Building an Effective Early-Stage Marketing Strategy with Lindsay LaShell (March 3, 2021)

Marketing your business is one of the most crucial steps towards profitability, but with so many responsibilities, most early-stage founders struggle to effectively market their own company and reach their target customers. Watch to learn from Lindsay LaShell, Marketing Expert and CEO of Diamond + Branch, about some of the best practices for overcoming hurdles for early-stage companies in achieving financial sustainability and growth through marketing that is strategic, empathetic and efficient.

Using Nature as Inspiration for Innovative Design, with the Biomimicry Institute (Oct. 29th, 2020)

Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that looks to nature as a source of solutions to human problems. The concept applies design thinking directly, by mimicking the principles and processes found in the natural world, towards the constraints of human design challenges. Watch to learn about biomimicry through an exploration of case studies with Jared Yarnall-Schane, Entrepreneurship Director at the Biomimicry Institute, and learn how to apply the concepts of biomimicry to your own approach to innovation. You can apply now for the Biomimicry Institute's 2021 $100k 'Ray of Hope' Prize, which celebrates nature-inspired solutions addressing the world’s biggest environmental and sustainability challenges.

How to Create Amazing Online Shopping Experiences (Oct. 27th, 2020)

In this video of the online event presented by the Founder Institute and Halo Incubator, Michelle Park, a startup advisor for consumer brands, discusses ways that e-commerce companies can create consumer-centric online experiences. Watch to get an insider view of e-commerce and consumer experience best practices!
Michelle (Lin) Park has been building consumer-centric brands across channels for over a decade, focused on tapping into human insights and delivering meaningful solutions for the jobs-to-be-done. A strategist & story-teller, she has built world renowned brands from Procter & Gamble to leading start-ups and PE-backed endeavors, operating at the junction of brand and performance marketing.

How Startups Can Get Millions of Users through Thought Leadership (Oct. 16th, 2020)

With a record amount of online media and digital content begging for our attention, content marketing and social media marketing have become a necessity for new companies. In fact, becoming a thought leader in your industry is one of the most cost-effective ways for entrepreneurs to build online communities for their businesses. If you want to learn the latest trends and best practices in thought leadership, watch this discussion with entrepreneurs that have built massive online communities from the ground up, including Kunbi Tinouye, Founder & CEO UrbanGeekz (named one of Crunchbase's '25 Black Entrepreneurs Making Waves'); Kerry Schrader, CEO & Co-Founder of Mixtroz (a Mother-Daughter founded startup with $1M+ in funding); and Tani Chambers, Founder of Savi Moni, (Multi-time Entrepreneur & Board Member, and New York Chapter Lead for Black Women Talk Tech).

Scaling a Company With a Diversity-First Culture, with Hubspot (Sept. 29th, 2020)

All founders strive to build a company employees love. Watch to learn how to set your team up to thrive by embedding diversity and inclusion in your company culture from Day 1. In this video from a September 29th live webinar event, HubSpot for Startups Global Vice President Kim Walsh; Houston Founder Institute Director Wogbe Ofori; and Founder Institute Director of Global Marketing and co-creator of the Female Founder Initiative Rachel Sheppard discuss how scaling companies can build a strong diversity-first culture.

Quantifying Social Impact for Investors (Sept. 15, 2020)

As consumers become more conscious of company practices, building a venture that truly has a positive social or environmental impact in the world is becoming increasingly important to buyers and employees alike. To demonstrate progress in these areas, impact founders need to consider what metrics to measure. In this video, learn how to quantify social and environmental impact, and how to use impact data to engage with investors. Presenting on this topic is Catherine Griffin, Founder of Impact.able Analytics, Managing Director of GoodCompany Ventures, and Adjunct Professor at Temple University.

The Future of Women's Health Tech (Sept. 3, 2020)

Cutting-edge technology for women's health is rapidly evolving and full of opportunities. Leading the changes in the digital health realm is Dr. Casey Means, a medical doctor, biomedical researcher, 2x entrepreneur and Stanford graduate. In this webinar, she shared her journey from being a surgeon to becoming a founder in the digital health space. This complex sector is emerging as a key piece of the broader healthcare industry and needs more startup founders and clinicians to tackle the biggest health issues threatening the global population, namely chronic conditions rooted in dietary and lifestyle choices.

