The Founder Institute (http://fi.co), the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, announced today that it is exploring a new semester launch in Location Forthcoming this Spring 2015.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 7,000 companies, which have created over 30,000 new jobs. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
If you'd like to help bring a semester to Location Forthcoming, then fill out an Interest Form. If enough people complete this form by Sunday, March 15th 2015, then the Founder Institute will formally launch an Spring 2015 program.
The Founder Institute is a part-time, four-month program where promising entrepreneurs can "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit your day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.
In order to test demand for an Spring 2015 program, the Founder Institute will host several free startup events:
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Leading the Founder Institute's efforts in Location Forthcoming are three leaders of the Iceland startup ecosystem: Bala Kamallakharan, Gisli Olafsson, and Ævar Bjornsson.
Bala Kamallakharan is an entrepreneur, investor and startup community hacker. He is also the Founder of Startup Iceland, an initiative to build an anti fragile startup community in Iceland.
With a Reykjavik chapter, we would bring the Silicon Valley mindset to Iceland.This will enable us to build stronger links and relationships with the startup community in Silicon Valley, and other global startup communities as well"
- Bala Kamallakharan
Gisli Olafsson has been active in the software industry since he sold his first program at age 14. Now Gisli leverages his expertise to improve the use of technology in disasters, and also sits on the board of and advises several startup companies.
Icelanders are a nation of creators. It is in our blood to innovate. However, we lack expertise and understanding of what it takes to take an innovative idea and scale it into a global company outside of our little island. The Founder Institute will help guide entrepreneurs to make that important step"
- Gisli Olafsson
Ævar Bjornsson is a lawyer with extensive international experience, having invested and assisted in the creation of several startup companies.
The internet shrunk the world immeasurably, but in some ways us Icelanders are still adrift from the mainlands. This is where the Founder Institute can really help by briding the oceans, helping entrepreneurs access larger markets, and helping them get outside help on their projects"
- Ævar Bjornsson
Other successful entrepreneurs who have pledged their support to mentor founders in a Location Forthcoming Founder Institute program include:
- Aaron Patzer: Founder, Mint.com
- Adeo Ressi: CEO, Decile Group / VC Lab
- Alexandra Johnson: Managing Director, DFJ VTB Aurora
- Alexandra Wilson: Founder, Investor & Advisor, Gilt Group, Montage Ventures
- Alexis Beechen: Co-Founder & CEO, The Drop, Mangrove Estates
- Bob Richards: Founder & CEO, Moon Express
- Bram Cohen: Founder, BitTorrent, Chia Network
- Cheryl Yeoh: Founder, Investor & Advisor, Reclip.It, MaGIC
- Claire Mc Gregor: Co-Founder, Appbot
- David Sacks: Founder & Investor, Yammer, Paypal, Zenefits
- David Wu: General Partner, Maveron Ventures
- David Rose: Author & CEO, Gust, New York Angels
- Divya Gugnani: Co-Founder, Send the Trend, Wander Beauty
- Emna Ghariani: Global Director, Founder Institute MENA
- Eren Bali: Founder, Udemy, Carbon Health
- Eric Ries: Author & Founder, The Lean Startup, Long Term Stock Exchange
- Garrett Camp: Founder, Uber, Expa, StumbleUpon
- Gina Bianchini: Founder & CEO, Mighty Networks, Former CEO of Ning
- Heather Harde: CEO, TechCrunch
- Holly Liu: Co-Founder, Kabam
- Jason Calacanis: Author, Investor & Founder, Inside.com, LAUNCH Accelerator
- Jason Johnson: Founder & CEO, August
- Jeffrey Paine: Managing Partner, Golden Gate Ventures, Singapore
- Jessica Alter: Entrepreneur & Advisor, Tech for Campaigns, Social Capital
- Jessica Mah: Founder & CEO, inDinero, Impact Collective
- Jill Stelfox: Co-Founder, Graffiti Sports, Binary Group
- Jilliene Helman: CEO, RealtyMogul.com
- Joanna Lord: CMO, ClassPass
- Jonathan Greechan: Co-Founder & CEO, Founder Institute
- Jonathan Abrams: Founder, Nuzzel, Friendster
- Justin Moore: CEO & Investor, Axcient
- Kenneth Hogrefe: CEO and Founder, Tech Africa Pte. Ltd.
- Kirsten Rose: Head of Low Emissions, BHP, Clean Energy Entrepreneur
- Lucy Beard: Founder & CEO, feetZ
- Mark Pincus: Founder, Zynga
- Michael Seibel: CEO & Partner, Y Combinator
- Nitin Pachisia: Founding Partner, Unshackled Ventures
- Phil Libin: Founder, All Turtles, Former CEO of Evernote
- Rashmi Sinha: Co-Founder, SlideShare
- Robin Chase: Co-Founder & Former CEO, Zipcar
- Rosemarie Truman: Founder & General Partner, Gazelle Futures, Center for Advancing Innovation
- Sam Yagan: Co-Founder, OK Cupid, ShopRunner, Techstars Chicago
- Scott Heiferman: Co-Founder & CEO, Meetup
- Scott Painter: Founder, Fair.com, TrueCar, CarsDirect.com
- Sergio Maziano: Founder & CEO, NEXT Solutions
- Tim Ferriss: Angel Investor & Author, 4-Hour Workweek
- And many more to be announced.
Help bring the Founder Institute to Location Forthcoming and fill out an Interest Form today.
About The Founder Institute
The Founder Institute (www.FI.co) is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, 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. Plus, aspiring founders are not required to quit their day job to participate, so they can begin building a business around their ideas without putting their livelihood at risk.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 7,000 companies, which have created over 30,000 new jobs. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
The Founder Institute was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Adeo Ressi.
