OtherFounder Institute Looks to Expand to Portland, OR
World’s Largest Startup Accelerator Testing a Program
Launch in Portland for Autumn 2013
Contributed by Wade Brooks, Co-Director of Founder Institute
The Founder Institute (www.fi.co), the world’s largest startup accelerator with over 875 graduate companies, announced today that it is exploring a chapter launch in Portland, OR. Through the Founder Institute’s part-time four-month program, existing and prospective entrepreneurs can launch a company with expert startup training, feedback, and support from experienced startup CEOs – while not being required to quit their day job. Those wanting to learn more can fill out an interest form at http://fi.co/apply/portland by September 22nd, or attend a free upcoming Founder Institute event in Portland over the next few weeks:
- Startup Ideation Bootcamp (Wednesday, September 11, 6:30pm): http://fi.co/e/3292
- FI Information Session (Tuesday, September 17, 6;30pm): http://fi.co/e/3293
In just over four years of operation, the Silicon Valley-based Founder Institute has graduated over 900 technology companies across 50 cities and 6 continents, and has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal. The program is open to anybody that is passionate about building a technology company: idea or no idea, full-time job or unemployed, young or old, male or female, experienced in business or straight out of school. The Founder Institute plans to launch in Portland, OR in the Autumn of 2013 if enough people show interest in the program.
Leading the Founder Institute’s efforts in Portland, OR are Wade Brooks, a serial entrepreneur, Executive Director of the Willamette University Angel Investment Fund and an professor of entrepreneurship in the Willamette University MBA program, and Andrew Beldin, a Principal with Revenue Capital Management and an active regional angel investor. Other leaders of local companies who have signed on to mentor the courses include Nitin Khanna (founder MergerTech, Saber Software), Robert Wiltbank, PhD. (Montlake Capital, Willamette University), David Nelson (founder Giftango), Mark Ahn, PhD. (Galena Biopharma – Nasdaq: GALE), Rick Turoczy (founder Portland Incubator Experiment/PIE, Silicon Florist), Eric Doebele (founder Thursday Market, HandymanOnline), Erick Petersen (Demand Energy, PV Powered), Greg Rau (founder Upstart Labs, StepChange), Tom Sperry (founder Rogue Venture Partners), Shelley Gunton (Chez Marie, founder Castor & Pollux), and Linda Weston (Oregon Entrepreneurs Network/OEN). The full list of expected mentors can be viewed at http://fi.co/mentors/portland.
“Portland is a excellent market for the Founder Institute. Portland has pent up demand for early stage entrepreneurship education and pre-incubator development. My personal mission and singular focus is to make entrepreneurs – Founder Institute is a perfect vehicle for that,” says Wade Brooks
“Portland’s entrepreneurial community has developed a robust set of resources for early stage companies. Founder Institute’s focus on key building blocks in the pre-launch phase makes it a perfect complement to our existing startup ecosystem.” says Andrew Beldin.
If you’d like to help bring the Founder Institute to Portland, then fill out an Interest Form at http://fi.co/apply/portland before September 22nd.
About The Founder Institute
The Founder Institute (www.fi.co) is an early-stage startup accelerator and global launch network that helps entrepreneurs create meaningful and enduring technology companies. Through a part-time four month program, existing and prospective founders can launch their dream company with expert training, feedback, and support from experienced startup CEOs – while not being required to quit their day job. In just over four years of operation, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 900 companies across 50 cities and six continents – making us the world’s largest startup accelerator. Our goal is to “Globalize Silicon Valley” by launching 1,000 meaningful and enduring technology companies per year in over 75 cities worldwide.