Leadership in Times of Uncertainty: A VIP Online Event with Adeo Ressi

The Spring 2020 Silicon Valley, Toronto, London, and Singapore Founder Institute cohorts have completed their pre-seed accelerator programs, and on this special online event you can watch as we conclude and celebrate with members of the FI Team. Special guests for this event include Sunil Sharma (MD of Techstars Toronto), Ryan Micheletti (Head of Global Operations at FI), Mike Suprovici (MD of Portfolio Success at FI), and a Keynote Speech on leadership in times of crisis by Adeo Ressi (CEO of Founder Institute). Learn leadership tactics for building a global company during a pandemic and how we, as a global community of Founders, can help build a promising new future. 

An AMA with Mighty Capital: The Profile of a Good VC Deal (August 27th, 2020)

You have an MVP, your pitch is polished, and you have meetings lined up with VCs. But you're still getting feedback about "needing more traction", and soft no's from VCs. You walk away, unsure of what could make your pitch better. In this webinar, Jennifer Vancini, Partner at Mighty Capital, will give a presentation on the components of what a good deal looks like from an investors' standpoint, and how you can improve your pitch to secure the "yes". Join this event to learn about what investors look for in a deal, how to set up your startup for success, and get answers to your most pressing funding questions.

Growth Strategy for Product Development in the Time of COVID19, with Gayatri Sarkar (August 20th, 2020)

Learn the do’s and don’ts of product development in “Growth Strategy for Product Development in Time of COVID19.” In this webinar, Gayatri Sarkar discussed in detail how the world’s largest toy company went from nearly facing bankruptcy to becoming profitable again through changing its growth strategy. She covered topics that are essential to startup success: consumer feedback loops, pricing strategy agility, and product-market fit. Watch this webinar to learn how to create a successful product with high leverage, even during challenging times!

How to Launch a Startup with NASA Technology
(Aug 19, 2020)

Founder Institute's Head of Global Operations, Ryan Micheletti, and Chief of the Technology Transfer Office at NASA Ames, Kimberly Hines, discussed how to launch a startup using NASA technology. NASA's Technology Transfer Program ensures that innovations developed for exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to the nation. Whether you're looking to start a new company, enhance an existing product, or create a new product line, you can gain a competitive edge in the marketplace by putting NASA technology to work for you.

How Startup Organizations can Help Black American Entrepreneurs: An Open Discussion (Aug 18, 2020)

With systemic racism at the forefront of the American consciousness, many corporations have pledged their support for Black Americans. But how can these organizations, and specifically those that help entrepreneurs, make real internal changes that actually lead to meaningful long term results? What are the specific challenges that Black American entrepreneurs face along every step of their startup journey, and what measures can accelerators, investors, and other organizations put in place to help? Hosting this webinar were Mariah Lichtenstern and Harold Hughes.

FI Alumni August 11th, 2020 Q&A Panel: Meet Program Alumni and Ask Questions

• Pooja Viswanathan, Founder & CEO of Braze Mobility

• Courtney Brand, Founder & CEO of Thelighthouse

• Sean Fu, Founder & CEO of Supervisa.ai

AMA with Founder Institute Silicon Valley HQ Team 
(July 30th)

In times like these, smart entrepreneurs start building the future. During this AMA the Founder Institute’s Co-Founder, Jonathan Greechan, gave a ~10 minute presentation on the accelerator. Then he, along with the Global Marketing Director and Co-Founder of hte Female Founder Initiative, Rachel Sheppard, and Managing Director of Portfolio Success, Mike Suprovici answered attendee’s questions on all topics related to the Founder Institute’s program and about entrepreneurship.

Female Founders: Building a Diverse Portfolio During COVID-19 (July 28th, 2020)

The majority of VC investments go to a small subset of the population and less than 3% of funding goes to women entrepreneurs. Leading the drive to change these demographics are 3 guest speakers from across the world, from Singapore to Canada. In this live event these mavericks explained how they evaluate startups to build diverse portfolios, how to know when a startup is ready for its first round of funding, how to get a meeting with the right investors, and more!

How to Build a Successful Cannabis Startup: An AMA with Kim Kovacs (July 23, 2020)

From natural pain management to mitigating anxiety, cannabis provides a variety of solutions to otherwise expensive problems. In this webinar, Kim Kovacs from The Arcview Group — a leading private investment network and market research firm and a top 5 financial firm in the cannabis industry — discussed the future of this promising industry.

