. His specialties include product coordination, management, and development.
Jaime García Cantero
Independet Analyst
Jaime is an Independent Analyst and professor at EOI Business School as well as a consultant at Ayova Consulting, an international business consulting group that specializes in executive search, spain, germany and france recruiting, telecom consulting, top spanish engineers sourcing, user experience, new product launch management. Jaime formerly worked as Research Director for IDC and Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Co.
Javier Ortíz
Business Development and Sales, Mitula.com
Javier Ortiz, is the Director of Business Development and Sales at the Spanish start-up Mitula.com, (an international verticaI search engine where he has helped make the company grow from 5 people to over 50 in just 3 years and expand to 33 countries and more than 25 million visitors per month). He is also the Founder of Jogo Consulting S.L. working to help companies get started and develop their markets. He holds a European degree in Business Administration, speaks 5 languages fluently and has worked and lived in 5 continents.
Joaquín Vázquez Terry
Socio, Inicia Corporate
Joaquín Vázquez Terry is the Founding Partner at Inicia Corporate. He has over 25 years experience in the financial sector, having been partner at Financial Managers since its foundation until August 2010 and, previously, having been Managing Director and Head of Treasury and Capital Markets for The Chase Manhattan Bank in Spain. Joaquin has also worked at Lloyds Bank and has a BS in Business Administration by University of Wisconsin-Platteville; PDG by IESE.
José Martin Cabiedes
Partner, Cabiedes & Partners SCR
José is a partner at Cabiedes & Partners SCR, a venture capital fund for early stage investments in internet ventures in Spain. He is also the founder of Fundación Hazloposible a non-profit organization aimed at fostering civic involvement in NGO causes by means of effectively using the ICT, namely internet and social networks. José has previously held executive roles in asset management and banking. He received a degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Pontificia Comillas and a MBA from IESE Business School.
Juan Leal
Founder, Seisdeagosto.com
Juan is the Owner and Founder of Seisdeagosto.com, and has over ten years of experience working on digital projects for desktop, mobile, tablet or any other digital display. He focuses on creating a better relationship between humans and technology as well as making Internet and electronic devices smarter, simpler, more user-oriented. Juan attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Sloan School of Management.
Juan Vallejo
Founder & CEO, Inception Capital
Former Chief Digital Officer at Unidad Editorial SA, Juan is Founder & CEO of Inception Capital an investment company focused on early stage digital projects that provides both investment and added value services.
Juan Calle
Managing Partner
Juan is an advisor on finance, strategy and business development with a focus on startups. He has held executive positions in several tech & telecom companies in Europe, Telefónica among them. Juan has also experience as a social entrepeneur. Juan holds an MBA by IE Business School and a degree in industrial engineering by ICAI - Universidad Pontificia Comillas.
Kathryn Hart
Founder & CEO, Fordyslexia.com
Kathryn Hart is the Founder and CEO of Fordislexia; a startup that is going to disrupt the special education market by helping parents access effective teaching tools in the form of apps at a price they can afford. Former to this project Kath was Executive Producer of Pocoyo at Zinkia Entertainment. Kath is one of the first graduates of the Founder Institute's Madrid chapter.
Maini Spenger
Co-Founder & CEO, MasMóvil
Maini is the CEO and Co-Founder of Co-Founder & CEO at Más Móvil Telecom 3.0, S.A.. He has an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa (IE) and the Italian Business School SDA Bocconi (Milan). He worked for five years as a consultant at McKinsey, where he served as Engagement Manager and was a member of the "European Telecom Practice."
María Cebrián
Founder & CEO, Aomm.TV
Maria is the Founder and CEO of AOMM.TV, a platform that offers a new way to practice Yoga and Pilates in Spanish online. Previously, Maria was CEO at Iconik Estudio, and held positions at Médicos del Mundo and the City of Edinburgh Council. She has a Degree in Economics, a Master's Degree in Social Work and postgraduate studies in NGO Management and Immigration and Social Welfare.
Marina Zaliznyak
Managing Partner, Wiseri
Marina is the Strategy and Client Services Director at LBi and a Managing Partner at wiseri. Her previous positions include Intl Business Development Manager at Fiabee; Sales Director at Traffic4u; Operational Director eMarketing at Domestika; Socia Directora de Agencia at Zento Media; Socia Fundadora/Dirección de consultoría at Zento Media; Socia Fundadora at LingoNotion.com; Responsable de Equipo - Marketing para Buscadores at Qoan Systems; External Marketing Consultant at Red Giga; Asistente Marketing Online at Fes Medina, and Practicas periodismo at The Wall Street Journal.
Mario Alonso
PRESIDENTE, AUREN
Mario Alonso Ayala is the President and Co-Founder of Auren Institute of Chartered Accountants of Spain. He is an Audit Committee Member - (ICAC), a Professor at the University of Alcala de Henares, on the Vocal Social Council of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid President of the Commission Fiscal Affairs, and CEIM Founder: UNIVERSE LINUX SET (ETT) DOUBLE SOUL (CALEDONIA) SAVEMEETING.
Miguel Olivares
Founder y CEO, La Despensa
Miguel Olivares is the creative director of the prominent Spanish advertising firm, La Despensa. He has spearheaded campaigns for major brands such as Burger King, Adidas, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola, to name a few. A creative genius and business expert, Miguel has expanded La Despensa to both Mexico and Buenos Aires.
Miguel Lasso
Co-Founder , Yslandia
Miguel is co-founder and executive creative director of Yslandia. After serving at international marketing and communication agencies such as DDB and Y&R, in the middle of a recession, he decides to embark on a new journey and launch a marketing and communication company that challenged the industry's existent and well-established business models. To open the mind to alternative and non-lineal ways of thinking and to arouse disruption of conventions has been key to making the difference and being different, relevant, as well as to grow in a challenging economic environment.
Sébastien Chartier
Founder & CEO, Creaventure
Specialties: Emprendimiento / Lanzar start-ups / Venture Capital / Private Equity, Corporate Finance / M&A, Asesoramiento Estratégico, Interim Management, Financiación & Producción de Películas...
Víctor Sánchez
Founder and CEO, Elocuent
Professional and Professor in the Branding, PR/consulting fields. experience in advertising, marketing and Journalism (Radio, National TV, Press) From 2002 to 2012 leaded one of the most relevant independent PR and Comms group in Spain and spanish-speaking markets(ImageGroup.es). Now a relevant stakeholder and investor in several communications, technological and marketing companies. I have founded www.elocuent.com to bring the brand oportunity to the people and their SMB's Especialidades Speech, Speech writing, Personal Branding, Online, Expert in Corporate, Product, Tech and Crisis Communications. Journalism. Advertising. Marketing. Journalism, Media training. Coaching.
