Since launching in Washington D.C. in 2010, the Founder Institute has graduated over 80 companies, including successful local startups like Spinnakr, Nexercise, Cont3nt.com, and CauseVox.
The Washington D.C. Founder Institute is now accepting applications for the Washington DC Fall 2025 Semester. If you could benefit from expert training and advice to launch a technology startup in Washington DC, click here to apply today.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Jun 08, 2025) will have their application fees waived (typically $50) and are eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.
In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs “learn by doing” and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit you day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.
In order to celebrate the launch, the Washington DC Founder Institute will host a “Pre-Curriculum” of free startup events for the general public:
Washington DC Events:
- How to Price Your Solution: Insights from TikTok’s Pricing Expert: 5:30pm, Jun 11, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374023
- Co-Founder & Teambuilding Dynamics – Planning Growth 🚀: 6:00pm, Jul 17, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/371146
Global or Regional Events:
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 8:00pm, Jun 09, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372260
- How to Build Your MVP Using Artificial Intelligence : 1:00pm, Jun 11, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372239
- FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 1:00pm, Jun 23, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372292
- Startup Finance & Banking Basics: AMA with Grasshopper Bank: 1:00pm, Jun 25, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372048
- How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 8:00pm, Jun 26, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373903
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 1:00pm, Jun 30, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372312
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI: 1:00pm, Jul 02, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373286
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 1:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/372345
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 1:00pm, Jul 09, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373417
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 1:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373542
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 1:00pm, Jul 23, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373676
The Washington DC Chapter will be led by by local leaders Cynthia Traeger (CEO of Pacific Siren International), and Dede Haskins (Former CEO & President of NewVision Health).
In only 15 years of operation, over 7,500 graduate companies across 200 cities have used the Founder Institute to validate their idea, develop their plans, refine their product, build an advisory board, prepare for seed funding, and more.