A Model to Answer all Startup Growth Questions, with Phil Libin (July 21, 2020)

When building a strategy for your startup growth, you will encounter no shortage of formulas, ratios, and conflicting advice on the best practices. In this live online event, Phil Libin (CEO of All Turtles, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Evernote) outlined a model that simplifies the creation and analysis of your customer acquisition and retention strategies. By using Phil's method, you will be able to easily map out your customer journeys and stories, analyze what is working, determine how to allocate resources, and more.

Founder Institute Online Demo Day, July 16th: See Startups Growing Fast Amidst COVID-19

Now more than ever, the world needs entrepreneurs building products that fit into our collective Post-COVID future. Check out the companies that pitched:

• Prowess Project: (https://prowessproject.com/) helps employers find expert talent via IQ & EQ, providing a natural fit and shortened interview/ onboarding process.

• Pynk (https://pynk.io/) is building an investment platform that combines the wisdom of crowds, experts, and A.I. to help you make smarter investment decisions.

• mycoop (https://mycoop.com/) is creating a communication and collaboration hub for buildings, where the right people are always connected to the right tools to be more productive and enjoy life at home. 

• Subly (https://www.getsubly.com/) enables automatic transcription and subtitling for videos, across multiple languages and all in the browser.  

How to Manage a Remote Team Management in a Post-COVID World (June 30th, 2020)

Remote work is no longer the future, it is here.  In this webinar, you can learn the best practices for managing a remote team from Founder Institute graduate Liza Rodewald, the CEO of Instant Teams (https://instantteams.com/) a fast-growing company that has been remote since day one. Liza discussed specific tactics for managing remote employees, strengthening remote culture, developing policies for a new remote world, and more.  

How to Scale Your Early-Stage Startup During
COVID-19 (June 17th, 2020)

Out of the thousands of startups that are created every year, just 10% survive. Even fewer scale. Learn about why only 0.4% of all startups scale, how to check your Scaleup DNA, and the 4 decisions that will help your company grow from Kimberly Ofori, serial entrepreneur, Founder of Growth Lab, Consultant at ScaleUp, and mentor at the Founder Institute and FEM-START. If you want your startup to last for the foreseeable future, then join us for this open Q+A event.

Building & Expanding Your Brand: During COVID19 & Beyond (June 16th, 2020)

Your brand is, by far, the most important function of growing your business, and it’s also one of the most difficult pieces of a company to get “right.” In this session, Jessica Korthuis, Founder & CEO of Sohuis, two-time entrepreneur and global brand strategist, will be covering how you can take advantage of the market changes that have happened as a result of the Coronavirus to build and expand your brand's impact, growth, and profitability. If you're unsure of where to take your brand next and how to pivot, this session is a must-attend.

How to Fundraise Successfully During a Pandemic (June 9th, 2020)

COVID-19 has significantly changed the dynamics of startup funding, so what does the coronavirus pandemic mean for you as a startup founder raising money? How do you navigate this new landscape? What adjustments should you make to increase your chances of success? In this event entrepreneur and seed stage fundraising expert Will Sacks (Founder of mission-driven startups Kindara and GetFunded) shared what you can do as a founder to successfully raise seed financing in this environment.

How to Get Press for your Startup During and Post COVID-19 (June 4th)

Across the world, media professionals and startup founders are adjusting to new realities brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. One likely outcome that’s not often talked about is that the way in which entrepreneurs interact with the media will change. In this webinar Conrad Egusa, CEO of Publicize, shared his advice for getting media coverage during and post COVID-19.

Nailing an Online Pitch: Tips, Tricks & Hacks to Present and Raise Capital in a Zoom / Virtual World (June 2nd, 2020)

The Coronavirus is threatening to change many of the ways we interact. One of the likely outcomes is that many company fundraising pitches will be given via Zoom or telephone going forward. But raising capital when you can’t be in the room, see the investors, sense the energy, is hard - and the skills you need as an entrepreneur are markedly different. Join Gabe Zichermann, 6x founder and professional public speaker as he shares his tips, tricks and hacks for delivering a perfect pitch even if you’re miles away. 

