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Operational Excellence
Improve every decision you make by integrating the experiences of your peers. Solve problems faster and achieve better operational results.
Connect, collaborate, and conquer business challenges together!
A COMMUNITY EXCLUSIVELY FOR VENTURE-
SCALE FOUNDERS
Where elite founders spend the most impactful hour of their week
FounderNexus connects you with other talented, experienced Founders in your area and around the world. Intended for ALL Founders, regardless of role. We help you build your team, get immediate advice on current challenges, and learn from other successful entrepreneurs.
This community is for established Founders looking to expand their business, as well as experienced Founders looking to start something new.
Our promise: TRIPLE your odds of success
Where experienced founders go to up their game
I can say with confidence that I get far more value from FounderNexus than the cost of the membership, and I'm not even taking full advantage! This community is going to be an important part of my journey as I continue building and growing my company.
Steve Tout
founder, Identient
I really loved how welcoming the vibe felt from the moment I arrived.
Katrina Romatowski
founder, reSpace
It was awesome
Edan Shahar
founder, Wild Zebra
The event was great! Highlight: Encouragement of diverse viewpoints and good founder mix
Darian Parrish
founder, PwrOn
I think the breakout sessions are a loose but useful way to get people talking about challenges and resolutions.
Mark Fiebig
founder, Payscore
I was initially hesitant to join yet another group as there is no shortage of people claiming to help entrepreneurs, but Court Lorenzini and FounderNexus are the real deal. Any serious founder will benefit immensely from joining FounderNexus.
Jasper Kuria
co-founder, ConversionMagic
Great event, I learned a lot! Looking forward to next one
Shama Keskar
founder, Mudita Studios
FounderNexus fills a gap for entrepreneurs by complementing traditional incubator and early investment programs with a high-quality peer founder network.
Bob Lach
founder, Lightbridge Solutions
I also felt a sense of real community for the first time as a founder. You're all onto something special here!
Elias DeFaria
co-founder, SDF Labs
This was a fast track to relevant experience/advice in a room where you hold nothing back.
Nicole Resch
Co-founder, Imperative
I have attended events nationwide and joined so-called “MasterMind” groups, but nothing comes close to the network and support I have experienced at FounderNexus.
Arthur Baranovskiy
co-founder, ARY Engineering
What is
FounderNexus?
FounderNexus is an engaged community of experienced Founders dedicated to helping each other excel throughout their Founder’s journey. We provide the opportunity and tools to connect, learn, and succeed together.
This community turns the entrepreneurial journey into a collective endeavor, where shared knowledge and experience become key drivers of individual and communal success.
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Challenge Validation
Being a founder is really hard! Find support and experience to make your own journey less challenging and lonely.
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concept Development
Improve your products, operations and management techniques by hearing the results of what others have tried.
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Team Building
Add founder-level talent to your existing team, or find the ideal co-founder for your next venture. FounderNexus makes sure you find the best possible fit.
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Founder Blind Spots: The Psychology of Outliers
18
February
12:00 AM - 3:00 AM
San Francisco, CA
David Hersh
Founder Blind Spots: The Psychology of Outliers
Why This Matters
You've built something remarkable. You've scaled revenue, hired great teams, and you're approaching or thinking about an exit. But here's what most founders don't talk about: roughly 90% of the critical mistakes made during and after exits aren't about strategy or market dynamics—they're psychological.
Identity crises. Hero complexes. The inability to let go. The shock of sudden wealth. The existential void that comes after the finish line.
These aren't character flaws. They're predictable psychological patterns that derail even the most successful founders—and they're preventable.
What You'll Learn
Join Dave Hersh, founder and former CEO of Jive Software (IPO 2011, $60M+ revenue) and current executive coach and venture investor, as he breaks down:
- The psychological blind spots that cause founders to fumble in the final stretch before exit
- The post-exit identity crisis that catches 70% of founders off guard—and how to navigate it
- The exit wound: why the moment after you "win" is when you're most vulnerable
- Practical frameworks to protect your mental health, your relationships, and your next chapter—whether that's inside or outside your company
Dave has coached dozens of founders through exits and witnessed the patterns firsthand. He's also lived them. After taking Jive public, he spent 10 years in an existential crisis before achieving real clarity. He's here to help you skip that part.
Who Should Attend
- Series A/B founders thinking about or actively preparing for exit
- Founders who've hit product-market fit and are scaling fast
Innovator's Edge
Dave is the author of Reignition (Inc. Originals Press, April 2024), a practical and deeply-researched playbook for helping startups and growth companies get “unstuck” and find their path. He is a general partner at Metamorph Partners, was the founding CEO of Jive Software (NASDAQ IPO in 2011), served as a board partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and has advised hundreds of startups over three decades.
upgrade your approach with our community
Experience transformative knowledge exchange and problem-solving through our curated group discussions. We use proprietary algorithms to ensure you're matched with the perfect peers for maximum insight and impact.
social event
Founder's Dinner with Dave Hersh
18
February
3:15 AM - 5:00 AM
San Francisco
After the Talk: Informal Dinner with Dave & Founders
If you want to continue the conversation over dinner, we're gathering informally at a restaurant nearby, afterward. No host, no formal agenda—just founders who want to keep talking about psychology, exits, and what comes next.
For any pre-qualified founders (www.foundernexus.com)
expert event
Artificial Intelligence and Diagnostic Inventions: Significant shifts in the Examination of Patent-Eligible Subject Matter
19
February
1:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Zoom
John Morgan, Seed IP Law Group
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems offers paradigm-shifting advances in many areas of human endeavor, including healthcare. Yet, innovations in AI and diagnostic medicine have met significant patent-eligibility hurdles in recent years. Innovators will therefore be interested in recent, patent-friendly changes in US Patent Office policy and proposed legislation to reform US patent law regarding subject-matter eligibility, and to adapt their patent practice and strategy accordingly to benefit business needs.
This topic covers:
- a brief introductory history of US patent-eligible subject matter examination and case law
- recent changes in USPTO policy and proposed legislative reform
- adapting patent practice and strategy to benefit business needs, including identifying patent-eligible inventions, IP cost allocation and control, portfolio management, and consistency in approach across the portfolio and multiple jurisdictions
event attendance and Club admission
We select club members based on a number of different experiential aspects. Everyone must complete the application process to qualify for participation.
Application process:
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Submit your application.
We curate event attendance based on a standard application process. You must be selected to attend an event. Additional screening is required to join the organization.
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Qualify for attendance.
All applications will be reviewed for proper community fit. Applicants with no prior experience as Founders, and service providers (lawyers, accountants, etc.) will be deferred to a future date.
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Receive invitation.
You will receive an invitation to attend an event once your application has been reviewed. Event attendance does not guarantee future club admission.
Candidate requirements:
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1+ startup as a Founder
Co-Founded at least 1 company
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3+ years as a founder
Prior experience as a venture-scale founder
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Successfully raised outside capital
Prior experience raising capital from angels or VC
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Building a venture-scale business
Business targeting over $100M ARR
Interested in starting a FounderNexus chapter in your area?
If you're an experienced venture-scale founder that's passionate about growing your local entrepreneurial community and likes being at the center of things, we'd love to connect. We've got everything you need to get a local chapter started.