Building A Future Where
Diverse Founders Power Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

We are redistributing economic and social power

Unrestricted grant funding

Direct capital investment with no strings attached.

Non-prescriptive advising

Tailored learning to founders’ business needs.

Transformative community

Networks that accelerate growth and opportunity.

Founder-first storytelling

Amplifying diverse voices to shape entrepreneurial narratives.

25+

States Engaged

$ 860K

Awarded

125+

Founders Funded

85%

Survival Rate Amongst Founder Network

Explore our Programs

  • PitchProv

    Networking
    A refreshing take on networking where founders and investors connect through pitching meets improv.

  • Sprint Series

    Technical Assistance
    Cohort-based programming that prepares founders for their next stage of business growth.

  • AI Civic Studio

    Training
    Equipping civic leaders with knowledge and skills for responsible AI adoption in their communities.

  • Across Space & Time

    Storytelling
    Stories celebrating the love entrepreneurs have for their cities, and the way their leadership shapes emerging markets.

Invest in Founders,
Invest in Communities

Your donation helps diverse founders tackle urgent business challenges while growing into community leaders and job creators.

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Latest News

    • Stories

    The power of ecosystem collaboration: Ugly Talk x Founder Forward

    Last Wednesday at the Yard in Herald Square, an intimate group of founders and ecosystem builders gathered for an Ugly Talk: Building a Team that Scales Beyond $500k. The event was more than a panel discussion, but a great example of what’s possible when pieces of an entrepreneurial ecosystem come together with intention.

    • Stories

    Founder Spotlight: Jie Feng, Ph.D., KELLS

    At Founder Forward, we’re proud to champion visionary founders who are transforming industries and creating lasting impact. Today, we’re highlighting Jie Feng Ph.D, the founder of KELLS, a modern dental benefits platform on a mission to make oral health smarter, more transparent, and more affordable.

    • Stories

    PitchProv: A Starting Point

    In December of 2024, we piloted new programming, PitchProv. PitchProv is an event that combines both the creativity of improv and the formality of pitching. Participants are invited to challenge themselves through an audience lightning round, partnered practice round, and brave participants can compete to reign supreme through an apollo-style competition round.

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