Founder Institute Alumni Q&A Panel: Meet Program Alumni and Ask Questions (May 27th, 2020)

Alumni of the Founder Institute pre-seed startup accelerator have raised nearly $1 billion in funding and are building some of the world's fastest growing technology businesses. Join us for an interactive, online Q&A event where you can learn the tips and tricks to building a startup, ask the alumni about their experience in the FI program, and what you can expect to achieve in a startup accelerator. This event will be hosted by Ryan Micheletti (Head of Global Operations at Founder Institute, and Co-Director of the Silicon Valley FI Program).

How to Get from 0 to 1 and Build a Remote Team with Sam Udotong of Fireflies.ai (May 21st, 2020)

Looking to build a team and monetize a product while on a Coronavirus budget? Learn how to manage a strong and remote team as well as find product-market fit from Sam Udotong, the Co-Founder and CTO of Fireflies.ai. This quintessentially scrappy founder turned down Harvard Business School to build a startup, and today manages a team that operates out of 3 continents and raised $5 million in seed funding in late 2019.

Resources & Strategies for Underrepresented Business Owners to Thrive in the Post-COVID Future (May 20th, 2020)

On this live-recorded online event, we discuss the challenges, resources, and opportunities available to SMBs led by women, minority, immigrant and veteran founders with Elizabeth Gore, Co-Founder and President of Alice (https://HelloAlice.com), Emeritus Chair of the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council, Partner of Portfolia Fund, and one of the world's "Most Creative People in Business” (according to Fast Company). Learn about various resources available to small businesses to survive and thrive during these unprecedented times.

An Discussion About Founder Depression and Wellbeing with Gabe Zichermann (May 19th, 2020)

According to a 2015 study by UCSF, 72% of entrepreneurs report mental health concerns, and founders are 30% more likely to experience depression than non-founders. Gabe Zichermann is a 6X tech entrepreneur and author who has succumbed to these stresses himself, and believes most founders he has met have displayed mental or other extreme behavioral issues. We hope you enjoy this candid and open discussion where vulnerability, honesty, and openness around founder wellness were encouraged.

Startup Grant Funding: How to Raise Non-Dilutive Capital from Uncle Sam (May 13th, 2020)

This recorded live webinar provides practical, step-by-step advice on how to tap into the wealth of dollars that federal and state governments set aside for small businesses and startups. Featuring subject matter experts and entrepreneurs who have successfully secured grant funding for their businesses, the panel includes Ron Flavin, funding and revenue strategist, angel investor, grant writing expert, and Director of the FI San Francisco chapter; Dan Madden, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director at the National Security Innovation Network; and Matty Squarzoni, Co-Founder & CEO of Sitch Ai.

How to Lean on Startup Advisors & Board Members During COVID-19 (May 14th, 2020)

The economy has dramatically shifted as a result of COVID-19, and so have the individualized needs of many startups and founders. On this live event, one of Silicon Valley's top startup board members and advisors discusses the strategies she is using to help her companies, and explains how entrepreneurs can go about asking for help from their advisors and other constituents. Our special guest for this topic is Madeline Duva, CEO at Fluxx, who has led from the C-Suite for 3 companies, served on various boards, and mentored countless startups.

The Future of Transportation & Mobility, with Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer (May 12th, 2020)

COVID-19 has rocked the travel and transportation industry, with likely long-term impacts on the way we travel, drive, transport goods, and more. This discussion focuses on how COVID-19 is impacting the transportation and mobility industry, the opportunities that will arise in a post-COVID world, and the trends that entrepreneurs and investors in the space can expect. Our special guest is Mark Frohnmayer, Founder & CEO of Arcimoto (NASDAQ: $FUV), a company whose mission is to build products that catalyze the shift to a sustainable transportation system, and produces an ultra-efficient three-wheel platform for the wide range of everyday trips.

Venture Capitalist Jed Katz on Series-A Funding in a Post-COVID World (May 7th, 2020)

The market for venture capital funding has dramatically shifted as a result of COVID-19. The valuations for both public and private companies have been impacted, and as a result, so have the needs of investors. Many venture firms are raising their standards, so anyone trying to raise a Series-A has to adjust, or risk not closing investment. In this webinar Javelin Venture Partners (https://JavelinVP.com) Managing Director Jed Katz discusses the market today, and how companies and investors are responding to the new funding environment.

