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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
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: improve your odds of success 2-3X
Where experienced founders go to up their game
I enjoyed how well planned and executed the event was. Court’s presentation was relevant and actionable
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
expert event
Early Stage Tax Issues ($0-2M ARR)
03
October
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom
Peter Buss, KBF CPA
As your startup grows from idea to $2M ARR, the tax decisions you make early can save—or cost—you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many founders focus on product and market fit while overlooking critical tax planning that becomes expensive to fix later.
Key Topics:
Business Structure Selection & Tax Implications
LLC vs. S-Corp vs. C-Corp: How each structure affects your personal tax liability, self-employment taxes, and ability to raise capital
QSB Stock Election: Maximizing the Section 1202 qualified small business stock exclusion (up to $10M tax-free on exit)
When to Convert: Timing your LLC-to-C-Corp conversion to minimize tax consequences while preparing for investment
Startup-Specific Tax Deadlines & Filing Requirements
State Registration: Multi-state compliance issues as you hire remote employees or expand markets
Quarterly Estimated Taxes: Avoiding penalties when revenue is unpredictable
R&D Tax Credits: Capturing credits for software development and innovation activities that most early-stage companies miss
Fundraising & Investment Tax Implications
83(b) Elections: Critical timing for founder and employee equity to avoid massive tax bills later
SAFE Notes vs. Convertible Debt: Tax treatment differences that affect both company and investors
Option Pool Planning: Structuring employee equity to minimize tax complications
Why This Matters:
Poor early-stage tax planning can cost you 6-7 figures in unnecessary taxes or limit your fundraising options. The right structure and elections made early create flexibility for growth and maximize your after-tax proceeds at exit.
Innovator's Edge
Peter focuses on serving public companies, private equity owned and venture-backed entities. Peter has built a niche in providing ASC 740 and purchase accounting consulting services. Additionally, Peter oversees the corporate tax compliance team, handling income tax preparation for both public and private companies.<br>Peter serves as the outsourced tax department for both public and large private companies, handling all tax-related matters for these companies. In many instances, Peter works as a liaison between the client and the audit firm on tax accounting matters. Working directly with dynamic corporate clients has allowed Peter to maintain and strengthen his technical proficiency in the area of ASC 740. With the heightened independence requirements required by the SEC and PCAOB, Peter has filled a necessary void for many public companies. Peter assists companies on a routine basis with their tax purchase accounting issues and has developed a strong focus in this area. Additional technical tax accounting topics Peter regularly consults on include stock based compensation, interim tax accounting, and uncertain tax position accounting.Peter was with Ernst & Young in San Francisco prior to joining the KBF team as a partner in 2004.
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.
expert event
Stock Structure & Term Sheets for Early Stage Startups (>$2M ARR)
17
October
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Zoom
Jamie Nicole Johnson, Perkins Coie
Once your startup reaches $2M+ in annual recurring revenue, you're entering serious fundraising territory where sophisticated investors expect professional deal structures. This session covers the critical legal and financial frameworks you need to understand:
Key Topics:
Preferred Stock Classes: Understanding liquidation preferences, anti-dilution provisions, and voting rights that protect investor interests while preserving founder control
Term Sheet Essentials: Decoding valuation (pre-money vs. post-money), board composition, protective provisions, and drag-along/tag-along rights
Cap Table Management: How different stock classes affect ownership dilution and future fundraising rounds
Negotiation Strategy: Which terms to fight for, which to concede, and how your ARR milestone strengthens your position
Founder’s Mentality: The Scalable Alternative to Heroics
06
November
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Seattle
Greg Greeley
Much has been written recently about the trade-offs between running a startup in “Founder Mode” an intense, hands-on operating style, compared to shifting into “Manager Mode” to enable rapid scale. While both approaches have their place, I believe there’s a more effective path - ensuring the company’s culture is grounded in a Founder’s Mentality.
Drawing on lessons from my time at founder-led companies, including: Sun Microsystems, Amazon, Airbnb, and WheelsUp, we’ll explore how embedding a Founder’s Mentality can offer a more durable, scalable, and energizing alternative, while avoiding some of the more common mistakes that occur while scaling a company.
The challenge is to preserve the urgency, vision and front-line obsession of the founder, combined with demanding the discipline and repeatability of a high-functioning operating system. This approach supports long-term sustainable growth.
The session will introduce key principles of what it means to build with a Founder’s Mentality and set the stage for our breakout discussions on how to scale teams, process and culture.
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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2+ years of startup leadership
Served at least 2 years as a startup executive
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3+ years of management
Served at least 3 years as leader of people
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Venture-Scale
Business meets venture capital requirements
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.