What is Venture Debt, and is it right for your Company? With Lighter Capital (May 6th, 2020)

As startups have proliferated the last decade, so have funding options for entrepreneurs looking to scale and grow their businesses. One alternative financing model gaining popularity is venture debt. In this video, experts share the basics of venture debt and capital-based financing, outline the types of businesses best suited for this type of financing, and answer any questions from the live webinar audience. The featured guest is Mike Luebbers, Chief Credit Officer of Lighter Capital (https://www.lightercapital.com), one of the fastest growing alternative financing businesses in North America.

An Astronaut's Guide: How Space Tech & Research can Benefit Entrepreneurs (April 29th, 2020)

The technology and research being done in space is not only impressive but also extremely relevant to life here on Earth. Few people on the planet know this more than Nick Hague, M.S., an astronaut who has conducted three spacewalks and spent 203 days in space. In this webinar he spoke about what it is like to live in space, the technologies and research currently being tested on the International Space Station, and how this type of research can help entrepreneurs aiming to build transformative technologies.

On April 29th, 2020, the Founder Institute spoke with the astronaut in the webinar "An Astronaut's Guide: How Space Tech & Research can Benefit Entrepreneurs."

Female Founder Roundtable: Building the post-COVID-19 World (April 30th, 2020)

In the "Female Founder Roundtable: Building the post-COVID-19 World" webinar the Founder Institute held on April 30th, 2020, three guests joined the Founder Institute's Global Marketing Director and Co-Founder of the Female Founder Initiative Rachel Sheppard to discuss topics ranging from crowdfunding to building a startup while moving to mentorship. The guest speakers were: 1) Olivia Owens, Head of Partnerships at iFundWomen 2) Stela Suils, Founder of DiTal & Startup Community Leader in Portugal 3) Liza Rodewald, CEO of Instant Teams.

Startup Pitch Feedback: Founder Institute Hotseat (April 28, 2020)

The Founder Institute HQ team gave feedback on pitches from entrepreneurs from around the world during this live online event on April 28th, 2020.

SpaceTech Online Demo Day (April 23, 2020)

Spacetech startups are pushing the boundaries of engineering and aerospace design, which can benefit life both on and beyond Earth. In this webinar, founders from promising space tech startups in the Founder Institute portfolio pitched their startups. Featured founders: - Michael Sims: Founder & CEO of Ceres Robotics - Fred Radford: Founder of Beyond Earth - Aaron Davis: Founder & CEO Mountain Aerospace Research Solutions.

Founder Institute Global Information Session (April 22nd)

In times like these, smart entrepreneurs start building the future. As the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, the Founder Institute is here to help. Since 2009, we have helped over 4000 entrepreneurs build businesses that matter across 60+ countries. If you are interested in learning about the Founder Institute methodology, global network, and program benefits, watch this recording of our live Online Information Session hosted by Jonathan Greechan (Co-Founder of Founder Institute).

Startup Pitch Feedback: Founder Institute Hotseat (April 21, 2020)

The Founder Institute HQ team gave feedback on 12 pitches from entrepreneurs from around the world who submitted their pitches in the chat during the live event on April 21st, 2020. Find how the Founder Institute can help you in your startup journey at http://fi.co/join/webinar.

How to Raise Angel Investment in Uncertain Times, ft. Golden Seeds (April 15th)

Over the last month the market for angel funding has dramatically shifted, so anyone trying to raise an angel round has to adjust (or risk not closing investment). On this live and interactive webinar founders learned about the best ways to raise capital in today's climate from some of Silicon Valley's top angels and startup experts. Joining this webinar on April 15th were Irina Berkon (Managing Director of Golden Seeds) and Adam Spector (Co-Founder at AbstratOps, and former Chief Revenue Officer at Datalogue)

Peter Diamandis - The Future is Coming Fast: Big Changes to Expect in the Next Decade (April 16th)

Serial entrepreneur and author Peter Diamandis joined Founder Institute CEO Adeo Ressi to talk about why the 'Future is Coming Fast' and what 'Big Changes to Expect in the Next Decade.' Peter H. Diamandis, MD, the Co-Founder of XPrize, Singularity University, and NY Times best-selling author of "Abundance – The Future Is Better Than You Think", "BOLD – How to Go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World", and "The Future is Faster Than You Think".

Jeffrey Paine: What the SE Asia Startup Ecosystem Will Look Like Post-Coronavirus (April 13th)

Golden Gate Ventures (https://goldengate.vc) is one of SE Asia's top seed venture funds. Paine is also a Director at Founder Institute Singapore where he has helped over 115 companies graduate from the accelerator program. He advises the Sydney Seed Fund, which focuses on early-stage companies in Australia. Previously he was a Director at Battle Ventures (Singapore), a Partner at Generation Origin (a cross border venture fund), Vice President at Cutler Venture Partners, and an Investment Manager at MPH Ventures.

Chris Kelly: How (and Why) My Business Started in a Recession (April 9, 2020)

Chris Kelly co-founded a multi-million dollar business in 2009 during the Great Recession, and is in the midst of launching another new venture now that we’re back in turbulent times. Watch to learn how entrepreneurs can analyze our current economic situation, and strategize to build businesses for the future.

Lessons in Segmentation & Scaling with Hubspot Chief Customer Officer Yamini Rangan (April 8th)

How do you determine your target segment? Once you've identified your target segment, how do you map the right sales motions and resources so that you can scale? Watch this video to learn from HubSpot's Yamini Rangan about best tactics and strategies startups can use for navigating customer segmentation, and scaling up their go-to market organization. This webinar delivers insights to founders on two essential questions: where to play and how to win.

The Art of the Pivot: How to Quickly Steer Your Company to Revenue, with Paul D'Souza - April 2nd, 2020

On April 2nd we hosted an interactive discussion with Sales Strategist Paul D'Souza on the Art of the Pivot: how to steer your company to revenue. On this webinar, D'Souza -- who has spent his career helping companies increase their revenue -- reviews a systematic approach you can use to pivot your company and get back to revenue.

HealthTech Founder Institute Demo Day - 31 March 2020

This Demo Day features pitches from David Franklin, Founder of knowRx (https://knowrx.mobi), an FI Austin portfolio company developing a personalized medication management platform to increases medication adherence and decreases patient re-admission rates; Windi Muziasari, Co-Founder of Resistomap (https://www.resistomap.com), an FI Helsinki portfolio company mitigating antibiotic resistance spread through qPCR gene quantification monitor; and Jon Zaikowski, Co-Founder of CapCell Biologics (https://www.capcellbiologics.com), an FI New York portfolio company developing carbon nanotube-encapsulated cell implants for advanced 'biologics' pharmaceuticals delivery.

Online Founder Hotseat: Startup Idea Pitch Feedback - 24 March 2020

Could you use blunt, honest feedback on your early-stage startup ideas? On this live and interactive online event, founders share startup idea elevator pitches to a panel of Founder Institute HQ experts for quick feedback and analysis on the ideas shared.

How Startups Can Cope with Coronavirus & Economic Recession with Adeo Ressi

On this Founder Institute interactive webinar event, Adeo Ressi (CEO of the Founder Institute, and 9X entrepreneur and startup investor) discusses the opportunities and challenges the COVID-19 pandemic is creating for businesses, and outlines strategies for startups to survive and thrive in a recession.

Women Founders and Funding Q+A with Amy Wu of Lightspeed Ventures

Amy Wu, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, answered questions from women founders about funding in an "Ask-Me-Anything" webinar featuring Rachel Sheppard, Global Marketing Director at Founder Institute and Co-Creator of the Female Founder Initiative.

Venture Funding for Female Founders: An AMA with Cat Lee (Maveron)

In this webinar, Cat gives advice on how female founders can overcome the odds and close a funding round, through an interactive online AMA ("Ask me Anything"). Cat is the newest partner at Maveron, an early-stage consumer-tech venture firm. Previously, Cat worked for six years at Pinterest (Head of Culture, Global Partner Marketing, Growth, Product) and at Facebook as part of their developer platform team.

How to Become a Leader in Your Startup Community

 How to Become a Leader in Your Startup Community with TechStars founder David Cohen, Adeo Ressi, CEO of FI and venture capital firm Expansive Ventures, speaks with David Cohen, founder of TechStars and Sergio Escobar, Techstars and FI director, about transforming your city into a thriving startup ecosystem. Startups are the backbone of the modern economy today. They are creating jobs, creating opportunities and changing the world. For successful startups, sometimes success depends on their startup ecosystem.